Private Ketchikan tour: customize your own itinerary

Build your own Ketchikan day around what you want to see

A private guided tour in Ketchikan designed around your interests, with a local guide who knows the special places and a 4-hour itinerary you shape together. The tour includes a walk through rainforest to Totem Bight State Historical Park, where you see a clan house and totem poles, plus wildlife viewing for black bears, harbor seals, salmon and bald eagles depending on what shows up. Hotel pickup is included; bottled water comes along.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore rainforest and wildlife

• Walk through rainforest to Clan House
• View totem poles and local Native culture
• Watch black bears and harbor seals
• Observe salmon swimming upstream
• Spot bald eagles hunting

The Experience

Ketchikan's best stops aren't on a fixed schedule here—you pick them. A local guide meets you at your hotel and takes you to Totem Bight State Historical Park, where a short easy walk through the rainforest leads to a clan house near the beach surrounded by totem poles that tell the story of the Native culture that built them. The walk is gentle enough for all fitness levels, and if you're traveling with infants or small children, a pram or stroller works fine on the path.

From there, the day opens up. Wildlife viewing is part of the itinerary—black bears in their natural habitat, harbor seals fishing from the creek, salmon swimming upstream, and bald eagles waiting to catch lunch—but what you actually see depends on what's moving that day. The guide knows where to look and when, and you're not locked into a van full of strangers or a rigid timeline. If something catches your eye, you stop. If the light is right for photos, you stay.

The whole tour runs 4 hours. Bottled water is included. The guide speaks English and handles all the driving, so you're free to watch the landscape and ask about the places you're passing through. This is a small, locally owned operation, which means the guide actually lives here and knows the stories behind what you're seeing—not just the facts, but the history.

What’s included

• Hotel pickup and drop-off.
• a local English-speaking guide for the full 4 hours.
• bottled water.

Good to know

Easy physical levelStroller friendlyInfant seats availablePets welcomePublic transport nearby

Operated by KETCHIKAN EXPEDITIONS LLC

Is this one for you?Choose this tour if you want to steer the day toward what actually interests you instead of following a set itinerary—the guide builds the route around your priorities, so you're not paying for stops you don't care about or rushing past the ones that matter.

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Top questions

What exactly is Totem Bight State Historical Park?

Totem Bight is a rainforest site near the beach where a clan house and numerous totem poles stand together, representing the Native culture and history of Ketchikan. The walk to reach it is short and easy, moving through the forest to the structures and the water beyond.

Will I definitely see bears and eagles on this tour?

Wildlife viewing is part of the itinerary—black bears, harbor seals, salmon and bald eagles are all present in the area—but what you see depends on what's active that day. The guide knows where to look and when, and will position you for the best chance, but the wildlife cooperates on its own schedule.

How does the customization work if I book this tour?

You tell the guide what interests you before the tour starts, and the 4-hour itinerary is built around those interests. Totem Bight is typically included, but the rest of the day—which stops, how long you stay, what you prioritize—is shaped by what you want to see and learn.

Is hotel pickup really included?

Yes, the guide picks you up at your hotel and handles all the driving for the 4 hours, so you don't need to arrange transportation or navigate to a meeting point.

Can I bring a baby or small child on this tour?

Yes, infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller, and specialized infant seats are available if you need one. The rainforest walk to Totem Bight is short and easy, suitable for all fitness levels.