First time in Sitka, best things to do?

[Mountaineer0313]

I just booked an 11 night roundtrip from Vancouver for September 2022. We have been to all the ports included before except Sitka and Victoria. Sitka, for some reason, has always been on my bucket list. What are the best excursions to do in Sitka? We're already booked for whale watching in Juneau, and possibly Icy Strait, so it doesn't have to be whale related. And also, suggestions for Victoria while you're at it. We have a full day there and not just an evening like most cruises.

[oaktreerb]

Sitka is beautiful just for the scenery.  There are rescue centers worth visiting, The Fortress of the Bears and the Alaska Raptor Center have a bus from town that will drop you off at both.  St Michael’s Russian Orthodox Church is right in the center of downtown and there is a Russian Cemetery within walking distance.  There are some very nice local shops.  The Sitka National Historical Park is a beautiful area with a visitor’s center,  a walking trail displaying a variety of totems.  There is the Sitka Sound Science Center and the Sheldon Jackson Museum which are still on my to do list for Sitka.  

 

I hope you get a beautiful day.  

[Northern Aurora]

I have been to Sitka both on business and on vacation.  It is a breath of fresh air in contrast to some of the highly commercial SE Alaska ports.  And no Diamonds International stores.

 

If your ship docks it will be north of "Sitka proper."  Free shuttle buses drop folks off in front of the Harrigan Hall in central Sitka.  Much of the town is walkable, but there will be excursion vendors set up outside of Harrigan Hall to sell excursions.  

 

Check their visitor bureau website for a nice guide.

 

Regarding Victoria there is a lovely pub named the Bard and Banker.  It is located on Government Street.  Beautiful building and great food.

[don't-use-real-name]

Sitka take in a glimpse of the Russian history (Russian Alaska capitol)

Raptor center

Local entertainment - dance and re-enactment of events

Weather not being an inhibiting factor get off your ship and take a walk.

5 blocks in any direction from the center Sitka Historical Society (Harrigan Hall)

and you will have plenty to photograph.

 

And the sunsets here are fantastic for photo opts !

 

Map image - zoom in-out pan R-L:

 Google Maps

 

 

As for Victoria - port time permitting the Butchart Gardens is a must for the first

time visitor - beautiful day or night. 

[Ashland]

The Alaska Raptor center tours that have 3 stops sounds like a great idea for our extended family of six that includes a 5 & 8 year old for our port stop in Sitka Sept 2022. Thanks for the info.

[Crew News]

Holland America has an excursion, "Otters, raptors, and bears" that has a bit of everything.  On the boat portion, i photographed whales (gray and humpback), otters, Sitka deer, and various birds.

 

 

The raptor center was interesting and hearing the handler warn all of us to make any quick movements or the eagle on his arm might be upset, was quite sobering. Loved the Fortress of the Bears and hearing about the bears that have been rescued.  FWIW orphaned  cubs cannot be released into the wild but are either euthanized or rescued in Alaska.  The Fortress does its part in rescuing as many dub as they can until they can find a zoom home for them.

 

 

[ricko999]

Look into Gallant Adventures. Captain Paul is very knowledgeable in marine/wildlife. It's a small boat tour. He's highly recommended.

 

[rkacruiser]

20 hours ago, don't-use-real-name said:

As for Victoria - port time permitting the Butchart Gardens is a must for the first

time visitor - beautiful day or night. 

 

The Gardens are indeed very special.  But, the short port times in Victoria make that a very difficult visit to make.   

[Crew News]

18 minutes ago, rkacruiser said:

 

The Gardens are indeed very special.  But, the short port times in Victoria make that a very difficult visit to make.   

As a photographer, the Butchart Gardens flowers fill the calendars I gift to friends.  The Gardens are nice at night but the illumination does not do justice to the amazing flowers that you can see in daylight. 

 

After many short visits to the Gardens, I realized that the only way to get more time is via the Pacific Coastal repositioning cruises that stop in Victoria for a good part of the day.

[idiebabe]

On 6/9/2021 at 10:43 PM, Crew News said:

Holland America has an excursion, "Otters, raptors, and bears" that has a bit of everything.  On the boat portion, i photographed whales (gray and humpback), otters, Sitka deer, and various birds.

