7 Best Tours for One Port Day in Ketchikan, Alaska

Ketchikan, Alaska, is the picturesque, small Alaskan town. After booming during the Gold Rush, it was nicknamed "The First City" - due to the fact that many ships coming to Alaska would port here as their "first city." Although the town is small, there is plenty to do here - especially if you're only porting for one day. From the infamous Lumberjack Show and exploring Historical Creek Street to cruising the Misty Fjords and going crabbing on the Aleutian Ballad (featured on the Discovery Channel's "Deadliest Catch") - I've gathered together my 7 favorite things to do in Ketchikan. (p.s. keep your eyes peeled for the little red free coupon book stand - there's plenty of good deals inside!)

*If you have any questions that aren't answered in this post, please leave them in the comments section where I do my best to answer all Alaska related questions directly!

My Essential Alaska Travel Resources :
There are a lot of travel companies out there, but some are better than others. These are my favorite websites and resources to help plan an incredible trip to the 49th State.

For flights, I recommend using WayAway or Hopper to compare the cheapest dates to travel to Alaska.

Car rentals, arguably the best way to see Alaska, are best through Discover Cars!

I always use AGODA for hotels. They have an easy-to-use platform where you can compare the best rates.

To keep cell phone service if you're traveling internationally, I always use Airalo’s easy to purchase eSIM’s (no installation required).

For fun things to do, I recommend Viator to find the best tours in the area, otherwise Klook also does the trick.

Just in case, Safetywing is the insurance I always use for travel insurance.

Lastly, my Alaska packing list for your travels to the Last Frontier.

Before you Visit Ketchikan

Ketchikan is a fairly small town with just over 8,000 residents, however there's plenty of reasons to visit! Located in the Southeast of Alaska, the views are stunning, there's plenty of opportunities to see marine wildlife like whales, and Ketchikan simply is the type of town you picture in your head when you hear of a small town in Alaska. In addition to listing my favorite things to do in Ketchikan below, the first things you need to do before your visit is to figure out where you're staying. (If you're arriving via cruise then you can go ahead and keep scrolling.) Because the choices in places to stay is quite limited, I've also gone ahead and listed the best options for visitors to Ketchikan below.

• Waterfall Resort Alaska - self proclaimed as the best luxury fishing lodge in Alaska, this will be a great experience for those looking for a bit of extra adventure, especially if you're looking to catch some salmon or halibut!
• Steamboat Bay Fishing Club - located on it's own island, this luxury lodge is also known as one of the best sport fishing lodges in Alaska
• The Inn at Creek Street - all 7 of their uniquely themed buildings are located right on Creek Street, the historical boardwalk in Ketchikan, making the location great if you're looking to explore town
• Gilmore Hotel by Wyndham - located in a more central, downtown area of Ketchikan, this boutique hotel claims to transport you "back to the 1920's" while continuing to offer all of today's modern amenities

**If you just want to explore a bit of town on your port day, I highly recommend looking into booking a ride on the trolley! This fully narrated, 2 hour tour, will bring you through the town's top sights!

My favorite tour in Ketchikan :
- Crabbing on the Aleutian Ballad

7 Best Things to Do in Ketchikan

1. Crabbing Tour
This is hands down my favorite tour in Ketchikan, maybe even one of my favorites in the entire state of Alaska. My husband Tyler and I actually booked this tour through our cruise as an excursion, however, I would 100% recommend adding this to your itinerary even if you're visiting the area without a cruise. Not only is it a unique excursion that you truly can't find anywhere else, but I had a blast learning about the crabbing industry and hearing all the fishermen's crazy crabbing stories - including some of the craziest fishing injuries weve ever heard of! For about 3 hours you'll be taken out on the Aleutian Ballad - a crabbing boat that was featured on the Discovery Channel's "Deadliest Catch" for being hit by a rogue 60 foot wave. During your tour you'll be taught all about different sea creatures, and eve get to hold and touch a few! Book your Crabbing tour here!

2. Zipline Ketchikan
Unfortunately there aren't many places you can go zip lining in Alaska, but lucky for you Ketchikan is one of those few! For about 3.5 hours you'll be taken to the Ketchikan Zipline Adventure Park - which has 7 ziplines and 8 canopy ropes through the Tongass National Forrest - meaning incredible forest views!

3. Historical Creek Street
Even though Creek Street isn't really much of a street anymore, this historical boardwalk surrounds Ketchikan Creek, and was originally the town's "red light district" during the boom of the city's gold rush. Nowadays, it is filled with small hotel buildings owned by Creek Street Inn and other small shops selling local crafts! This is a great area to get a picturesque view of the creek running through the middle of the boardwalk and just enjoy your time exploring the shops!

4. The Great Alaskan Lumberjack Show
This is one attraction you can't miss while in Ketchikan. If you're interested in the show and learning about traditional Native villages, then this tour is perfect for you. For about 2 hours you'll be brought to the Saxman Native Village, where you'll be able to ​observe a traditional dance and totem pole making. For about 1 hour you'll be able to observe the (very) enthusiastic and state famous Lumberjack Show!

5. Downtown Ketchikan
No trip to Ketchikan is complete without exploring downtown. In addition to there being a great photo op with the "Welcome to Alaska's 1st City" at the intersection of Mission and Front Street, there's also plenty of places to eat if you're just looking to enjoy your time in town! I've listed my favorites below:

• Alaska Crepe Co. - a sit in (or take away) restaurant serving sweet and savory crepes!
• Alaska Fish House - if there's only one place you have time to stop at to eat while in Ketchikan, then this should be the place!
  Located a short walk from the cruise port at the end of Main Street near the area for the Lumberjack show, they have fantastic food and drinks and a stunning waterfront property making for a great view!
• Fat Stans - a local sports bar and pizzeria, I didn't have the chance to stop here myself while I was in Ketchikan, but it was very full when we walked by and came very recommended
• Alaska King Crab Co. - a seafood restaurant that also came highly recommended by locals
• The Arctic Bar - the oldest bar in Ketchikan that is also conveniently located on the waterfront of the cruise port

6. View the Misty Fords
Unfortunately during our port day we didn't have time for this flight excursion, but we've heard from multiple sources this is one not to be missed! For about 2.5 hours you'll board a floatplane with noise-cancelling headphones before making your way over the Misty Fords. This national monument and wilderness area is known for it's incredible cliffs and coastlines, and can only be reached on a boat cruise or on a float plane tour. If you're looking for incredible views while you're in Ketchikan, then this is the place to go!

7. A Duck Boat Tour
If you're looking to get the best of exploring town and some epic views from the water, then the Ketchikan Duck Tour is your best bet. Not only will you get a tour of the city, but you'll also be taken out through the Tongass Narrows. The tour itself is only 90 minutes, so this a great fit for any length of itinerary!

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Other Alaska posts you might be interested in :
-> 7 Best Tours in Alaska
-> 7 Reasons to Visit Sitka, Alaska
-> 15 Easiest Glaciers to Visit in Alaska

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