All About Alaska: Ketchikan's Must-Do Experiences: Excursions, Food, Drinks, & Top Hotel Choice

Small Ship Cruise Talk

Let’s explore Ketchikan, Alaska! We share our experience visiting multiple times, including overnight stays in this southern Alaskan city, often called the gateway to Alaska. From local dining (do not miss our #1 recommendation for where to dine), cultural experiences, and outdoor activities, by the end of the episode, you’ll have a plethora of valuable insights and a comprehensive guide to Ketchikan's attractions and local spots.

Helpful articles:

• Top Activities in Ketchikan with a Useful Area Info & Map, which includes where we ate, drank, and our hotel. Where the Eagle Walks tours and more can be found here.
• Celebrity Edge in Alaska: 12 Vital Things to Know for a Dawes Glacier Cruise.
• Our Experience on Alaskan Dream Cruises Inside Passage Sojourn.
• We share insights into some luxury cruise options in Alaska and compare large and small ships. (Stay tuned for another episode when we deep dive into this topic!)
• The most amazing binoculars, which we would ALWAYS bring to Alaska.
• You’ll find the binoculars and other must-pack items in our easy-to-access Alaska Packing List on Amazon.

Click a link below to book one of the Top Things to Do in Ketchikan that we recommend:

• 🧊 Visit our Viator shop to see a curated list of our Alaska excursion recommendations, including Snorkel Alaska, the Great Alaskan Lumberjack Show, Misty Fjords National Monumen

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©2025 Small Ship Cruise Talk. All rights reserved. May contain affiliate links. Some trips have been hosted. All opinions are our own.

Chapters

1. Exploring Ketchikan: An Introduction (00:00:00)

2. Ketchikan Essentials: Geography, Weather & Cruise Ship Docking Locations (00:03:08)

3. Two Ways You Can Get to Ketchikan (& a One Way We Don’t Recommend) (00:05:35)

4. Top 10 Things to Do in Ketchikan (00:06:40)

5. The Best Hotel in Ketchikan (00:20:47)

6. Where to Eat and Drink Like a Local in Ketchikan (00:23:33)

7. Ketchikan is Well Worth Your Time and Vacation Dollars (00:27:34)