Highly recommend spend a couple of hours with Captain Rick of Sitka Sound Tours. Its a small group…read moretour on a comfortable boat offering both inside and outside seating. Rick described sights in Sitka as we navigated to a cove where the whales were feeding. Sighted other wildlife along the way. Also enjoyed listening to Rick talk about his and wife's upbringing in Sitka and life there for their family. Family run business that leaves right from where the bus drops cruise passengers off in downtown. Would certainly book again!

I would highly recommend this tour. We had a very personal experience and The captain was…read moredetermined to get us where we could see as much wildlife as possible. I can't say enough about our experience. He grew up in the area and his experience in the water was reassuring. I would give him a 10 if it were an option

I visited Alaska on a cruise and wanted to see some sites in Sitka. Sitka Wildlife Tours was…read morerecommended by someone in our group. We had a private shuttle to accommodate our group of 10. Our tour guide Brett took us to the Fortess of the Bear, the Raptor Center and the Park. Amazing centers that support the wildlife is such a great spot to visit. We had plenty of time to watch the bears communicate with one another and the staff at the centers. I also love that there are items in the gift shop that support the sanctuary so purchase those and know your purchase supports the wildlife. The Raptor center has amazing eagles, owls and other birds that are in need of medical help. Absolutely amazing to see them up close. The park has so much history on the natives, totem poles, and beautiful artifacts to see up close. If you're in Sitka I highly recommend you take this tour.

The Hubby and I were on a 7 day Alaska Cruise and Sitka was on the schedule. As usual, I scoured…read moreVIATOR looking for a private or semi-private tour to give us an in depth experience to Sitka. We ended up booking with Sitka Wildlife Tours. From our Cruise ship, we boarded a local bus (no charge/complimentary) to take us to the Chamber of Commerce meeting destination for the Wildlife tour. Very easy to follow instructions ;) We boarded the cargo mini van and Brett, our tour guide for the excursion began our Sitka adventure! The tour included visits to the Alaska Raptor Center, Fortress of the Bear Sanctuary, and the Sitka National Historical Park, featuring the iconic totem poles. Each stop offered a unique glimpse into the natural beauty and cultural richness of this incredible region. The Bear Sanctuary, is the highlight of the tour. The sanctuary is dedicated to the rehabilitation and care of orphaned and injured bears. Seeing these magnificent creatures up close was awe-inspiring. Our final stop was the Sitka National Historical Park, renowned for its impressive collection of totem poles. Walking through the park felt like stepping back in time. The totem poles, each with its own story, stood as silent sentinels of the Tlingit people's rich heritage. The park's trails offered stunning views of the surrounding forest and coastline, making it a perfect blend of culture and nature. Overall, this wildlife tour in Sitka was a remarkable adventure. The combination of breathtaking wildlife encounters and cultural exploration made it a well-rounded experience. Whether you're a nature lover, a history buff, or simply seeking an enriching getaway, this tour is a must-do when visiting Sitka, Alaska. Highly recommended! The only negative, there should be an age restriction: Fellow Travelers brought their Toddler Girl, who cried the entire time, in and outside of the Van!. Super unpleasant and very hard to hear Brett speak about the sites!

Great time for the whole family! We were able to gather up enough relatives for a party of six,…read moreenabling us to have a whole boat to ourselves. Our captain Nate must be related to Aquaman - he has an uncanny ability to know how long to fish one spot before trying another. First mate Malachi kept all lines untangled, all hooks baited, and made sure our fish were cleaned/filleted beyond restaurant quality. Back ashore, Kristi and her staff kept our bellies full with just-right family comfort food, and clean, quiet 4-start equiv hotel level accommodations for rest. Would def go again! Pro tip: Bring a seasick patch (Scopolamine). I'm normally sea-sensitive, but between the patch and Nate's boatmanship, I had no problems whatsoever.

