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Feel free to simply browse but it will be difficult not to pick up some truly made-in-Sitka souvenirs. Some of these shops are Wintersong for lotions and unique gifts, Alaska Pure Sea Salt, 57 Peaks leggings. You won’t find any Diamonds International, Del Sol or Little Switzerlands. Ludvig’s Chowder Cart – Located within the Sitka Sound Science Center, this is literally a food cart.
Amazing Things to Do in Sitka, Alaska
Sadly, many cannot be released and will live out their lives at this facility. Not only is the Sheldon Jackson Museum the oldest museum in Alaska, it’s also the first concrete building in the state. After the Bishop’s House closed in 1969, it was purchased by the National Park Service and restored to how it would have looked in 1853. It’s interesting to step inside and see how people lived during the time of Russian-America.
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Your cruise ship will dock at the island’s Old Dock at Halibut Point, about five miles north of Sitka town. A free shuttle bus service runs between the dock and downtown Sitka every minutes. Sitka cruise ships dock at the Sitka Sound Cruise Terminal at Halibut Point, around five miles north of the city.
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Sitka Wants Cruise Limits, NYC Pushes Shore Power - Travel Market Report
Sitka Wants Cruise Limits, NYC Pushes Shore Power.
Posted: Fri, 22 Sep 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]
Fishing and tourism are Sitka’s biggest industries today, with Russian heritage and architecture very much a part of the town’s culture. This ethical restaurant specializes in Alaskan seafood and aims to provide year-round employment to local people—and pay them a living wage, so you are not expected to tip. Try Alaskan salmon, served in a sandwich with pickled kelp, rockfish tacos, locally made reindeer sausages, and delicious desserts made with Tillamook ice cream from Oregon. The tour visits many of the historical spots and popular attractions in Sitka, such as the Alaska Raptor Center, St. Michael’s, and Sitka National Historic Park. Sitka Checkered Tours, run by Jeff Budd will meet you at the cruise port and take you on a private tour through Sitka.
Sitka Shore Excursions
You could spend hours in this small museum learning about Tlingit, Russian and American history through the incredible collections of everything early Sitka. It was at the top of Castle Hill in 1867 that the transfer of Alaska from Russia to the United States took place. Today, there is a wide, accessible walkway that leads to the top or take the more challenging stairway. The view from the top, especially at sunset, provides a beautiful overlook of Sitka Sound. It’s worth the climb to also see the 450-foot long cable-stayed bridge over the channel. Sitka is small, really small, and you don’t need to purchase a shore excursion from your ship to see what’s there.
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You’ll find that there are plenty of excursions that you can arrange to do on your own. Even if you wait til the last minute, shore excursion operators are lined up at Centennial Hall, where the port-to-town bus ends. Or you can simply walk through Sitka using a map you’ll receive at the dock. After a quick orientation and safety lesson, board your two-person kayak to explore the shores of Sitka – one of the most beautiful settings in Alaska.
That means while the walk can take a little bit of time, it’s fairly easy to do. Just remember that if you go off on a walking tour on your own, you’ll also need to factor in the time it takes to return back to the pickup point for your ship. Sitting about 850 miles from Seattle, the small town of about 8,500 is located on the western edge of the state’s panhandle. Despite not being a household name, the port features an amazing amount of history, wildlife opportunities, culture, and classic Alaskan scenery. If you are looking for a town tour, check out Sitka Checkered Tours.
Experience Sitka
Lincoln Street is the main street in town and it connects the lookout at Castle Hill in the southeast to Sitka National Historic Park in the north. The hall has an information desk, washrooms and free WiFi and is where most shore excursions meet. You can also pick up a map here if you wish to explore the town on your own. This National Park protects the territories where battles between the Tlingit peoples and the Russians took place in the early 1800s. In addition to discovering the history and heritage of the Tlingit and the russian colonization, you can admire totem poles. Harry’s Soda Shop is located in the middle of downtown on Lincoln Street, in the same building as Harry Race Pharmacy.
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See indigenous artifacts, view exhibits on traditional Tlingit life, and hike the mile-long Totem Trail to see the park’s 20 original and replica totem poles. A local’s favorite, the Back Door Cafe is the perfect spot for coffee and a baked treat. Humpback whales are often seen in the harbor late-summer, and other marine life viewings and bird-watching opportunities exist all summer long. Located diagonally across the street St. Michael’s Russian Orthodox Cathedral right in the center of downtown. Halibut Point Crab & Chowder – Family-owned, what looks like a big, white circus tent is actually one of the best crab restaurants in town.
Sitka is a beautiful small town on the west side of Baranof Island in southeastern Alaska. This shelter for bears has the mission of rehabilitating sick or orphaned cubs in order to reintroduce them into the wild. Some bears that could not be returned in nature are resident there and live in this natural environment where you can safely admire them up close. This refuge welcomes injured birds of prey in order to rehabilitate them and return them to the wild. However, some birds, which could not survive in nature, are permanent residents there. The Sitka History Museum and a tourist information desk are located there.
Your cruise line will likely offer sea kayaking as a shore excursion. There are also plenty of local tour operators you could join for this unforgettable experience. Even if you have other tours planned, it’s worth your time to wander through the downtown historic section.
Sitka has a number of restaurants up and down the main downtown area, serving everything from Mediterranean to tacos to pizza to Russian food. The Tlingit people inhabited this land long before more recent settlers. This park seeks to preserve that history and features some original pieces from the area, along with details on how they were made.
A free shuttle service runs every 15 minutes and will drop you in town at Centennial Hall. If you’ve booked any tours or excursions with a local company, Harrigan Centennial Hall is probably the starting point. If you plan to explore Sitka on your own, you’ll find the town is very walkable.
All types of working locals were heading in on their lunch break so I decided to try it. It’s not Jiro Dreams of Sushi, but for a local, friendly sushi place, it’s fine. In 2022, the town of less than 8,000 year-round residents expects close to 480,000 cruise ship passengers to arrive.
The indigenous Tlingit people carved and painted the totems, which feature highly symbolic human, animal and supernatural forms. At the cruise terminal building at Sitka Sound, there are washrooms, several gift shops featuring local products and high-speed WiFi. Here is also where passengers with shore excursions would meet their tours. Most cruise ships dock at the Old Sitka Dock at Halibut Point, 6 miles (9.7 kilometers) north of downtown and a free shuttle service transports visitors into town. Since the cruise terminal is located 6 miles north of town, a complimentary shuttle is provided for cruise passengers. It’s a minute ride from port with a drop off at Harrigan Centennial Hall in downtown Sitka.
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