Do you want to spend 2 hours on a school bus on the cruise lines tour? We didn't think so. Explore Sitka in a comfortable 25 or 37-passenger coach while a knowledgeable, local guide narrates your drive.

You will see many of Sitka's historic sites including Mt. Edgecumbe Volcano, the Alaska Pioneer's Home, St. Michael's Russian Orthodox Cathedral, and the Russian Bishop's house, while you hear the fascinating history of these locations. Tlingit ancestry and culture, Russian history and local statistics are just a few of the topics that will be explored. The tour will stop in various scenic locations for excellent photographic opportunities.

At Sitka National Historical Park, you will have the option to enjoy the park independently or join your guide on a short exploration of the rainforest. While walking to historic Indian River, your guide will cover a variety of topics, including edible and medicinal plants of the rainforest, totem history and significance, salmon cycles, and rainforest ecology. The walk will lead into the park museum exhibits where you can learn about the battle of 1804, when Tlingit Kiks fought an unsuccessful battle against the Russians to retain their ancestral home. The adjacent Southeast Alaska Indian Cultural Center allows you to visit with Tlingit Natives while they create artwork in various traditional forms.

Other tours offer a small dance performance in the convention center. We will take you to a traditional style Tlingit Clan House, where you will observe the Naa Kahdi Dance Performance which is both educational and entertaining. It will leave you with a lasting impression of the Tlingit people, Sitka's first and longest residents.

The sound of a resonating box drum and the aroma of burning cedar fills the room as you are invited to experience the native culture as it has been for generations. Tlingit dancers enter with beautiful regalia, to mesmerize you with songs handed down through the generations.