Alaska Cruise Ports On Your Own and On A Budget: Ketchikan
August 10, 2018
Welcome to Episode One of Alaska Cruise Ports On Your Own and On A Budget! As you will recall, the purpose of these posts and video segments is to dispel the myth that expensive cruise ship shore excursions are the only way to enjoy port days in Alaska. We begin the series as most people begin an Alaska cruise–in Ketchikan.
Because of Ketchikan’s location in extreme southeast Alaska, it is the first port stop for almost every Alaska cruise ship. This was evident when we arrived, as there were two other ships in port at the same time. This often makes for a very crowded time in the immediate port area. So, you know–I planned to get out of the port area as quickly as possible.
Our initial plan for Ketchikan was to rent a car and drive to three different trailheads and do three different hikes. Then my husband protested loudly we decided that was overly-ambitious, so instead we spent the day exploring all of Ketchikan by foot. And I mean ALL of Ketchikan. Here’s what we did:
Not into video? Reading at work while you are supposed to be working and can’t turn on the volume? I’ve got you covered! Here’s the same basic information in text form:
We disembarked the ship promptly at 8am and wandered the town for a bit. I had assumed that Creek Street—the main (and small) commercial area–would be jammed with people, as there were three ships in port. I was wrong. It seemed everyone from those three ships had been shuttled off to various excursions, leaving Ketchikan proper a virtual ghost town.
After maybe fifteen minutes of wandering, we decided to carry on with our plan for the day—a hike on the Rainbird trail, which was advertised as being very easily accessible from the port area. Spoiler alert: it was NOT.
We spent about an hour trying to find the trailhead. A highlight of this was the part where my husband tried to make me walk up a near-vertical hill. I refused. A middle-of-the-sidewalk fight ensued. And then we found an alternate route, but that route was closed. Like even to pedestrian traffic. We fought some more found that to be odd, until we saw why. Here’s the alternate route we were going to take
Sorry this photo is blurry. It’s the only photo I have of the road of doom.
Yeah. I can see why it is closed to pedestrians.
We eventually found the trailhead with the help of some guy at a store (who also sold us a Sprite because we didn’t bring water and he was out of water) and a lady in a car covered in kayaks. We had a lovely time exploring the trail; it was a mossy, rain-forest-y wonderland admittedly very near town. You know, once you know where to look. Here’s where to find the trailhead:
Poorly drawn map to Rainbird Trail Trailhead.
Directions to Rainbird Trailhead from Port of Ketchikan:
-No matter where you are docked, follow the waterfront path to the left.
-Walk for a really long time on the road closest to the water.
-When you see a shopping center on your left, look for a small pizza shop on the right side of the road. Turn RIGHT here.
-In one block, you will encounter stairs. Walk up them.
-Walk three blocks up a really long hill.
-Encounter more stairs. Walk up them.
-At the top of the stairs, turn right.
-Walk another 1000 feet. You will find a parking lot just refinished with anti skid surfacing; stairs are at the far side.
-At the top of the stairs, you can go right or left. Right takes you back towards town, left takes you farther away.
-We went left, followed the trail all the way to the end, and then walked down from the end of the trail, which is near the University.
Please note: it is a longer hike to GET to the trailhead than the hike itself. Be prepared. And bring water. And try not to scream at your husband.
Post hike, we walked back into town, passing by the university and the high school. Once back in the port area, we stopped and got a beer at the bar on the waterfront which featured humping bears and humping crabs on their sign. Because you should always drink at a place with humping crabs on the sign.
This is getting long, so here’s a bulleted list of the rest of the stuff we did in Ketchikan. It was a lot, and I summarize it faster than you can read it in that video up there. You should watch it.
- Halibut Lunch at Alava’s restaurant. Amazing. 10/10 would do again.
- Walked out and on seaside promenade—great views of marina and town.
- Return to Creek Street for more window shopping. Wish I could afford a gold whale tale necklace. But I can’t.
- Beer at Pirate Bar. Meh. Do not recommend.
- Return to ship.
After the initial mid-sidewalk fight and near-death experience climbing the steepest hill in North America, we had a lovely day in and around Ketchikan and were able to explore both the non-touristy part of town as well as some of the surrounding natural beauty. And we did so for a grand total of $30.
Ketchikan Excursions Cost Comparison
Average cost for an excursion: $144.42/pp
Most common cost for an excursion: $199/pp
Least expensive excursion: Great Alaskan Lumberjack Show. 1.25 hours. $35
Most expensive excursion: Misty Fjords Cruise and Floatplane Adventure. 3.75 hours. $390
Excursion most closely resembling what we did: Rainforest Canoe and Nature Trail (though this is a stretch—it is the only option involving both a city tour and a hike. We did not canoe obviously.) 3.5 hours. $90
Up next: a day in Juneau during which we rent a car, become bear aware, explore a secret beach and more!
Yes, you saved a lot compared to excursions. We rented a car at each port for 100 each. We had 3 in our party and we explored, not only creek street, but beyond the cruise ship dock. Keep your adventures coming. I am really enjoying them
Kathy
In some ports, I firmly believe that car rentals are the way to go! Especially if you have 3 or 5 (or even 5) people. The cost savings increases (and the irresponsibility of gas usage goes down) the more people you have.
Glad to hear you enjoyed this post! Juneau is coming soon!
We hiked in Ketchikan too but hired a tour guide. I was too nervous about bears to try it on my own. Glad you had such a nice, bear-free hike! Looking forward to reading about your time in Juneau.
Oh, well, we did have a bit of bear fear in Juneau! Ha! But fortunately we saw zero bears throughout all of our Alaska adventures!