Sightseeing Activites in Ketchikan Alaska
Even a short visit to Ketchikan, during a cruise ship port call or stopover en route to another destination, provides many opportunities to sample our wonderful array of activities. The Ketchikan Visitors Bureau suggests the following:
Guided Tours
Let the local experts help make the most of your available time. Most local tours and attractions can be enjoyed in four hours or less. Ketchikan offers a tremendous variety of tours to see the major highlights of our town via sightseeing tours, harbor cruises and float plane “flightseeing” trips.

Guided Activities
Another option if you like a more hands-on approach. The possibilities include sportfishing charters, kayak expeditions, bike rides, snorkeling, boating and hiking adventures; or jump in and drive a jeep, mountain buggy or a Harley Davidson.

Ketchikan Walking Tour
Pick up a map at the Ketchikan Visitors Bureau’s visitor information center and follow the numbered signs posted along the route to learn about the history and culture of our community. Several popular attractions are located along the route, which starts downtown, including local museums, Creek Street, native cultural attractions, as well as plenty of shopping and restaurants. The route can be walked in as little as 60 minutes, but plan extra time to appreciate the sights and for entering attractions along the way.

Spending 3–4 days in Ketchikan will provide a richer opportunity to get an in depth feel for our community.
The Ketchikan Visitors Bureau has put together a sample 3 day tour of activities listed as follows:

Day 1
Start your visit with a tour of the Historic Creek Street area and downtown Ketchikan. A number of adjacent attractions will give you a sense of the history that is our town, including Dolly’s House Museum, the Tongass Historical Museum, the Southeast Alaska Discovery Center and the Great Alaskan Lumberjack Show. The nearby Deer Mountain Tribal Hatchery and Eagle Center, and Totem Heritage Center highlight the native cultural influences and traditions that have helped shape today’s Ketchikan.

Day 2
Hire a guide, or rent a car and explore the rest of the community. Visit Saxman Native Village or Totem Bight State Park to view Ketchikan’s world famous collection of totem poles. Choose from several hiking trails at the Ward Lake Recreation Area, or opt for a guided walk through the Alaska Rainforest Sanctuary. Alaska Canopy Tours features an exciting “zip line” experience. A visit to The George Inlet Cannery site allows you to look back at the industry that put Ketchikan on the map in the early 1900s as the “Salmon Capital of the World.”

Day 3
Enjoy our natural surroundings. Fly, cruise or choose a fly/cruise combination to whisk you off to Misty Fiords National Monument or after mid-July, to one of the many bear viewing areas. Beach comb, picnic and wet your toes in the ocean at Rotary Beach, Refuge Cove State Park or Settler’s Cove State Park. Board a floatplane as it carries freight and mail to neighboring communities and experience the day to day life of an Alaskan Bush Pilot or opt for a drop off at a remote lake and spend several hours in perfect solitude. Whether you opt for a land or sea transport, keep an eye out for wildlife, birds and marine animals during your adventure.