 

 

The raptor center was interesting and hearing the handler warn all of us to make any quick movements or the eagle on his arm might be upset, was quite sobering. Loved the Fortress of the Bears and hearing about the bears that have been rescued.  FWIW orphaned  cubs cannot be released into the wild but are either euthanized or rescued in Alaska.  The Fortress does its part in rescuing as many dub as they can until they can find a zoom home for them.

 

 

Love your Pics!  Could you give me some info on the Boat?  Does it have a heated Cabin and also a Restroom onboard?  Any other info would be appreciated!  Thanks!

[Crew News]

44 minutes ago, idiebabe said:

Love your Pics!  Could you give me some info on the Boat?  Does it have a heated Cabin and also a Restroom onboard?  Any other info would be appreciated!  Thanks!

The boat was a double-decker with both deck interiors heated.  The bathroom was OK but not as good as those large whale-watching boats in Juneau.  Rather than losing my spot on the railing, I spent the whole excursion outside of the raised portion of the aft deck and made a  bathroom visit as we neared port.

Edited June 13, 2021 by Crew News

[idiebabe]

3 minutes ago, Crew News said:

The boat was a double-decker with both deck interiors heated.  The bathroom was OK but not as good as those large whale-watching boats in Juneau.  Rather than losing my spot on the railing, I spent the whole excursion outside of the raised portion of the aft deck and made a  bathroom visit as we neared port.

Thank you - appreciate the info!  😀

[Crew News]

26 minutes ago, idiebabe said:

Thank you - appreciate the info!  😀

This Alaska excursion had the most varied wildlife sightings from land, air, and sea in my many Alaska cruises.  In addition to the subject excursion, there was lots to see in Sitka especially in the Visitors Center.  Just outside of the Center was an amazing popcorn vendor that provided a nice finish to a day in Sitka.

[tmt218]

On 6/9/2021 at 3:07 PM, oaktreerb said:

Sitka is beautiful just for the scenery.  There are rescue centers worth visiting, The Fortress of the Bears and the Alaska Raptor Center have a bus from town that will drop you off at both.  St Michael’s Russian Orthodox Church is right in the center of downtown and there is a Russian Cemetery within walking distance.  There are some very nice local shops.  The Sitka National Historical Park is a beautiful area with a visitor’s center,  a walking trail displaying a variety of totems.  There is the Sitka Sound Science Center and the Sheldon Jackson Museum which are still on my to do list for Sitka.  

 

I hope you get a beautiful day.  

Could you easily walk to the raptor center and to see the bears or is it better to take the bus? 

[Crew News]

48 minutes ago, tmt218 said:

Could you easily walk to the raptor center and to see the bears or is it better to take the bus? 

I have heard that it is about 1.5 miles to the bears.  When I was last there my bus ride from the Raptor Center to the Fortress of the Bears was about 10 minutes but there may be a short cut through the woods.

[oaktreerb]

16 hours ago, tmt218 said:

Could you easily walk to the raptor center and to see the bears or is it better to take the bus? 

The bus follows a route and you just pay once.  Two years ago when we visited the bears we decided to skip the Raptor Center since I was tired and it looked like an uphill walk to get to the center after getting off the bus!   Next year the Raptor Center will be a priority.  I’m sure there have been changes since we were there several years ago.  There’s a lot to do in Sitka and it’s a great place to walk and enjoy the beauty on a clear day.

[oaktreerb]

There is a great map of downtown Sitka on the visitor site www.visitsitka.org.  You can walk through the Sitka National Historical Park/Totem Park Trails and come out at Raptor Way which leads to the Raptor Center.  The Fortress of the Bears is 5 miles from there.  

 

You would do better to grab the bus at the Centennial Hall which takes you to the Fortress of the Bears, picks you up and takes you to the Raptor Center and then will return you to town.  If you want instead of returning to town on the bus you could walk back to town through the National Park/Totem Trails.   That’s what I would do on a clear day!

[don't-use-real-name]

Google Map LINK:

 

Google Maps

 

Centered on the Harrigan Centennial Hall - Sitka Historical Society

Zoom In - Out

Pan Up - Down - Right - Left

 

Follow Halibut Point Road upper left to cruise ship pier

 

First time and returning guests - just hope the cruise line gives you ample time to take some of it in !

