Private tours in Skagway & Ketchikan

[cruisesusie]

We're interested in taking private tours in Skagway and Ketchikan. Can anyone recommend a tour company they used. I found many online, but would rather have a recommendation.

 

Thanks,

Susan

[mapleleaves]

it would help if you indicated what your interests are. Do you want something adventurous and physical or something cultural ? do you want to fish or do you want to whale watch?

Was their a specific tour you saw online and would like feedback?

[karatemom2]

Check out Ketchikan Taxi Cab Tours. We did a private tour in Ketchikan with them a couple of years ago and it was great. They will tailor a tour to your interests.

 

In Skagway we did a tour with Chilkoot Charters. They were excellent as well. Dyea Dave in Skagway gets quite a few good reviews here too. This year we are taking a tour in Skagway with Dawson Dolly.

 

We find independent tours are generally much more personal and cost effective when compared with many of the ship tours.

[dustyroad]

in skagway chilkoot tours gives a great white pass summet/ railroad tour.

in ketchikan island wings with michelle gives a fabulous flightplane tour over the fjords.

[pizzalady1]

Check out Ketchikan Taxi Cab Tours. We did a private tour in Ketchikan with them a couple of years ago and it was great. They will tailor a tour to your interests.

 

I second Ketchikan Taxi Cab Tours at http://www.ketchikantaxicabtours.com/ We went with them in August 2009 and Dave was wonderful. He was waiting at the pier when we walked off the ship. We talked ahead of time about what we wanted to see and how much time it would take. The cost was $74 per hour for a van load, although we only had two of us.

[cruisesusie]

Thanks everyone for all the advice. I'll check out the recommended tours. Keep them coming. Really looking forward to our time in Alaska.

 

Susan

[Budget Queen]

Private tours of what??? I suggest you find out what is available and what would be the most interest to you, Just booking a "cab" without knowing anything about where you are going, may not be to the areas of the most interest to you, if you do your homework.

[ArtM]

Let's ask a very specific question about Skagway tours..

 

We are doing a HAL cruise tour which starts with us disembarking at 7 AM in Skagway followed by an included town tour from 9 AM to 10:30 AM. We have free time until the following morning when we board the bus for Carcross and Lake Bennett.

 

Does anyone know what is available/feasible in the way of private Skagway tours for someone on that schedule? As a matter of personal preference, I have very little interest in renting a car.

 

Thanks

 

Art

[TheCruisingBrewers]

I second Budget Queen on that.

 

Doing your homework is always the best. Plan on at least several long afternoons reading the posts here. Remember eveyone is different and likes different things. Also there are hits and misses, take those with the grain of salt. If the overall recommendation is good, you found a good tour.

 

Read trip posts, memeber reviews and blogs, see what other people who sound like your group did and why it worked or did not.

 

Decide what YOU want YOUR Alaska visit to be, because it can be anything you wish it to be. Remember to choose something you would be happy doing in good weather or rain.

 

Once you read the posts here, then go out to the companies websites and read them. Look at each and decide how it fits into your day and times in port, the group you are going with and what your budget is.

 

I make a list of all the possibles and then narrow it down after I have researched. Remember you can do some of the same things in several ports, so factor that in.

 

Once you have the list done, call or email to arrange the tour. Be prepared financially, as many want a credit card deposit.

 

Good luck planning and have a wonderful trip! I hope yours will be fantastic and leave you longing to go back, like I am!

 

Nancy

[Budget Queen]

Let's ask a very specific question about Skagway tours..

 

We are doing a HAL cruise tour which starts with us disembarking at 7 AM in Skagway followed by an included town tour from 9 AM to 10:30 AM. We have free time until the following morning when we board the bus for Carcross and Lake Bennett.

 

Does anyone know what is available/feasible in the way of private Skagway tours for someone on that schedule? As a matter of personal preference, I have very little interest in renting a car.

 

Thanks

 

Art

 

http://www.skagway.com Your "included" tour is basic a ride around the blocks. There is the White Pass Train, National Park Service, ferry to Haines- and activities there, hiking, flightseeing. etc Look these over.

[bearbait]

Lois in Ketchikan actually gives private tours. The taxi cab tours aren't anything special. You can usually find them all over downtown with a sign in their windows. If you really want a private, personalized tour give Lois a call.

 

http://www.classictours.com/index.html

[karatemom2]

Lois in Ketchikan actually gives private tours. The taxi cab tours aren't anything special. You can usually find them all over downtown with a sign in their windows. If you really want a private, personalized tour give Lois a call.

 

http://www.classictours.com/index.html

 

Just to clarify, Dave of Ketchikan Taxi Tours actually gives a private tour as well. It is much more than just a taxi cab ride. He has a comfortable van that will hold up to 7 people so it was perfect for us as we had 6 people in our party. He took us to many places we would not have been aware to ask about and escorted us on hikes at several areas with great commentary. So in fairness, just wanted to make it clear he is not just a taxi driver. He is a tour guide.

