Saxman Native Village Ketchikan Highlights & Lumberjack Show
Ketchikan, USA
- 4 hours 25 minutes (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
Explore our promoted experiences
Overview
Immerse yourself in Alaska’s rich cultural heritage and learn more about the region’s Native American culture and logging trade. This half-day tour from Ketchikan starts with a visit to Saxman Native Village, where you will watch a traditional performance from the Cape Fox Dancers before seeing a totem pole carving. Next, it’s time for the Great Alaskan Lumberjack Show for a thrilling 60-minute demonstration of this 150-year-old sport.
- See some of Ketchikan’s key landmarks during a scenic drive to the village
- Learn about different totem pole figures and their cultural significance
- Discover the history of logging, a key trade and the 'original extreme sport'
- Transport with guide in a private air-conditioned vehicle
What's Included
- Air-conditioned vehicle
- Private transportation
- 1-hour Lumberjack Show
- Gratuities
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting points
Select a meeting point
End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.Itinerary
1
Saxman Tribal House
1 hour 30 minutes • Admission Ticket Included
2
Great Alaskan Lumberjack Show
1 hour 15 minutes • Admission Ticket Included
Ketchikan (Pass By)
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Wheelchair accessible
- Stroller accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Infants must sit on laps
- Transportation is wheelchair accessible
- Surfaces are wheelchair accessible
- Most travelers can participate
- Travel time is included on the total tour duration
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 42 travelers
Supplied by
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Reviews
4.4
based on 102 reviews
Helie_R, Sep 2025
A few communication mixups, poor weather, and possibly end-of-season burnout made this less than an optimal experience for us. However, the lumberjack show is always fun, and the Tlingits at the Saxman Village seemed genuine and welcoming.
Response from Host, Jan 2026
Thank you for your feedback. We appreciate you sharing both the challenges and the highlights of your experience. While we regret that communication issues and timing affected the overall flow of the day—and as many visitors quickly discover, Alaska’s weather likes to make its own plans—we’re glad you enjoyed the Lumberjack Show and felt welcomed during your visit to Saxman Village. If you’re willing, we’d appreciate you reaching out to share more detail about the communication issues you experienced, as that feedback helps us continue improving coordination and guest experience.
ELISA_D, Sep 2025
Between the lumberjack show and the Alaskan native american dancing and totem pole village, we did not get bored. Very interesting and fun. Enjoyed some silliness but also learning about the culture.
Response from Host, Jan 2026
Thank you for your review! We’re glad you enjoyed the mix of fun and cultural experiences and felt the tour was a great way to take in some of the best of Ketchikan. We appreciate you taking the time to share your feedback.
Melanie_L, Aug 2025
A Nice introduction to the ways of the native peoples of Alaska, the story their totem poles tell. Nice Tour
Response from Host, Jan 2026
Thank you for your review! We’re glad the tour offered a meaningful introduction to the stories shared through the totem poles.
Linda_P, Aug 2025
The dancing was loud. But it was their heritage. Guide was not very informative. Gotto meetMr Douglas.
Very very low key
Response from Host, Aug 2025
Thank you for sharing your feedback. The dancing is a lively part of the Tlingit heritage, and we understand it can feel loud at times. There’s a lot of culture and history to cover during the visit, and our guides do their best to share as much as possible while also enjoying crowd interaction and answering questions.
Robert_M, Aug 2025
We did not have the opportunity to leave the tour van in Ketchikan town. We were taken back to Ward Cove, and had to take another bus 30 minutes back to town where our time to shop, dine, and browse was cut down to 45 minutes. Terrible experience!
Response from Host, Jan 2026
Thank you for taking the time to share your experience. We’re sorry to hear this portion of the day was frustrating, as we understand how important time in town is for shopping and exploring. Unfortunately, in a busy port environment with multiple vehicles and schedules, guests can sometimes end up on the wrong vehicle, especially when everything is happening at once in a new place. We regret that this affected the amount of time you were able to spend downtown, and your feedback has been shared with our team as we continue working to improve communication and coordination.
Shawn_P, Jul 2025
The activities were okay. Could have easily gone to the 2 places on our own. Actually ended up walking to the Lumberjack Show on our own so it seemed pricey just to get transportation to and from the totem pole park. There is not much to do on this stop, so I think the activities were fine.
Response from Host, Jan 2026
Thank you for sharing your perspective. We understand that some guests prefer to explore independently, and we appreciate you taking the time to share how the experience felt for you.
