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Voykit pocket guide · United States
Ketchikan
Stay 1–2 nights if you arrive by ferry or air; cruise passengers get 4–6 hours in town, enough for Creek Street, the totem parks and a salmon lunch.
Ketchikan is a rain-soaked fishing town on Revillagigedo Island, the southernmost city in southeastern Alaska and the first port of call on the Inside Passage. Cruise ships land 800,000+ visitors a year, most for a few hours; travellers who arrive by ferry or air get the totem parks, the forest and the salmon run largely to themselves. It is one of the wettest places in North America — pack for rain, not for a beach.
- Country
- United States
- Best months
- May–Sep (long days, salmon run Jul–Sep)
- Avoid
- Oct–Apr (cold, wind-driven rain, many tours closed)
- Stay
- 1–2 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 $90–150 excl. bed · Mid $150–260 excl. bed · High $260+ 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
- 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 | $4–7 |
| Fish and chips or halibut sandwich | $18–28 |
| Salmon or halibut dinner | $28–45 |
| Draft beer | $7–10 |
| Taxi, downtown to ferry terminal | $15–25 |
| Totem Bight entry | $5/person |
| Totem Heritage Center entry | $5 (May–Sep) |
| Great Alaskan Lumberjack Show | $34 adult + tax |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- KTN · Ketchikan International Airport
- On Gravina Island; a 5-minute airport ferry or water taxi crosses to the Ketchikan side, then a shuttle or taxi about 2.4 km north of downtown. Allow 45–60 min door to door.On Gravina Island; a 5-minute airport ferry or water taxi crosses to the Ketchikan side, then a shuttle or taxi about 1.5 mi north of downtown. Allow 45–60 min door to door.
Typical fares
- Airport ferry, Gravina Island to Ketchikan
- about $6 adult, about 5 min (check)
- Borough bus, Green or Silver line
- $2 adult, $5 day pass (check)
- Taxi, ferry terminal to downtown
- $15–25 (check)
Get around
Downtown is walkable in 15 minutes. The borough bus (Green, Silver, Gold lines) reaches Totem Bight and Saxman; the Gold line downtown loop is free May–Sep. Taxis serve the whole Tongass Highway. A rental car helps for the totem parks and forest trails.
See and do
Known for
- Creek Street and the old red-light district
- Totem poles (Saxman, Totem Bight, Totem Heritage Center)
- Salmon and halibut fishing
- Tongass National Forest rainforest
- Cruise-ship port of call
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Totem Bight State Historical Park | Silver Line North bus about 30–40 min, or 20 min by car | About 1 h each way by bus |
| Saxman Totem Park | Silver Line South bus or 10 min by car | About 30 min |
| Misty Fjords National Monument | Floatplane or boat tour from Ketchikan | Half day to full day |
| Prince of Wales Island | Inter-Island Ferry Authority from the Ketchikan ferry terminal | Crossing time check |
Sleep
- Downtown / Creek Street
- Walk to the docks, museums and restaurants; book early in summer, rooms are few and priced for cruise season.
- Newtown and North Tongass Highway
- Motels and lodges along the highway north of downtown; cheaper, but you need a car, taxi or the bus.
- South Tongass / Saxman side
- Quieter, close to Saxman Totem Park; best with a vehicle.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Thank you | Thank you |
| Where is the ferry terminal? | Where is the ferry terminal? |
| One ticket, please | One ticket, please |
| Is this seat taken? | Is this seat taken? |
| Can I pay by card? | Can I pay by card? |
| Where is the restroom? | Where is the restroom? |
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
- Rain is the norm: 4,100 mm a year, so bring a waterproof shell and dry bag for camera and phone.
- Cruise-ship days flood downtown; check the port schedule and do the totem parks while the ships are in.
- King crab on menus is usually frozen and flown in — order local Dungeness instead.
- Ferry arrivals and departures can be at any hour; the bus does not run 24 h, so pre-book a taxi or shuttle.
- Cell coverage and Wi-Fi outside town: check with your carrier before you rely on them.
Ketchikan is a small, safe town; the real risks are rain, cold water and boats. Wear a life jacket on the water, tell someone your trail plan, and keep bear-aware on forest trails.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Ketchikan yet. Suggested stay: 1–2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Creek Street and the old red-light district
- Totem poles (Saxman, Totem Bight, Totem Heritage Center)
- Salmon and halibut fishing
- Tongass National Forest rainforest
- Cruise-ship port of call
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Ketchikan Visitors Bureau: www.visit-ketchikan.com/
- Totem Bight State Historical Park: dnr.alaska.gov/parks/aspunits/southeast/totembigshp.htm
- Wikivoyage: Ketchikan, revision 5243712 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5243712
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Ketchikan
To this address, please
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- Police, fire, ambulance911
No embassies in Ketchikan; most countries have consulates in Seattle or Anchorage, embassies in Washington, DC.
US emergency number is 911 everywhere; 911 works from any phone, including mobiles without a local plan.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/ketchikan). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.