Ketchikan Suggested Itineraries

Written by Viator, April 2011

RECOMMENDATION Keywords:
Tip - Suggested Itineraries

The first port of call on the fabled Alaska Marine Highway, frontier Ketchikan is a fishing and timber town with a rich Native Alaskan heritage. Get the lowdown on totems and wildlife, and learn about the town’s rip roaring days of a century ago when gold miners passed through en route to the Klondike.

Day 1: Creek Street

Step into Ketchikan’s past with a stroll along Creek Street, the port town’s former red-light district. Get insights into the life of a working madam at Dolly’s House on Creek Street, complete with boudoir and sitting room. The Creek Street boardwalk is lined with period wooden buildings, nowadays housing shops and restaurants with a frontier theme.

Day 2: Alaskan Wildlife

Explore Alaska’s wildlife emblems with a visit to a salmon hatchery and eagle reserve at Deer Mountain, home to bald eagles, hawks and peregrine falcons. Go fly-fishing for salmon in the rugged granite wilderness of Misty Fjords National Monument, and spot moose, grizzlies, deer, sea otters, mountain goats and breaching orcas. The park is also a magnet for hikers following trails winding through Yosemite-like craters to mountain lakes and valleys.

Day 3: Totems

Celebrate Alaska’s native heritage at Saxman Native Village, where Tlingit totem poles are carved with traditional emblems. A folklore group reveals the age-old stories behind the totems’ carvings in traditional song and dance. To learn more about the significance of Alaska’s totems, drop into Ketchikan’s Totem Heritage Center, housing a remarkable group of tall century-old totems. The Southeast Alaska Discovery Center and Tongass Historical Museum are also fonts of wisdom about all things Alaskan.

Latest Replies

Add review or reply

All Ketchikan Suggested Itineraries Reviews

Reply by Viator, September 2012
Doing what: 90-Minute Fjords National Monument Seaplane Tour

The tour was great but we didn't see any bears or moose. Would do it again.

Report problem

Reply by Viator, August 2011
Doing what: 30-Minute Seaplane Spectacular Tour

Our tour was upgraded free of charge to 1.5 hour trip. It was amazing and spectacular. Every one going to Alaska should take this tour.

Report problem

Reply by Viator, July 2011
Doing what: 30-Minute Seaplane Spectacular Tour

Everything about the 30-minute seaplane spectacular tour was great. It was just the right amount of time while taking 2 grandchildren. Everyone involved was very accommodating.

Report problem