Best months for Alaska cruise as a bear lover

[LivCK]

Hi everyone! My fiance and I are looking at the summer 2026 Alaska cruises for our honeymoon. I absolutely love bears (we even got engaged at a bear sanctuary!) and would love the opportunity to see one during our cruise. I know you can never guarantee seeing any wildlife, but which months do you think give us the best shot?
I have heard maybe later summer is good once the salmon start spawning?
The 2026 itineraries we have looked at stop at Juneau, Skagway and Ketchikan.

Thank you!

 

[AgentMama]

We saw bears in July and August.

 

[lorimt]

We’ve seen them on multiple land trips in July.

 

[Budzooka]

We went in June and only saw a couple. We were told they are more prevalent later in the summer when there are lots of salmon.

 

[thegreatdonaldo]

I second July and August. Definitely check out the Bear excursion in Ketchikan through Kawanti tours. Not sure if Disney offers it but you can easily do it on your own. They will pick you up at the pier and drop you off afterward.
https://kawanti.com/tours/black-bear-express/

In Juneau, I suggest taking a bus from the pier (about $45/rt) to Mendenhall Glacier. There are loads of trails around the visitor's center. One has raised platforms and you can often see bears roaming about.

 

[Simba's Mom]

We saw about 7-8 on a land trip in June. However, I agree that they'd probably be more prevalent in July and August when there's lots of Salmon.

 

[ladyofthetramp]

August-plenty of salmon, plenty of bears

 

[LoveDaisy]

I went in July with my dad to fly fish for salmon and we saw lots. The guide told us they are at their peak during the salmon run near the water, they are all out to gain their winter weight. We took a seaplane in one day as we were flying low near the river we were landing in you could see so many. It was amazing.

 

[WDWEPCOT]

Once the Salmon are running the bears are out and about to eat - usually starts mid June any Tour company in Alaska will be able to advise you - if you plan on booking a bear excursion on your own - book Early they fill fass!! Bears are such great creatures so smart and strong !!! Huge fan here !!!
Congrats and good luck !!!

 

[Karin1984]

Do not go in May. I was there mid May on a "Nature & Wildlife" excursion. The first thing our guide said was that there was going to be a lot of nature and not a lot of wildlife. We were too early for that. Saw one bald eagle and some mountain goats, both in the far distance, but that was it.

 

[LivCK]

Thank you so much for all the replies and helpful advice!

 

[PsylockeSmythe]

Do not go in May. I was there mid May on a "Nature & Wildlife" excursion. The first thing our guide said was that there was going to be a lot of nature and not a lot of wildlife. We were too early for that. Saw one bald eagle and some mountain goats, both in the far distance, but that was it.

This was just the opposite for us when we went on our Alaskan cruise in May of 2022. We ended up seeing 3 bears and a ton of Bald Eagles. One of the bears that we saw, was when we went to the Mendenhall Glacier and the park rangers were making sure that the guests didn't get any closer to the bear (we were within 50 to 60 feet of the bear that was in a field and we were on the raises walkway). The Bald Eagles were everywhere. We also saw a few whales, seals, and other wildlife.

Psy

 

[msmama]

Like everyone said, the later the better. We went in mid-July which should be prime time, but because of an unseasonable amount of rain, the salmon were running later so we saw no bears in the wild.

If any of the cruises go to Sitka, they have a place called The Fortress of the Bear which is pretty amazing. Some guy bought an old industrial plant and used it to take in some orphaned bears. There were 3 brown bears (which I learned are technically the same as grizzlies, but only called grizzlies when they live more in-land, not by the water) and a handful of black bears. There's a viewing window where the bears are like RIGHT THERE and you can see just how big they really are. I highly recommend (as did a lot of the CM's on the ship who said they went there to see the bears every time they stopped at Sitka).

 

[Kwami]

Like everyone said, the later the better.

Not always! We took a late August to early September cruise in 2023 and saw half of one bear (the back half), one bald eagle, and one deer. The deer almost got hit by our bus. There was almost no wildlife anywhere! No wales, no seals.

 

[Akck]

Not always! We took a late August to early September cruise in 2023 and saw half of one bear (the back half), one bald eagle, and one deer. The deer almost got hit by our bus. There was almost no wildlife anywhere! No wales, no seals.

Depending on the year, that timeframe can be sparse for sightings. If it gets colder earlier or a poor salmon run happens, wildlife goes elsewhere to prepare for winter. Unfortunately, you won’t know that when you make your plans.

 

[pjacobi]

If you are serious about bears, you will need to plan a trip to Brooks Falls in Katmai National Park. In the summer, there is a YouTube live cam for watching the bears remotely.

Katmai NP is quite remote and quite the experience just getting there!


-Paul

 

[lilsonicfan]

Come to Vancouver early before your cruise and check out the grizzly bear habitat on Grouse Mountain! https://www.grousemountain.com/wildlife-refuge

 

[ladyofthetramp]

Wildlife will do what wildlife will do. We live in the northeast in the "woods". We see black bears here in the yard all the time. One afternoon I was on the patio and a mom and her cub strolled by. It was amazing and beautiful. But you can't plan it. Fingers crossed for you. They are amazing animals