Five solid stars! This trip to Sitka and the Cascade Creek Inn exceeded all my expectations. We…read morehad a group of six friends, four from Hawaii and two from Sacramento, and we met in Sitka for what turned out to be an epic fishing adventure. The staff at the inn was friendly and accommodating from the very start it seemed that there was nothing they wouldn't do to make our stay enjoyable. Our lodging was more than comfortable with the added bonus of a fantastic view that gets even better when the sun sets. Our hosts, Rich and Karen Kraft, are the nicest couple that take the time to get to know you and make sure there isn't more they can do for you. Courtney and Cameron assists you in the day to day things like shuttling you to the boat and the market if needed. Christie is the awesome chef that provides you with delicious breakfasts and gourmet dinners. Her desserts are to die for, the cheesecake with raspberry sauce being my favorite. She even bakes cookies and crumbles for you to eat on the boat. The fishing turned out to be catching on our trip. Captain Tyler, who is the Kraft's son, is second to none in Sitka. I truly believe we boated more fish in the four days of fishing than any other charter. He expertly put us on the fish every day even when the conditions were rough, and the conditions were pretty rough the last two days. We even limited out on silvers (36) and halibut (6) on the second day by 1:00. We all went home with 92 pounds of salmon and halibut filets. Then there is Caleb our deckhand. Caleb does everything from baiting lines to netting fish to cleaning the catch and making awesome sandwiches made to order. We are very grateful to meet such a fine hardworking young man. I highly recommend this family run Inn/charter to everyone. You absolutely cannot go wrong and you will have an enjoyable experience.

DO NOT USE BLACK BART CHARTERS. IT IS A SCAM!!…read more OK here's what happened. We are on a cruise in Alaska. The ship docks at Sitka Island and this horrible woman tries selling us a 3 hour "Wildlife Adventure" tour. The whole thing seems a bit shady but my wife wants to go. So I ask some questions. Here is what the lady tells me (and two other couples standing nearby): This is a 3 hour cruise You are GUARANTEED to see Bears Eagles Seals Birds (and a couple of other animals of which variety I do not remember). Whales are not guranteed but are seen 90% of the time. I say "are you sure we will see that stuff because I dont want o pay $260 just to see some seals" (we had seen plenty already on our trip). She says everything but whales are guranteed. We sign up.. So...the cruise was only 2 hours instead of 3. We saw a few seals and nothing else. I mean nothing else. The "captain", when asked, avoided the question about how often his customers see whales on his charters. When we got off the boat everyone was talking about how we had just been ripped off. Did we get our money back? NO. The "captain" claimed that there was no guarantee. He claimed that the cruise was advertised as a 2 hour cruise. The whole thing was a TOTAL RIP-OFF. Stay away from this charter service. Make sure you get any gurantees in writing. I will from now on.

Great experience with these guys! The bikes or in tiptop shape. They gave great instructions and…read moretraining on the bikes. Everything was clean, they're conveniently located right by the docks.

I did not know what to expect when I arrived in Sitka. The cruise line had all these expensive…read moreexcursions which sounded amazing, though I just wanted to enjoy the day. When I got off the boat I saw herds of people taking the "free" shuttle to town, I saw people spending a ton of money on bus tours then I saw Kings E-Bike rentals, the girl there is amazing and very helpful. We rented 2 bikes for the day and explored the town, we found amazing nature where we were all alone just to enjoy the peace of beauty of this land. The best money we spent, the best experience and the self guided tour you will find, thank you so much for providing the highlight of my most recent cruise.

Ok, First time to…read moreAlaska and have been mind blown by scenery. The natural beauty of this state is almost overwhelming in its grandeur. What really made the trip special was getting out on the ocean with a local guide that not only knew the ins and outs of the waterways but was also truly dedicated to his craft as a guide. Captain Dave is passionate about his home town of Sitka and an absolute wealth of information. On the way out of the harbor he fired off a plethora of awesome facts that rivaled anything Wikipedia might have to say about this majestic seaside port. Safety was always on his mind and that played a huge roll in our comfort considering we had a 5 and 7 year-old with us. At all times, including when we disembarked on a remote island for a quick hike, he was sure to let us know he had our back (he had a bear deterrent on the form of a shotgun). Dave also provided us with a killer breakfast and lunch which were both accompanied by spectacular views at unique locations on the water that were second to none. Bottom line, if you want to see AND learn about Sitka and it's wonderful culture/history/ecology then Captain Dave and his vessel the Esther are the premiere choice for anyone who wants to see the real deal Alaska!

