Photo Credit: Sitka Sound Science Center

Sitka Shore Excursions

Nestled between forested mountains and the Pacific Ocean, Sitka blends culture, wildlife, and wilderness. Paddle quiet bays among sea otters and whales, visit the Raptor Center for close encounters with bald eagles, and explore the Science Center’s salmon hatchery and aquarium.

Walk totem-lined trails where Russian, Tlingit, and American histories meet in one unforgettable coastal town.

Shore Excursions

Season: Year Round $16

You’ll look eagles in the eye at this rap­tor rehab and edu­ca­tion cen­ter on the edge of Ton­gass Nation­al For­est. You’ll get a close-up look at a snowy owl, Amer­i­can kestrel, pere­grine fal­con, great-horned owl, red-tailed hawk, and even the tiny north­ern saw-whet owl. 

Season: April to Sept $300+ 2+ hrs

Shim­mer­ing lakes, snow-capped peaks, water­falls, old-growth rain­for­est, and stun­ning views: Ton­gass Nation­al For­est is filled with gor­geous, remote spots that are icon­i­cal­ly Alaskan. And the best way to see them is on foot, dur­ing a pri­vate, per­son­al­ized hike with Ton­gass Treks, on the trails around Sit­ka. It’s an inti­mate, authen­tic expe­ri­ence with lots of amaz­ing pho­to ops! 

Season: Last weekend of April first week of October $49+ 1-3 hrs

Take the tour of a life­time around the quaint town of Sit­ka with Sit­ka Walk­ing Tours. They offer hik­ing, walk­ing or dri­ving tours. Explore the his­toric Russ­ian down­town, the rain­for­est, and the scenic areas around town — you can even take a pho­tog­ra­phy-focused dri­ving tour. The 1- to 3‑hour tours are per­fect for those who want to expe­ri­ence Sit­ka like a local, in acces­si­ble tours led by local Sitkan guides.

Season: May 4 - Aug 6 $280+ 3+ hrs

Small-group wildlife pho­tog­ra­phy work­shops in Sit­ka Sound with award-win­ning film­mak­er and pho­tog­ra­ph­er Ben Hamil­ton. Guests explore remote islands by boat, pho­tograph­ing whales, sea otters, puffins, eagles, and oth­er icon­ic Alaskan wildlife. Open to all skill lev­els and cam­era types, these work­shops pro­vide hands-on instruc­tion in light, com­po­si­tion, and wildlife behavior.

$15 40-Minute Film

Wit­ness Sitka’s incred­i­ble wildlife on the big screen in this 40-minute film expe­ri­ence that reveals the unseen won­ders and secret con­nec­tions that make Sit­ka a world class des­ti­na­tion. Sitka’s Hid­den Won­ders” is shown exclu­sive­ly at the Col­i­se­um The­atre in Down­town Sitka.

Season: April through September $400+ per person 6-8 hours

Sit­ka Expe­di­tions offers 6‑hour out­ings, but can cus­tomize the tour to your cruise sched­ule. Fish, take in the moun­tain views, and look for wildlife. The unique ecosys­tem of the Sit­ka area attracts tons of fish. And, the company’s own­ers were both born and raised in Sit­ka and have been fish­ing these waters their whole lives. They have inside scoop on the best spots to cast your line!

Season: June 15 - Sept 30 $175+ 2.5 - 4 hrs

Explore the wild coast­line of Sit­ka Sound on small-group wildlife cruis­es led by trained nat­u­ral­ists. Guests trav­el by inti­mate boat to remote islands rarely vis­it­ed by stan­dard tours, search­ing for whales, sea otters, puffins, eagles, bears, and rich inter­tidal life. With options rang­ing from short wildlife cruis­es to longer adven­tures with beach land­ings or pri­vate char­ters, Sit­ka Won­ders offers an up-close, uncrowd­ed way to expe­ri­ence Alaska’s  ...more

Season: Late April-early October $219 per person 3 hrs

Begin in down­town Sit­ka, where you’ll take a motor­ized, rigid-hull inflat­able on a 15- to 20-minute ride across beau­ti­ful Sit­ka Sound, with the mas­sive vol­cano Mt. Edge­cumbe pro­vid­ing a dra­mat­ic back­drop. Look for marine wildlife on your way to a unique float house in a small, pro­tect­ed bay where you’ll kayak across shim­mer­ing water.

Season: April to September $175+ per person 2 hrs

Join Sit­ka Expe­di­tions for an inti­mate wildlife cruise on this 2.5‑hour trip to Sit­ka Sound. Spot whales, sea otters, and bears while explor­ing stun­ning Alaskan scenery and active fish­eries. Per­fect for cruise pas­sen­gers and families.

In the coastal South­east Alaskan town of Sit­ka, marine wildlife typ­i­cal­ly plays out on a big scenic back­drop. At Sitka’s unique Sci­ence Cen­ter, you’ll find a salmon hatch­ery and aquar­i­um. Wildlife fans get an up-close look at the marine crea­tures that make this part of Alas­ka so special.

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