The Totems of Ketchikan

Totems of the Tlingits Shore Excursion in Ketchikan, Alaska
Rated 4.8 out of 5
Read 34 Reviewsor
Price: $59.00
Choose Options My Cruise Itinerary
?
Sorry, this excursion is not available for purchase.
Summary
Shore Excursion Size ? Small
Shore Excursion Duration 2 Hours
Activity Level ? Easy
Shore Excursion Leaves From ? An approximately 5 to 10 minute walk from the cruise ship pier.
Food/Beverage Provided None
Recommended Dress We recommend dressing in layers with the top layer being waterproof. Sensible walking shoes that may get wet are also suggested.
Restrictions Guests with physical restrictions must be able to get themselves onto and off of the van. There is approximately one quarter mile of walking required, with some inclines. There are some steps and thresholds to maneuver. Fold up wheelchairs can be stored on the transportation with advance notice.

Saxman Native Village & Totem Tour of Ketchikan Alaska

The Tlingits, People of the Tides, lived in the Pacific Northwest long before the first explorers arrived. This Ketchikan port tour will take you to Saxman Native Village, where you will learn more about the rich living culture of Southeast Alaska's Native Americans.

After meeting your guide and small group at the cruise pier, you will travel to Saxman Native Village located outside of Ketchikan. The Tlingits welcome guests in the traditional style that defines the culture of Southeast Alaska. During your approximately 45 minutes at the Saxman Native Village, your local Tlingit guide will explain the history, culture and ways of their people during a walking tour of the village, which includes a look inside the Beaver Clan House, one of the largest in Alaska.

Your guide will also show you the Saxman Totem Park, one of the largest gatherings of totems in the world. Through translation of their expressive carvings, your guide will help unravel the mysteries of these towering, majestic poles throughout this Ketchikan excursion.

A stop will also be made at the Village Carving Center, where craftsmen pass on their skill to eager apprentices. During this Ketchikan tour, learn how modern day carvers differ from their ancestors and learn of their current projects around the world.

Free time will be provided for photos or guests wishing to visit the Native Faces store.

During the transfer to / from the village, guests will get glimpses of the small town of Ketchikan and the rainforest that surrounds it. On the return trip, those who wish may be dropped off at the historic Creek Street District.

Please note: Tour does visit inside the Clan House but does not include a dance demonstration.

34 Ratings
4.8out of 5 stars
1-10 of 34 Reviews
Rated 4 out of 5
Mar 1, 2020
Interesting tour
Great tour! We met the master carver who provided a wealth of info re: the art of totem carving; had a lovely tour of the beautiful totems and thoroughly enjoyed the traditional dances. All in all a lovely dat
Rated 5 out of 5
Oct 6, 2019
WOW
What an exciting an informative excursion. Well presented and very enjoyable. A lot of information to take in but there were books available so you won't forget any detail. Allowed to wear ceremonial robes for picture.
Truly a great excursion.
Rated 4 out of 5
Oct 6, 2019
Totems were beautiful!
The totems were amazing. So were the people who performed for us. Our guide was good at explaining everything and showing us a lot of interesting cultural things. We made a quick stop to see salmon trying to swim upstream which was great.
Rated 5 out of 5
Aug 18, 2019
Totem Poles and Native Culture
We thoroughly enjoyed this small group tour to Saxman Village. Our driver was a young native woman who shared a lot about living in that area. While it was not maybe as 'polished' a tour as others we've been on, the small size and authentic nature of the tour more than made up for it.
Rated 5 out of 5
Jun 30, 2019
Excellant tour, very informative
This was our first cruise and our first tour on the cruise. We were met by the guide as stated on our manifest. The directions were easy to follow and accurate. We were the only ones from our ship that took the tour, so it was one on one with our guide. It turned out she was the daughter of the eskimo tribe that the totems belong to. Very personable gal. Would highly recommend the tour.
Rated 5 out of 5
Jun 23, 2019
Totems of Ketchican
Our Tligit guide drove us to Saxman, Alaska just outside of Ketchican. We enjoyed native dances in the clan house after observing a collection of totems, In addition we toured the Carving House where they carved the totems.
We were also given amle time to make purchases at the Native Gift Sop.
Excellent tour.
Rated 4 out of 5
Jun 17, 2019
Story of these Totems
We were fortunate to have a guide who is a descendant of the natives tried to tell the story of each totem. that was very interesting. I found out that she has a pamphlet at her hand. If you could offer such a pamphlet (the tourist prepaid in the order), then he/she can mark it on the pamphlet and read more about it after. That will be wonderful!
Rated 5 out of 5
Aug 26, 2018
A plus for a Calmer, More Enlightening Tour
We really enjoyed our time with Al has he showed us Ketchikan through Tlinget eyes. Our time at Saxman Park was priceless especially when our group had an impromptu lecture with master carver, Nathan. Everything about this tour made for an excellent experience for those looking for a "calmer but enlightening" tour.
Rated 5 out of 5
Aug 5, 2018
excellent tour
This was a very personal tour by someone who had grown up in Ketchikan, and had relatives in the dance troupe. It made everything so much more real and interesting.
Rated 5 out of 5
Jul 1, 2018
Native Guide is A Must
We had a wonderful time on this excursion. Our guide was a native and was able to give personal experiences while touring the city. Once we got to the Totems we were able to go places no one else could because he was a native. So much fun and having a smaller group by booking outside the cruise-line was fantastic.