Ketchikan, Alaska Native Cultural and Wildlife Adventure
Badge of Excellence
Ketchikan, USA
- 3 hours (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Experience Ketchikan through the lens of its wildlife and native cultures on this local-led tour. Meet your Haida guide and begin your experience with three stops to spot Ketchikan wildlife. Then delve into the history and culture of the local Haida and Tlingit peoples with a visit to the Totem Heritage Center. Learn about the history and significance of totem poles and the legends of these two cultures.
- Marvel at whales, otters, bears, eagles, salmon, and other wildlife
- Experience more of the local Haida culture than you would going alone
- Learn about medicinal herbs and berries in the rainforest
- Admire totem poles and learn their meaning at the Totem Heritage Totem Bight State Park
What's Included
- Bottled waterBottled Water and Granola Bar (upon request)
- Binoculars
- Umbrella
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- Ketchikan Visitors Bureau131 Front St, Ketchikan, AK 99901, USA
Departure Point: A representative will be at the Ketchikan Rain Gauge, located outside of the Ketchikan Visitors Bureau, on BERTH 2 of the cruise ship dock, holding a sign that says "Clan House Tours."
End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.Itinerary
1
Ketchikan
20 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
2
Totem Bight State Historical Park
40 minutes • Admission Ticket Included
3
Salmon Ladder
15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
4
Herring Cove
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
5
Creek Street
5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Near public transportation
- Infants must sit on laps
- Not recommended for travelers with back problems
- No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
- Most travelers can participate
- Must be able to get in and out of a transit van with relative ease, a step stool is available
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 11 travelers
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Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Featured review
Stacey_L
Dan was such a pleasure to spend the morning with! I reached out before our ship left because his earliest tour started at the same time we were scheduled to get off the ship. He was waiting for us and communicating his location as soon as we disembarked and made sure to have us back to the pier well before we were required to be back. There was never any worry about missing the boat, and we got some great information about Alaska and a local tribe since he has lived there for decades with his family. We saw young and older bald eagles, a black bear with two cubs, the salmon ladder (it wasn’t the season for it to be full yet), local tide pool, and for personal stories at the totem museum.
He had peanuts for my teen daughter to feed the stellar jays, and binoculars for us to use to see the bald eagles! He was really wonderful and I highly recommend! Thank you so much Dan!
Reviews
4.5
based on 353 reviews
Sort by: Most insightful
Sanjay_G, Sep 2026
Very detailed oriented. Metta - our driver/ guide comes from native Indian American family and has in-depth knowledge of their history to share
I must say that $98 per person is little too much price for 3 hour tour …
mary_f, Sep 2026
It was amazing how much our guide Echohawk knew about the culture. We always take tours that give us true background of where we are visiting.
Christine_B, Sep 2026
Echohawk was a wonderful guide. We learned so much and really enjoyed this excursion! We would absoluetly recommend this small private tour experience!
Response from Host, Sep 2026
Thank you for your wonderful review! We’re so glad you enjoyed your private tour with Echohawk and learned so much along the way. We truly appreciate your recommendation!
Lee_C, Sep 2026
We were picked up just off the cruise ship on a bright and sunny day which doesn't happen much in Ketchikan. Dan took us to a native totem pole park where his knowledge was very extensive and very informational.
We went back into town and saw thousands of salmon waiting to go up the fish ladder. Never seen that many fish in one spot.
As a bonus, Dan took us to a little river on the other side of town where we saw momma and 2 baby bear in their natural environment.
It was a very nice tour.
Response from Host, Sep 2026
Thank you for your wonderful review! We’re so glad you enjoyed your private tour with Dan and Echohawk. It’s fantastic to hear that you appreciated the insights at the Native totem pole park, the incredible sight of thousands of salmon at the fish ladder, and the special opportunity to see a mother bear with her two cubs in their natural environment. We’re delighted you had such a memorable day in Ketchikan, and we truly appreciate your recommendation
Linda_S, Aug 2026
Meta was an excellent guide and she provided a lot of information about wildlife and culture and places to eat.
