All About Alaska: Ketchikan's Must-Do Experiences: Excursions, Food, Drinks, & Top Hotel Choice

Let’s explore Ketchikan, Alaska! We share our experience visiting multiple times, including overnight stays in this southern Alaskan city, often called the gateway to Alaska. From local dining (do not miss our #1 recommendation for where to dine), cultural experiences, and outdoor activities, by the end of the episode, you’ll have a plethora of valuable insights and a comprehensive guide to Ketchikan's attractions and local spots.

Helpful articles:

• Top Activities in Ketchikan with a Useful Area Info & Map, which includes where we ate, drank, and our hotel. Where the Eagle Walks tours and more can be found here.
• Celebrity Edge in Alaska: 12 Vital Things to Know for a Dawes Glacier Cruise.
• Our Experience on Alaskan Dream Cruises Inside Passage Sojourn.
• We share insights into some luxury cruise options in Alaska and compare large and small ships. (Stay tuned for another episode when we deep dive into this topic!) 
• The most amazing binoculars, which we would ALWAYS bring to Alaska.
• You’ll find the binoculars and other must-pack items in our easy-to-access Alaska Packing List on Amazon.

Click a link below to book one of the Top Things to Do in Ketchikan that we recommend:

•  🧊 Visit our Viator shop to see a curated list of our Alaska excursion recommendations, including Snorkel Alaska, the Great Alaskan Lumberjack Show, Misty Fjords National Monumen

Chapters

• 0:00 Exploring Ketchikan: An Introduction
• 3:08 Ketchikan Essentials: Geography, Weather & Cruise Ship Docking Locations
• 5:35 Two Ways You Can Get to Ketchikan (& a One Way We Don’t Recommend)
• 6:40 Top 10 Things to Do in Ketchikan
• 20:47 The Best Hotel in Ketchikan
• 23:33 Where to Eat and Drink Like a Local in Ketchikan
• 27:34 Ketchikan is Well Worth Your Time and Vacation Dollars

Transcript

Mikkel (00:35)

Today we're taking you to Ketchikan, Alaska, the southernmost city and gateway to the Inside Passage. This is your complete guide to making the most of your time in this unique destination. 

And before we start, I just want to acknowledge the Tlingit people who are native to the land and who have summered in this area and used it as a fishing ground for centuries before it became a cruise destination. And I want to respect the native people of the land as much as possible. And we will talk about some of them in this episode, of course, how could we not when it comes to Alaska in the best way possible. 

During this episode, you'll discover where to find the best local food and drinks when you are in Ketchikan. What tours are worth your money? Our favorites included. How to experience authentic Tlingit culture, and why staying beyond the cruise and when you're scheduled to be in the port - extending your trip - might be your best decision. We'll share our firsthand experiences from exploring Missy Fjords to snorkeling in Alaskan waters, plus insider tips on viewing the largest collection of standing totem poles and experiencing the salmon capital of the world, somewhat like a local. Whether you're planning an Alaskan trip or just dreaming about it for now, this episode is going to give you everything you need to explore the best of Ketchikan.

Dan (02:03)

Before we get started, let's pause and read a five-star review submitted by one of our listeners.

So the title reads, “Encouragement to lead a more interesting life." This review comes to us from JamieNB. “Dan and Mikkel are encouraging their listeners to lead a more interesting life, leading by example, and to think outside the box when it comes to vacations. This especially resonates for someone like me who basically just books a resort that has a water park for my kids on repeat. I love the funny puns they interject into their dialogue. They're very funny. I didn't know any of the info they share before tuning in and I learn so much from each episode. I highly recommend listening." Thanks, JamieNB.

Mikkel (02:50)

Especially saying we're funny because we obviously are very funny. At least in this household we are. So, not doing our standup comedy routine at the moment, but maybe we'll interject some good puns and Dan always hits the nail on the head with the analogies.

