Ketchikan Tours FAQs
Where tours meet, Ward Cove, rain, bears, whales, floatplanes, fishing licences and refunds. Choosing between the best tours in Ketchikan Alaska? The answers below settle most of it.
Two answers matter more than the rest. Check where your tour starts before anything else, because a ship at Ward Cove is seven miles from the Berth 2 meeting point. And check the refund line: most tours refund up to 24 hours ahead, but the Misty Fjords water-landing flight and the Prince of Wales Island bear flight do not.
What are the best Ketchikan tours for a first port day?
Pick by what you want from the day. A walking loop of town and the totem poles, a whale boat from the Berth 2 booths and the crab boat from Berth 3 are among the most reviewed, and between them they cover town, wildlife and the fishing life.
Do I need to book Ketchikan tours in advance?
Yes, for floatplanes, fishing charters and small groups. Many take 6 to 12 guests, and departures are set around the ships in port. Book before you sail and bring the confirmation with you.
Where do Ketchikan tours meet?
Most meet at Berth 2, beside The Rock statue across from the Ketchikan Visitors Bureau at 131 Front Street. Several board at Berth 3 on Water Street, and some collect you at the cruise docks or at Ward Cove. Each card says where yours starts.
My ship docks at Ward Cove. Can I still take a tour?
Yes. Ward Cove is about seven miles north of downtown, and a free shuttle runs to Berth 4 in about 20 minutes. Some tours collect you at Ward Cove or meet at its Welcome Center; others ask you to take the shuttle, so allow the time.
Will I see bears on a Ketchikan tour?
Black bears come down to the salmon streams in summer, and the bear tours go where they feed: Neets Bay by road and boat, or Prince of Wales Island by floatplane. Road tours stop at Herring Cove. No tour can promise a sighting.
Can you see whales on a boat tour?
Yes, from a boat. Whale tours search the Tongass Narrows and Clover Passage in an enclosed boat or an open Zodiac. Humpbacks are the whale you are most likely to see, and orcas turn up on some trips, but no sighting is guaranteed.
How do you get to Misty Fjords?
By floatplane or by boat through Behm Canal; the monument begins about 22 miles east of town. The Misty Fjords tours sold here all fly, from the Tongass Narrows, and take about 2 hours from pickup to drop-off.
What happens if it rains?
Tours run rain or shine. Ketchikan averages 149.54 inches of rain a year (NOAA, 1991-2020), so plan for it. Several tours lend rain gear, and a floatplane pilot may delay or cancel a flight for low cloud.
Can I cancel a tour if my plans change?
Most tours refund in full if you cancel at least 24 hours ahead. The Misty Fjords flight with a water landing and the Prince of Wales Island bear flight are non-refundable. Every card states its own policy.
Do I need a fishing licence for a charter?
Yes. Visitors from outside Alaska need a nonresident sport fishing licence, $15 for one day, and a king salmon stamp, another $15 a day, to keep king salmon. The charters leave both out of the fare.
Are there tours for wheelchair users?
The crab boat, the Rainforest Sanctuary walk, the distillery tour and one salmon charter say they are wheelchair accessible. Tell the operator what you need when you book.
How much do tours in Ketchikan cost?
From $80 a head for a small-van town tour to $575 for the bear flight to Prince of Wales Island. Fishing charters run $489 to $700 per person, and the private vans cost $680 and $1,000 per group.
Is Creek Street worth seeing?
Yes, and it is free. The boardwalk of houses on pilings over Ketchikan Creek was the town's red-light district from about 1903 to 1954, and it is a short walk from the berths on Front Street. Several town tours stop there to watch the salmon in the creek.
Are there helicopter tours?
None is sold here: every flightseeing trip is by floatplane, and not one is a helicopter tour. The planes take off from the Tongass Narrows, and one lands on a lake in Misty Fjords.
What should I wear on a tour?
