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Alaska Native Tlingit dance performers

Alaska Native Cultural Tours & Experiences

Alaska Native Cultural Tours & Experiences

Alaska is home to a broad range of Indigenous cultures with 229 federally recognized tribes across the state. When planning an Alaska vacation, learning more about the state’s 11 distinct Alaska Native cultures gives travelers a better understanding and appreciation of those who have inhabited the land for 10,000 years.

And while each tribe has thousands of years of traditions and stories to tell, their cultures are not only found in museums and cultural centers around the state. They remain a living and dynamic part of every community, with Alaska Native-owned operators, tours, and experiences awaiting travelers throughout the state.

MUSEUMS & CULTURAL CENTERS

More than 60 museums and cultural centers across the state provide great insight into the history of Alaska’s Indigenous peoples through one-of-a-kind exhibits. These are a few examples of museums and cultural centers travelers can add to their Alaska itineraries.

CULTURAL TOURS & EXPERIENCES

To gain a better understanding of today’s modern Alaska Native culture, cultural tours and experiences provide travelers with unique, immersive opportunities to connect with Alaska’s Native people and stories. These are a few examples of Alaska Native-owned tours and experiences available across the state.

  • On a Cape Fox Tour in Ketchikan, view totem poles, observe Alaska Native carvers using traditional tools and techniques, and watch Alaska Native dance performances at the Saxman Native Village in Southeast Alaska.
  • Explore Ketchikan and meet Alaska Native artists alongside Where the Eagle Walks Owner Joe Williams, the first Tlingit person to be elected as Ketchikan Borough Mayor and City of Saxman Mayor.
  • Embark on a tour of historical Sitka, visit Sitka National Historical Park, and watch a traditional Tlingit dance performance in a community house with Sitka Tribal Tours.
  • Owned by the Alutiiq/Sugpiaq people who have inhabited Kodiak Island for over 7,000 years, admire Alaska’s beautiful wilderness at the Kodiak Brown Bear Center & Lodge.
  • In Utqiaġvik, discover firsthand the lifestyles of Alaska's Iñupiaq peoples on a tour of the village with a local host on a day or overnight trip with Northern Alaska Tour Company or Tundra Tours.
  • On board many cruise ships in Glacier Bay or at Glacier Bay Lodge, enjoy interpretive and educational programs like lectures, storytelling, singing, and displays of traditional art through Huna Totem Corporation’s Alaska Native Voices program.
  • Discover more of the Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian cultures on a visit to Alaska Native rural towns, villages, and communities through Alaskan Dream Cruises.
  • Support Alaska’s largest Tlingit village of Hoonah with cruises that call on Icy Strait Point, an Alaska Native-owned and operated destination offering cultural storytelling and dance performances, cooking classes, wildlife viewing tours, and other adventures.

These are just a few examples of the many ways to discover Alaska’s diverse Indigenous cultures. Learn more about Alaska’s Native people, and order an Alaska vacation planner to make the most of your visit.

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Snowy mountain peaks in Alaska

New! Alaska Native Culture Guide

Immerse yourself in Alaska Native heritage and learn how to experience the living culture of the state's Indigenous peoples.