Ketchikan Shore Excursion Qs

[mciverjm]

Our ship stops in Ketchikan but we are only there from 0600-1230.

As this is our 1st time ever in Alaska we want to see the best of what each stop has to offer.

With such a short time in Ketchikan what excursions would you guys recommend for us to look into?

[txladyjan]

Our ship stops in Ketchikan but we are only there from 0600-1230.

 

As this is our 1st time ever in Alaska we want to see the best of what each stop has to offer.

 

With such a short time in Ketchikan what excursions would you guys recommend for us to look into?

 

 

Working on my excursions now for my May cruise (first time also). Fortunately we are there a little longer. I have heard the lumberjack show is a must. Of course it is all in what you like to do.

 

 

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[AmberCascades]

Ketchikan is a great town for just walking around. On our first visit we did the duck tour which gave us a good overview of the place. We then walked to the Totem Heritage Museum to see the reclaimed totem poles.

 

Last summer we just walked around, did some shopping on Creek Street, visited Dollys House, stopped at the salmon ladder. We were there in August so there were salmon everywhere.

 

You can get a walking map from the info place at the pier.

[Cornishpastyman1]

Our ship stops in Ketchikan but we are only there from 0600-1230.

As this is our 1st time ever in Alaska we want to see the best of what each stop has to offer.

With such a short time in Ketchikan what excursions would you guys recommend for us to look into?

 

I didn't have much time either and just walked around. Luckily it was a glorious day. Nice town. All the best, Tony

[YOUTUBE]Yq9hXgdj_J8[/YOUTUBE]

[AmberCascades]

Thanks for posting the video, Tony. That brought back lovely memories of Ketchikan. You were lucky to have such a sunny day. :)

[donaldsc]

Our ship stops in Ketchikan but we are only there from 0600-1230.

As this is our 1st time ever in Alaska we want to see the best of what each stop has to offer.

With such a short time in Ketchikan what excursions would you guys recommend for us to look into?

 

Although hindsight is always 20:20, I always include in my AK responses that you have to consider times in port including arrival and departure times as well as the ports you visit. However, let's try to make the best of your situation.

 

First of all, plan to be off the ship the second that it docks. The limited time you have in Ketchikan is more important than breakfast.

 

Ketchikan is the place where you want to see totem poles. There are three places you can see them - Totem Bight State Park; City of Ketchikan Totem Heritage Center; Saxman Village. I have ranked them in order of best to worse. The ship will try to steer you to Saxman Village because they get a bigger cut of the entrance fee. It is vastly inferior to the other 2.

 

Problem is that Totem Bight which is the best is a few miles out of town. You can take a bus but it will take to much of your limited time. Your best bet would be to grab a taxi to get there and make arrangements for pickup back to town when you get there.

 

One person recommended the Lumberjack Show. It was fun although totally hokey. Problem is that it takes at least 2 hours to see and given your short stay, there are better things to do in town.

 

Creek Street is a shopping street with lots of shops some of which are interesting and most of which are not. Shopping is activity that some travelers consider it important. I find it boring.

 

If you do want to buy salmon of all varieties, I recommend Salmon Etc. We buy a case or so of tinned or smoked salmon from them every time we visit Ketchikan. All their stuff is excellent. Check out their internet site. There is a trick to use to save a few bucks when buying from them. You will have the stuff shipped home instead of carrying it out. However, you will have to pay sales tax on anything you buy inside of the store. However, if you decide what you want inside of the store (they have lots of samples) and then call them on your cell phone from outside of the store, you do not have to pay sales tax.

 

Up the hill from Creek Street is the Cape Fox Inn. The walk up to it is steep but you can take a funicular from Creek Street to the hotel. The reason that I recommend this is that they have a very good collection of native art scattered around the public areas of the hotel.

 

Ketchikan has some interesting areas to walk around but you do not have time. Just remember that you have to be back on the ship by 12:00 so you only have a total of 6 hours in Ketchikan. Tis a pity. The last time we were there, we spent 3 days there. It rained most of the 3 days we were there but that is another story and Ketchikan does get a lot of rain.

 

DON

[Assateague Island Princes]

Consider booking a tour w/Ketchikan Taxi Cabs. I've been to Ketchikan five times now, and have done an array of excursions including Misty Fiords Flightseeing w/Island Wings, Neets Bay flight to see bears, and many others, so this past year, wanted to do something different. We booked a three hour tour w/Ketchikan Taxi Cabs and it was great! We didn't want to do the touristy stuff because all of us had been to Ketchikan countless times. Our driver, a local resident who was a wealth of information, took us out to the Totem Bight (it was deserted, we had beat the tour busses!) with our own local guide, got a whole new perspective on life in Ketchikan with a personalized drive-by of the outlying areas, saw tons of eagles and even some whales. Afterwards, he had lunch with us at the Burger Queen (highly recommend!) - where we had some fantastic halibut and chips. Very inexpensive 'excursion' split between four people, which provides a great overview of the area, with plenty of time afterwards to walk to Creek Street or shop in port if that is of interest to you. You tell them where you want to go, and they'll take you. If you aren't familiar with what the town has to offer, they will offer some suggestions and are very accomodating. Picked us up right downtown by Sockeye Sams and off we went. Google their website and check out the prices and the tour options available.