For downtown ships, guests walk to the Lumberjack Show, which is located less than a city block from the meeting point. Following the show, we provide transportation to Saxman Village and then return guests to the cruise docks afterward. The value of the tour is in the guided experience at Saxman, which includes interpretation throughout the totem park, a cultural dance performance in the clan house, and insight into the carving process. While it’s possible to visit the park independently by taxi or bus, those visits are self-guided and do not include the cultural presentations or storytelling that are part of this experience.
We appreciate your feedback and the opportunity to clarify what the tour includes, as it helps future guests decide what type of experience best fits their plans.
Daniel_R, Jul 2025
The lumberjack show and Saxman village were great. The logistics were a total mess. Instructions said to meet at the rock statue, when the agent was in fact in the visitors bureau instead . We did the lumberjack show first, afterwards we met the agent outside to go to the bus. The agent walked off with only part of the group leaving us a several others behind. When we caught up and walked back to the port, we were told to board an old school bus. There were too many people on the bus and they realized they mixed two different tour groups. Some of us were told to go to smaller bus/van. Then there were too many for the van and they had to send some back to the bus. The van took us to Saxman and back, but there was no tour of the area or narration of the history or historical sights. Tour lasted 3 hours 15 minutes, not the estimated 4 hours 25 minutes as advertised.
Response from Host, Jul 2025
Thank you for your review. We’re glad to hear you enjoyed both the Lumberjack Show and the visit to Saxman Village, but we sincerely apologize for the confusion you experienced during the transition between locations. A new staff member mistakenly combined two groups, which led to the initial mix-up and shuffling between vehicles. We completely understand how frustrating that must have been, and we’re very sorry for the inconvenience it caused.
That said, we do want to reassure you that despite the rocky transition, the tour did get off on time and everyone was successfully directed to the correct experience.
Regarding the tour length, TripAdvisor allows us to list only one tour duration, though we operate from two separate cruise ports. The 4-hour-and-25-minute time frame applies to guests arriving at Ward Cove, which requires additional transportation. For guests departing from downtown, the tour is typically about 3.5 hours due to its closer proximity to the tour sites.
If you’d like to share anything further or help us improve, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us at tours@capefoxtours.com. We truly value your feedback.
Katherine_M, Jul 2025
Started out with not enough tickets for our party. None of your staff knew what to do, so they did nothing, leaving me to explain to the staff at the lumber jack show😠
Response from Host, Jul 2025
Thank you for sharing your feedback, and we sincerely apologize for the confusion with your tickets. Your visit happened to fall on one of the busiest days of our season, and while we work hard to stay organized, mistakes can occasionally occur. We're sorry that this put you in a difficult position and that our team didn’t step in to resolve the issue more effectively.
We do want to reassure you that the Lumberjack Show keeps a full guest list with names and party sizes, so even in cases where tickets get mixed up, guests are still accounted for and able to attend. We hope you were still able to enjoy the show and the rest of your time in Ketchikan.
If you’d like to share any further details about your experience, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us at tours@capefoxtours.com — your feedback truly helps us improve.
Sherry_B, Jun 2025
Fun afternoon at the lumber jack show. Saxman village was very nice. Loved the native dancing and totem poles
Response from Host, Jan 2026
Thank you for sharing your experience! We’re glad you enjoyed the Lumberjack Show and your time at Saxman Village, especially the dancing and totem poles. If there’s anything we could have done to make this a five-star experience for you, we’d welcome you reaching out to us at tours@capefoxtours.com to share your thoughts. We appreciate you taking the time to leave a review.
Kenneth_J, Jun 2025
Supreme customer service from Alyssa, Fox Travel when we missed our departure due to injury. She took us by car to catch up to the group.
Response from Host, Jan 2026
Thank you for sharing your experience! I’m glad I was able to help get you caught up with the group after everything that happened. We know unexpected situations can come up, and doing what we can to keep the day on track is important to us. I appreciate you taking the time to leave such kind feedback.
Danielle_M, Jun 2025
The village was a great experience: led by a knowledgeable tour guide and afriendly driver. The village was very interesting (especially the totem pole woodworking area) as we learned about their work and have even seen some of their work throughout our trip to other port towns. The lumberjack show was entertaining, but a little more silly than I would have liked.
Response from Host, Jan 2026
Thank you for sharing your experience! We’re glad you enjoyed your time at the village and found the woodworking area and cultural interpretation especially interesting, along with having a knowledgeable guide and friendly driver. We appreciate your thoughts on the Lumberjack Show as well. If there’s anything we could do in the future to make this a five-star experience for you, we’d love to hear your feedback. You’re welcome to reach out to us at tours@capefoxtours.com. Thank you for taking the time to leave a review.