But let's get into Ketchikan, where it is and some basics. So Ketchikan is located on an island. You're really not going to feel the effects of being on an island there, but it is notably in Southeast Alaska. That's why they refer to it often as the gateway to Alaska. It's the southernmost major city in the state that you're going to visit. It's also known as the rain capital of Alaska. So in terms of weather expectations, it to be humid and rainy and that doesn't really matter if it's cold or warm, it's humid. Now we live in Florida so I didn't feel like it was as humid as Florida, but one of the days we were there it was close to 70, I would say, and it was definitely time to take off a long sleeve shirt and put on a short sleeve shirt. How did you feel about that day?

Dan (03:58)

It was a beautiful day and ironically, I don't think we've ever been there when it rained.

Mikkel (04:03)

That is ironic because it does rain there so much. We've spoken to many people who do live there and are full-time residents and they said that it is not as common for those nice sunny days. So you definitely want to be prepared. We're not going to talk as much about packing during this episode. We're just going to focus on Ketchikan, but it's also home to the world's largest collection of standing totem poles. We're going to tell you where to see some of those.

And as far as cruising goes, the ship's dock right in the town center and the town is very walkable. So while the town kind of runs parallel to the coastline, of course they would want to take advantage of that for various reasons, the ships dock right there. So you're gonna be able to walk around Ketchikan very easily. So don't feel like you need to find a car rental or anything. 

And if you do take an excursion, all the excursions pick you up right in the central area. Most of the time it's by a very famous statue that's very easy to spot with all of these settlers and such of Ketchikan. So it's gonna be easy to find that starting point as well. If you haven't booked an excursion, we're gonna get into the top things to do. So hopefully you take our advice and book one of these things. But if you haven't, you can just explore the town on your own. It's lovely to walk around or you can book an excursion on the spot. There's plenty of tour operators that have availability and even a counter by the cruise port that you can book something right there and then.

Dan (05:35)

So there's two main ways to get to Ketchikan. So number one, of course, is by cruise ship. It's a major cruise port for both big and small ships. Also, the other way to get there is by airplane.

There’s a small international airport with connections to Seattle and Vancouver. Now, the airport is kind of interesting. So it's on an island and you need to take a ferry across, over to Ketchikan. The ferry itself is... What? Would you say a five to seven minute ride? And then from the ferry to downtown Ketchikan is about a ten minute drive or ride?

Mikkel (06:07)

Yeah, it's short. Yeah, and we've heard people, especially the crew on ships, talk about how they're going to, I believe it's nearest Walmart, right? And McDonald's, and it's actually by where the ferry goes across the water to the airport. So, just in case you need anything, even though you can get groceries and sundries and whatever in the central area where the port is, that's just something that's kind of fun to know where the locals go.

Dan (06:24)

Right. That's getting to Ketchikan. Once you're there, what should we do?

Mikkel (06:44)

I love it. Let's dive into number one on our list, which is snorkel in Alaska in the Pacific Ocean. Now, when this came across our radar, I was like, "There's no way. It's so freaking cold in the Pacific Ocean." I've been in the Pacific on the California side and you need a wetsuit. Well, they have that for you. So yes, you are snorkeling with a wetsuit on - and that's all provided to you. This is Snorkel Alaska and you see some pretty cool things and how cool is it to say that you snorkeled in those waters? What were some of the things that we saw that stood out to you?

Dan (07:27)

An octopus. That was pretty interesting. And then a lot of sea urchins and

Mikkel (07:33)

Colorful sea stars too, starfish.

Dan (07:35)

Right.

Sea stars. Yeah. It was really all about the experience of putting on a very thick wetsuit and getting out into the water and just being out there and letting that sink in that you're snorkeling in Alaska.

Mikkel (07:51)

Right, and you're in the water for about 45 minutes, but the whole experience is a few hours because they pick you up in the center of Ketchikan, then they drive you out to their facility that they fit you with the wetsuit and the cap that you need to stay warm and the little booties and such. 

And you're in very shallow water. You're not in deep water. So if you want to challenge yourself or overcome a fear, this is an awesome thing to do. We highly recommend it. And that's why it's number one on our list. Going into number two, which was also absolutely phenomenal. I thought that this was going to be so touristy and so gimmicky. And it was not. It's the Bering Sea Crab Fisherman's Tour. For this podcast, I am wearing, if you were watching on YouTube, because we broadcast all these on YouTube as well.