 

Donald's suggestions are spot on as well. Despite your short time in port, if you plan well, you can get a good overview of what Ketchikan has to offer.

[Lois R]

I love Ketchikan:D...been to Alaska 3 previous times and I am going

again in May:D..I would suggest www.islandwings.com and a

Floatplane Tour to the Misty Fjords.....one of the best excursions I have ever done and

I am going again in May:). It is simply FANTASTIC...........:)

 

Oh..the last time I was there was 2009 so it has been a few years and I so excited:):)

Edited January 15, 2015 by Lois R

[mapleleaves]

I'm a big fan of totem Bight ... the totems are fascinating and the waterfront location is awesome. Take the city bus for a couple of busks, 10-12 miles out of town.

Ketchikan is a lovely harbor town and has an interesting history. You can pick up free maps for self guided walking tours that will take you along Creek Street, fish ladder, Married Mans Trail.

You might find some great suggestions by reading thru trip reports in the STICKYS near the top of the page. There's a report from Stiley9 that includes a report and photos of the Ketchikan Taxi Cab Tour.

This link is a great resource:

 

http://www.experienceketchikan.com

[WinginFlorida]

We're encountering the same issue as our ship isn't in port at Ketchikan for as long as we'd wish. With an August cruise, it appears our timing will be pretty good to see bears feeding on the salmon and we thought Ketchikan would be the ideal port to experience this but the hours look tight, especially since we'd like to explore the town for a bit. Our other ports-of-call are Sitka, Skagway and Juneau...are there any other recommended bear-viewing excursions out of those ports?

 

Thanks in advance...

[mapleleaves]

We're encountering the same issue as our ship isn't in port at Ketchikan for as long as we'd wish. With an August cruise, it appears our timing will be pretty good to see bears feeding on the salmon and we thought Ketchikan would be the ideal port to experience this but the hours look tight, especially since we'd like to explore the town for a bit. Our other ports-of-call are Sitka, Skagway and Juneau...are there any other recommended bear-viewing excursions out of those ports?

 

your ship's excursion list should provide bear viewing excursions. I think Pack Creek is out of Juneau. Check the Alaska Fish and Game web site. When you get to the bear viewing portion, at the bottom of the page there is a link to ear viewing sites.

[Crew News]

We're encountering the same issue as our ship isn't in port at Ketchikan for as long as we'd wish. With an August cruise, it appears our timing will be pretty good to see bears feeding on the salmon and we thought Ketchikan would be the ideal port to experience this but the hours look tight, especially since we'd like to explore the town for a bit. Our other ports-of-call are Sitka, Skagway and Juneau...are there any other recommended bear-viewing excursions out of those ports?

 

Thanks in advance...

 

Sitka has a bear sanctuary called, "Fortress of the Bears":

 

[Lance'sBride]

We have the same hours in Ketchikan on our upcoming cruise. We decided to do a deep sea fishing excursion. It won't leave much time to see the town, which is a bummer. But, that was one of our top excursion choices and Ketchikan is supposed to have some of the best fishing. It all depends on your must do's and see's!

 

 

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[WinginFlorida]

Sitka has a bear sanctuary called, "Fortress of the Bears":

 

 

Yes, we had seen that and are presently debating about including it in our itinerary when we visit Sitka. Is the Fortress of the Bears a "wild" environment or is it somewhat of a "zoo-type" setting? Additionally, will one be able to view the bears fishing for salmon?

 

We realize this might come across as fairly uninformed questions, but having never visited Alaska, sometimes one can't help but ask the occasional stupid question or two. :)

 

As always, thanks in advance...

[Crew News]

Yes, we had seen that and are presently debating about including it in our itinerary when we visit Sitka. Is the Fortress of the Bears a "wild" environment or is it somewhat of a "zoo-type" setting? Additionally, will one be able to view the bears fishing for salmon?

 

We realize this might come across as fairly uninformed questions, but having never visited Alaska, sometimes one can't help but ask the occasional stupid question or two. :)

 

As always, thanks in advance...

 

The Fortress of the Bears is a rescue center for cubs who no longer have a living mother. Alaska law does not allow cubs to be released back into the wild. They will be destroyed UNLESS a shelter will accept them.

 

Here are more pictures of the Fortress of the Bears:

 

http://www.rogerjett-photography.com/?page_id=2198

 

The fortress does not resemble any zoo where I have seen brown bears. So no wire cages just a huge area. Sitka has converted two huge structures, formerly used for sewage treatment, for the bears. One for black bears and one for brown bears. My guess is that the round enclosure is 100 yards in diameter and open to the elements. Height of the concrete walls is probably 20 feet. Viewing is from a covered, wooden, viewing stand. There are natural elements that bears would normally encounter in the wild and large sewer pipes where the bears hibernate.

 

The bears do not have a stream with salmon but are fed salmon only during the same times that bears in the wild eat to encourage them to hibernate.

