Ketchikan, Alaska Shore Excursions: 5 Independent Operators Compared

Quick picks

Lowest price Ketchikan Duck Tours $79 per person for Ketchikan Duck Boat Cruise Tour
Smallest groups Southeast Exposure 4 per 14-foot Zodiac-style boat, 850 lb boat limit
Easiest to cancel Southeast Exposure Full refund up to 7 days before; full refund if you miss the cruise or the ship does not reach port.

Will it fit your day in Ketchikan?

Put in your ship's arrival and all-aboard times from your cruise planner. Each tour is checked against the time you have, minus the buffer you choose for getting off the ship and back to the pier.

Ketchikan Duck Tours: Ketchikan Duck Boat Cruise Tour90 minutes (45 on land, 45 on water)
Southeast Exposure: Eagle Island KayakAbout 210 minutes
Southeast Exposure: Zipline Adventure ParkAbout 210 minutes
Southeast Sea Kayaks: Orca Cove Kayak & Boat Tour3 hours, including 1.5 to 1.75 hours kayaking
Southeast Exposure: Alaska Boatman AdventureAbout 210 minutes (three-hour guided tour)
Taquan Air: Misty Fjords FlightseeingAbout 1.75 hours including check-in; 60-minute flight
Island Wings Air Service: Misty Fjords Flightseeing Tour2 hours plus about 15 minutes transfer each end; budget 2.5 hours
Island Wings Air Service: Traitors Cove Bear Viewing Observatory Tour4 hours (budget 4.5 hours)
Island Wings Air Service: Misty Fjords and Glacier Combination Tour2.5 hours plus transfer; budget 3 hours
Island Wings Air Service: Anan Creek Bear Viewing Observatory Tour5 hours (budget 5.5 hours)

Example times are filled in. Your cruise line's daily planner has the real ones, and a tender port needs more buffer.

Every option side by side

Operator	What you get	From	Length	Group	Min age	Back-to-ship	Cancellation	Book
Ketchikan Duck Tours	Ketchikan Duck Boat Cruise TourIncludes Narrated land and water tour, Creek Street, salmon ladder, hatchery and harbor sights	$79 per person	90 minutes (45 on land, 45 on water)		All ages	Not stated		Check dates
Southeast Exposure	Eagle Island KayakIncludes Tandem kayak, Safety briefing, Guided paddle to Eagle Island, Transport to and from the cruise pier	$115 per person	About 210 minutes			Not stated	Full refund up to 7 days before; full refund if you miss the cruise or the ship does not reach port.	Check dates
Southeast Exposure	Zipline Adventure ParkIncludes Eight ziplines and eight aerial traverses, Guides, Safety equipment, Round-trip transport from the cruise pier	$150 per person	About 210 minutes		Under 18 must be accompanied by an adult	Not stated	Full refund up to 7 days before; full refund if you miss the cruise or the ship does not reach port.	Check dates
Southeast Sea Kayaks	Orca Cove Kayak & Boat TourIncludes Fast boat ride (about 20 minutes), Sea kayaking, Smoked salmon and snacks, Hot beverages and Alaskan beer, Dry bags	$179 per person	3 hours, including 1.5 to 1.75 hours kayaking	Maximum 6 guests	5+	No guarantee stated; operator says no one has ever missed a cruise departure	Full refund if cancelled more than 14 days out; non-refundable within 14 days; full refund if ship schedule changes cause a missed tour.	Check dates
Southeast Exposure	Alaska Boatman AdventureIncludes Drive your own boat following a guide, Transport from the cruise piers	$179 per adult	About 210 minutes (three-hour guided tour)	4 per 14-foot Zodiac-style boat, 850 lb boat limit	5+	Not stated	Full refund up to 7 days before; full refund if you miss the cruise or the ship does not reach port.	Check dates
Taquan Air	Misty Fjords Flightseeing	$329 per person	About 1.75 hours including check-in; 60-minute flight			Not stated	Listed as free cancellation.	Check dates
Island Wings Air Service	Misty Fjords Flightseeing TourIncludes Floatplane flight over Misty Fjords, About 30-minute landing on a lake or bay, Ground transportation, Two-way headsets	$395 per person	2 hours plus about 15 minutes transfer each end; budget 2.5 hours			Not stated	50% deposit to reserve; refund if weather prevents the flight.	Check dates
Island Wings Air Service	Traitors Cove Bear Viewing Observatory TourIncludes Floatplane flight (about 30 minutes each way), Short van ride and boardwalk hike, Three hours at Traitors Cove, Bear guide, Ground transportation	$495 per person	4 hours (budget 4.5 hours)			Not stated	50% deposit to reserve; refund if weather prevents the flight.	Check dates
Island Wings Air Service	Misty Fjords and Glacier Combination TourIncludes Misty Fjords and glacier flight, About 30-minute landing, Ground transportation	$550 per person	2.5 hours plus transfer; budget 3 hours	5-person minimum		Not stated	50% deposit to reserve; refund if weather prevents the flight.	Check dates
Island Wings Air Service	Anan Creek Bear Viewing Observatory TourIncludes Floatplane flight (about 45 minutes each way), Ranger briefing, Half-mile trail to viewing platform and photo blind, 3.5 hours at the observatory, Bear guide, Ground transportation	$850 per person	5 hours (budget 5.5 hours)			Not stated	50% deposit to reserve; refund if weather prevents the flight.	Check dates

