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Guided Walking Tour of Sitka: Explore Historic Downtown and Russian America
4.6
67 Ratings
Sitka
Immerse yourself in the history and culture of Sitka on a guided walking tour of the historic downtown area. Discover Russian buildings, gold-rush architecture, and local seafood restaurants.
Immerse yourself in the history and culture of Sitka on a guided walking tour of the historic downtown area. Discover Russian buildings, gold-rush architecture, and local seafood restaurants.
Duration:
1 hour
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
- Crescent Harbor - The first stop on the tour is in front of picturesque Crescent Harbor. The guide will explain the daily workings of a fishing town in Alaska from the personal perspective of a commercial and charter fisherman.
- Sitka Sound Science Center - Our guide will discuss the role the famous Sitka Sound Science Center plays in…
- Crescent Harbor - The first stop on the tour is in front of picturesque Crescent Harbor. The guide will explain the daily workings of a fishing town in Alaska from the personal perspective of a commercial and charter fisherman.
- Sitka Sound Science Center - Our guide will discuss the role the famous Sitka Sound Science Center plays in researching sustainable fishing. If one of the salmon runs is occurring it is possible to see salmon jumping up the stream into the hatchery processing station.
- Sitka Fine Arts Camp - Taking a step back in time, our guide will tell the history of the Sheldon Jackson College campus. The campus has transformed dramatically over its 145 year history: originally founded as an “Indian Boarding School” this campus is now the Sitka Fine Arts Camp.
- St. Michael’s Russian Orthodox Cathedral - Our guide will highlight the history, architecture, and significance of the Russian Orthodox Cathedral in the center of downtown Sitka. Note that this walking tour takes place entirely outside.
- Sitka Pioneers’ Home - Here you will see the grounds of the Sitka Pioneers’ Home. This majestic building has a rich history and still plays an important role in the lives of Alaskans. Our guide will showcase the totem pole and prospector statue that stand in front of the grand building. Note that this walking tour takes place entirely outside.
- Castle Hill - The tour ends at Baranof Castle State Historic Site, also known as “Castle Hill”. This is the location where Russian Alaska was purchased by the United States. After the tour the guide will accompany anyone who would like to make the ascent of Castle Hill. The end point is a 5 min walk to the cruise shuttle loading zone, and a 2 min walk from downtown Sitka.
What's Included
- Local tips for restaurants and exploration
- Resident Guide (Contact us for Spanish-speaking and other private tour options)
- All fees and/or taxes
- Umbrella
- Local tips for restaurants and exploration
- Resident Guide (Contact us for Spanish-speaking and other private tour options)
- All fees and/or taxes
- Umbrella
What's Not Included
- Transportation (Tour starts from free cruise shuttle drop-off)
- Gratuities (Always appreciated by our passionate guides!)
- Transportation (Tour starts from free cruise shuttle drop-off)
- Gratuities (Always appreciated by our passionate guides!)
Additional Information
Maximize your holiday time in Sitka with a 60-minute guided exploration. This unique tour takes you around the central district of Sitka, an area awash with Russian edifices, gold-rush era infrastructures, and exceptional seafood eateries.
• Unparalleled tour traversing the historic heart of Sitka
• Experience an offbeat promenade of Sitka under the…
Maximize your holiday time in Sitka with a 60-minute guided exploration. This unique tour takes you around the central district of Sitka, an area awash with Russian edifices, gold-rush era infrastructures, and exceptional seafood eateries.
• Unparalleled tour traversing the historic heart of Sitka
• Experience an offbeat promenade of Sitka under the guidance of a local
• Perfect tour for enthusiasts of history, local traditions, & insider’s tips
• Delight in numerous tales from Alaska’s Russian Era
Formerly the political hub of Russian America, this quaint angling village will offer an exclusive local view of Sitka as you journey through the historically substantial downtown teeming with Tlingit native culture.
Location
Harrigan Centennial Hall
Harbor Drive
CRUISE PASSENGERS: Take the free shuttle from the cruise ships into downtown.
Your guide will be dressed in a red jacket, at the LEFT CORNER of the main building in front of the shuttle drop-off (Centennial Hall).
If you are not on a cruise: please still meet in front of Centennial Hall.
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.6
(67 Ratings)
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W4644qjrichardc
Oct 1, 2024
Historic Walking Tour of Sitka - We (my wife and I) did the Tour of Sitka. David, who is a local was our guide and he was enthusiastic, knowledgeable and fun and brought the whole place alive! Loved the Russian history aspect too.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Richard_m
Sep 26, 2024
Very Unformative - David was awesome and very informative! We had a lot of fun and learned a lot about Sitka Alaska. We would definitely do it again.
Review provided by Viator
Diane_m
Sep 22, 2024
Informative and Fun - David was an excellent tour guide. A local who grew up in Sitka, very knowledgeable and interesting. Adventurous and fun stories too. Thank you David!
Review provided by Viator
862hallj
Sep 20, 2024
Great Overview & Intro to Sitka - We enjoyed this overview of the town of Sitka. It was a brief and helpful introduction to the town. Giving us enough information to choose how to spend the rest of our day in Sitka. The guide was very good and friendly.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Derek_r
Sep 19, 2024
great! - our tour guide was great! he was very accommodating and spoke a lot of the history of the russians, indigenous people, and the sale of alaska
Review provided by Viator
Octave_b
Sep 17, 2024
Fun Walk - David did a nice job explaining the history of Sitka. He was very personable and kept the tour interesting.
Review provided by Viator
Beth
Sep 24, 2024
Touring in the rain can still be fun! - It would have been a 5 if it had not been pouring rain. We were dressed appropriately, be nevertheless we got wet. Tour guide David did a wonderful job and we enjoyed the tour.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Mauifan2014
Sep 22, 2024
Poor Planning - Read This Before Booking - We booked this tour with another couple months before our arrival. Marshall was great and knowledgeable (so 2 stars for him) and we felt his walking backwards was a big plus. He was able to talk directly to us while pointing things out. But what you don't know until the day of the tour is that our ship (apx 2000 people) and another ship (apx 7000) both arrive at Sitka apx 2 hours apart. There are 3 busses that take you 6 miles to the downtown area but but those same buses stop servicing the return trip to the ships at 3pm - and our tour ended at 2:30! We were so stressed when we saw, during the walk, there were long lines (6 long zig-zag lengths) for the return busses that we cut our walk short (at 2:15) to get in line, and barely made it back in time to board our ship. This was especially disappointing since I was most interested in the historic downtown area, which we missed entirely since it was at the very end of the tour. Sitka Walking Tours know all this, so my question is, why not start the tour at 1pm, not 1:30? It would have made everything so much better!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Garnettch
Sep 9, 2024
Disappointing - This tour was very disappointing. The guide walked backwards during the entire tour, This made it hard to hear for those who were in the back. Would have been better if either there were listening devices or at least stop and let the group gather around to hear the information. Guide was pleasant and gave some personal information about growing up in the area, which was good. The tour seemed to be slightly rushed for a couple of people who needed to get back to their cruise ship. This is really not fair to those who planned their time wisely. Overall, don’t waste $40 on this tour.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Eileen_b
Oct 29, 2024
Got a new person, obviously — not the guy who had rave reviews - We knew more than the guide, who really didn't tell us much on the walking tour. There was a trainee along with the new person who tried to add a few tidbits here and there. I couldn't do much because it was a very small place, and one of us had to live there all summer and were bound to run into him again -- which actually happened. So I just took the financial hit, but it still makes me salty.
Review provided by Viator