Brenda_N, Jun 2025
My niece and I enjoyed seeing how the clan house was built and how the different symbols were used to distinguish between each tribe. Watching the totem pole carver along with how they are built was very informative. However, the day we were there it rained all day. They apologized profusely for having to give the presentation of the totems outside while being rained on. I can understand why because you needed to view the totems to truly understand their meaning. We didn’t make it to the little store due to our tour group needing to leave for the lumberjack show so I can’t review that part. I would recommend this tour to anyone interested in our heritage although we might not be from their “clan”.
Response from Host, Jan 2026
Thank you for sharing such a thoughtful review. We’re glad you and your niece enjoyed learning about the clan house, the symbolism behind the totems, and the carving process. We appreciate your understanding with the weather that day, and you’re absolutely right that seeing the totems firsthand adds important context to their meaning. Thank you for the recommendation and for taking the time to share your experience.
Susi_P, May 2025
The lumberjack show was very entertaining...the athletes were impressive and the moderator skilled at communicating with the crowd. There was a 45 minute wait for the show to start but the bleachers had comfortable cushions and there was protection from the rain.
The dancing and drumming, visit to the carving room and tour of the outdoor totems at Saxman were wonderful--my favorite part of the afternoon. The tour guide was very knowledgeable. He and the bus driver both made the tour even more enjoyable.
Response from Host, Jan 2026
Thank you for sharing your experience! We’re glad you enjoyed both the energy of the Lumberjack Show and the cultural portion at Saxman Village, especially the dancing, drumming, and carving elements. It’s great to hear the guide and driver helped make the afternoon even more enjoyable. We appreciate you taking the time to leave such thoughtful feedback.
ISABELLAMARIA_D, May 2025
It was very knowledgable and educational . Could have included commentary on ketchikan history during trip frim ship.
Response from Host, May 2025
Thank you for your feedback! We're glad to hear you found the experience informative and educational. We do apologize for the lack of commentary on Ketchikan’s history during the drive from the ship—that’s something we strive to include, and we appreciate you pointing it out. We'll make sure to pass this along to help improve future tours.
Verna_F, Sep 2024
The show and totem park were very good. However, the company who does the tour in Ketchikan did not show up. None of the ohone numbers worked. Finally found a rep in the visitor center and was told we had to walk to lumberjack show! This was not what booking said! We were supposed to be picked up! I was not happy with how this trip was run!
Response from Host, Oct 2024
Thank you for your detailed feedback, and we're pleased to hear you enjoyed the Lumberjack Show and your time at the Saxman Native Village.
I apologize for any inconvenience regarding the transportation. Due to commercial vehicle restrictions in Ketchikan's downtown area, all tour operators, including ours, are required to pick up and drop off guests at designated points such as the visitor center. This location is as close to the Lumberjack Show as possible, and the walk is shorter than the length of a cruise ship.
We strive to make our tours as seamless as possible, and your feedback helps us improve. If you have any further suggestions or details about your experience, please feel free to reach out to us at tours@capefoxtours.com. We value your insights!
Lisa_R, Sep 2024
We enjoyed the tour even though the weather was not great. The guide was very knowledgeable and willing to answer questions.
Response from Host, Sep 2024
Thank you for sharing your experience! We're glad to hear that despite the weather, you enjoyed the tour and found the guide knowledgeable and engaging.
Marie_K, Sep 2024
We enjoyed the whole experience. The bus driver and guides were immersed in the culture and therefore very knowledgeable. I loved hearing about the history and significance of the totems. The Lumberjack show is great fun!
Response from Host, Sep 2024
Thank you for sharing your experience! We're delighted to hear you enjoyed the tour, from the cultural insights to the history of the totems. It's great to know that you found the Lumberjack show fun as well. We appreciate your kind words about our bus driver and guides!
Sherrie_P, Sep 2024
Loved the totem pole history and the native dancing at Saxman Village and the lumber jack show in Ketchikan was so fun!! Go team Canada!!!
Response from Host, Sep 2024
Thank you for your feedback! We're glad you enjoyed the totem pole history and native dancing at Saxman Village. It’s great to hear that the lumberjack show was a hit as well!
June_v, Sep 2024
At terminal in Ketchikan they put us on the wrong bus we had to quickly get off as he was pulling out to get in correct bus. That man took us to incorrect place first and had to reroute. Just not a good experience
Response from Host, Sep 2024
Thank you for bringing this to our attention. We're sorry to hear about the mix-up and the inconvenience it caused. It’s certainly not the experience we aim to provide. We will be reviewing our procedures to ensure clearer communication and better coordination to prevent this from happening again. Your feedback is important to us, and we truly appreciate you sharing it. We hope to have the opportunity to provide you with a smoother experience in the future.
