Ketchikan Travel Guide

Tourist Guide

Ketchikan showing general coastal views and boating
Ketchikan
Ketchikan which includes aircraft and an aircraft
Southeast Alaska - Inside Passage showing a coastal town, forests and street scenes
Ketchikan showing boating

See the world’s largest collection of standing totem poles and enjoy some of the best sport fishing in the world in this southeastern Alaskan city.

Ketchikan is an important traditional and cultural center in Alaska. Enjoy theater and dance performances year-round. Shop for authentic Alaskan native art, including masks, hand-painted drums and totem carvings.

Some of the oldest totem poles in existence are still standing in Ketchikan. Visit the nation’s largest national forest, covering most of southeastern Alaska. Tour the Tongass Historical Museum, a center that focuses on the cultural history of Ketchikan and its neighboring national forest.

Enter the Tongass National Forest and see bears, eagles and spawning salmon. Hike boardwalk trails and experience Alaska’s scenic beauty. Take a sled dog ride across a glacier. The Tongass National Forest is a vast natural area with numerous recreational activities, including fishing, camping and wildlife viewing.

See preserved 19th-century totem poles at the Totem Heritage Center. Many of these poles were retrieved from unoccupied Haida and Tlingit village sites near Ketchikan. View a mortuary pole, used to honor the dead and store cremated remains.

Visit the Misty Fjords National Monument Wilderness. See snowcapped mountains and towering cliffs from a boat tour. This area is known for its beautiful glacial valleys and magnificent waterfalls. Charter a floatplane for an aerial view.

Catch a king silver salmon on a sports fishing charter. Ketchikan offers some of the best fishing in Alaska, with huge runs of migrating salmon from the open ocean into the protected waters. Book a sport fishing charter or rent a skiff and challenge a prized king salmon.

Reach Ketchikan on Revillagigedo Island by air or sea. Many of the lower states are connected to Ketchikan via ferry services. Alternatively, fly to Ketchikan in about 2 hours from Seattle. Take a short ferry ride into town from the Ketchikan International Airport on Gravina Island. Find plenty of choices for accommodations from the available resorts, hotels, lodges and campgrounds.

Try some of the local seafood in Ketchikan, served straight from the icy Pacific Ocean waters.

The Landing Hotel & Restaurant
The Landing Hotel & Restaurant
3 out of 5
3434 Tongass Ave, Ketchikan, AK
The price is NZ$409 per night from 22 May to 23 May
NZ$409
includes taxes & fees
22 May - 23 May
Book a stay at this business-friendly hotel in Ketchikan. Enjoy free WiFi, free parking, and breakfast (surcharge). Our guests praise the helpful staff and the ...
8.8/10 Excellent! (568 reviews)
"I always love The Landing❤️"

Reviewed on 18 May 2025

The Landing Hotel & Restaurant
Gilmore Hotel, Trademark Collection by Wyndham
Gilmore Hotel, Trademark Collection by Wyndham
2.5 out of 5
326 Front St, Ketchikan, AK
The price is NZ$315 per night from 21 May to 22 May
NZ$315
includes taxes & fees
21 May - 22 May
Book a stay at this business-friendly hotel in Ketchikan. Enjoy free WiFi, free parking, and a free airport shuttle. Our guests praise the helpful staff in our ...
7.2/10 Good! (575 reviews)
"This place is wonderful. The decor is right up my alley...the adjoining restaurant is Fabulous...right clam chowder and Mary is the best. Wouldn't change a thing"

Reviewed on 14 May 2025

Gilmore Hotel, Trademark Collection by Wyndham
Cape Fox Lodge
Cape Fox Lodge
5 out of 5
800 Venetia Ave, Ketchikan, AK
The price is NZ$440 per night from 28 May to 29 May
NZ$440
includes taxes & fees
28 May - 29 May
Stay at this 5-star luxury lodge in Ketchikan. Enjoy free WiFi, free parking, and 2 restaurants. Popular attractions Port of Ketchikan and Creek Street are located ...
9/10 Wonderful! (6 reviews)
"Location"

Reviewed on 1 May 2025

Cape Fox Lodge
Lowest nightly price found within the past 24 hours based on a 1 night stay for 2 adults. Prices and availability subject to change. Additional terms may apply.
Cozy 1 bedroom apartment in Enjoyable Ketchikan with WiFi.
Cozy 1 bedroom apartment in Enjoyable Ketchikan with WiFi.
2 out of 5
Ketchikan
Stay at this vacation home in Ketchikan. Enjoy free WiFi. Popular attractions Port of Ketchikan and Misty Fiords National Monument are located nearby.
Convenient location
"Apartment is close to the airport and was extremely convenient for the purposes of our stay. Host was very communicative and easy to get a hold of. Apartment was great for three adults. would stay here again."

Reviewed on 19 Apr. 2025

Cozy 1 bedroom apartment in Enjoyable Ketchikan with WiFi.
Don't book a place, book an Alaskan Adventure on an 85 foot Super Yacht
Don't book a place, book an Alaskan Adventure on an 85 foot Super Yacht
Ketchikan
Stay at this houseboat in Ketchikan. Enjoy concierge services, patios, and an in-room coffeemaker. Popular attractions Port of Ketchikan and Southeast Alaska ...
Amazing Setting and a Wonderful Time
"We had a terrific stay on the Lady Faye - we are a family of 4 with 2 teen boys ( age 17 and 13). This is a beautiful ship in an incredible setting - we had coffee in the AM watching floatplanes and cruise ships glide by - in the evening seals and sea lions coupled with fishing cruisers coming and ..."

Reviewed on 2 Aug. 2024

Don't book a place, book an Alaskan Adventure on an 85 foot Super Yacht
Ketchikan Apt - Walk to Refuge Cove Beach!
Ketchikan Apt - Walk to Refuge Cove Beach!
Ketchikan
Stay at this apartment in Ketchikan. Enjoy patios, cable/satellite TV service, and an in-room coffeemaker. Popular attractions Port of Ketchikan and Refuge Cove ...
9.8/10 Exceptional! (36 reviews)
Perfect for a Pair
"We were attending a family event in Ketchikan in April. This property is about 5 miles north of town. It's a small apartment on the parking lot side and lower level of the owner's home. The apartment is relatively new, with a full size oven and stove, plenty of kitchen items such as pots, pans, baking ..."

Reviewed on 8 May 2025

Ketchikan Apt - Walk to Refuge Cove Beach!
Lowest nightly price found within the past 24 hours based on a 1 night stay for 2 adults. Prices and availability subject to change. Additional terms may apply.

Popular places to visit

Activities

Reviews of Ketchikan

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3/5 - Okay

Verified traveller

To many shops all closed when the cruise ships left