We had the most amazing day with Davey! We saw whales, puffin, sea otters, and more! The homemade…read morecookies were the best I had ever eaten and most importantly, Davey made sure that we got to do exactly what we had dreamed of doing. He was a pleasure to deal with and my whole family continued to rave about our day on Esther G Sea taxi.

Every aspect was outstanding from staff to meals to activities, not to mention the views the…read moreitinerary everything

A trip of a lifetime! Alaskan Dream Cruises made my dream come true, thank you. Eric and his crew,…read moreCody, Ellena, Devin, West, Armando and those that I don't remember your names, but you made my adventure memorable and fantastic. The enthusiasm and drive to give us an amazing experience did not go unnoticed. Food was good, and of course I brought a week of sunshine in September, 2025 so we could see all the glaciers and whales and bears and eagles... Thank you! If you are considering Alaskan Dream Cruises - DO IT - it's the best.

What an awesome experience!  My husband and I enjoyed this tour with Captain Gary very much.  From…read morestart to finish, it was fun and exciting.   We came from the cruise ship port by a free 10 minute shuttle. We boarded the boat which was new, clean and beautifully designed, plus it had SUPER comfortable seats.  Before we even left the local bay, we saw multiple whales and seals. We went to several areas to see more amazing whales, salmon jumping out of the water, otters and a waterfall! We were able to sit inside or go on the front or back decks for photos or to hang out a bit and observe the natural beauty around us. As a fellow nature lover, It was fun that Captain Gary was excited to see the whales as well even after having grown up in Sitka and seeing them many times before.  He was a wealth of knowledge about the wildlife and area, plus relaxed and easy going.  I appreciate the details about the whales names and that he recently found out how some were related. This was our favorite tour of our entire cruise, hands down.  We'll recommend Captain Gary's Sitka Adventures to everyone traveling to the area!

Fantastic Land & Sea Tour! The boat was new & fit 14 people comfortably & handled the waves very…read morewell. We saw several whales, sea otters, & sea lions. We then went to the land tour where we went to a park & saw several eagles & enjoyed the rainforest. We then went to the Bear Raptor Center & Eagle Raptor Center & grabbed a hotdog at the Bear place. We enjoyed both tours & saw a lot of Sitka & our driver (also named Gary) was very knowledgable about the history of Sitka & we learned a lot! Definitely recommend!

OUTSTANDING Whale Watching Experience! If you're visiting…read moreSitka and want to see whales and other marine life up close, book with Gallant Adventures! Captain Paul is incredible -- he knows the area inside and out, understands wildlife behavior, and shares fascinating insights throughout the trip. Our group of five had the perfect setup: a comfortable, well-kept boat with plenty of room. We asked Capt. Paul all manner of questions and he shared so much information about the marine life and the geology. We got to see Up close whales, and otters and seals, and we went into a great cave to see birds. The views were beautiful, it was a magical tour. Everything about the experience was top-notch. Highly recommend! Once in a life time kind of thing!

We joined Captain Paul Davis and this personable tour exceeded our dreams! The whales were out in…read moregroups and the captain knew where to find them- what to look for, and we had the best experience I've ever had on a wildlife tour! Highly recommend!

Neil was incredibly easy & friendly to work with in the booking of this trip. The trip was perfect…read more& we enjoyed his attention to detail and interest/ passion regarding the wild life. I loved that he even allowed us to stay a bit longer when the whale movement picked up. Thank you

Went out with Neil today for a beautiful afternoon of wildlife viewing in Sitka. After doing some…read morewhale watching in Seward on a large boat, we wanted a smaller boat with a more personal experience, and Neil was just what we were looking for, with plenty of knowledge of all the wildlife we encountered. Saw too many humpbacks to count, including a lunge/breach probably less than 20 feet from the boat. Not to mention a tour around st. Lazaria island to see all the birdlife there. Neil's boat is plenty comfortable, with a toilet if needed and snacks and drinks (we had some hot cocoa to warm up). Why go out on a huge boat with a ton of people when you can get a far more intimate experience like this? Highly recommend