I am wearing my Bearing Sea Crab Fisherman's Tours T-shirt. I very rarely buy a souvenir shirt, but I love this so much, and I thought this shirt looked so cozy that I proudly purchased it on the ship.

Dan (08:55)

So little bit of background about the Bering Sea Crab Fisherman's Tour is that it's a crab boat. Well, it's a retired crab boat that has been modified. It almost feels like a floating auditorium and the show is well, I don't even know if you call it a show. The information and the conversation. It's informative, entertaining and fun. We got to fully understand what it was like to be a crabman out on the ocean pulling in the pods and really just what that lifestyle is all about.

Mikkel (09:36)

And I totally understand why you call it a show because the fishermen are so great at telling stories and the storytelling is what makes it so captivating. And when you say it's a floating auditorium, retrofitted the ship specifically for tours when the owner decided to retire from dangerous seafaring and catching all these crabs. And the ship was on Deadliest Catch and they played that video in the interior area where you can buy crab legs and you can get some merchandise like I did. 

So if you have limited time in Ketchikan, and we hope you don't because it's so fabulous to spend multiple days there. So even if you go for your first time for a few hours, please bookmark this podcast episode and follow the show so you remember all the reasons to go back and support the local community in Ketchikan.

And this experience is very much local. These people are local. They tell you the local stories. They live there just as the snorkeling in Alaska is owned by a 20 plus year resident of Ketchikan. So the Bering Sea Crab Fisherman's Tour, you can eat your crab legs and watch the stories and you even get to experience a little bit of wildlife from the sea because they have an aquarium on board and they pass around little crabs and shrimps. You don't have to touch them if you don't want to, but it is a great photo opportunity. 

And we saw bald eagles. They will shout it out if they see something during the tour. So that was a great one. Number two, we also did a tour with Kawanti Adventures that we saw so many black bears and their cubs. This was an amazing experience.

Dan (11:26)

Our tour guide really went above and beyond to make sure that we saw bears and that we not only saw them, but experience what it was like to be out in nature with the bears. Of course, we were at a safe distance and no bears or humans were harmed while we were there…

Mikkel (11:44)

Hahaha

Dan (11:47)

…but we felt like we were up close and really in the habitat with the bears.

Mikkel (11:51)

And if you're listening to this and you're considering Fortress of the Bear in Sitka versus this experience in Ketchikan, I will say they're two very different experiences. Fortress of the Bear in Sitka, that's very popular, is kind of a refuge for orphaned bears. This, as opposed to that, in Ketchikan, the tour with Kawanti Adventures, is very much seeing bears in their native habitats. 

So, there's sort of an elevated boardwalk that you can stay at the safe distance Dan was talking about and we highly recommend bringing your binoculars with you. We're going to link that up in the show notes. We have the best binoculars we bring on all these expedition cruises and adventures and we were able to see these black bears in August and it just so happened there were a few mama bears with their cubs, which does mean they could get extra aggressive. So we were safe. 

And one of the great things is your tour guide is radioing over to the other tour guides. And if anybody sees bears, they alert the other guide so everybody there can see them.

Another really fun memory we have during our days in Ketchikan was the walking tour with Where the Eagle Walks tours and that is with Joe Williams Jr., a native Tlingit, and longtime resident. And if you take this tour for any reason, let it be to interact with Joe. But if you take it for a second reason, of course let it be to understand the history and the highlights of Ketchikan.

Dan (13:22)

Joe is such a character and so incredibly knowledgeable about Ketchikan and you're going to learn a lot about Ketchikan, a lot about the Tlingit people and how it all works together and how it has worked in the past. 

It was fascinating to listen to his stories pre-cruise destination. What Ketchikan was like, and then what the community is doing now with all the cruise ships coming in and how that's impacted the community and how they're thriving because of it.

