Bookable Excursions
Compare floatplane flights over Misty Fjords, bear viewing, crab-boat trips and kayaking through the booking sites we trust. On big ship days the popular trips are gone well ahead, so reserve before you sail.
Ketchikan's excursions fall into a few groups. Floatplanes fly over Misty Fjords, and the bear trips go by boat to Neets Bay or by floatplane to Traitor's Cove from July into the fall. Closer to town are crab-boat trips, sea kayaking, rainforest ziplines and the lumberjack show. Low cloud can cancel a floatplane flight, so check what the operator refunds if it does. The ranked list below puts 18 of them in order of traveler ratings; open any one for its length, the going price and links to its reviews.
Best for…
Short port day
Each takes about 1 to 2¼ hours.
- Misty Fjords Flightseeing (1 hour)About 1 hour
- Ketchikan Duck TourAbout 1.5 hours
- Great Alaskan Lumberjack Show and Axe ThrowAbout 2 hours 15 minutes including axe throwing (Tripadvisor); the show itself runs about an hour per reviews
Misty Fjords
By floatplane in an hour or two, or by boat in about 5¼ hours.
- Misty Fjords Flightseeing (1 hour)About 1 hour
- Misty Fjords Exclusive Seaplane TourAbout 1.5 hours on Viator; Tripadvisor gives 1.5 hours in its details but calls it a two-hour tour in the description
- Misty Fjords and Wilderness Explorer (boat)About 5 hours 15 minutes
Bears
Both run more than four hours.
- Alaskan Bear Encounter by Land and SeaAbout 4 hours 45 minutes
- Traitor's Cove Bear Viewing by FloatplaneAbout 4 hours 15 minutes (Tripadvisor advises budgeting 4.5 hours)
Totems and Native culture
Saxman Village, Totem Bight or a totem park on a rainforest walk.
- Saxman Village, Alaskan Lunch and Lumberjack ShowAbout 3 hours 45 minutes
- Alaska Native Cultural and Wildlife Tour (Totem Bight)About 3 hours
- Rainforest Walk and Totem ParkAbout 3 hours
Active day
Kayaking, ziplining or snorkeling.
- Ketchikan Kayak Eco-TourAbout 4 hours dock to dock (about 2.5 hours on the water per GetYourGuide)
- Eagle Island Sea KayakingAbout 3.5 hours
- Rainforest Canopy and Zipline AdventureAbout 3.5 hours
- Mountain Point SnorkelingAbout 3 hours (about 1 hour in the water)
Crab boats and lumberjacks
A crab-fishing boat trip from Berth 3, or the lumberjack show with axe throwing.
- Bering Sea Crab Fishermen's Tour3 hours
- Great Alaskan Lumberjack Show and Axe ThrowAbout 2 hours 15 minutes including axe throwing (Tripadvisor); the show itself runs about an hour per reviews
Top-rated excursions, ranked
Ordered by traveler ratings across Viator, Tripadvisor and GetYourGuide.
Wildlife, Sightseeing and Whale Watching Quest
Eagle One Enterprises · About 2.5 hours
Rated on Viator, Tripadvisor
Off the Beaten Path Photo Safari
Ketchikan Photo Safari · About 3 hours
Rated on Viator, Tripadvisor, GetYourGuide
Ketchikan Kayak Eco-Tour
Ketchikan Kayak Company · About 4 hours dock to dock (about 2.5 hours on the water per GetYourGuide)
Rated on Viator, Tripadvisor, GetYourGuide
Bering Sea Crab Fishermen's Tour
Bering Sea Crab Fishermen's Tour · 3 hours
Rated on Viator, Tripadvisor, GetYourGuideEagle Island Sea Kayaking
Southeast Exposure · About 3.5 hours
Rated on Viator, Tripadvisor
Rainforest Canopy and Zipline Adventure
Kawanti Adventures · About 3.5 hours
Rated on Viator, Tripadvisor, GetYourGuideCompare by type
Misty Fjords Flightseeing
Compare floatplane flights over Misty Fjords National Monument, most landing on a lake.
Bear Viewing Trips
Compare boat and floatplane trips to the bear-viewing streams at Neets Bay and Traitor's Cove.
Crab Fishing Tours
Compare crab-boat trips where the crew hauls pots and you handle the catch.
Totem Park Tours
Compare guided trips to Saxman, Totem Bight and Potlatch totem parks.
Sea Kayaking
Compare guided paddles along the Tongass Narrows and the islands north of town.
Ziplines
Compare zipline courses through the rainforest canopy outside town.
Walking map: the berths and downtown Ketchikan
The four city berths run along Front Street, numbered 1 to 4 from south to north. Creek Street, the Tongass Historical Museum and the salmon ladder are a short walk south and east, and the Totem Heritage Center is about 15 to 20 minutes on foot or a free summer shuttle ride.
Map: USGS elevation; streets and buildings © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Excursion links go to booking partners; prices and availability are theirs.
A printable Ketchikan plan for your hours ashore
Leave your email and you’ll go right to a day plan timed to your ship’s arrival and departure, ready to print with the map. We write once a month about berths, busy days and what’s open.