There is plenty to see and do - - -

And the cruise out - the marvelous sunset photo opts 

[tmt218]

3 hours ago, oaktreerb said:

The bus follows a route and you just pay once.  Two years ago when we visited the bears we decided to skip the Raptor Center since I was tired and it looked like an uphill walk to get to the center after getting off the bus!   Next year the Raptor Center will be a priority.  I’m sure there have been changes since we were there several years ago.  There’s a lot to do in Sitka and it’s a great place to walk and enjoy the beauty on a clear day.

Thank you! It’s our first time to Sitka and booked the cruise because it’s a new port. I know we will want to walk around town but trying to figure out what else to do while there. 

[Sea Hag]

Don't know if this is your cup of tea, but there's a beautiful hiking trail that takes off at the end of Indian River Road. 

[Travel R]

I have read that there may was a shuttle from either the port or HCH to the Raptor Rehab Center.  The info I have read seemed to be dated. Does anyone know if this shuttle was still around in 2019?

[SuperCrewBear]

Sitka is my favorite Alaskan port.  I wouldn't mind living there if I could drive to and from there. 😉 Just being there is enough for me.  Everyone has chimed in on the standard things to do around Sitka so I'll skip to Victoria.  I like doing odd & quirky things so about 3 years ago on a short stop at Vic (6 pm to midnight) we decided to just find something to eat and make a short walk down Government Street for a few gift items - we'd done the Buchart Gardens on a previous cruise when we had 12 full hours.  The place we picked for dinner was La Belle Patate about a 10 minute cab ride from the typical touristy area - it's at 1215 Esquimalt Rd.  Their specialty is Poutine but also have burgers and "steamies" (hotdogs).  It's AWESOME.  I've even made friends with the owner (Matti) and he text me the below pic of an order he was working on a few days ago. (I tease him regularly about FAXing me an order...)  It's a small place with just a couple sidewalk tables and one larger communal table inside - there's a counter along the window with barstools too.  Matti says that occasionally cruise passengers will venture out to his place but they are rare - he said folks from the South tend to like his poutine A LOT.  Us Southerners tend to like anything that includes potatoes, gravy and cheese. Ha Ha  Matti is a Poutine expert from Montreal. 😀

 

Good luck! (You'll love Sitka!)

Edited July 22, 2021 by SuperCrewBear

[katrina915]

On 6/9/2021 at 10:43 PM, Crew News said:

Holland America has an excursion, "Otters, raptors, and bears" that has a bit of everything.  On the boat portion, i photographed whales (gray and humpback), otters, Sitka deer, and various birds.

 

 

Is there any chance of getting sea sick on the Sea Otter and Wildlife Quest?   I typically don't need it but bring it when I go on Kenai Fjord tours out of Seward.

[Crew News]

4 minutes ago, katrina915 said:

Is there any chance of getting sea sick on the Sea Otter and Wildlife Quest?   I typically don't need it but bring it when I go on Kenai Fjord tours out of Seward.

I remember water with little motion but preventive measures can be taken with seabands.  A lot depends on the weather as storms can make the water a bit choppy.

[Crew News]

35 minutes ago, SuperCrewBear said:

Sitka is my favorite Alaskan port.  I wouldn't mind living there if I could drive to and from there. 😉 Just being there is enough for me.  Everyone has chimed in on the standard things to do around Sitka so I'll skip to Victoria.  I like doing odd & quirky things so about 3 years ago on a short stop at Vic (6 pm to midnight) we decided to just find something to eat and make a short walk down Government Street for a few gift items - we'd done the Buchart Gardens on a previous cruise when we had 12 full hours.  The place we picked for dinner was La Belle Patate about a 10 minute cab ride from the typical touristy area - it's at 1215 Esquimalt Rd.  Their specialty is Poutine but also have burgers and "steamies" (hotdogs).  It's AWESOME.  I've even made friends with the owner (Matti) and he text me the below pic of an order he was working on a few days ago. (I tease him regularly about FAXing me an order...)  It's a small place with just a couple sidewalk tables and one larger communal table inside - there's a counter along the window with barstools too.  Matti says that occasionally cruise passengers will venture out to his place but they are rare - he said folks from the South tend to like his poutine A LOT.  Us Southerners tend to like anything that includes potatoes, gravy and cheese. Ha Ha  Matti is a Poutine expert from Montreal. 😀

 

Good luck! (You'll love Sitka!)

Poutine with jalapenos sounds good to one here in New Mexico.  Now if it was Hatch green chilies, it would be amazing.