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Major city · 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.

Weather
see forecast
Currency
USD
Best months
May–Sep (long days, salmon run Jul–Sep)
avoid Oct–Apr (cold, wind-driven rain, many tours closed)
Airport
KTN
Nights
1–2
Not field-verifiedbasic guide
Print / PDF guide
3 pages, for the metro and roaming-off days
Map
Google Maps Apple Maps Street View
Rules in force · 7Crossing between the US, Canada and Mexico by land needs …Cannabis is legal in Canada and in many US states, but ta…
  • North America ↗Crossing between the US, Canada and Mexico by land needs your passport even on a day trip; rental cars need the company's written permission to cross, and most US and Canadian rental insurance stops at the Mexican border.
  • North America ↗Cannabis is legal in Canada and in many US states, but taking any amount across the US, Canadian or Mexican border is a federal crime — including edibles and vapes.
  • North America ↗The busiest US and Canadian national parks need timed-entry, campsite or lodge reservations in summer; release dates are months ahead.
  • United States ↗Check whether you need an ESTA (Visa Waiver Program) or a visa on the official CBP and State Department sites; apply only through esta.cbp.dhs.gov, not third-party sites, and allow time before you book.
  • United States ↗Several popular national parks use timed-entry or vehicle reservations in peak season; check each park's page on nps.gov and book on recreation.gov before fixing your dates.
  • United States ↗Medical care is very expensive for visitors; buy travel insurance with high medical cover before you fly.
  • United States ↗Tipping is expected: about 15–20% at sit-down restaurants and bars, and a tip for taxis, hotel staff and guides.

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.

Essentials

Quick answers and what things cost

Quick answers

The questions people ask first about Ketchikan, one line each. Tap a card for the full answer.

Cost cheat-sheet

2026 desk estimate · check

Typical prices for the everyday things, as ranges. Your currency is shown next to the local price.

  • Coffee$4–7
  • Sit-down mealSalmon or halibut dinner$28–45
  • Street or quick mealFish and chips or halibut sandwich$18–28
  • BeerDraft beer$7–10
  • Taxi, about 5 kmTaxi, downtown to ferry terminalcheck$15–25
  • Museum or sight ticketTotem Bight entry$5/person
  • Budget bedHostel or guesthouse bed, a night, per personUS$55
  • Mid-range bedMotel or hotel double room, a night, per roomUS$220
  • High-end bedMotel or hotel double room, a night, per roomUS$400

A day, not counting the bed: Budget US$90 · Mid US$170 · High US$320

Prices in local money; change the currency in the header to see yours next to them. Every price and the budget calculator →

Decide

What it is known for, and when the weather works

At a glance

What the city is known for, how you fly in, and where to find the phrases.

Creek Street and the old red-light districtTotem poles (Saxman, Totem Bight, Totem Heritage Center)Salmon and halibut fishingTongass National Forest rainforestCruise-ship port of call
Airports
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.)

Weather and climate

Forecast from Open-Meteo · averages rounded

Ketchikan: next 7 days

Loading forecast…

Forecast: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), model data for this point.

Air quality

Loading…

Model estimate (CAMS via Open-Meteo), not a street-level station; readings near busy roads run higher.

Jan

5°C

1°C

21 rd

Feb

6°C

1°C

18 rd

Mar

7°C

2°C

20 rd

Apr

9°C

4°C

17 rd

May

13°C

7°C

16 rd

Jun

16°C

10°C

15 rd

Jul

18°C

12°C

16 rd

Aug

18°C

12°C

17 rd

Sep

15°C

10°C

20 rd

Oct

10°C

6°C

22 rd

Nov

7°C

3°C

21 rd

Dec

5°C

1°C

22 rd

High / low °C · rd = rain days

Arrive & move

Airports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in

Getting 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 & do

Day-trips, door to door

Day-trips

Door-to-door, not ride time

Totem Bight State Historical Park

go

Door to door: About 1 h each way by bus

Silver Line North bus about 30–40 min, or 20 min by car

$5/person entry; a clan house and a waterfront line of poles. Go early, before the tour buses.

Saxman Totem Park

go

Door to door: About 30 min

Silver Line South bus or 10 min by car

About 4 km south of downtown; the world's largest standing totem is here.

Misty Fjords National Monument

go

Door to door: Half day to full day

Floatplane or boat tour from Ketchikan

Weather-dependent; book ahead and expect cancellations in wind and low cloud.

Prince of Wales Island

overnight

Door to door: Crossing time check

Inter-Island Ferry Authority from the Ketchikan ferry terminal

Too far for a return day; sleep on the island.

Eat & sleep

Which area to sleep in

Where to sleep

Areas, not hotels: pick the one that fits your arrival time and plans.

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.

Practical

What a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card

Cost per day

2026 estimate, excluding the bed unless stated
Budget
$90–150 excl. bed
Mid
$150–260 excl. bed
High
$260+ excl. bed

Trip budget

2026 estimate · converts to your currency
Motel or hotel double room1 × 2 nights × US$220US$440
Food, local transport, entries2 × 2 days × US$170US$680
Airport ferry, each way2 × US$6 · checkUS$12
Borough bus day pass2 × US$5 · checkUS$10
eSIM, about a week of data2 × US$25US$50
Buffer 10%Price creep, a taxi you did not plan, one splurgeUS$119
Trip total≈ US$328 per person per day, bed includedUS$1,311

2026 estimate in US dollars; flights and ferry fares excluded. Your choices stay in this browser.

Prices of common things

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 terminalcheck$15–25
Totem Bight entry$5/person
Totem Heritage Center entry$5 (May–Sep)
Great Alaskan Lumberjack Show$34 adult + tax

2026 estimate; check locally.

Watch out

Safety

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.
  • 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.

Emergency numbers

Police, fire, ambulance
911

Pocket card

One page · print or save as PDF

Fill in, then print or save as PDF

Stays in this browser only; nothing is sent anywhere.

KetchikanKetchikan

Pocket card · Voykit

My bed tonight

—

—

—

To this address, pleaseTo this address, please

Emergency

  • Police, fire, ambulance911

Embassy

No embassies in Ketchikan; most countries have consulates in Seattle or Anchorage, embassies in Washington, DC.

My embassy: —

Fare anchors (2026 estimate)

  • 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)

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?

US emergency number is 911 everywhere; 911 works from any phone, including mobiles without a local plan.

Deep dive

What this guide covers so far, and its sources

Not a trip line yet

This is a basic guide: no airport-to-bed contract, walking clusters or day plans are published for Ketchikan. Airport, fare and schedule details are unverified; check the operators before you fly.

What we know, and what is coming

On this page

  1. Best months: May–Sep (long days, salmon run Jul–Sep) · avoid Oct–Apr (cold, wind-driven rain, many tours closed) · month by month →
  2. 1 airport and 3 areas to sleep in
  3. Weather: a 7-day forecast and monthly averages
  4. Cost per day in 3 bands
  5. 4 day-trips, door to door
  6. 5 things to watch out for, with emergency numbers

Coming as the guide grows

  1. Airport-to-bed contract for KTN: airport ferry times, shuttle and taxi fallback, late ferry arrivals.
  2. Four walking clusters with rain anchors: Creek Street, the museum block, the docks, Newtown.
  3. Place pages with verified hours and entry fees (Totem Heritage Center, Southeast Alaska Discovery Center, Totem Bight, Saxman).
  4. Cruise-day and storm-day fixtures so gates A–D can go green.

Meanwhile

Back to United States

Sources