Ketchikan

What to know

• Often the first or last Alaska stop on a Southeast itinerary.
• Famously rainy — Ketchikan averages well over 100 inches of rain a year.
• Creek Street, the Totem Heritage Center and Misty Fjords flightseeing are classic stops.
• Salmon fishing and lumberjack shows are popular excursions.

Getting around

Most ships dock on the downtown waterfront, where Creek Street, the Southeast Alaska Discovery Center and the Tongass Historical Museum are a short walk away. A free downtown shuttle runs in summer and also serves the totem sites. Some ships dock instead at Ward Cove, about 7 miles north of downtown, so check your ship's berth. Source: alaska.org

Things to do

Walk · walk from dockCreek StreetFormer red-light district on a boardwalk over Ketchikan Creek, now lined with galleries, shops and historic homes.alaska.orgMuseum · walk from dockSoutheast Alaska Discovery CenterForest Service visitor center with rainforest, Native culture and local history exhibits; open daily May through September.alaska.orgMuseum · walk from dockTongass Historical MuseumCity museum at 629 Dock Street with artifacts, historic photos and changing exhibits on Ketchikan's past.alaska.orgMuseum · short rideTotem Heritage CenterOriginal 19th-century totem poles from Tlingit and Haida villages, kept in a climate-controlled building along Ketchikan Creek.alaska.orgTour · short rideSaxman Totem ParkTotem park, clan house and carving center in Saxman Native Village, about 2.5 miles south of downtown.travelalaska.comFree · excursionTotem Bight State Historical ParkFree rainforest trail past 14 replica totem poles and a replica clan house, about ten miles north of town.alaska.orgTour · excursionMisty Fjords National MonumentOver two million acres of fjords, cliffs and waterfalls in Tongass National Forest, reached by boat or floatplane.fs.usda.govOutdoors · short rideDeer Mountain TrailA difficult 5-mile climb from near downtown with overlooks of Ketchikan and Tongass Narrows; 2,600 feet of gain.alaska.org

Where to eat and drink

SeafoodAlaska Fish HouseSeafood restaurant at 3 Salmon Landing, a few minutes' walk from the dock.visitktn.comSit-downAnnabelle's Famous Keg and Chowder HouseRestaurant in the Gilmore Hotel on Front Street serving Alaska seafood, chowder and steak.wyndhamhotels.comCasual108 Tap House & Burger BarDowntown spot on Main Street for burgers, craft beer and cocktails.visitktn.comSit-downHeen Kahidi Dining RoomRestaurant at Cape Fox Lodge overlooking downtown, serving Alaskan and regional comfort food.visitktn.comCasualGood Fortune Chinese RestaurantChinese restaurant at 4 Creek Street.visitktn.comBreweryBawden Street BrewingKetchikan's first microbrewery, at 325 Bawden Street, pouring styles such as a spruce tip ale.adn.com

Where to shop

ShopSoho CohoRay Troll's Creek Street gallery with his fish-themed art, shirts, posters and books, plus work by other Ketchikan artists.alaska.orgShopSaxman Village StoreStore at Saxman Native Village selling Alaska Native art, visited at the end of village tours.ncl.comShopMain Street GalleryThe Ketchikan Area Arts & Humanities Council's gallery, with rotating exhibitions by local artists.krbd.orgShopAlaska Geographic bookstoreNature and history books inside the Southeast Alaska Discovery Center on Main Street.alaska.org

Photos on Unsplash by Dave Chambers - Creative Operations Leader, Sheila C, Bruce Warrington, Galen Crout, Joseph Corl, Riley, John Wilander, Davey Gravy, Kevin Lanceplaine, Jonathan Borba, Eddie Quintero, Zhe ZHANG, Phil Hearing, Meg von Haartman, Doug Nealy, Neon Wang, Fallon Michael. Many show the town or the kind of place rather than the listing itself.

Port tips

• Check whether your ship docks downtown or at Ward Cove, about 7 miles north; Ward Cove passengers need transport to reach downtown.
• Look for the Silver Hand seal when buying Alaska Native art: it marks original work handmade in Alaska by an Alaska Native artist.
• The free downtown shuttle is handy on rainy days and reaches the museums and totem sites.

Each listing links to the official or source page we used. Hours and seasons change, so check before you go. Listings are not paid placements.