Mikkel (13:54)

That's true. And also we were able to ask him questions like what happens when, you know, it's after September, October and what is life like here during the winter. He's raised his family and multiple children there. He has grandchildren there and we love supporting Joe. 

Number five: Visit the Tongass Historical Museum and Totem Heritage Center. And like we said before, if you go to Ketchikan, you would be remiss not to really immerse yourself in the Native American culture. And this is one of the best places to do that. You will see totem carvings, you will learn more about the Native people, you will see different regalia from the Native tribes and the Native groups. It's really phenomenal so we highly recommend that especially if the weather is not great and you want something to do indoors - this is a great place to do that.

Dan (14:49)

Yeah, I would agree. That was a highlight.

Number six on our list is to see the majestic Misty Fjords National Monument, part of the Tongass National Forest. You can do this via boat, and I believe there's seaplane and helicopter tours available also.

Mikkel (15:05)

That's right. Yep, absolutely. Really cool.

Dan (15:09)

Breathtaking views. We did it on the cruise, but you will be so impressed by the natural beauty of this national monument.

Mikkel (15:18)

And what Dan's mentioning about the way we experienced it as part of our Alaskan Dream Cruises adventure, look back at last week's episode because we go into more details about that and how you can experience that as well. And that is one of the benefits of a small ship cruise in Alaska because we started and ended in Alaska - in Sitka and Ketchikan.

And we had already gone to Misty Fjords National Monument, which meant we didn't have to do it when we were in Ketchikan for a few days. But if you are not cruising on a small ship like we did and you want to experience this gorgeous national monument yourself and its cliffs and the wildlife like goats on the cliffs and just the absolute beauty of these fjords, you can sign up for an excursion as Dan said on a boat or a plane or some sort of helicopter or some sort of air adventure.

Next on our list is a wildlife tour with Allen Marine Tours. And speaking of Alaskan Dream Cruises, Allen Marine Tours is the same family that has operated these wildlife adventures in Alaska since the 1970s. So know that you are with a Native and local company when you sign up with Allen Marine Tours. They have over 300 employees and 30 vessels. And we loved the wildlife tour and we were able to maximize what we saw. We saw humpback whales. We saw some otters. So that was really cool. 

Number eight, we didn't do, but we certainly were able to see it and hear it because the Great Alaskan Lumberjack Show is so popular amongst cruise tourists. Now I will say this. If you want to keep your dollars with the company, then you do not have to sign up for this through your cruise line. The truth is your cruise ship is gonna dock right in the center of Ketchikan and it's only a few minutes walk, depending on what terminal your cruise ship is at. It could be a 10 minute walk to the Lumberjack Show, it could be a 15-minute walk, but it is just at the end of all the cruise port terminals. So it's kind of a fun thing. It's almost like watching ESPN for the lumberjack competitions.

We, like I said, we could kind of hear it and see it from the outside and we know what it is. But this is something we're going to do next time we visit Ketchikan because we did not do it the two times we were there.

Dan (17:44)

When you're done with the Great Alaskan Lumberjack Show, make sure you visit Creek Street. Now that's just a short walk from the show. Creek Street is a historic area with plenty of shopping, unique Alaska...

Mikkel (17:59)

Gifts, I would say, and memorabilia.

Dan (18:02)

...Yeah. And with that, there's a few museums mixed in with plenty of shopping, but it also goes along a like literally a creek. And within that creek, if it's salmon spawning season, you're going to see plenty of salmon in there.

At the end of Creek Street, you're going to find the famous salmon fish ladder. Now, you think, why do salmon need a ladder? Well, it's to help them as they're swimming upstream ultimately to spawn. This fish ladder helps them do that.

Mikkel (18:26)

Hahaha. Do the acrobatics, I would say, to get up there. It's wild to see them flip-flopping up there.

Dan (18:38)

Right. So it's a way to give nature a little helping hand and continue the salmon population.

Mikkel (18:49)

Mm-hmm, that's right. When we were there in August, I will say you can smell it because they die after they spawn, but it is a natural occurrence. The ladder is not natural. However, the cycle of life is natural. Cue the classical music. 

