Ketchikan: Zodiac Boat Adventure & Cannery Tour with Craft Beer

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Free cancellationExcellent quality

1/10

Duration3h 30m

GroupPrivate

LanguagesEN

PickupAt your hotel

Ride your own Zodiac through George Inlet fjords then taste Alaska’s craft beer

You’ll steer your own Zodiac boat through George Inlet’s wild fjords near Ketchikan, spot wildlife with a local guide, walk rainforest trails to a historic cannery, and end with Alaskan craft beer or soda plus snacks. Expect laughter, cold spray on your face, and moments that stick long after you dry off.

3h 30m

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Ketchikan and George Inlet

Tour historic downtown Ketchikan
Drive past totem poles and Saxman Village
View Tongass Narrows coastline
Arrive at Beaver Falls Salmon Cannery
Walk rainforest trail to Zodiac
Attend Zodiac safety briefing
Wear rain gear and life jacket
Captain Zodiac through George Inlet Fjords
Observe wildlife and scenery
Return to cannery
Enjoy craft beer or soda and snack

The Experience

Li handed me a bright orange rain jacket before I’d even finished my coffee. “You’ll want this,” she said, and winked at the sky like she knew something I didn’t. The van ride from downtown Ketchikan was louder than I expected — not from us, but from the gulls swirling over the Tongass Narrows. We passed Saxman Native Village, all those totem poles standing in the drizzle, and Li pointed out a carved bear that looked grumpy about the weather. I tried to say “Gunalchéesh” (thank you) when we reached Beaver Falls Salmon Cannery, but Li laughed — probably butchered it.

The walk down to the water felt like stepping into a different world. Everything smelled like cedar and wet moss, and my boots squished on the trail. At the dock, our guide Mike gave us a quick safety talk — he had that calm Alaskan way of talking, like nothing could surprise him anymore. Then we climbed into these stubby little Zodiacs (I was nervous about driving one, honestly). The engine sputtered to life and suddenly we were bouncing across George Inlet with spray hitting my face and wind whipping past my ears. For a second I forgot about everything else except how cold my hands were gripping the wheel.

We followed Mike’s boat along the edge of Mahoney Falls — he slowed so we could see where the glacier used to carve out this massive bowl in the mountain. It’s hard to describe how quiet it got out there, except for our engines and an eagle somewhere overhead. Someone spotted seals hauled up on a rock; I missed them because I was too busy staring at all that green meeting gray water. After maybe ninety minutes (who was counting?), we steered back toward shore with everyone grinning like kids who’d gotten away with something.

Back at the cannery, Li handed out tiny glasses of 49th state craft beers — or sodas if you wanted — plus snacks that tasted way better than they looked (sorry Li). My hair was still damp under the hood but I didn’t care. The whole thing felt raw and real in a way I didn’t expect from a day trip near Ketchikan. Sometimes you just need to drive your own boat through wild water to remember what fresh air feels like, you know?

What’s included

Your day includes private van transport from downtown Ketchikan past Saxman Native Village to Beaver Falls Salmon Cannery.
all rain gear and safety equipment.
time driving your own Zodiac boat through George Inlet.
plus snacks and a flight of local 49th state craft beers or sodas before heading back.

Good to know

Moderate physical level

Operated by Ketchikan AdventureVue