Linda_G, Aug 2026
The tour guide we had , Meta, was extremely knowledgeable, she was very passionate about her heritage and really gave us a good insight into the Tlingit people
Response from Host, Aug 2026
Thank you for the kind words about Meta. She takes great pride in sharing her knowledge, culture, and heritage with our guests. We’re glad her passion and insight into the Tlingit people helped make your experience meaningful.
Michael_H, Aug 2026
Our Guide was amazing. She was local and a Native American and was the most intelligent and charming guide we have ever had. Her name was Meta and she should be a college professor. She literally made the tour. It was a memorable way to visit.
Response from Host, Aug 2026
Thank you for such a wonderful review. Meta is truly an exceptional guide, and we’re proud to have her on our team. Her knowledge, personality, and passion for sharing Alaska Native culture make every tour special. We’ll be sure to share your kind words with her, and we’re very glad she made your visit to Ketchikan so memorable.
Alice_T, Aug 2026
A lot of information on native Alaskan clans and totem poles saw some salmon but no bears or other wildlife
Response from Host, Aug 2026
Thank you for joining our Cultural and Wildlife Adventure. We’re glad you enjoyed learning about Alaska Native clans and totem poles and were able to see salmon. Wildlife sightings are never guaranteed, as bears and other animals are wild and their activity varies from day to day. Our tour combines culture, scenery, and opportunities to view wildlife whenever nature cooperates.
Melissa_S, Aug 2026
This was an excellent opportunity to see all the best parts of Ketchikan. We saw the totem poles, the salmon, and two bears! Our guide was local, indigenous, and shared a wealth of knowledge. It was a fantastic day!
Joseph_S, Aug 2026
The tour guide was late showing up to the tour (not a good start). We were hoping to see some of the wildlife of the area but except for spawning salmon we didn't see any. We spent about an hour at Bight State Park which was okay but we couldn't hear our guide when she would offer information about the items we were looking at. We also got a chance to hear our guide's give us her opinion on her politics (of which I think most of the group held the opposite opinion) completely out of place for a tour we were paying for. The tour really could have been put together better with a little effort.
Response from Host, Sep 2026
Thank you for taking the time to share your experience with us. We truly appreciate your feedback and understand how important it is for a tour to feel welcoming, enjoyable, and well organized. Wildlife sightings can never be guaranteed, but we value your comments about the overall experience. Since your visit, that guide is no longer working with Clan House Tours. We hope you still left Ketchikan with some good memories, and we appreciate you choosing to spend part of your visit with us.
Polly_D, Aug 2026
We so wish we had stayed in town instead of doing this excursion. While the guide was knowledgeable and personable, she was not a good guide. She wasn't at the meeting point on time (we had to go to her van to find her), had to cut our time short while waiting for others that never showed. I was nervous the entire time because she seemed totally unaware of our all aboard time. Never mentioned how long we should be at each stop. Talked freely to us since we were sitting close to her in the van but I doubt others could here her. Very nice person but not suited to being a guide.
Gabriela_P, Aug 2026
It wasn’t bad. Our guide knew a lot about the totem poles and the local culture, and that part was very interesting. However, if you really want to see bears, I would recommend booking a tour specifically dedicated to bear watching. The amount of time you spend at the bear-viewing area is very short—it was less than half an hour for us, around 15 minutes. It’s also a very small area, and you can’t walk very far or venture deeper into the area; that is part of a different tour.
The salmon ladder was nice, although it’s very easy to access on your own.
If you really want to learn about and see Native people and their culture, I would recommend going to Saxman Native Village instead. That was my mistake for not reading the tour description carefully enough.
Overall, I felt it was a very average tour, and it was a great disappointment that we didn’t see any bears.
