Taste of Sitka Sea Walk Tour is a two-hour historical tour of downtown Sitka, Alaska. The focus of the tour is on Tlingit and Russian history and current historical points of interest in Sitka. Bob Purvis, a retired University of Alaska educator, has been involved with the tourism industry in Sitka since 1997. In 2016, he created a walking tour along historic Lincoln Street. Tour guest will also meet several local merchants who create locally made products. The tour begins by exploring Castle Hill, where the transfer from Russia occurred in1867.
Sitka is a small community of about 9,000 on the Western shore of Baranof Island in Southeast Alaska. Southeast Alaska has a rich indigenous and cultural history, dating back to time immemorial. As a longtime resident of Alaska and Sitka, Bob enjoys sharing the uniqueness of this small community with visitors. He considers Sitka to be the ‘jewel’ of Alaska.
The two-hour tour begins at Castle Hill and then to historic Lincoln Street. Tour guests will have an opportunity to walk along the main street in downtown Sitka; stopping for historical points of interest and tasting several locally made products. Highlights include Castle Hill, site of the transfer, St. Michael’s Cathedral, location of first Protestant church on the West Coast, Russian Bishop’s House, the new Sea Walk (see photo at right), historic Sheldon Jackson College, and the Sitka Sound Science Center. Admission to the Science Center is included with tour cost.
The tour ends at the Sitka National Historic Monument where guests can proceed on their own to visit the Park, go on to the nearby Raptor Center, or return to explore any of the previous points of interest.
Sitka has a number of excellent locally made products, Theobroma Chocolate bars, (your first ‘taste’) Devil's Club soap, salves, Alaska Pure Sea Salt and Sweet Sisters Caramel’s. Tour guests will have an opportunity to meet some of these creative artisans. At tours end, guests receive a discount card if they wish to return and purchase these items.
Join Bob, on a Taste of Sitka tour and learn about Sitka’s rich history from a knowledgeable and enthusiastic guide. At the end of the tour, guests receive a map of downtown Sitka, a document describing tour highlights and a discount card for several local merchants.
As Bob was ‘blessed’ years ago with AMD, the tour is accessible to the vision and mobility impaired. In order to personalize the tour experience, Bob limits each tour to six or less guest. Tour cost is $50 per person. To book your tour, contact Bob at 907-738-6574 or email robert@tasteofsitka.com.
Trip Advisor Reviews
The Chocolate Moose and Sitka Flowers is a locally-owned, combined chocolate shop and flower store. It has a wonderful selection of gifts, plants and flowers, espresso coffee, and gourmet chocolates. For more information, visit their website: 