Anyway, I did think it was really cool when we cruised with Celebrity Cruises on Celebrity Edge for their first season in Alaska that they had contributed to helping make the salmon ladder in the salmon capital of Alaska what it is. And it is very beautiful and they do have some great things to read along that walk and it is really nice. 

And also I want to add to your Creek Street comment about seeing the salmon in the water because you can also see - if you hang out long enough and use your "I spy" vision - you can see some seals and that was kind of cool. We saw some heads bopping out because they like swimming in there so that's really cool. 

So that was 10 of the top things to do in Ketchikan according to Dan et moi. Dan and me. A little English, French there. Let's make it French. Daniel et moi. Anywho, all right, moving on. You know, some of the jokes hit and some of them don't, but you really got to try them. You know, that's how we refine. 

Just quickly touching on the totem poles. This is one of the coolest things. Now, one of the things we learned was that totem poles actually haven't been around for centuries. They're actually kind of like a 19th century thing. But that does not mean that it's any less impressive to see these amazing artistic creations of Native Americans. So there are several places to do that and see these incredible creations in Ketchikan.

And two of the standout places to do that are Totem Heritage Center, which we mentioned before, and also Saxman Totem Park. But I'm going to add to this and say Cape Fox Lodge and let you know that's where we stayed.

So a little bit of a recommendation, maybe a lot of it, 'cause this is for sure the number one place to stay if you are extending your trip in Ketchikan. Stay in Cape Fox Lodge. You will not regret it.

The view from up there is spectacular. You can watch the boats leave the port when you stay there and have a delightful pizza and local beer if you like with this incredible deck landscape. And we recommend if you stay there springing for a room with a view because we were able to see the cruise ships from our corner room. And I love that they also had form line art in the blankets and some Native touches. They have a little bit of like a memorabilia artifacts museum, I would say, in there. And even that was phenomenal.

Dan (21:39)

Right and one thing to note was the restaurant I believe they call it the Eagle's Nest, because it's so high up you're right in the trees and you're watching Eagles fly in and nesting and you really get a show with your dinner.

Mikkel (21:43)

Mm-hmm. Ooh, I want to go back to your eagle point and say that when we were at the Kawanti Adventures location, they also had a raptor sanctuary there, and they had a bald eagle there and that was really cool to see.

And at Cape Fox Lodge right in front of the hotel is a collection of standing totems and anybody can go up there and visit and it's a lovely hike uphill if you want to walk from Ketchikan. You can walk on the trail and it's called Married Man's Trail because when people went to Creek Street to the brothels that they were kind of escaping on this trail to stay hidden from anybody who was going to tattle tale on them or anything. But it is a really nice walk from Creek Street to the salmon ladder and then you can continue up that route up the stairs and then a little bit walking uphill to Cape Fox Lodge and Eagle's Nest, and you can go in front and see those totems.

And if you're staying at the lodge, don't think that you need to take your luggage up there. They have a shuttle that will take you from downtown Ketchikan up to the lodge. That's really lovely and very convenient. So all you have to do is call them.

Back to the local spots to explore, I just want to mention before we get into where to eat and drink that not only can you walk around Creek Street and the downtown area, but they have plenty of shopping. Plenty, plenty of shopping. You can get all of your Alaska souvenirs there. You can even get diamonds, which as Joe said to us, the diamonds are here because of you, the tourists, not because they are native to Alaska. But if you want a diamond, you can buy it there.

Dan (23:35)

So let's talk about eating and drinking in Ketchikan. Our number one recommendation is the Alaskan Fish House.

Mikkel (23:42)

(Kiss, kiss, kiss, kiss!)

So good. I dream about this place. The first time we were there, we got the fried fish sampler because we thought, "Why not try 'em all?" The sampler has salmon, cod, and halibut. We wanted to make sure that we were telling you all the fishes that you can get there and it is salmon, cod, and halibut. Do it with me. Salmon, cod, and halibut.

Dan (24:05)

You do it so well.

Mikkel (24:08)

All right, just once, ready? Three, two, one for the listeners. Salmon, cod, and halibut. Woo-hoo, thank you! 