Roxanne_P, Aug 2026
This was a disappointing tour. Our guide was very friendly, professional, and knowledgeable. Though not her fault, there was confusion with another guests reservations, “no show” guests requiring us to wait on them for 15 minutes, and traffic jam in parking area that all resulted in us losing about 20 min of our tour. The location of the included attractions are far. I felt like the majority of our time was spent riding in the van. We started at Totem Bright Park which was beautiful and interesting but was a long ride to get to. By the time we finally arrived there and everyone had to go to the restroom, it was already more than an hour into our 3 hr tour. We stayed there maybe 45 min to a hour. Then we had a long ride to Rotary Beach, but because of the delays we missed low tide and the only thing we saw were two tiny crabs. We were there maybe 10-15 min. which was too long with nothing to see. We then drove to Herring Cove that the description said we’d visit the “famous bear viewing area”. Everything I saw about HC when trying to decide which tour to book to see bears showed a long wooden boardwalk. It looked beautiful and a way to be close to the water, not crowded, and I’d get to go far enough in to see bears. This was the main attraction I wanted to see and why I booked. We pulled up to a small crowded parking area on the side of the road for our “viewing”. The guide said the boardwalk is private property and costs about $200 per person more to use. We saw no bears (which I fully understand is out of the guide’s control) and no salmon. I walked around the metal parking barricade trying to get a better view, but couldn’t see anything worth the time. We stayed maybe 15 min. We then drove back to town, past Creek Street, and pulled up to Salmon Ladder where we had the option to end our tour there or get dropped off at pickup location. We ended here and watched the salmon and explored Creek Street on our own. We spent 3 hours and other than the totem poles, felt like was a waste of our limited time in this beautiful town simply riding in a van. .
Response from Host, Aug 2026
Thank you for your feedback. We’re glad you found your guide friendly and knowledgeable. Our policy requires guides to wait 10 minutes for late guests; additional delay resulted from parking-area traffic. Totem Bight and Herring Cove require travel from downtown. The private boardwalk is not included, and wildlife sightings cannot be guaranteed.
Jeffrey_H, Aug 2026
Excellent tour! Local tour guide was awesome. Most informative & personable. Highly recommended. Well organized.
Response from Host, Aug 2026
Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We’re delighted you enjoyed the tour and found your local guide both informative and personable. Your recommendation means a great deal to our entire team!
Shirley_R, Aug 2026
Excellent tour and just the right length for a toddler to join along. Our guide was very knowledgeable and answered everyone’s questions.
We did have an issue with our Viator reservation only showing 2 people on their records despite the ticket stating 4 people and being charged for all 4. Luckily there were enough seats on the bus for all of us in the end.
Response from Host, Aug 2026
Thank you for your kind review! We’re so glad the tour was the perfect length for your family and that your toddler could enjoy the adventure too. It’s wonderful to hear that your guide was knowledgeable and answered everyone’s questions. We’re also glad we had enough seats to accommodate all four of you despite the Viator reservation discrepancy. Thank you for joining us!
Allan_M, Aug 2026
Fantastic tour in a smaller coach. Our local tour guide, EchoHawk, was incredibly knowledgeable of the indigenous heritage and culture in Ketchikan and gave us a very personable and friendly afternoon. Would highly recommend over the larger, cruise line tours.
Response from Host, Aug 2026
Thank you so much for your wonderful review! EchoHawk has a special gift for sharing Indigenous heritage and culture in a warm and personal way. We’re delighted you enjoyed the smaller-group experience and truly appreciate your recommendation!
Brian_P, Aug 2026
Meta (her name) was excellent and very knowledgeable about her culture and the sites we visited. I selected this tour from several similar ones, because I wanted to support the native people of the area and felt they could provide insights not available on other tours — which I felt she did.
Response from Host, Aug 2026
Thank you for choosing to support our Alaska Native-owned family business. We are blessed to have Meta on our team, and we’re delighted that her cultural knowledge and local insights made your experience so meaningful. We truly appreciate your thoughtful review!
Immanuel_H, Aug 2026
Our tour guide Meta exceeded every expectation! She is so knowledgeable about Ketchikan’s land, history, wildlife, and people. She answered all our questions with detail. She was friendly, easy to talk to, and very engaging. I would highly recommend this tour, especially with Meta!
Response from Host, Aug 2026
Thank you for this wonderful review! Meta is truly an exceptional guide, and we’re blessed to have her on our team. We’re delighted that her knowledge of Ketchikan’s land, history, wildlife, and people made your tour so memorable. We greatly appreciate your recommendation!
