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Alaska - Ketchikan

ports ketchikan aerial ahoy 200There are four docks right in the centre of town, where cruise ships berth. Smaller ships sometimes dock a mile south of town. The Airport is about 30 min away from where cruise ships dock and the journey include a ferry ride. There are tourist shops right outside and the city has an excellent public bus system. There are buses from the port to downtown Ketchikan that are free in summer months, and the rest of the bus routes will take you to most of the tourist spots for 1 USD per ticket.

 
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Local Information

The local currency is the American dollar and money exchange is mostly done by withdrawing cash from ATMs. The local bank would only exchange your British pounds to US dollars if you open an account with them. Getting cash from ATMs would be no problem, just make sure you are aware of any fees your bank may charge you and make sure you have notified them you would be spending time abroad. Opening hours in Ketchikan are quite standard, the tourist attractions are open Monday – Friday 9 am to 5.30 pm in summer and 8 am – 5 pm in winter. Some are closed during the winter months. Do familiarise yourself with the working times if you are visiting in winter and don’t assume everything would be working, as the weather conditions are quite harsh. There are also some public American holidays, as well as local ones. Tipping in Ketchikan would be the same as in any other American city - as a rule, you should tip any service staff. Many of them are paid low hourly rates and rely heavily on tips. Between 15 and 20% of the bill at a restaurant is considered normal but beware that some establishments include it in your bill, especially for larger groups. Hotel staff should also be tipped about a dollar per bag for the bellboy and about 2 USD per day for the housekeeper. Taxi drivers and spa saloon staff expects between 10% and 20% of the bill, if the service has been exceptional, feel free to leave more. Bartenders expect about a dollar per drink, more if the place is more upscale, and tour guides anything from 15 to 20%, depending on the length and the size of the group.The local time in Ketchikan is GMT – 8 and the international dialling code is 00 1 907.

Things To Do

ports ketchikan totems ahoy 200Ketchikan is famous with the largest collection of totem poles in the world and you can see at various locations in and around the town. At Totem Heritage centre you can see the largest collection of original 19th century totem poles. There is more at Totem Bight State Park, at Saxman native village, at Potlatch Park, at Totem Heritage centre, and about a dozen of them in downtown Ketchikan. You can learn more about totems and Alaska-native art at Totem Pole History and Legends centre.

A must-see around Ketchikan is the Misty Fjords National Monument – for all things Alaska can offer. You can explore the “The Mistys” by a floatplane for an eagle’s eye view, or from a boat. Everywhere you look there is a picture opportunity – the waterfalls, snow peaks, glacial valleys, icy blue lakes. ports ketchikan brown bear ahoy 200Spot bears, bald eagles, Sitka deer, mountain goat, orcas, Dall’s porpoises.

Admire the wild vistas of the largest intact temperate rainforest in the world that surrounds the Inside Passage – Tongass National Forest. Apart from seeing bears, eagles, whales, sea otters and spawning salmon, you can also take a sledge-dog ride on a glacier, follow one of the boardwalk trails, fish in the streams or just admire the fascinating wild Alaska and breath the pure fresh air.

There is more to do in Ketchikan itself as well – take a stroll through historic Creek street – not an actual street, but an antique boardwalk on wooden pilings over Ketchikan Creek, home to restaurants, quirky ports ketchikan creek street ahoy 200shops, the Dolly’s House Museum, as well as some of the best salmon viewing areas in town. This was once the Red-light district of Ketchikan, with over 20 brothels, welcoming Alaskan men, looking for illegally smuggled liquor from Canada and some female company. Today this is the prime shopping area of Ketchikan, where you can bag some local arts and crafts from the friendly and chatty shop owners to take home. Don’t miss the Married man’s trail, the Salmon Ladder, Stedman Bridge or take the Funicular up to Fox Creek Lodge.

 

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