Layers, a waterproof shell and closed shoes. The canopy zipline requires closed-toe shoes, the open boats and Zodiacs take the wind and spray, and several operators lend rain jackets or ponchos.
How long do I need in Ketchikan?
Four hours covers a walk round town. Six to nine hours fits one tour plus Creek Street and the totem poles. Check your all-aboard time before you book anything longer than three hours.
Can I walk from the cruise ship to downtown?
From Berths 1 to 4, yes: they line Front Street, and downtown starts at the gangway. From Ward Cove, take the free shuttle to Berth 4.
What is The Rock?
The Rock is the bronze statue beside the Visitors Bureau at Berth 2. Many tour listings use it as their meeting point, so it is where you look for your guide's sign.
What if my tour runs late for the ship?
The Misty Fjords flights include an all-aboard guarantee, so you will not miss your ship. On other tours, leave a margin: plan to be back an hour before all-aboard.
Is the water rough on the whale tours?
The routes stay in the sheltered channels of the Inside Passage, and the crab boat says large waves are not encountered. Wind can still chop the water, so take motion-sickness tablets if you need them.
Is the Bering Sea crab tour in the Bering Sea?
No. The Aleutian Ballad fished the Bering Sea on Deadliest Catch, but the tour stays in the calm, protected waters of the Inside Passage near Ketchikan.
Which tours are private?
The private vans that follow your own list of stops, a private rainforest and beach walk, and the fishing charters that take only your party. The vans are priced per group and the rest per person.
Which tours suit children?
The crab boat takes children from 5 and the whale boat from 3, and the Totem Bight rainforest walk states no minimum age. The ziplines and the e-bike tour set weight or age limits, so check the listing first.
Is there a weight limit for ziplining?
Yes. The canopy zipline asks you to weigh between 70 and 250 pounds and requires closed-toe shoes, and the ropes-course park takes children from 11.
Can I drive the UTV myself?
Yes. On the Mahoney Lake tour guests drive the UTV and trade off, and the listing sets a minimum age of 8. A smoked reindeer sausage lunch is included.
Is kayaking hard?
No kayaking experience is needed on the Clover Pass tour, which paddles a protected area with guides alongside you. You get a paddling briefing before you set off. Expect to paddle for most of the time on the water.
Does any tour include lunch?
The lodge tour ends with a seafood boil, and the UTV tour serves smoked reindeer sausage. Most others offer snacks or a hot drink at most.
Where can I see totem poles?
At four places: the Totem Heritage Center in town, Potlatch Totem Park, Saxman Native Village south of town, and Totem Bight State Historical Park about ten miles north. Many town tours stop at one or two.
How much is the Southeast Alaska Discovery Center?
The Southeast Alaska Discovery Center costs $5 from 1 May to 30 September, when it opens daily 8am to 4pm, and visitors 15 and under go free. From October to April it opens Fridays and Saturdays with no fee.
When is salmon season?
The tour listings name July to late September as the time salmon spawn at their stops. Charters fish for salmon and halibut through the cruise season, so ask the operator which species are running on your date.
Can I have my catch shipped home?
Ask the operator when you book. One charter's reviewers had their salmon delivered home, so it can be arranged, at a cost the listings do not print.
How far is Totem Bight from town?
About ten miles north, at milepost 10 on the North Tongass Highway. Several town and rainforest tours stop there.
How do I get from the airport to town?
Ketchikan's airport is on Gravina Island, across the Tongass Narrows. The airport ferry costs $6 one way for adults and crosses every 30 minutes, every 15 on summer weekday daytimes.
Do floatplanes fly in bad weather?
The pilot decides on the day, and low cloud or wind can delay or cancel a flight. Check the refund terms before you book: the Misty Fjords water-landing flight and the Prince of Wales Island bear flight are non-refundable.
Still deciding? The practical detail is on visiting Ketchikan, what travellers made of each trip is in the reviews, and every tour is side by side on Ketchikan Alaska Tours.