Kathryn_M, Sep 2024
Lumberjack show was a lot of fun! Saxman village was super informative. We enjoyed both. I recommend this tour.
Response from Host, Sep 2024
Thank you for your feedback! We're glad to hear you had fun at the Lumberjack show and found Saxman Village informative. Your recommendation means a lot to us!
Margaret_E, Sep 2024
Loved everything. Our guide, Nyron, at the Village was incredible. His ability to talk so freely about his culture was wonderful. He really made it come alive. The only minor issue was travel back to ship was a little unorganized.
Lumberjack show was utter fun. Host. Lasagna Joe was well spoken and entertaining. Great entertainment.
Response from Host, Sep 2024
Thank you for sharing your experience! We're delighted that you enjoyed Nyron's storytelling and that he brought the culture to life for you. We're also glad you had fun at the Lumberjack show. We apologize for any travel delays on the return and will work to improve that aspect.
Alex_G, Sep 2024
Overall, it was nice. We nave been transferred from place to place in different vans. Therefore, we did not get any facts and stories about Ketchikan. Shows were ok. Local guide in the Saxo Village was great; he told us a lot about totem poles. Afterwards, we found a City Museum and fulfilled missing part of the city tour. In the museum we picked up city map and
it helped us to walk around .
Response from Host, Oct 2024
Thank you for your feedback! It's great to hear you enjoyed the insights from the guide at Saxman Village and the stories behind the totem poles. The transfers between locations are a typical part of our tour, designed to help you experience each highlight comfortably. We're glad you took the time to explore Ketchikan further at the City Museum and hope you had an enjoyable visit!
Marie_R, Sep 2024
Marcus,our 16yr old presenter was amazing. The totem history, native dance exhibition and walk thru totem park so fabulous. The lumberjack show was lots of fun. Very good show.
Response from Host, Oct 2024
Thank you for sharing your experience! We're thrilled to hear that Marcus did an amazing job presenting the totem history, native dance exhibition, and the walk through Totem Park. It's great that you also enjoyed the fun and excitement of the lumberjack show. We’re glad you had such a fantastic time!
Wilma_F, Aug 2024
The dance was great seeing the robes and interpretation of the culture was impressive. our guide ( a member of the clan) could answer every question. The stories of the totems was entertaining. Seeing the tools that were used and maintaining the culture is so important. For anyone interested in Alaskan culture and history it is a must.
Jennifer_D, Aug 2024
The meeting place was outside the tourism office by the "The Rock" statue. If you are at one of the further berths, or are unfortunately tendered in for the day on a cruise ship, it is a bit of a walk if you have mobility challenged people with you. We were then given stickers to put on our shirts and told to walk to the Lumberjack Show, 2 blocks away. For able bodied persons this is fine, but traveling with elderly or mobility challenged, this should be made clear in the description this is going to occur. Let me also be clear, you are not on a private tour with just your group, you are with other groups of people on this tour. We traveled as a family from teens to people in their 70s.
We then slowly made our way to the Lumberjack Show (meeting time was 10:00 for tour, show started at 10:15 so not a lot of wiggle room for walking and standing in the entrance line and finding a seat). We had our elderly parents with us who are both mobility challenged. We all really enjoyed the Lumberjack Show. It was fun and exciting. Then we had to fight our way out of the crowd to find our person, to be told to walk back a block and a half to almost the start of the meeting point originally to get on a mini bus to go to Saxman Village. OK, once again, mobility challenged parents, it takes a while.
Our driver TO Saxman Village was nice enough and pointed out a couple of things like Creek Street, the red light district, the old cannery, and then Saxman when we got there, but that was the extent of the "City Highlights" tour that was advertised. It was literally the road you have to take to get to Saxman Village. There was no driving through Ketchikan to see houses, schools, other businesses, or just every day interesting things that you get on other tours. That was one of the main reasons I booked through Viator was because it was billed as a City Highlights tour along with Saxman and the Lumberjack Show.
Onto Saxman Native Village, Nyron, our guide at Saxman, was absolutely wonderful! He was such a wealth of knowledge. We were able to get the full stories of the totem poles, history and customs of Tlingit people, see inside a Tlingit Clan house, and experience stories told through dance and song performance. We really enjoyed this so much. It is a small stop but a very powerful one if you take the time to really listen to the history behind the totem poles and the Tlingit people. We also got to see one of the master totem pole carvers. The pathways here are rock and some dirt so beware. It is not paved. We were able to push a wheelchair with some elbow grease.