Sharon_B, Aug 2026
Meta was very knowledgeable and we learned a lot about the indigenous people in the area. We saw an Eagles nest, which was awesome and enjoyed the totem park. Would recommend this tour to anyone.
Response from Host, Aug 2026
Thank you for your wonderful review! We’re blessed to have Meta on our team and are delighted that her cultural knowledge made your tour meaningful. Seeing an eagle’s nest and exploring Totem Bight are truly special experiences. We greatly appreciate your recommendation!
Melinda_P, Aug 2026
Dan was a very knowledgeable tour guide! He gave us an in depth history of Ketchikan and the native culture and customs. We visited the national Totem pole park which was super interesting, as well as getting to see the salmon that are spawning this time of year. We did go to a bear Lookout point and stayed for quite a while, but unfortunately, we had no bear sightings. Apparently we had missed a few of them earlier that morning. Unfortunately, these things are not planned so we were just out of luck in that respect. All in all, Dan was a wonderful tour guide and I would highly recommend him!
Response from Host, Aug 2026
Thank you for your thoughtful review and kind words about Dan! We’re delighted you enjoyed learning about Ketchikan’s history, Alaska Native culture, and customs, as well as visiting Totem Bight and seeing the spawning salmon. Wildlife is never guaranteed, but we truly appreciate your understanding. Thank you for recommending Dan and Clan House Tours!
Jeffrey_K, Aug 2026
Our guide, Echo Wolf was awesome. She knew so much about Alaska and we learned so much about Indigenous life. The totem pole tour was very special to see. We were so lucky to see a bald eagles and their adolescents too. The wild salmon were also active in the same area. 10 out 10!
Response from Host, Aug 2026
Thank you for your wonderful review! We’re so happy to hear that Echohawk made your tour such a memorable experience. She is passionate about sharing Alaska’s history and Indigenous cultures, and we’re glad you enjoyed learning about the totem poles and their stories.
While the bears didn’t make an appearance this time, we’re thrilled you had such a great experience. We truly appreciate your kind words and hope to welcome you back to Ketchikan again someday!
Katie_S, Aug 2026
Meta was an exceptional guide and gave us a top-notch tour of Ketchikan. We missed the bears but saw tons of eagles, stellar jays, deer, and other wildlife. The highlight of the trip was the Totem Bight and learning about her family’s ancestral land and customs. She answered all of our questions, and even helped the kids forage for salmon berries and huckleberries.
Response from Host, Aug 2026
Thank you for your wonderful review! We’re so happy to hear that Meta provided such an exceptional, top-notch tour of Ketchikan. It’s great that you were able to experience so much wildlife along the way, including eagles, stellar jays, deer, and more. We’re especially glad the visit to Totem Bight was a highlight, and that you enjoyed learning about her family’s ancestral land and customs. It’s wonderful to hear she was able to answer all your questions and even help the kids forage for salmon berries and huckleberries.
While the bears didn’t make an appearance this time, we’re thrilled you still had such a memorable experience. We truly appreciate your kind words and hope to welcome you back to Ketchikan again someday!
Crashona_H, Jul 2026
Our guide was very informative and flexible.
We received a wonderful guide through historical events and meanings associated with the culture.
Thank you Echohawk!
SharonS_M, Jul 2026
We saw American eagles and lots of salmon. Too bad we didn't see any black bears from afar but it's an enjoyable experience. Always on the lookout for birds.
Barbara_P, Jul 2026
Meta, our guide, was terrific and so knowledgeable. The totem poles were very interesting, and Meta made it better by telling us about her family who carve.
Response from Host, Jul 2026
Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We’re delighted to hear you enjoyed your time with Meta. Her deep knowledge, personal connection to Alaska Native culture, and the stories she shares about her family’s carving tradition make each tour truly special. We’re so glad the visit to Totem Bight was a memorable experience for you. We hope to welcome you back to Ketchikan again someday!
