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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 (1.5 mi) 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 (2.4 km) 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)
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
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.