Suggestion on what to do in Ketchikan for the day??

We are going to Ketchikan, Alaska on the Grand Princess and we have never been there before.

I was wondering what is their not to miss in Ketchikan?? and what would you recommend doing here for the day for a first time visitor?

Any ideas / suggestions are very welcome :)

We've done most of these and really enjoyed them

1. Breakfast at the Pioneer cafe for some Reindeer sausage and eggs

2. Bering Sea Alaska Crab Tour (Deadliest Catch boat Aleutian Ballard)

3. The great Alaskan Lumberjack Show

4. Walk around town and window shop

5. Misty Fjords tour with Seawind Aviation

Have no idea about your interests, physical ability or budget......

Options range from expensive bear viewing flights to free walking tours and hundreds of choices in between.

Did you look at your cruiseline excursion list ? if there's something there you want to replicate with a private vendor, ask for suggestions.

Look over the town web sites and download the Visitor Guide for ideas or look at past trip reports to see what other travelers have enjoyed.

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

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

My favourite thing is just to walk around town. Creek Street has a lot of cute shops with original stuff (ie. not made in China, e.g. jewellery, crafts, decorative knives, foodstuff). There is a self-guided walking tour that you can do. It takes you all around town. We stopped at the Totem Heritage Centre which displays reclaimed totems and we spent some time talking to a Tlingkit girl there about the symbols on the poles and her family's symbols.

The walk also takes you to Married Man's Trail and the fish ladder. The salmon are jumping all over the place in August. I don't know when you are going. There are also lots of totem poles scattered around town.

Dolly's House on Creek Street

Tongass Historical Museum

Southeast Alaska Discovery Center

In the two story 'mall' there is a very nice quilt shop.

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We picked up a spur of the moment tour from some girl in a van on the way off the ship. She took us to all the highlights, Totem Poles etc. She also took us to some out of the way spots, like a stand to buy homemade jelly. She dropped us off at Creek Street. We watched people fish from the bridge, went to Dolly 's house and ate lunch somewhere on Creek Street. We were there in 2010!

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We did a kayak tour and then just walked around town - Creek St, Married Man's Trail, the fish ladder - then did some shopping.

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My top 3 suggestions for Ketchikan:

1. Misty Fjords float plane tour (and make certain that the plane lands at a lake in the Fjords. If so, ask the question: Will we be able to be helped out of the plane and stand on the floats for awhile?) I did this tour in 1996 and it remains my #1 tour experience during a cruise. (I assume that the opportunity to get out of the plane and stand on the floats, enjoying the beauty and the silence) still is possible.)

2. The Bering Sea Crab Fisherman's Tour: did this in July of this year and it is a winner if one is interested in such a tour.

3. Explore Creek Street; learn something about the history of the area before you arrive.

We've done most of these and really enjoyed them

 

1. Breakfast at the Pioneer cafe for some Reindeer sausage and eggs

You go to the Pioneer for breakfast to people watch. The food just compliments the performance. It is good solid food and a place everyone from KTN dines. The early shows are the best.

I did the Deadliest Catch and I'd highly recommend it.

Charlie

Thank You guys for the ideas :)

Are you able to pick up tours from the dock? or is it better to do a ships tour?

Wilderness Explorer& Crab Feast at George Inlet Lodge

We are going to Ketchikan, Alaska on the Grand Princess and we have never been there before.

 

I was wondering what is their not to miss in Ketchikan?? and what would you recommend doing here for the day for a first time visitor?

 

Any ideas / suggestions are very welcome :)

Hire a fishing charter for the day.

The guys on the boat will let you do as little or as much as you want regarding the process of fishing.

When you catch fish you can have it shipped home!

Makes great souvenirs!

"fish I caught in Alaska"

Go to Totem Bight for a very easy hike (a walk really) through the forest viewing totem poles as you go. You can take a taxi, city bus (very inexpensive but more transit time) or a tour to get there. Saxman is another option for seeing totem poles).

Southeast Alaska Discovery Center - It's run by the Forest Service so entry is free if you have an America the Beautiful Pass. The other people in my group had left their passes on the ship not realizing there would be something using it in Ketchican but I had my senior pass in my wallet which was good enough to get our party of 4 in. Otherwise, I think the entry fee was $5.

Thank You very much you guys for your information and help

For budgeting purposes, what are the costs of some of these excursions? I'd like to know the fishing and crab boating excursions in particular. Thanks

For budgeting purposes, what are the costs of some of these excursions? I'd like to know the fishing and crab boating excursions in particular. Thanks

IIRC, the Bering Sea Crab Tour runs around $180pp if you purchase direct from them - it was more on the HAL site. One couple at breakfast said it was well worth it, even though he is allergic to shellfish and started to break out after handling the crab......

The highlight of the Bering Sea Crab Fishing excursion in Ketchikan is the stop to feed the eagles with some of the fish brought up in the crab pots. It is truly a photographer's paradise with swooping eagles, talons open, and snatching the pieces of fish.

The highlight of the Bering Sea Crab Fishing excursion in Ketchikan is the stop to feed the eagles with some of the fish brought up in the crab pots. It is truly a photographer's paradise with swooping eagles, talons open, and snatching the pieces of fish.

 

YES! It most certainly was a highlight of the tour. Unfortunately, this poor photographer's photos did not turn out as well as yours!

YES! It most certainly was a highlight of the tour. Unfortunately, this poor photographer's photos did not turn out as well as yours!

Adobe Lightroom and Adobe Photoshop can improve most photographs for just $9/month. Of course nobody will ever see my "rejected" photos so 50 "improved" ones out of 1000 is a good deal.

Go to Totem Bight for a very easy hike (a walk really) through the forest viewing totem poles as you go. You can take a taxi, city bus (very inexpensive but more transit time) or a tour to get there. Saxman is another option for seeing totem poles).

Is there a tour for just Totem Bight? The only one I can find includes a canoe tour as well but I don't want to do that. Or is it just better to take the bus there. I don't really want to do anything other than that and walk around Creek St. Ship spends the least amount of time here. DH may do the Orca Cove kayak trip while I just shop and see totems and other historical sites in the town.

We waited until Ketchikan to do all our shopping. It's such a cute little town. I enjoyed just walking around.

Is there a tour for just Totem Bight? The only one I can find includes a canoe tour as well but I don't want to do that. Or is it just better to take the bus there. I don't really want to do anything other than that and walk around Creek St. Ship spends the least amount of time here. DH may do the Orca Cove kayak trip while I just shop and see totems and other historical sites in the town.

There was a tour booth in Ketchikan that tried to sell us a tour to Totem Biight. I think they wanted $30 pp. With 4 of us, we figured it was better to just take a cab there. We didn't see any cabs, so we asked at the SE Alaska Discovery Center & they gave us a number to call. Cab arrived in a couple of minutes. Then we called for pickup when we were done.

You can download a map with description s of the poles on the trail or get a paper copy when you pay the $5 entry fee.

There is also a town bus you can take for around $2 to Totem Bight but it makes a lot of stops so takes a lot longer.

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