Adventure Tours
2–3 hours
Recommended by 100% of travelers
100% of reviewers gave this product a bubble rating of 4 or higher.
from
$225
per adult
Sitka Sound Tours
Sitka Sound Tours
5
Boat ToursSightseeing ToursPrivate ToursDolphin & Whale WatchingNature & Wildlife Tours
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Full view
About
EXPERIENCE AMAZING WILDLIFE! Sitka Sound Tours will guide you through a bevy of majestic mountains, ancient volcanoes, towering caves, and miles of ocean teaming with phenomenal wildlife, providing you with unforgettable memories of your once in a lifetime trip to Alaska. You are guided by our U.S. Coast Guard Licensed Captain. Your Captain is a born and raised true Sitkan, commercial fisherman, and marine mechanical technician with a lifetime of experience on the Sitka Sound. Captain Rick will take you to see migrating humpback whales, harbor seals, Steller sea lions, rafts of sea otters, lumbering brown bears, and perched bald eagles. Also be prepared to see up close Sitka’s commercial fishing activities, the culture and lifestyle of Southeast Alaska,majestic mountain vistas, hanging glaciers and ice fields, and ancient forests!
Sitka, Alaska
Meets animal welfare guidelines
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
5.0
159 reviews
Excellent
144
Very good
6
Average
3
Poor
0
Terrible
6
rhundt67
Milwaukee, WI386 contributions
Jun 2022
We entered Sitka on a rainy, dreary day, but still looked forward to the tour with Captain Brian. He communicated with me about arrival times, due to bus times coming from the ship port, and gladly waited for us. We did the tour with another couple and there was a table setting for 4 people and a place for my daughter and I up front. Due to the weather we mostly watched from the windows. Captain Brian made it clear that he doesn't speak from a script and prefers to answer questions, but did give us information along the way about the land area and wildlife. He TRIED very hard to get us in a location for some whales - mostly looking for other tour boats to indicate a siting, but it was a no go for whales this day. Oh well, just like children, whales don't perform on demand. We did get to see many eagles, sea lions, and the most adorable otters. Of course, seeing a whale would have made this tour amazing - it is what it is and we made the most of our time on the boat. Thanks!
Written June 29, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for your review! Glad you had a great time on your tour, even though it was a rainy and foggy day. Happy you were able to see wildlife even though the whales didn't appear through the fog for us that day.
Written July 11, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
scubagirlt
Oceanside, NY41 contributions
Sep 2022 • Solo
Unfortunately due to engine trouble they were not able to take me on the tour. However, I am leaving them a 5 star review because knowing I was on a cruise ship and had very limited access to schedule something else, Heather went above and beyond to arrange for another captain to take us on the tour, which turned out to be fantastic. I really appreciated how considerate and professional Sitka Sound Tours handled the situation and helped save that portion of my trip.
Written October 9, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jay B
23 contributions
Jun 2023 • Family
We enjoyed a two hour tour of Sitka Sound with Captain Rick who toured us around several pristine, isolated coves searching for bear, eagles, and sea lions. The grand finale was spending an hour watching three humpbacks feed on salmon-a couple of times no more than 30 yards from our boat. Not sure why anyone would book a cruise ship excursion with 40-50 others in bus and boat, when you can have a small boat experience with a lifelong Sitka waterman like Captain Rick!
Written June 6, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for the good review! We are so glad you enjoyed your private tour and you got to see the whales bubble net feeding! We hope you visit Sitka again soon!
Written June 7, 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Zunilda D
1 contribution
May 2023 • Family
In April 2023 I booked a whale watching tour with this company for May 2023, paid in full over $1K for me and my family.
On the morning of the tour I got an automated email advising I was been refunded, no explanation given.
I called Sitka Sound Tours and after many attempts got a hold of Sadie who said the captain was sick and had to cancel and stated a refund was processed.
I noticed prior reviews indicating they had other cancellations in May 2023 which they blamed on a death in the family and legal issues.
It has now been 5 weeks and I still don't receive my refund. I have reached out to Sitka Sound Tours many times and the only response I received a week ago is that their platform shows as refunded.
Note that I have also reached out to my credit card provider who confirmed no refund was ever issued.
Horrible experience dealing with their lack of professionalism, lack of communication . Feels like I got scammed .
I would not recommend anybody to book with them, unreliable / not worth all the hassle specially during vacation.
On the morning of the tour I got an automated email advising I was been refunded, no explanation given.
I called Sitka Sound Tours and after many attempts got a hold of Sadie who said the captain was sick and had to cancel and stated a refund was processed.
I noticed prior reviews indicating they had other cancellations in May 2023 which they blamed on a death in the family and legal issues.
It has now been 5 weeks and I still don't receive my refund. I have reached out to Sitka Sound Tours many times and the only response I received a week ago is that their platform shows as refunded.
Note that I have also reached out to my credit card provider who confirmed no refund was ever issued.
Horrible experience dealing with their lack of professionalism, lack of communication . Feels like I got scammed .
I would not recommend anybody to book with them, unreliable / not worth all the hassle specially during vacation.
Written June 28, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I'm very sorry about your experience with our Company. We did have to cancel all of our May bookings for all reasons stated above. As new owners we chose to use a new booking platform and it has somes hiccups from time to time. Our booking platform fails to give updates when a refund hasn't gone through and it is an issue the platform software needs to improve on. We value our customers and want every experience to be positive on the boat and off as well. Again I apologize for the lack of communication and automated messages as we are still learning the ropes of the company.
