Are you interested in experiencing Ketchikan Alaska on your own? Or maybe you have some time before or after your excursion? Then keep reading! This post will share our review, experience and photos doing our own walking tour around Ketchikan!
We visited Ketchikan Alaska as a port stop on our Alaskan Cruise. Our time in port was 7:00am-4:00pm. We had our Bering Sea Crab Fisherman Tour in the afternoon, so we had time to explore on our own and even hop back on the ship for lunch before heading to the excursion.
When researching what to do in Ketchikan, I came across this Ketchikan Walking Tour map. It contains 35 points of interest, including the Welcome Arch, Fish Ladder, Totem Poles, and more, all within walking distance.
Download the pdf here: Ketchikan Walking Tour pdf
We were so happy our ship docked with the Starboard side facing Ketchikan. This allowed us to have the most amazing view of Ketchikan while enjoying breakfast on our balcony!
As you can see, the town is right there and super convenient for anyone wanting to get off and explore for a bit.
We chose to go clockwise around the town. We didn’t entirely follow the path and we didn’t visit every point of interest, but we made sure to visit the main locations and as many totem poles as possible.
Right on the dock next to the cruise ships is “The Rock” statue.
“The Rock” is a bronze sculpture that is a symbolic representation of early Alaskan pioneers and the beginnings of Ketchikan. A fisherman, a miner, a logger, a bush pilot, a frontierswoman, and a Native drummer.
Next was the Ketchikan Welcome Arch. Please be mindful of the road and cars and don’t be an oblivious tourist.
Be on the lookout for all the totem poles! Curious of how many totem poles are in Ketchikan? I read there are over 80! We did not see 80, but we saw a lot….here are a few.
The Creek Street National Historic District is very popular, with restaurants, shops and nice viewing spots of the Ketchikan Creek.
The Ketchikan Creek winds through Creek Street, with some art figures, a waterfall and salmon viewing areas.
There is a Fish Ladder, but we weren’t there during busy salmon time, so not much to see there.
There is a trail through the woods…lots of steps!
But it’s worth it to reach the lookout where you can see the cruise ships! I can see our room!
We spent some time down by the creek skipping rocks, and were greeted by two bald eagles!
Do you see it? Here, I’ll help 🙂
Of course, we were so excited to see a Bald Eagle, but we felt silly later on when we saw 20-30 of them during our Bering Sea Crab Fishermen’s Tour later that day!
We ended our walking tour with a stroll down the Waterfront Boardwalk, which gave a great view of the Harbor and the cruise ships.
Overall, we explored for a few hours, taking photos and playing along the way. If you were a little shorter on time, you could skip portions of the trail or not spend as long in certain areas. If you had even more time, you could spend time shopping or eating at a restaurant.
If you have the time, I recommend exploring Ketchikan on your own using this Ketchikan Walking Tour to guide you. Can’t beat a free excursion! 🙂