 

I plan on returning to the Fortress of the Bears the next time I am in Sitka to support giving these little cubs a chance to find homes.

Edited January 17, 2015 by Crew News

[mapleleaves]

Yes, we had seen that and are presently debating about including it in our itinerary when we visit Sitka. Is the Fortress of the Bears a "wild" environment or is it somewhat of a "zoo-type" setting? .

 

http://www.fortressofthebear.org has info about the site and mission.

 

You might want to visit the Sitka town web site, and send for a free visitor guide. Just about all towns/ports have a web site to support local businesses and tourism;some send guides.

[mciverjm]

I love Ketchikan:D...been to Alaska 3 previous times and I am going

again in May:D..I would suggest www.islandwings.com and a

Floatplane Tour to the Misty Fjords.....one of the best excursions I have ever done and

I am going again in May:). It is simply FANTASTIC...........:)

 

Oh..the last time I was there was 2009 so it has been a few years and I so excited:):)

 

Floatplane tour looks pretty incredible and with our short time there i think this may be out best bet to get the most out of our stay in Ketchikan. Thank You!

[Lois R]

Floatplane tour looks pretty incredible and with our short time there i think this may be out best bet to get the most out of our stay in Ketchikan. Thank You!

 

When is your cruise? They book up pretty quickly so I would reserve

as soon as you are able:)

[sjmbruce]

Our first time in Alaska was in May of last year. We had as little time in Ketichikan as you.

 

We booked the earliest float plane tour as we could. It flew through the Misty Fjords and included a landing in the middle of nowhere. Absolutely gorgeous scenery and the flight itself was an amazing experience.

 

After the flight we considered a wildlife tour on a bus, but decided to walk around the town and Creek Street instead. We later met people on our ship that saw bears on the wildlife tour. At the time I wished we had enough time to also go to a totem pole park.

 

Although the totem pole park and the wildlife tour would have been a great addition to our short time in Ketchikan, I had a great time and am happy with our choices.

[mciverjm]

When is your cruise? They book up pretty quickly so I would reserve

as soon as you are able:)

 

Yea I have been talking with the guy at Mountain Air Service. They do the 2 hour floatplane tour over the Fjord with a landing he has a 8am spot open for the day we are there so I think we are gonna jump on that.

[Lois R]

Yea I have been talking with the guy at Mountain Air Service. They do the 2 hour floatplane tour over the Fjord with a landing he has a 8am spot open for the day we are there so I think we are gonna jump on that.

 

Good for you:):D:)...I hope you have an awesome time!:)

[ElCiego]

 

First of all, plan to be off the ship the second that it docks.

 

Ketchikan is the place where you want to see totem poles.

 

Problem is that Totem Bight which is the best is a few miles out of town.

 

If you do want to buy salmon of all varieties, I recommend Salmon Etc.

 

DON

 

Don, thanks so much for this post, I will be taking the Don tour of Ketchikan we we go in July.

 

any one have any recommendations on where to eat? so far alava's is the front runner.

[sarahruby]

Rainforest Wildlife Sanctuary Nature Walk

 

We are doing this excursion...I am excited. I know some that where there.

 

I originally had us down for the lumberjack show and a tour of the area.

 

I'm happy with my decision to change.... we will check out the town after the nature walk.

[gracebest]

Consider booking a tour w/Ketchikan Taxi Cabs. I've been to Ketchikan five times now, and have done an array of excursions including Misty Fiords Flightseeing w/Island Wings, Neets Bay flight to see bears, and many others, so this past year, wanted to do something different. We booked a three hour tour w/Ketchikan Taxi Cabs and it was great! We didn't want to do the touristy stuff because all of us had been to Ketchikan countless times. Our driver, a local resident who was a wealth of information, took us out to the Totem Bight (it was deserted, we had beat the tour busses!) with our own local guide, got a whole new perspective on life in Ketchikan with a personalized drive-by of the outlying areas, saw tons of eagles and even some whales. Afterwards, he had lunch with us at the Burger Queen (highly recommend!) - where we had some fantastic halibut and chips. Very inexpensive 'excursion' split between four people, which provides a great overview of the area, with plenty of time afterwards to walk to Creek Street or shop in port if that is of interest to you. You tell them where you want to go, and they'll take you. If you aren't familiar with what the town has to offer, they will offer some suggestions and are very accomodating. Picked us up right downtown by Sockeye Sams and off we went. Google their website and check out the prices and the tour options available.

 

Donald's suggestions are spot on as well. Despite your short time in port, if you plan well, you can get a good overview of what Ketchikan has to offer.

 

We did the same tour with Ketchikan Taxi Cab. Do you remember where you went to see the eagles? I remember it was outside of town and he parked in a small area where there were trees with eagles. We have pictures, but I can't recall were it was. We are taking our children and grandchildren and are going to rent a van to go to Totem Bight and other sights.

[rockdoctor]

Been to Katchikan three times. Took first excursion on the third visit. IMHO a self-guided walk is your best bet. It a nice little town with the best shopping for AK Souveniers.