Seldovia Day Trip from Homer with Rainbow Tours (Review)
If you’re looking for an affordable tourist free and hyper local authentically Alaskan experience you have found it in Rainbow Tours! A small local company owned and staffed by Alaskans, this is a no frills and absolutely delightful day of exploration on the water and in the tiny community of Seldovia for all ages.
As an Alaska guide myself, I am tough on tours and only share with you ones I think are super unique to Alaska and worth your time and money. This tour is just that.
You won’t find anything catering to tourists in Seldovia, just a few local businesses and some hard working resourceful Alaskans in a beautiful little bay across Kachemak Bay from Homer.
I went on this tour on Labor Day 2024 (the last day of the season) and am happy to share all about my experience.
What to expect on the Seldovia Day Trip with Rainbow tours?
The most important thing to know about this trip is that there is not enough indoor seating for everyone, so if it’s raining (which is likely and always a possibility in Kachemak Bay), make sure you have rain gear so you are comfortable outside.
You’ll also need to be a bit self sufficient and/or not a picky eater, as there are not a lot of food options in Seldovia. Choose an authentic local place for lunch or bring a picnic and hit the trails – either way you’ll have a great time in your approximately 2.5 hours in the town of Seldovia.
The crew on the boat are extremely knowledgeable and long term Alaskans, full of great information to share with you and help you make the most of your boat cruise as well as your time in Seldovia.
Accessibility and Mobility on the boat
This is not a wheelchair accessible experience. Like many tour boats in Alaska, there are steps over in doorways, in addition you need to step over and onto the boat from the dock.
That said, there are plenty of ways to work with this for people with limited mobility as long as it’s an option to step over a small barrier with assistance.
The upstairs of the boat is reached by stairs only, but the restrooms are on the bottom level and so is the inside seating. There is also plenty of room outside downstairs.
How long is the boat ride to Seldovia?
It takes about 90 minutes to travel straight between Homer and Seldovia – however your boat ride will be longer than that. A slightly longer route is taken on the way over to accommodate wildlife viewing so the trip over is about 2.5 hours. On the way back it’s scheduled to be 90 minutes, however there are often whale sightings which add some time. On my tour we spent about an hour observing whales so we got back an hour later than the scheduled arrival time of 5pm. Make sure you don’t have something super tight after the tour because this delay is common – and totally worth it!
Will I get seasick?
If you’re concerned about getting seasick I would recommend taking preventative measures. The day I went on this tour it was quite calm, but there are some area more open to the ocean so I recommend taking precautions if this is a concern for you.
What wildlife will I see? Will I see whales?
Rainbow Tours day trip to Seldovia is a wonderful wildlife viewing opportunity – on our tour we saw lots of sea otters, seals, eagles and many other birds including the world famous Gull Island home to 20,000 nesting birds!
This is also an excellent whale viewing opportunity. We saw three humpback whales on the return trip from Seldovia and the crew told me they had been seeing them every day. Sometimes they also see Orcas on this tour.
Is there food on board the boat?
There are a few snacks like candy, granola bars and hot drinks for cash only, but not real food service.
Is there wifi or cell service in Seldovia or on the boat?
The boat does not have wifi. I had at least some cell service most of the time, though I didn’t have it everywhere while we were in the town of Seldovia. Use airplane mode to preserve your battery (nowhere to charge it during the day).
Are there restrooms?
Yes, there are restrooms on the boat and in Seldovia there are restrooms in the small number of restaurants as well as at the Visitor Center just a couple blocks from the boat landing.
What is there to do when I get to Seldovia?
Seldovia is a really fun and way off the beaten track town to explore in Alaska. However, you have to take the good with the bad – there is very little infrastructure for visitors. This is a joy in exploring away from popular tourist areas in Alaska, but you need to be super flexible and ready for adventure.
On Rainbow Tours Seldovia day trip, you’ll have about 2.5 hours in Seldovia and it’s up to you to decide how to use it.
On board the boat they will give you a map of Seldovia shortly before arriving. Keep in mind that not all the businesses on the map will be open. For various reasons, not all businesses listed are operating.
If you’re looking for food, you’ll probably spend most of your visit getting and eating it as there are limited staff and getting food takes a long time. When I was there on Labor Day 2024, Linwood Bar and Grill was open and so was Jack and Aiva’s. Many of the others I was with ate there and reported great food, especially fish and chips!
I opted for the Seldovia Roasting Company to try their crepes and coffee as recommended to me by the crew. A new business in 2024 they have lots of amazing crepes and my savory buffalo chicken crepe was delicious and the coffee was good.
All three of these restaurants are within two blocks of the marine where the boat docks and they were the only restaurants open that day.
You can explore the hiking trails – all are on the map and there are maps of trails and other points of interest around town. I didn’t go for a hike as I wanted to eat some food and explore the town a bit, but I’d love to come back for a few days and do some hikes too.
I walked around town up to the Russian Orthodox Church and then over to the boardwalk over the slough and I also went to the Visitor Center which was excellent. It focused heavily on the Native Alaskan history and culture of Seldovia Bay, which I really appreciated. They had excellent exhibits as well as great restrooms and a small gift shop. In addition to a long interwoven Indigenous history, the area’s colonial period is covered from Russian fur traders through 20th century canneries and mining.
Weather in Homer and Seldovia
Weather in Southcentral Alaska and around Kachemak Bay is notoriously changeable and hard to predict. When the sun comes out it can get warm fast, though it’s frequently cold and rainy. Make sure you have excellent rain gear and layers and sun protection regardless of the forecast or weather you’re experiencing when you start.
On our trip it was cold -upper 40s and VERY rainy, though the rain let up and eventually the sun came out and I was wearing a T shirt walking around Seldovia!
What to pack and bring for a day trip to Seldovia from Homer
You really need to be ready for any weather, from chilly pouring rain to warm sun.
You may be outside on the boat as there are not enough seats inside for everyone if the boat is full, which it usually is. This is no big deal if you’re prepared with a rain jacket, rain pants and waterproof shoes or boots but is miserable if you don’t have those things! I also appreciated having a warm hat.
Bring a backup battery for your phone, and I highly recommend bringing some food as the options in Seldovia are limited and getting food takes quite a while.
Don’t forget sun protection – sunscreen and sunglasses are a must no matter what the weather is like in the morning or what the forecast is.