From each operator's own website, checked October 22, 2026. How we compare.

Downtown berths, Ward Cove and the Rain Gauge

The City of Ketchikan's port has four Panamax-sized berths, numbered from south to north along the downtown waterfront. Each berth has at least one float beside it, among them the Daly Float at Berth I and the Ryus Float at Berth II. Cruise Line Agencies of Alaska's codes show ships at anchor tendering passengers to the Daly Float, the Ryus Float and a Berth 3 float. Visit Ketchikan adds Doyon Landing, used mostly by smaller overnight ships, and Ward Cove, a single pier usable on both sides about 5.5 miles from downtown.

In the 2026 schedule, the Ward Cove codes appear mostly on Norwegian ships and Seven Seas Explorer, though Ovation of the Seas was also listed there on May 31. Check your dock before booking. Island Wings, Southeast Exposure and Southeast Sea Kayaks pick up or board at the downtown docks, and Island Wings asks guests at Ward Cove or the NCL terminal to call its office. Taquan Air's terminal is at 4085 Tongass Avenue, and its Misty Fjords fare does not include transport.

Downtown pickups gather around Berth 2, where Visit Ketchikan has its Visitors Center and tour kiosks stand on the docks. Island Wings meets at the Liquid Sunshine Gauge beside The Rock statue, in front of the center, and Southeast Exposure's vans also collect guests at The Rock. Island Wings calls its floatplane dock a five-minute walk from Berths 1 to 3 and "a thirty second walk or swim" from Berth 4. Its van picks up 10 to 15 minutes before each flight.

A floatplane in Misty Fjords National Monument near Ketchikan — Photo: RCraig09, CC BY-SA 4.0

Calls of 4.5 to 14.5 hours in 2026

Visit Ketchikan says a port visit may run "four or eight hours", and the 2026 schedule from Cruise Line Agencies of Alaska shows that spread. Royal Princess was listed at Berth 4 from 7:00 am to 1:15 pm on May 14, and Disney Magic at Berth 1 from 2:00 pm to 7:00 pm on June 2. Anthem of the Seas had 9 hours at Berth 2 on May 27. The shortest call was Seven Seas Explorer's 4.5 hours on August 10, and Azamara Pursuit's 7:30 am to 10:00 pm calls were the longest.

The 2026 season ran from about April 21, when Noordam was listed at Berth 2, to October 9, when Norwegian Encore made the last call. Ketchikan keeps Alaska time, one hour behind Pacific time. Visit Ketchikan warns that berth assignments sometimes change at the last minute and points passengers to its cruise calendar, and the city publishes its own 2026 berthing calendar, last updated April 3, 2026.

None of the five Ketchikan operators listed here publishes a back-to-ship guarantee. Southeast Sea Kayaks states no guarantee but says no guest has ever missed a cruise departure. Island Wings asks guests to budget 2.5 hours for its 2-hour Misty Fjords flight once transfers are counted, and 4.5 hours for the 4-hour Traitors Cove bear trip. Taquan Air puts its 60-minute flight at about 1.75 hours with check-in, not counting the ride to its terminal.

Misty Fiords floatplanes, Traitors Cove and Anan Creek

Floatplane flights over Misty Fiords National Monument are the big-ticket trip. Taquan Air listed its 60-minute flight at $329 as a promotion (regular $369), with a $168 surcharge for guests of 250 pounds or more. Island Wings charges $395 for a 2-hour trip that includes a landing of about 30 minutes on a lake or bay. Its Misty Fjords and glacier combination costs $550 and needs five passengers to run.

