Self Guided Tours

[caesarmaxy]

Does anyone have suggestions on self guided tours in either ISP, Ketchikan or Juneau while we are are in port? We plan to take a seaplane in one port and a kayaking tour in another but what can we do on our own while we are not doing those? Car rental and drive? Cab to hike?

 

Not a huge fan of getting on tour busses to do things that I can explore on my own. Im having a hard time finding guidance on this as most discussion tend cover organized excursions.

 

 

My goal is to see the land and animals.

 

 

Thanks in advance

[AmberCascades]

Ketchikan is my favourite place for just walking around. You can pick up a self-guided walking tour from one of the info stands at the pier. There's a good walking tour that will take you up to Married Man's Trail and the fish ladder then back down to Creek Street.

 

If you are looking for original Alaskan gifts, Creek Street has lots of great stuff for good prices.

 

We went to the Totem Heritage Centre (on the walking map). I think it was $5 to go in and you could see totem poles that had fallen and been reclaimed. A lovely Tlingkit girl was there and she talked to us for a while about what all the symbols mean and what her family's totem symbols are.

 

Walking around Ketchikan you can see lots of totem poles just...around. In people's yards, etc. without leaving town.

[RSF Cruiser]

I generally rent a car and go hiking in the rain forest. In Ketchikan, I have been renting from Alaska Car Rental, but they've increased their rate from ~$65 to ~$99. I may start taking a cab to the trailhead! If you Google Ketchikan Area Trail Guide you'll find a pdf booklet with trails in Ketchikan. For some you need to drive, others can be walked to from the ship. This past trip I went on the first mile of Deer Mountain (you can walk to it from the ship or take a cab), and it was one of my favorite trails. Magnificent rain forest with a great view of the fjord at mile one. I also did the Rainbird trail and thought Deer Mountain was prettier, although Rainbird was easier for hiking. The hiking in and around Ketchikan is wonderful!

 

In Juneau I rent a car from Juneau Car Rentals - ~$60. Their office is at the AJ dock, so it might be a 15-20 minute walk from where your ship docks. Juneau also has great hiking and places you can do on your own. There's a fish hatchery, Alaskan Brewery, Eagle Beach, Shrine of St. Therese, the tram to Mt. Roberts, and a wonderful trail in town is Perseverance Trail with outstanding waterfall, stream, and mountain views.

 

Between CruiseCritic and the Internet, you will find more things to do on your own than you'll have time for!

[mapleleaves]

Most towns/ports have web sites which help promote tourism and support local vendors. Many of those sites have free Visitor Guides you can download, with maps, itineraries, activities, photos. ie

http://www.experienceketchikan.com/

http://visit-ketchikan.com/About-Ketchikan/Free-Guide.aspx

 

A car is usually the best way to get out and see the countryside but if you're talking about this yr it might be too late. in Juneau you can drive to Mendenhall Glacier then drive to the coast and visit the Shrine of St Therese, Eagle Beach, Roads End. There's less than 100 miles of road so pretty hard to get lost.

 

 

More web sites listed In this link: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2347988&highlight=resources

[new_cruiser]

In Ketchikan, we plan to cab or bus to Totem Bight State Park to walk the trail & see the totems. Also walk around town and visit the Heritage Center.

 

In Juneau, we plan to take the Mt Roberts tramway (if the weather is clear) and cab to Mendenhall glacier (short hike & visitor) center. Would also like to visit the museum there.

 

I don't want to pre-order a taxi because we want the flexibility to flip the order of going to the glacier & taking the tramway depending on weather. I hope it is possible to get a taxi without pre- booking. Otherwise we would take the shuttle which will cost more for the 4 of us.

 

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[Budget Queen]

In the past both Fodor's and Frommer's had walking tours of these ports in their guide books. also look at the visitor web sites. http://www.traveljuneau.com http://www.skagway.com http://www.visit-ketchikan.com

 

Rental cars open up a lot more. If using cabs, timing is important- you really need to call at least 30 minutes prior to not waste a lot of time, then if in town, state what time you want the pick up.