Written July 13, 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Deirdre H
1 contribution
May 2023 • Family
We booked a private tour for our day in port during our Alaskan cruise. When we arrived in Sitka (and finally had cell service), we had a message that the tour had been cancelled. I emailed and texted to find out what was going on (since this was to have been our main activity in port). After an hour or so I received a message that the captain was sick. Then a few more hours later I received a message that there was a problem with their Coast Guard paperwork. I was told that I would get a refund that might take up to 30 days. After that time with no refund I wrote to ask what was going on. No response. I finally had to dispute the charge with my credit card company. I hadn't heard anything from the company (it's been over a month and a half) until yesterday I received an email telling me that they've added me to some business networking site. Not appropriate at all! Needless to say, I am not happy with Sitka Sound Tours and would not recommend them to anyone traveling to Sitka.
Written July 6, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I'm very sorry about your experience with our Company. We did have to cancel all of our May bookings for all reasons stated above. As new owners we chose to use a new booking platform and it has somes hiccups from time to time. Our booking platform fails to give updates when a refund hasn't gone through and it is an issue the platform software needs to improve on. We value our customers and want every experience to be positive on the boat and off as well. Again I apologize for the lack of communication and automated messages as we are still learning the ropes of the company.
Written July 11, 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Kelly B
Homer City, PA50 contributions
Jun 2023
Captain Rick was a great tour guide. We were traveling with friends and booked this tour because we wanted a small group. Just wanted a personal touch with a local. Rick was great - lots of interesting stories and we saw seals, sea lions, eagles, and the best part - THREE grizzly bears. We saw a humpback whale in the distance, but the whales were being a little elusive that day.
Of our 10 day trip, this was one of our top favorite excursions. We would definitely look up Rick again for a great experience.
Definitely a good time and a great value.
Of our 10 day trip, this was one of our top favorite excursions. We would definitely look up Rick again for a great experience.
Definitely a good time and a great value.
Written July 4, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for the great review! We are so glad to have made your trip so memorable and positive customer experience is what we live for! We hope you visit Sitka again soon!
Written July 11, 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
ajarendt2018
Sacramento, CA4 contributions
Aug 2022
The boat captain, Brian, was friendly and knowledgeable about the local wildlife and sea life and Sitka/Baronof Island area. We saw several whales, and the captain went out of his way to show us sea lions, sea otters, and sea birds as well. The small group was nice (just 2 couples and the captain), and the boat is comfortable and clean. Drinks and snacks and a bathroom are available, as well as binoculars. You can sit outside or inside. The captain took us on a longer excursion than normal which was really nice as the weather was sunny and warm on that particular day. Overall, it was a relaxing and very nice boat tour!
Written August 16, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for taking time to write us a review! Glad you had a nice sunny day for your tour! We are happy you had a great time with us!
Written September 9, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Anne C
1 contribution
Jun 2023
Wonerful people and very accommodating! Our Alaska cruise itinerary was changed at the last minute so our whale watching tour with Sitka Sound Tours needed to be rescheduled. They kindly offered to add an extra tour to ensure that we would still be able to enjoy this experience. Enjoy it we did!!!
Written July 12, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for the review! We strive for positive customer experience on and off the boat alas we try to accommodate every customer request. Please visit Sitka again soon!
Written July 13, 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Nancy T
4 contributions
Jun 2023 • Friends
Capt Rick was great, very informative and put up with us 3 crazy women. Even though we only saw one whale he tried really hard to find the whales but couldn't do anything about the storm moving in. We did get to see lots of otters including a mom and a baby and sea lions. Highly recommended.
Written June 16, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We are so glad you enjoyed your trip and our captain! thank you for the great review and we hope you visit again soon!
Written June 27, 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Roger S
1 contribution
Jul 2023 • Couples
The 2.5hr trip we had with Captain Rick to St Lazaria Island was one of the highlights of our 3-week time in Alaska. This island is part of a National Wildlife Refuge, and we had great views of seabirds including puffins, murres and guillemots. Also saw several sea otters on the ride out to the island. Captain Rick and Sitka Sound Tours are wonderful, and provided great commentary and an excellent boat for the job. We had calm seas and good weather, making the trip very comfortable. Captain Rick’s generosity will be long remembered!
Written July 14, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for the great review! I am so glad you were able to see the island and all the birds! We hope you visit Sitka again soon!
Written July 17, 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Is there a better time of day to see whales? Morning or afternoon?
Written January 1, 2024
SitkaSoundTours
Sitka, Alaska
I recommend Morning or early afternoon. Our 10 am tour is usually when we see the best action.
Written June 25, 2024
Is this a wheelchair accessible excursion, and how many passengers can be accommodated? We have a party of 13 which includes 3 children (12,11,6). The wheel chair is for 18 year old with CP who is able to be "walked" up ramp by parent if necessary.
Written April 15, 2017
SitkaSoundTours
Sitka, Alaska
Thanks for your question!
We can only accommodate 6 passengers at a time.
Written April 15, 2017
How do we reach you from our cruise ship?
Written April 6, 2017
SitkaSoundTours
Sitka, Alaska
You can call us at 907-752-0585 or if there is WiFi on the ship, email us sitkasoundtours(at)gmail - trip advisor won't let me put in our email address...
Written April 6, 2017
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