3 Hour Private Tour with a Local Native

Immerse yourself in Native Alaskan culture on a private tour in Ketchikan. Learn about the rich history, traditional practices, and stunning totem poles while exploring the wildlife and natural beauty of this vibrant city.

Duration: 3 hours
Highlights
  • Ketchikan - We will drive to Herring Cove to find/view bears. Minutes away for this location is Beaver Falls. Feel the cool freshness of the water flowing with the rich green forest. As we drive along Tongass Narrows, we will be making stops for picture opportunities and making your memories last. Salmon Ladder is a great attraction during the spawn of the salmon. It will remind you of watching Discovery Channels. Potlatch Park is a replica of a native village, locally owned and operated by a Tshimpshian/Haida family. This property was once a fish camp for natives. Visit their musuem and see a totem carving center and a clan house that resemble home to my ancestors.
What's Included
  • Bottled water provided
Additional Information

Embark on a journey with a true native of Alaska. Discover the unique features of my heritage and the historical significance of Ketchikan. Learn about the plants we use for edible and healing purposes, and how we gather and prepare them. I hail from an artistic lineage; my grandfather, James Edenshaw, contributed to the carving of Totem Bight, while my brother, James Edenshaw, is a respected Tlingit Master Carver. My Uncle George Lewis Jr served as a Tlingit Code talker, and my mother perfected the art of bead work. If you’re keen to explore my heritage, I can bring you to one of four sites to marvel at Totem Poles. These majestic carvings can represent ancestors, cultural beliefs, clan lineage or important events. Wildlife stories are integral to many Alaskan tales, and Ketchikan hosts multiple species including, bears, eagles, deer, wolves and mountain goats. Salmon, with its five species, is a major aspect of our economy, making Ketchikan the Salmon Capital of the world. Ketchikan is the first city on the Inside Passage of Southeast Alaska. Come, discover my homeland by joining me on a tour.

Location
Alaska Airlines - Ketchikan
Come across the ferry to the Ketchikan side and I will be lined up in parking lanes like a cab/other vehichles.
Cancellation Policy

All sales are final. No refund is available for cancellations.

Customer Ratings
5.0
(13 Ratings)
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Nicole_k
Aug 24, 2024
Fabulous journey to see Ketchikan - both old and new with a delightful guide. - Our tour was absolutely amazing! We heard stories about Donna and Lisa’s family who are originally from Ketchikan. We had a wonderful time. I would highly recommend this tour!
Review provided by Viator
Diane_f
Aug 23, 2024
Best tour/tour guide in Ketchikan - Lisa was the absolute best! She customized our tour to us and what we wanted to do. We wanted to see bear. They didn't come out while we were there but Lisa wouldn't give up. She took us places no other tour co went to and all of a sudden there he was. We saw a black bear. She followed him while he kept stopping, looking back at us and posing. It was really cool. She taught us so much about Ketchikan and took us to some beautiful places with great photo ops. Everytime we got out of the vehicle and would jump onto her fb group to see if there were any whale sightings so we could see a whale. She truly cares about providing the greatest experience
Review provided by Viator
Linda_f
Aug 17, 2024
Finding Alaska - Lisa generously shared her knowledge, her humour and wisdom. The overall experience - from bear watching to exploring the vibrant history and contemporary traditions of Tlingit and other indigenous culture - lifted our hearts and minds. Many thanks for all.
Review provided by Viator
Pattykq9950cp
Aug 1, 2024
Amazing tour and tour guide - Lisa was amazing! So warm, friendly and informative. We saw eagles and Bears! She drove us around to all the best spots to see gorgeous nature and learn about the town and people. Would highly recommend her and this tour.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Kristyr939
Jul 15, 2024
Donna is great! - Donna, Lisa's sister, took us on our tour while Lisa was out sick. She was a wonderful lady with a lot of great information about the area of Ketchikan! We really enjoyed our time and Donna even offered to send us her homemade jam! Lovely tour, thank you!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sfrats
Jun 23, 2024
Highly recommend! - Our tour with Lisa was a wonderful experience filled with knowledge of wildlife, history, Tlingit heritage and traditions. Lisa is very kind and eaccommodating in customizing tours to ensure her customers do all they want to do in Ketchikan. Highly recommend!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Elisa_c
Jun 15, 2024
A date with the local native (Ketchikan)0 - Lisa our Local native tour guide is highly recommended ,knowledgeable about her cultural heritage she even sang a native song for us, we enjoyed her story of the symbolic meaning of Totem, history of the Ketchikan etc we are so glad that we booked this tour
Review provided by Viator
Adele_j
May 28, 2024
Going on a bear hunt - Lisa was very welcoming and firstly took us to look for bears pointing out lots of interesting places along the way & talking about the history of Ketchikan. The bears were hiding so we went to some other places (& waterfall and an eagles nest) but then went back to look for bears and we not only saw one but four !! A mama bear & her 3 cubs, how amazing!! Our final stop was Potlatch Totem Pole Park before she dropped us back in Ketchikan so we could have a mooch around before we needed to back to our cruise ship. Lisa never rushed us and gave us options of what we wanted to do/see. She was very knowledgeable about Ketchikan & its history, pointing out her childhood homes where she grew up. Would not hesitate to recommend a tour with Lisa - she even entertained us with her drum and vocals
Review provided by Viator
635ceciliad
May 24, 2024
Two Hillbillies from The Sierra Nevada Mountains - Dear Lisa, We’re home now but we wanted to THANK YOU again for the awesome educational tour you gave us and let you know "it will live in our memories forever"! I’m crying as I’m writing this as we feel so blessed for the good fortune of meeting you and YOU being our tour guide! We wanted to share with you who we had the good fortune of meeting on our flight home………..Kevin Johnson with Ketchikan Native Tours! We were seated right next to Kevin and after introductions Kevin asked us if we had a good time and had gone on any tours with which we replied yes and told him your name! His face lite up and he said “you got the best tour guide”! Eventually he told us who he was and told us about his tour company and said his company couldn’t have done any better job than Lisa! Truthfully we’re hillbillies from The Sierra Nevada Mountains and don’t do a lot of touring but what you shared with us was extraordinarily informative as we were able to have an informative conversation with Kevin and not look too ignorant of the Alaskan peoples customs.😂 He spoke so highly of you and that was so heartwarming as you rarely see that in this day and age. Thank you to all the Alaskan clans for opening your loving arms! What a blessing to be directed to you by The Black Bear Inn!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sarahbi1606yg
Apr 15, 2024
Touring with a true native of Ketchikan - This experience was way better with a local native than touring the city of Ketchikan on your own! We learned so much about the history, wildlife, and Lisa’s personal experiences in the town. She also takes initiative to learn about what is important to you to make sure you have a great time and do everything YOU want to do in Ketchikan.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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