[bearbait]

Just to clarify, Dave of Ketchikan Taxi Tours actually gives a private tour as well. It is much more than just a taxi cab ride. He has a comfortable van that will hold up to 7 people so it was perfect for us as we had 6 people in our party. He took us to many places we would not have been aware to ask about and escorted us on hikes at several areas with great commentary. So in fairness, just wanted to make it clear he is not just a taxi driver. He is a tour guide.

 

He's a taxi cab driver and someone was probably puking their guts out in that van before cruise ship season started.

[karatemom2]

He's a taxi cab driver and someone was probably puking their guts out in that van before cruise ship season started.

 

Nice response. I think it is unfortunate when one has to disparage another in this way. Actually the van was extremely clean and pleasant as was Dave. He has many good reviews here as does Lois of Classic Tours. It is nice that there are choices that work for many different tastes and needs.

[ArtM]

Guess I better rephrase my question to say that I am interested in non-cruise line excursions rather what got interpreted as a private town tour.

 

Alternatively, if I arrange a full day or AM starting excursion, is there any hassle bailing out of the 90 minute HAL excursion?

 

Art

[Budget Queen]

Guess I better rephrase my question to say that I am interested in non-cruise line excursions rather what got interpreted as a private town tour.

 

Alternatively, if I arrange a full day or AM starting excursion, is there any hassle bailing out of the 90 minute HAL excursion?

 

Art

 

You have to know the tour, before you can find a vendor for a non cruiseline excursion, if that is what you are asking??

 

Not sure of your second question???? Are you looking to cancel the HAL tour?

[MercedMike]

Guess I better rephrase my question to say that I am interested in non-cruise line excursions rather what got interpreted as a private town tour.

 

Alternatively, if I arrange a full day or AM starting excursion, is there any hassle bailing out of the 90 minute HAL excursion?

 

Art

 

There are many things to do in Skagway. On our HAL cruisetour, the included tour of town was interesting and provided an overview. I think that the next day you do the train over the pass so no need to do that.

 

In fact, what we did was just to walk around town a bit, spent quite a bit of time at the salmon stream, found a nice spot for lunch, and took in the Days of 98 show. The cruise/tour is very intense, and having the half day in Skagway to sort of low key it gave us a chance to brace for the go go go that followed.

 

There is no real reason you can't blow off the short bus tour if you want to -- just let them know. Then you would have to get yourself to the hotel. I don't think there would be any trouble sending your luggage to the hotel. Part of the reason for the bus tour is that they are not ready to check you in to the hotel until about noon.

 

Check out our trip report and pictures at http://www.bully4.us/ct.html

 

Have a GREAT cruise!

[MercedMike]

He's a taxi cab driver ...

 

It is interesting that America is one of the only places in the world that anybody with a driver's license can set up as a tour guide. Most places require intensive training and testing to be a licensed tour guide. In those places, the difference between a guide and a taxi driver is clear and specific.

 

In Alaska, not so. Whether somebody is a taxi driver or a tour guide just depends on what they want to call themselves!

[Blendermagician]

In Skagway, in the morning we took the train ride to the top of the pass, but in the afternoon we walked around town and signed up for a FREE Ranger led history tour of the town. Our Ranger guide was passionate and very interesting.

 

In Juneau, when you get off the ship there will be a dozen or more minibooths of tours. We rode the bus up to the glacier, it was very inexpensive, I think $8. We thought about the Mt Roberts (?) tram but it was foggy. I WISH I had taken the Orca whale watching. We decided not to because of $$, but they had an amazing day watching the whales bubblenet (don't often get to see that I'm told.) I plan to do whale watching this trip.

[JJ2sail]

I am also looking for a private tour for six people in Ketchikan.

 

We want a town tour, Saxman and Totem Bight, with stops for scenery etc....

 

Any update on this thread?

[Cruisenouvelle]

He's a taxi cab driver and someone was probably puking their guts out in that van before cruise ship season started.

Yeccchhh, now why'd you hafta go there? :eek:

[dustyroad]

I am also looking for a private tour for six people in Ketchikan.

 

We want a town tour, Saxman and Totem Bight, with stops for scenery etc....

 

Any update on this thread?

 

my vote goes too totom bight. it is a loverly park with many more totoms than saxman and there are walking paths. also you learn about each totom and what they mean. i have been too saxman and was not impressed for the scenery and history of it compared to totom bight. have a great time.

[lknlady]

David Freeman with Taxi Cab Tours is a very good guide in Ketchikan. He loves the area and is very knowledgeable. It will be a good tour and get you out of all the stores at the dock and into the real area.

[tkdsho4mom]

We just got back from Alaska on the Celebrity Infinityand I would highly recommend Ketchikan taxi tours. We not only saw Ketchikan, but Kat our guide took us to both sides of the city. She made sure we saw the real area, not just the touristy areas down by the pier. I think we were the only people who saw a bear catching a salmon at relatively close range. The tour is highly informative. We also took Dyea Dave's tour in Skagway. The group were were in were small and by the time the 7 hour tour was over, we were all family We all had a great time, the tour was fun and again, we saw alot.

[pizzalady1]

oops, already said everything in my previous post. No way to delete.