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Ketchikan, Alaska
When your cruise ship arrives for a port of call, we have time to acquaint ourselves with this new community. You can count on delightful curiosities and shops ready for your business as soon as you descend the gangway into town, but cruise lines also provide a series of shore excursions you could purchase. Whether by motorcoach, float plane or catamaran, these optional adventures showcase extraordinary environments or facilitate hands-on activities.
Read on to learn more about some of our favorite excursions during our time at our Inside Passage port of call in Ketchikan.
Ketchikan is a port of call on our Alaska & Glacier Bay Cruise.
Disclaimer Bear in mind that your onboard ship credit may not be applied to the cost of excursions before the day we board the ship. If you want to purchase an excursion and you suspect it could sell out beforehand, consider purchasing the excursion on your own and applying your onboard ship credit elsewhere.
If you have an interest in sport fishing, you should know Ketchikan is the “Salmon Capital of the World!” Fishing excursions in this port of call include salmon or halibut hunts aboard a modern fishing boat and may be packaged with other activities such as a bus tour through the Tongass Narrows or a seafood dinner. Note: Fishing excursions may be catch-and-release only or require additional costs such as a one-day fishing license.
Travel by boat or seaplane northeast of Ketchikan to a landscape of immense granite cliffs and thick coastal rain forest. Misty Fjords is part of the 2.3 million-acre Tongass National Forest, the largest protected forest in the nation. Keep your cameras handy when you arrive in Behm Canal, whose extraordinary scenery was described by famous naturalist John Muir as “the Yosemite of the North.”
Immerse yourself in an impressive array of authentic totem poles and a replica Clan House just 10 miles north of Ketchikan. Find out what life was like for indigenous communities inside the house and decode the stories the totem poles tell. The park is also home to lush coastal rainforest foliage and marvelous views of the Tongass Narrows.
This public park south of Ketchikan is home to more than 20 totem poles, some of which were recovered from abandoned Tlingit villages. Seeing the Lincoln Totem, with a familiar president’s likeness at the very top, is sure to bring a smile to your face. Excursions to Saxman may also include a native dance performance or admission to the Great Alaskan Lumberjack show back at port.
Go on scenic adventures and photo safaris in the greater Ketchikan area by foot, motorcoach, or floatplane. Some excursions are accompanied by a professional local photographer to give you camera tips, whisper headsets (especially useful on aircraft!), and much more. Note: Bear-watching excursions in Ketchikan usually begin no earlier than the first full week in July.
Tour days tend to be shorter in length, at a relaxed pace, and include lots of unscheduled time for leisure. Expect standing and walking for extended periods of time on flat surfaces, mostly low altitudes, and consistent temperatures.
Tour days usually move at a leisurely pace. Some days’ scheduled activities last longer than others. Expect standing and walking for long periods of time on occasionally uneven terrain. You may experience changes in altitude or temperature.
Tour days tend to be long, move at a consistent pace, and may include long travel days. Expect standing and walking for long periods of time on uneven surfaces. Some destinations may have changes in altitude and/or temperature.
Tour days tend to be long, move at a brisk pace, and may include lengthy travel days. Expect long periods of walking and standing on uneven surfaces. Scheduled activities may require physical effort or have distinct changes in altitude or temperature.
Tour days tend to be long, move at a vigorous pace, and may include lengthy travel days. Expect long periods of walking and standing on rough surfaces. Scheduled activities may require physical effort or have distinct changes in altitude or temperature.