The Best Ketchikan Shore Excursions

Explore the gor­geous, dynam­ic scenery and wildlife around Ketchikan by get­ting out on the water in a low-impact Zodi­ac — an authen­ti­cal­ly Alaskan way to trav­el! Every expe­di­tion is dif­fer­ent as there’s flex­i­bil­i­ty for some spon­tane­ity. You can spend extra time in a place if there’s a mag­i­cal, Nation­al Geo­graph­ic-type moment happening!

Step aboard a lux­u­ry char­ter boat in Ketchikan for an unfor­get­table small-group wildlife adven­ture. Cruise the rain­for­est coast­line in search of whales, sea lions, por­pois­es, and bald eagles — plus enjoy an up-close eagle-feed­ing expe­ri­ence. On the extend­ed tour, savor local­ly sourced snacks in a scenic cove and explore fas­ci­nat­ing inter­tidal life. Per­fect for fam­i­lies, pho­tog­ra­phers, and nature lovers seek­ing an authen­tic Alaskan experience.   ...more

Don a wet­suit, mask, fins and snorkel and get an up-close look at the unique sea crea­tures of the 49^th state: urchins, sea stars, crabs, sea cucum­bers, and…what’s that…a hump­back whale swim­ming near­by?! This is the mag­ic of snor­kel­ing in Alas­ka — a sin­gu­lar expe­ri­ence that you can only do in the waters around Ketchikan. No expe­ri­ence? No problem.

Local­ly owned and oper­at­ed, Emer­ald For­est Tours spe­cial­izes in Pri­vate tours suit­able for all ages. Offer­ing ease, com­fort, flex­i­bil­i­ty, and a relaxed pace they bring guests to des­ti­na­tions to see bears, eagles, seals, and salmon, includ­ing loca­tions along the inner pas­sage for a wide vari­a­tion of sea life! You’ll also see Totem poles, water­falls, and have access to The Her­ring Bay Lum­ber co Sawmill, which oper­at­ed from 1959 to 2002.   ...more

Pad­dle all around a shim­mer­ing lake, look­ing for wildlife on the shore and rev­el­ing in the spec­tac­u­lar moun­tain views that sur­round you. Then stop off at a shore­line camp to enjoy a snack over an open fire. When you’re fin­ished, you’ll go on a short walk through a dra­mat­ic old-growth forest.

Ketchikan is known as the ​“salmon cap­i­tal of the world,” and this unique­ly per­son­al tour is your chance to angle for these icon­ic Alaskan fish — as well as huge hal­ibut. You’ll board an inti­mate fish­ing boat — com­plete with top-qual­i­ty fish­ing and rain gear, as well as heaters, snacks, and bev­er­ages — close to the Ketchikan cruise ter­mi­nal. And, since this is a pri­vate char­ter, it will be only your group on board!

Bara­nof Fish­ing Excur­sions offers clas­sic Alas­ka fish­ing expe­ri­ences from their pri­vate mari­na in down­town Ketchikan. They pro­vide every­thing you need from rub­ber boots to expert guides, for an extra­or­di­nary fish­ing adventure!

Dri­ve your own jeep along pri­vate log­ging roads that wind up into the moun­tains, on your way to an alpine lake. Pad­dle across the shim­mer­ing lake to a shore­line camp for a deli­cious snack over an open fire. Enjoy some sto­ry­telling, then go on a short nature walk through a beau­ti­ful old-growth forest.

From cruise ship excur­sions to all-day fish­ing trips, Ketchikan’s Finest Fish­ing Char­ters pro­vides top-notch equip­ment and a cus­tomized approach to make your trip an adven­ture to remem­ber. Keep your eyes peeled for wildlife and be ready for a fish­ing expe­ri­ence like no other!

Board a rigid-hull inflat­able boat for a 20-minute ride out to a seclud­ed island. Weave through a series of small islands with mas­sive cliffs that rise hun­dreds of feet out of the ocean, check out active bald eagle nests and look for sea lions and seabird rook­eries along the way. Once at the island, you’ll climb out on the beach, break out into small­er groups, and set off on a stun­ning hike on a board­walk that snakes through the rainforest.  ...more