Ketchikan in 7 days

Rainforest, totem poles and salmon running through town Best time to visit: May-September. Average daily budget: $160 to $280.

Day 1, Land & wander

Base: Creek Street, A boardwalk of former brothels on stilts above Ketchikan Creek, now shops and small museums.

Morning: Misty Fjords National Monument. Granite cliffs and waterfalls reached by float plane or boat - the single best thing to do here.

Afternoon: Explore Creek Street, A boardwalk of former brothels on stilts above Ketchikan Creek, now shops and small museums.

Evening: Totem Heritage Center. Original 19th-century poles retrieved from abandoned villages, displayed unrestored and indoors.

Eat: King and sockeye salmon, grilled or smoked

Day 2, Iconic sights

Base: Downtown waterfront, Cruise berths, the visitor centre, seafood restaurants and the Southeast Alaska Discovery Center.

Morning: Creek Street and the salmon ladder. Watch salmon fight upstream from the boardwalk between July and September.

Afternoon: Explore Downtown waterfront, Cruise berths, the visitor centre, seafood restaurants and the Southeast Alaska Discovery Center.

Evening: Deer Mountain Trail. A steep 2.5-mile climb straight out of town for views over the channel.

Eat: Dungeness crab straight off the boat

Day 3, Food & markets

Base: Saxman Village, Two and a half miles south, with a large totem park and a Tlingit carving shed.

Morning: Saxman Totem Park. The largest standing collection of totem poles in the world, with Tlingit-led tours.

Afternoon: Explore Saxman Village, Two and a half miles south, with a large totem park and a Tlingit carving shed.

Evening: The Married Man's Trail, a mossy staircase path behind Creek Street.. A local favourite most visitors miss, worth the detour.

Eat: Halibut fish and chips on the waterfront

Day 4, Local neighbourhoods

Base: Ward Cove / North Tongass, Quieter lodges and trailheads away from the ship crowds.

Morning: Rainbird Trail's forest boardwalk above the university campus.. A local favourite most visitors miss, worth the detour.

Afternoon: Explore Ward Cove / North Tongass, Quieter lodges and trailheads away from the ship crowds.

Evening: Local catch at the docks in the evening, once the ships have sailed.. A local favourite most visitors miss, worth the detour.

Eat: Spot prawns in season

Day 5, Day trip

Base: Creek Street, A boardwalk of former brothels on stilts above Ketchikan Creek, now shops and small museums.

Morning: Ward Lake loop, an easy rainforest walk almost no visitor sees.. A local favourite most visitors miss, worth the detour.

Afternoon: Explore Creek Street, A boardwalk of former brothels on stilts above Ketchikan Creek, now shops and small museums.

Evening: Dinner at Alaskan brews at a local taproom, then a quiet drink wherever the locals are in Creek Street.

Eat: Alaskan brews at a local taproom

Day 6, Hidden gems

Base: Downtown waterfront, Cruise berths, the visitor centre, seafood restaurants and the Southeast Alaska Discovery Center.

Morning: Slow start: coffee in Downtown waterfront, then an unhurried walk before the heat or the crowds.

Afternoon: Explore Downtown waterfront, Cruise berths, the visitor centre, seafood restaurants and the Southeast Alaska Discovery Center.

Evening: Dinner at King and sockeye salmon, grilled or smoked, then a quiet drink wherever the locals are in Downtown waterfront.

Eat: King and sockeye salmon, grilled or smoked

Day 7, Slow finish

Base: Saxman Village, Two and a half miles south, with a large totem park and a Tlingit carving shed.

Morning: Slow start: coffee in Saxman Village, then an unhurried walk before the heat or the crowds.

Afternoon: Explore Saxman Village, Two and a half miles south, with a large totem park and a Tlingit carving shed.

Evening: Dinner at Dungeness crab straight off the boat, then a quiet drink wherever the locals are in Saxman Village.

Eat: Dungeness crab straight off the boat

Hidden gems

The Married Man's Trail, a mossy staircase path behind Creek Street.
Rainbird Trail's forest boardwalk above the university campus.
Local catch at the docks in the evening, once the ships have sailed.
Ward Lake loop, an easy rainforest walk almost no visitor sees.

Getting around

Downtown is walkable and the Saxman bus is cheap. There is no road connection to the rest of Alaska - you arrive by plane, ferry or cruise ship. A short airport ferry crosses the channel. Float planes cover everything beyond the road system.

Safety

Very safe town. Real risks are weather-related: it rains over 150 inches a year, so waterproofs are essential, and float-plane flights cancel often. Bears are present on trails outside town - make noise and carry spray.

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