But I will say the next time we went back, we unanimously agreed that the halibut was the best. So the second time we had the halibut fried fish. This is by far hands down the best fried fish I've ever had in my life. Dan, survey says?

Dan (24:35)

Si.

Mikkel (24:37)

Si! And I will say, even if you don't have room for it, this is one of the times I will promote overeating. Their salmon chowder is to die for.

Dan (24:48)

Yeah, I would agree. So another place that we liked was 108 Tap House and Burger Bar.

Mikkel (24:53)

And this was a really easy walk from the center of town too.

Dan (24:57)

Seemed like a good locals hangout also.

Mikkel (24:59)

Yeah, for sure. When we walked in and it was packed and all the cruise ships had gone away, we were like, we found the place to be. We actually had to wait for a little, for a table and the place is not that big, but there were enough tables that we were very impressed by how many people were there.

Dan (25:14)

Yep, and well worth the wait.

Mikkel (25:15)

Well worth the wait, and here and at the Alaska Fish House, you can get local beer.

Dan (25:20)

Right. So the other place we ate was ate was at our hotel, Cape Fox Lodge. And that is the Eagle's Nest.

Mikkel (25:26)

Yes. Yeah, Eagle's Nest, and that's exactly where we had that incredible view. And for whatever reason, maybe because we just want some awesome carbohydrates with cheese and delicious sauce, but Dan and I tend to start craving pizza somewhere along the cruise journey that we're on. So this hit the spot.

There's also a little bit of a more upscale dining experience at Cape Fox Lodge that serves breakfast and dinner. We weren't there for lunch, but they definitely serve both. Dinner was a highlight. It is the Heen Kahidi dining room there. Do not miss the ice cream mud pie dessert. It's outstanding.

Dan (26:08)

Now if you're looking for a drink, there's a couple options that you definitely want to check out.

So the first one you want to check out is the Bawden Street Brewing Company. Great place to try some craft beer, and then you'll also want to check out the Uncharted Alaska Distillery. That was really good. Some highlights that we had there was, for me it was the gin. Very junipery, like fresh and piney. Definitely a highlight for me.

Mikkel (26:35)

Yeah, and they'll let you taste the spirits there. And I think one of the really cool things is you're supporting the local firefighting community. The space that it's in actually used to be a firehouse.

Dan (26:46)

When you're downtown, kind of in the middle of all the action, you'll want to check out the Alaska Crepe Company. We stopped in for breakfast. It was delicious, pretty quick. I mean, there was quite a few people there, but it was pretty quick. And I say it was definitely a great place to grab some breakfast.

Mikkel (27:03)

They have other meals there as well. It's also just across the way from a cute little parklette. It's like no bigger than one small square block, but that's really cute. And then there is a standing totem pole downtown that is steps away from there as well. There used to be a tram that they're still working on. We've been there twice in two years and they're still working on that tram that goes up to Cape Fox Lodge. So kind of a shortcut from downhill, uphill.

But that's a great area. So, definitely agree with you on Alaska Crepe Company.

So I hope that

have enjoyed finding out more about everything there is to do and see and catch a can and know without the shadow of a doubt that it is worth your time, money, and energy. We've gone through where to eat and drink, the best local spots and that it's incredibly walkable where your excursions meet the best excursions to take, including where to stay and also find those great cultural experiences.

If you're looking at our YouTube footage, the door just opened like a ghost trick, but we are dog sitting and we have the cutest little dog and she just walked in. I think she knows we're wrapping up the episode and wanted to come snuggle right after.

Dan (28:16)

For everybody listening, the big takeaway from this episode is spend a little extra time in Ketchikan and you will not regret it.

In our next episode, we're going to continue the conversation of the best of Alaska, and we're going to be talking about what to do in Sitka.

Mikkel (28:30)

Subscribe to the podcast so you never miss an episode. They come out every Wednesday, and share with a friend or family member who will benefit from finding out more about small ship

Dan (28:42)

We look forward to sharing more stories about small ship cruising with you, our listeners. Thanks a lot.