Warm regards,
The Clan House Tours Team
Anthony_P, Jul 2026
Enjoyed the tour Very knowledgeable driver and a long term resident. Woudl recommend if would like to see all the key sights
Response from Host, Jul 2026
Thank you for your wonderful review! We’re so glad you enjoyed your tour and appreciated your guide’s knowledge and long-time local perspective. We love sharing the history, culture, wildlife, and scenic beauty of Ketchikan with our guests. Thank you for your recommendation, and we hope to welcome you back to Southeast Alaska again someday!
Brian_C, Jul 2026
Echohawk was a very good tour guide. Her experience allowed us to see black bear, eagles and blue jays. Her storytelling of the indigenous people enhance our experience. The Totem Bight site is extraordinary and a must see for understanding the history.
Response from Host, Jul 2026
We are blessed to have Echohawk on our team! Thank you for your wonderful review. We’re so glad to hear you had such a great experience with Echohawk. She is truly an amazing guide, and we’re thrilled her experience helped you see black bear, eagles, and blue jays, and that her storytelling about the Indigenous people enhanced your visit. We’re also glad you enjoyed Totem Bight—it is indeed an extraordinary and must-see site for understanding the history. We appreciate you joining us and hope to welcome you back to Southeast Alaska again someday
Matthew_L, Jul 2026
The tour guide Meta was amazing! She had a wealth of knowledge about native Alaskan culture and the area and even made an impromptu stop at a local when we saw a whale while traveling. Our issue is that we spent a good amount of time at the totem pole portion of the trip and very little time at the bear site. We booked the tour with the impression the bears would be the majority of the tour but only spent 5-7 minutes there while we spent an hour at the totem poles. We also spent 20 minutes at a beach as the last stop again she was extremely knowledgeable but it wasn’t what we signed up for. Maybe consider rebranding the tour or explain the bear portion will only be 5% of the trip. We gave it a 3/5 star rating but that was due to the guide being amazing otherwise it would have been a 1/5. Would not recommend.
Response from Host, Jul 2026
Before using the tour description, please read the full itinerary. Our tour is a cultural and wildlife experience, with Totem Bight State Historical Park as a major highlight. Wildlife viewing at Herring Cove is always dependent on nature, and the amount of time spent there varies based on wildlife activity and conditions. Meta is an exceptional guide, and we’re delighted you enjoyed her knowledge and passion for Alaska Native culture. We appreciate your feedback and will continue working to ensure our tour description clearly reflects the balance of cultural interpretation and wildlife viewing.
Lyn_B, Jul 2026
unfortunately, our trip was canceled last minute. so we really can’t rate the trip from a point of being able to take it, but it was disappointing to be looking ahead and have it be canceled.
Response from Host, Jul 2026
Thank you for your feedback. We sincerely apologize that we had to cancel your tour. We understand how disappointing it is when plans change, especially during a cruise stop with limited time ashore.
We did notify you as soon as we were able so you would have time to book another tour or make alternate plans, and we hope you were able to enjoy your visit to Ketchikan. We appreciate your understanding and hope you’ll consider joining us on a future visit so we can provide the Alaska Native cultural and wildlife experience we strive to deliver.
DOUGLAS_R, Jul 2026
Meta was very knowledgeable and well spoken! It was a great tour to take. We saw a bear and lots of bald eagles. We highly recommend
Response from Host, Jul 2026
Thank you for the wonderful review! We’re so glad you enjoyed your tour with Meta. Seeing a bear and so many bald eagles always makes for a memorable day, and we’re happy you had that experience. We truly appreciate your recommendation and hope to see you again the next time you’re in Ketchikan!
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Attractions in Ketchikan, USA
- Totem Heritage Center Tours & Tickets
- Guard Island Lighthouse Tours & Tickets
- Saxman Native Village Tours & Tickets
- Ward Cove Tours & Tickets
- Inside Passage Tours & Tickets
- Dolly's House Museum Tours & Tickets
- Alaska Rainforest Sanctuary Tours & Tickets
- Creek Street Tours & Tickets
- Tongass National Forest Tours & Tickets
- Totem Bight State Historical Park Tours & Tickets
- Southeast Alaska Discovery Center Tours & Tickets
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