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Sightseeing Tours & Native Culture in Ketchikan

Totems & Native Culture

A special treat for travelers interested in native culture!  Native art and culture flourishes in Ketchikan due to the large population of native Alaskans.  The three indigenous Pacific Northwest Indian tribes are the Tlingit, Haida and Tsimshian who considered the areas throughout Northern British Columbia and Southeast Alaska their territory.  Ketchikan is home to the world’s largest collection of totem poles. At the Totem Heritage Center, explore a large collection of original poles retrieved from abandoned village sites. Next drive through the heart of town on the way out the road to Totem Bight State Park, located on the ocean in the rainforest.  Enjoy a short walk through the rainforest to the beach and discover an extensive collection of totem poles.  Step inside a cedar clan house and hear the stories of the Tlingit Indians. 

Specials:  Ketchikan is the native cultural center in Southeast Alaska. The Tlingit, Haida and Tsimshian peoples lived in this region for thousands of years. International visitors are often very keen on finding out valuable information about the Alaskan Indians.  We can provide a local native Tlingit guide as a tour leader who will provide a wealth of information regarding totem poles and the history and culture of the native people in Southeast Alaska. This is a unique opportunity that should not be missed!

Totem Bight State Park & Lumberjack Show

Alaska is known for its rich native heritage and rough and tumble pursuits of hearty pioneers. This tour combines both with a visit to Totem Bight State Park and the Great Alaska Lumberjack Show. Start your tour at the Great Alaskan Lumberjack Show where the rowdy good time begins! It is here that hardy lumberjacks bring to life Alaska's colorful timber history with an action packed competition. Then you drive past Alaska's busiest waterfront bustling with floatplanes and boats. Tour the old city and pass infamous Creek Street, Ketchikan's former red-light district. Travel along North Tongass Highway, passing salmon canneries and a historic pulp mill. Your guide will introduce you to Totem Bight State Park and after walking along a short trail through a forest of hemlock, you will come to an old Indian campsite filled with ancient totem poles. Enter the Ceremonial House and discover the atmosphere of a primitive Alaskan Indian culture.

Saxman Native Village & Lumberjack Show

Experience the living culture of modern day Southeast Alaskan Natives and view Saxman Totem Park, boasting the world's largest collection of authentic totem poles. See totem carvers working in the Village Carving Center. Witness young performers demonstrating dances and telling tribal stories during your visit to the Beaver Clan House. Listen as your tour hosts share their history, art and ancestors' way of life, and help unravel the mysteries that lie beneath the towering, majestic totem poles. Please be aware that Saxman Village is modern and reflects the lifestyle of today's Natives, while still upholding the traditions and culture of their historical past.  After departing Saxman it is on to The Great Alaskan Lumberjack Show where the rowdy good time begins! Hardy lumberjacks bring to life Alaska's colorful timber history with an action packed competition in the covered and heated arena. Cheer on your team of World Champion lumberjacks in events such as chopping, sawing, log rolling, speed climbing.

Tlingit Cultural Show and Saxman Tour

You will be met dockside by an experienced local guide and travel by motor coach to Saxman Village, a Tlingit village three miles from Ketchikan.  Enroute your guide will tell you about the history of Saxman native village.  Your guide will show you around the village, including Totem Row (where your guide will relate the legends behind the poles), the carving shed (where you'll be able to see the carvers in action).  Saxman's carvers are world-famous and include Nathan Jackson, whose totems grace the entrances of the Bundestag in Germany and the Field Museum in Chicago. You will enter the Tribal House (where festivals and dances are held).  After your visit to Saxman you will be transferred to Cape Fox Lodge, a rustic hotel owned by the Tlingit Indians.  At the Lodge you will be welcomed by Tlingit elder, Joe Williams and given a gift of a cedar Ornament.  You will enjoy a Tlingit-style snack of Indian fried bread, smoked salmon, reindeer sausage, blueberry jam and assorted beverages (one glass of wine or beer is included).  Joe will give a narration of Tlingit customs and traditions.  Several Tlingit natives will display their traditional ceremonial clothing and entertain you with Tlingit song and dance.  At the conclusion of the tour, you have the choice of getting transferred back to the ship by motor coach or walking back on your own.

Alaska Queen Paddle-Wheel Adventure

It’s 1898. Gold fever has drawn thousands north in search of riches. You’re in the bustling port of Ketchikan, a vital supply link for prospectors, loggers and fishermen. Approaching the gangway you hear the heavy churn of the stern-wheeler’s steam engines. The captain tips his hat. “Welcome aboard!”
This authentic steam powered stern-wheeler will transport you back in time as we share the exploits, deeds and misdeeds of the area’s early residents. Explore the three decks of this showpiece vessel. See the 1884 steam engines that power the paddle wheel. Musicians dressed in period wear will entertain you. A naturalist shares the area’s history and points out historic sites like "Creek Street”, the town’s former red-light district, Whiskey Cove, where rumrunners hid their whiskey during prohibition. Get an up-close view of a cannery where bald eagles are often spotted. See a display of giant totem poles.