We were then loaded back on a mini bus to be taken back to Ketchikan by a different driver, a guy, this time. He didn't speak to us at all or point out anything. So no city tour on the way back. Just Saxman to drop off in Ketchikan. Then he had his hand out to get a tip at the end. Literally he showed up to drive and did nothing. Did not speak, just drove. Drop off was back at the pick up point so if you are at berth 2 or further, you have a walk back to your ship. I realize this is the drop off pick up for busses, etc, but people with mobility issues need to know this before booking. It would have made a difference for us.
The activities we DID do, we enjoyed, however, we did not do what we felt was the full tour we should have gotten/was advertised like the Ketchikan Highlights. Case in point, the next port we went to, was a small town and we went on a City tour and they provided pictures of the history of town, historical buildings, showed current day, explained all about them, took us through neighborhoods, showed us schools, historical churches, overlooks, etc, as part of their tour. This is what I've come to expect from City tours/Highlights I've taken over the years and guess maybe I've had my expectations too high for this tour. There were no Ketchikan Highlights that was advertised.
If we had known, we would have booked the Lumberjack Show on our own, and then found a way to Saxman Village (via trolley or other transportation). We would have gotten the same result. As stated earlier, the Lumberjack Show and Saxman Native Village were great!
This was listed as a 4.25 hour tour. This tour lasted 3 1/2 hours start to finish.
Stanley_L, Jul 2024
Our guide Marcus who obviously cares about the history he did an excellent job. Another worker (tall, dark shaved head) I’m sorry I didn’t get his name. He was very
pleasant, and patiently pushed my wheelchair bound husband up and down all those hills, thus making my trip enjoyable
Cindy_K, Jul 2024
Loved learning about the culture and totem pole history and of course, seeing the lumberjacks in action.
Response from Host, Jul 2024
Thank you for your review! We're thrilled to hear that you loved learning about the culture and totem pole history, and enjoyed seeing the lumberjacks in action. We're glad you had a great experience!
Patricia_C, Jul 2024
Excellent tour, totally recommend!!! Definitely worth visiting. The tour guide was knowledgeable and experienced!!
Response from Host, Jul 2024
Thank you for your wonderful review! We're delighted to hear that you had an excellent tour and found it totally worth visiting. It's great to know that our guide's knowledge and experience enhanced your experience. We appreciate your recommendation and are thrilled you enjoyed your time with us!
Wayne_M, Jul 2024
The guide sharing stories of the totem poles was excellent.
The lumberjack show was also very entertaining.
Highly recommended!
Response from Host, Jul 2024
Thank you for your review! We're thrilled to hear that you enjoyed the guide's stories about the totem poles and found the lumberjack show entertaining. We appreciate your high recommendation and are glad you had a great experience with us.
Phil_S, Jun 2024
Saxman Village was well presented. Interesting demonstrations on indigenous lifestyle. I would certainly do the experience again.
Response from Host, Jul 2024
Thank you for your review! We're pleased to hear that you found the presentations and demonstrations at Saxman Village interesting and insightful. It's great to know that you enjoyed learning about the indigenous lifestyle and would consider revisiting the experience. We look forward to welcoming you again and sharing even more aspects of this rich culture.
Likely to Sell Out
From $129.00
per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
Compare Similar Experiences
Current
Likely to Sell Out
Saxman Native Village Ketchikan Highlights & Lumberjack Show
102
4 hours 25 minutes
Free Cancellation
From
$129.00
Customers Who Bought This Tour Also Bought
Explore Similar Things to Do
- Shore Excursions
- Photography Tours
- Nature and Wildlife Tours
- Walking Tours
- Historical Tours
- Tours, Sightseeing & Cruises
- Outdoor Activities
- On the Ground
- Cultural Tours
- Ketchikan
- Shore Excursions - Sitka
- Nature and Wildlife Tours - Sitka
- Walking Tours - Sitka
- Historical Tours - Sitka
- Shore Excursions - Juneau
- Nature and Wildlife Tours - Juneau
- Walking Tours - Juneau
- Historical Tours - Juneau
- Shore Excursions - Hoonah
- Nature and Wildlife Tours - Hoonah
Attractions in Ketchikan, USA
- Creek Street Tours & Tickets
- Misty Fjords National Monument Tours & Tickets
- Totem Bight State Historical Park Tours & Tickets
- Ward Cove Tours & Tickets
- Totem Heritage Center Tours & Tickets
- Tongass National Forest Tours & Tickets
- Southeast Alaska Discovery Center Tours & Tickets
- Port of Ketchikan Tours & Tickets
- Inside Passage Tours & Tickets
- Alaska Rainforest Sanctuary Tours & Tickets
- Saxman Native Village Tours & Tickets
- Dolly's House Museum Tours & Tickets
- Tongass Historical Museum Tours & Tickets