Hi there!
So if you’re a paper map type of person (I am!) and you want to walk around downtown Sitka, the first thing you’ll want to do once you get off the cruise ship is go to the Harrigan Centennial Hall!
This is right in front where you will be dropped off by the cruise ship shuttle!
No matter where your cruise ship is located it will require some sort of shuttle to get to downtown. Depending on your cruise ship location, this will be a land shuttle from the cruise terminal or a water shuttle (tender boat) from your cruise ship anchored off-shore.
So you’ll be just a short walk away from getting your Sitka map!
Otherwise, for planning purposes, I’ve created a google map below that includes some of the top attractions, which is based on my cruise ship visits to Sitka. You can decide if you want to do any of these things!
These are things you can do on your own, walking from the cruise ship drop-off spot.
I’ve been on a cruise ship that has docked at Sitka Sound Cruise Terminal, and I’ve also been on one that tendered in Sitka.
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Where do cruise ships dock in Sitka?
Most cruise ships dock at the Sitka Sound Cruise Terminal. This is around a 10-15 minute drive from downtown Sitka.
There is not really too much directly around the cruise terminal, although there is a gift shop and food. So at the cruise port, you can shop for souvenirs and get classic Alaskan food at a crab restaurant (menu +Â reviews).
You can see exactly where your cruise ship will arrive in Sitka by looking at the Alaska cruise port schedule for 2024.
If you see STI and STO next to your cruise ship, this means you will be docking at the Sitka Sound Cruise Terminal, and you can take a free shuttle to get to downtown Sitka. (The i and o of STI and STO are inside/outside.)
If you see that a number starts off the code next to your cruise ship name (like 1BR, 2BR, 3CR), this means that Sitka will be a tender port for you, and you will take a tender boat to get to Crescent Harbor of downtown Sitka.
If you see something else listed next to your cruise ship, you can check the berth codes pdf.
Although as always, schedules can change.
If your cruise is in 2025, you can have the 2025 schedule bookmarked and check back later for where your cruise ship will be arriving as your cruise date gets closer.
If your cruise ship will be tendering in Sitka and you are planning to do things on your own, then it’s very important that you look at the daily activity schedule the night before to look for instructions on how to get a tender boat ticket.
If you’re only finding out about the boat tickets on the morning of, then you’ll end up waiting even longer to get to shore, and that is most definitely not fun!
If you have a morning excursion through the cruise line, you will probably get a designated meet-up spot on the cruise ship which would mean you don’t need to worry about a ticket. (On the day you board the cruise ship, your excursion tickets will be in your stateroom/cabin, and there will be meeting instructions on that ticket.)
👆 Where do cruise ships dock in Sitka? Most cruise ships will dock at the Sitka Sound Cruise Terminal outside of town, and you will take a free cruise ship shuttle to get to downtown Sitka. Cruise ships also anchor off-shore, and you will take a tender boat to get dropped off in downtown Sitka. You can find a Sitka map in the official Sitka visitors guide. You can have a paper copy of the guide mailed to you, or you can view an online copy. The map above can be downloaded as a pdf.
Sitka Alaska map
Now, here is the interactive google map of Sitka that I created!
👆 How to use this map: Click on the top left icon for a list of what’s on the map! Or, just start clicking the icons on the map! Each icon has more details, so click to expand! If the map isn’t loading well for you, you can also open it directly in google maps. See below for the quick list of what’s on the map.
What’s on the Sitka map?
- Cruise ship shuttle drop-off locations (Check the Alaska cruise port schedule 2024 for where your cruise ship will be arriving)
- Harrigan Centennial Hall (Stop here to get a paper map! When I have gone here, they have had a table set up with little pocket-sized maps for the taking)
- Where to see totem poles
- Sitka National Historical Park visitor center (start of walking the totem trail in Sitka)
- Russian America things
- Russian cultural show (When I went to Centennial Hall, there were tickets available to see this show for around $15)
- Russian Bishop’s House
- Iconic church built by Russians
- Baranoff Castle State Historic Site
- See more about walking in Sitka
- Hiking in Sitka
- Sitka Cross Trail
- Baranof Street trailhead
- Indian River trailhead
- Mount Verstovia Trail
- See more about hiking in Alaska cruise ports
- Sitka Cross Trail
- Bike rental near cruise terminal
- Kings e-bike rental (This is on my “need to do next time I’m in Sitka” list!)
- USA things
- Sitka National Cemetery
- Food near cruise terminal
- Halibut Point Crab and Chowder (menu)
More maps and where cruise ships dock:
- Ketchikan cruise port map
- Juneau cruise port map
- Skagway cruise port map
- Walking near Vancouver cruise port + map
Walking in cruise ports:
- Sitka walking
- Ketchikan walking
- Juneau walking
- Skagway walking
- Icy Strait Point walking
- Victoria walking
HAPPY NAVIGATING BY MAP AROUND SITKA!
More Alaska cruise travel planning tips you need to know!
Juneau | Ketchikan | Skagway | Icy Strait Point | Sitka | Seward | Victoria | Seattle | Vancouver
Things you might need for a day in Alaska on land or at sea!
Read the reviews on Amazon! I'm an Amazon Associate.*
- Rain poncho for a day out and about
- Review from cruise ship passenger: "Absolutely loved having these for our Alaska excursions from the cruise ship! Nice, lightweight, easily packable... easy to put on over our backpacks... Also, highly breathable vs the disposable plastic ones. Ours held up to the windy conditions too!..."
- Read the full review.
- Or... cheap ponchos just in case
- merrell waterproof shoes for women (one of the best shoe brands for the outdoors)
- merrell shoes for men
- travel binoculars that come with a phone adapter designed to allow you to take pictures through the binoculars with your phone. (Test out the binoculars and phone adapter at home before your cruise so you won't be wasting time figuring out when you want to be actually looking for wildlife!)
- for higher quality ones, as recommended in cruise facebook groups by people in-the-know, look at vortex diamondback binoculars
- Packable lightweight puffer jacket (aka travel-friendly)
- For women: puffer jacket | for men: puffer jacket
- Water resistant hiking clothes for Alaska
- for women: hiking pants | for men: hiking pants
For more ideas, do a search for Alaska cruise clothes!
*I may earn a commission.
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Pinterest tip: Share the travel ideas you find on pinterest with your travel partners! Go to your Alaska cruise travel board, and look for the little + person icon! Or, you can go to "edit board" and "invite" your travel partners as a "collaborator"! This way you can all add pins to one shared board and you can all easily see what ideas others have found!