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Voykit pocket guide · United States
Haines
Give Haines 2 nights if you hike or take a flightseeing trip, 1 if you are on the ferry: the town itself walks in about 2 hours.
Haines is a small Lynn Canal port of about 1,800 people, reached by ferry, small plane or the Haines Highway from Yukon. It is a base for hiking, the Chilkat and Chilkoot valleys, and winter eagle watching, not a sightseeing checklist. Fort Seward, two small museums and the waterfront fill a day; the mountains fill the rest.
- Country
- United States
- Best months
- May–Sep for hiking and road access; Nov for the eagle festival
- Avoid
- Nov–Mar unless you want winter and eagles (short days, snow, some closures)
- Stay
- 2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- USD
- Money
- Currency is the US dollar (USD, $). Cards and phone payments work almost everywhere; carry a little cash for tips and small vendors.
- Daily spend
- Budget US$90–150 excl. bed · Mid US$150–280 excl. bed · High US$280+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile cover the country; prepaid SIMs at their stores and Walmart/Target (passport required), or an eSIM before you fly.
- Emergency
- Police, fire, ambulance 911 · Haines Borough non-emergency 907-766-2121
- Plugs
- Types A, B · 120 V · 60 Hz · Chargers are dual-voltage; hair dryers and straighteners from 230 V countries need a converter.
- Tipping
- Sit-down restaurant: 18–22% of the pre-tax bill.; Bar: US$1–2 per drink or 20% of the tab.; Taxi / ride-hailing: 15–20%, in the app.; Hotel housekeeping: US$3–5 a night.; Porter / valet: US$2–5 per bag or car.; Tour guide: US$10–20 per person for a day tour.; Counter service / tablet prompts: Optional; 0–15%.
- Water
- Tap water is drinkable nearly everywhere; boil or treat water from streams in parks.
- Toilets
- Free public toilets are scarce in big cities; use cafés, department stores, libraries, stations. Rest areas on highways are free.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | US$3–6 |
| Breakfast or bakery item | US$6–14 |
| Burger or pub main | US$16–26 |
| Museum entry (Sheldon, Hammer, Eagle Foundation) | US$5–10 |
| Growler or pint at the brewery | US$7–14 |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | US$10–25 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- HNS · Haines Airport
- Scheduled small-carrier flights from Juneau and Skagway only; about 4 miles west of town on the Haines Highway. Check current operators.
Typical fares
- Ferry Haines → Skagway
- about 1 h; fare varies by season and vessel
- Airport or ferry terminal → downtown
- about 4 miles; no taxis, so pre-book a shuttle or rental
- Glacier Bay flightseeing
- weather-dependent, book ahead
Get around
The centre is walkable in an hour or two. There are no taxis in Haines; a shuttle bus loops between the cruise dock, the museums, Fort Seward and Dalton City on ship days. For the Chilkoot and Chilkat valleys, the ferry terminal or the highway, you need a car, a bike or a booked tour.
See and do
Known for
- Fort William H. Seward (Port Chilkoot)
- Bald eagle gathering, October to February
- Chilkat and Chilkoot river valleys
- Glacier Bay flightseeing
- Hammer Museum
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Chilkat State Park and the Chilkoot valley | Car or bike on Mud Bay Road, about 7 miles south | Half a day |
| Skagway | Fast ferry across the Lynn Canal, or the Haines Highway via Yukon in a car | About 1 h by ferry |
| Juneau | Alaska Marine Highway ferry or fast ferry down the Lynn Canal | About 2.5–4.5 h |
| Glacier Bay | Flightseeing or charter from Haines | Half a day |
| Haines Junction, Yukon | Car on the Haines Highway, about 155 miles | About 3.5 h |
Sleep
- Downtown (Main St and 2nd Ave)
- Walk to the Sheldon Museum, Hammer Museum, supermarket and most cafés; best for a short stay without a car.
- Fort Seward / Port Chilkoot
- Historic parade ground with lodges and galleries, about a 10-minute walk from downtown and near the cruise dock.
- Haines Highway and Small Tract Rd
- Cabins and the hostel 1–2 miles out; you need a car, bike or shuttle.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Thank you | Gunalchéeshgoo-nul-CHEESH |
| Hello | Yak'éi ixwsiteeníyah-KAY ee-ksih-tee-NEE |
| Where is the ferry terminal? | Wéidei áyá yei kukahéixi yé?check pronunciation locally |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake and 'hi, how are you?' — reply 'good, thanks'; avoid: Treating the question as a real health enquiry
- Restaurants: Tip 18–22% and wait for the check; avoid: Leaving without tipping
- Personal space: Keep an arm's length in queues; avoid: Standing close to strangers
- Politics and religion: Listen more than you speak; avoid: Opening with hot-button topics
- Smoking: Smoke only in marked areas; avoid: Smoking near doors or in parks where banned
Scams and watch-outs
- No taxis: arrange a car, bike or shuttle before you arrive, or plan to walk.
- Restaurants and tours thin out sharply outside summer; some places close entirely in winter.
- The ferry terminal is about 4 miles north of town and the airport about 4 miles west: budget a transfer, not a stroll.
- Cell coverage and Wi-Fi are limited outside town; download maps and tickets in advance.
- Weather turns fast on valley and ridge trails: rain shell, layers and a bear-aware plan.
Haines is a small, low-crime town; the real risks are weather, cold water, bears on valley trails and long distances to help. Tell someone your plan before you hike.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Haines yet. Suggested stay: 2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Fort William H. Seward (Port Chilkoot)
- Bald eagle gathering, October to February
- Chilkat and Chilkoot river valleys
- Glacier Bay flightseeing
- Hammer Museum
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Haines Convention and Visitors Bureau: www.visithaines.com/
- Alaska Marine Highway System: dot.alaska.gov/amhs/
- Wikivoyage: Haines, revision 5325901 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5325901
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Haines
Check with your driver or shuttle
Please take me to this address
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- Police, fire, ambulance911
- Haines Borough non-emergency907-766-2121
No embassies in Haines; the nearest consulates are in Juneau and Anchorage.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/haines). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.