Bear viewing means a longer flight and a short season. Island Wings flies to the Traitors Cove observatory from July 20 to September 30 for $495, about 4 hours with three of them on site. Anan Creek costs $850 for about 5 hours and runs July 1 to mid-August under Forest Service permits, of which Island Wings gets 80 a year. Taquan Air sells its bear trips on board select cruise lines rather than online.

Closer to town, most half-day trips run 3 to 3.5 hours with transport. Southeast Exposure's Eagle Island kayak paddle from Clover Pass is $115, its zipline park at Knudson Cove (about 25 minutes' drive) is $150, and its drive-your-own-boat tour is $179. Southeast Sea Kayaks' Orca Cove trip ($179, 3 hours) adds a 20-minute fast-boat ride to the paddle. Ketchikan Duck Tours' 90-minute amphibious tour, half on land and half on water, is $79.

Pier pickups, 14-day refunds and weather calls

Southeast Exposure collects guests at the cruise piers and drives them to Clover Pass or Knudson Cove, and Island Wings includes the van ride in every fare. Southeast Sea Kayaks boards right at the downtown docks and says its tours are not sold on board cruise ships. Taquan Air expects guests at its own terminal on Tongass Avenue, with no transport included. Guests at Ward Cove have to arrange the ride by phone with Island Wings.

Southeast Exposure refunds in full up to 7 days out, and also if you miss the cruise or the ship never reaches port. Southeast Sea Kayaks takes full payment at booking and keeps it inside 14 days, but refunds in full when a ship schedule change causes a missed tour. Island Wings takes a 50% deposit and refunds when weather grounds the flight, still meeting guests on the dock that day. Taquan lists free cancellation without giving the terms.

Southeast Sea Kayaks caps Orca Cove at six guests, ages 5 and up. Southeast Exposure's self-drive Zodiac-style boats carry four, with an 850-pound limit per boat, and under-18s on its zipline must come with an adult. Island Wings' glacier combination flies only with five passengers, and if cloud hides the glacier it flies and charges for Misty Fjords alone. Ketchikan Duck Tours runs a Coast Guard certified amphibious vehicle and takes all ages.

Watching from shore

Creek Street. A boardwalk on stilts along the east side of Ketchikan Creek, just east of downtown, that was the town's red-light district from about 1903 to 1954. Dolly's House, a former brothel, is now a museum, and the Married Man's Trail climbs the hill above. The historic district joined the National Register of Historic Places in 2014.

Before you book

Check your berth on Visit Ketchikan's cruise calendar close to the day. It warns that assignments sometimes change at the last minute, and several operators only pick up at the downtown piers.
Tours can still be booked on the day at the Visitors Center on Berth 2 or at the kiosks on the docks, according to Visit Ketchikan.
Floatplane fares can depend on weight. Taquan Air adds $168 for guests who weigh 250 pounds or more clothed.

The operators

Ketchikan Duck Tours

from $79 per person

Ketchikan Duck Boat Cruise Tour

Length: 90 minutes (45 on land, 45 on water)
Age: All ages

No back-to-ship policy stated

Coast Guard certified amphibious vehicle

Check dates All details

Southeast Exposure

from $115 per person

Eagle Island Kayak and 2 more options

Length: About 210 minutes

No back-to-ship policy stated

Family owned and operated since 1986

Check dates All details

Southeast Sea Kayaks

from $179 per person

Orca Cove Kayak & Boat Tour

Length: 3 hours, including 1.5 to 1.75 hours kayaking
Group: Maximum 6 guests
Age: 5+

Back to ship: No guarantee stated; operator says no one has ever missed a cruise departure

Tours are not sold onboard cruise ships

Check dates All details

Taquan Air

from $329 per person

Misty Fjords Flightseeing

Length: About 1.75 hours including check-in; 60-minute flight

No back-to-ship policy stated

DeHavilland Beaver or Otter floatplanes

Check dates All details

Island Wings Air Service

from $395 per person

Misty Fjords Flightseeing Tour and 3 more options

Length: 2 hours plus about 15 minutes transfer each end; budget 2.5 hours

No back-to-ship policy stated

Floatplane dock about a 5-minute walk from Berths 1-3 and very close to Berth 4

Check dates All details

Head to head

Southeast Exposure vs Southeast Sea Kayaks

More shore excursions in Alaska

Juneau, Alaska from $65
Skagway, Alaska from $70
Sitka, Alaska from $125
Icy Strait Point (Hoonah), Alaska from $120
Seward, Alaska (embarkation port) from $129
Haines, Alaska from $111
Whittier, Alaska (embarkation port) from $110

Sources

Prices and policies come from each operator's own pages, read on October 22, 2026. Seasons, rules and local details come from the pages below.