Canonical page: /p/united-states/ketchikan/ Collected: 2026-10-18 JSON: /p/united-states/ketchikan/index.json [Ports](/ports/) United States # Ketchikan [About the port](/p/united-states/ketchikan/)[Timetable](/p/united-states/ketchikan/timetable/2026-10/) Getting ashore Downtown berths or outlying Ward Cove Ward Cove transport Free shuttle; add waiting time Town focus Creek Street and local museums Currency [US dollar - USD](https://www.xe.com/currencyconverter/?Amount=1&From=USD) ![Cruise ship docked at the Ketchikan waterfront, with shops, people, and forested mountain behind.](/port-photos/ketchikan-360.jpg?v=3640928360d0) ## Getting ashore: downtown or Ward Cove? [Ketchikan](https://www.cruisemapper.com/ports/ketchikan-port-409) calls use either the downtown waterfront berths or Ward Cove, outside the centre. Check your ship's berth before choosing an excursion meeting point. From a downtown berth you can explore on foot. From Ward Cove, allow for transport first: [the port operator](https://wardcoveak.com/schedules/) provides a complimentary shuttle to downtown Berth IV and quotes about 20 minutes driving each way. Add waiting and walking time, especially when several ships are in. ## A manageable first visit Start at the visitor information centre and pick up a walking map. Follow the waterfront towards the welcome arch and Creek Street, the boardwalk district beside Ketchikan Creek. Its colourful buildings recall the town's early commercial and entertainment history. Allow roughly two to three hours for a downtown loop with a museum or café stop, then add your journey to and from the ship. Creek Street is not immediately beside the Ward Cove gangway. ## Totems and local history The [Tongass Historical Museum and Totem Heritage Center](https://www.ketchikan.gov/museums) provide useful context beyond the souvenir shops. The museum is on Dock Street; the heritage centre is on Deermount Street and is a separate walk. Choose one if time is short. Ketchikan is on the ancestral lands of the Tlingit, and these are living cultures rather than simply a collection of old carvings. Check each venue's current hours, admission and any combined ticket before setting off. ## Totem parks need another journey Totem Bight and Saxman are different destinations outside the downtown walking circuit. If a totem park is your priority, arrange a tour or check the borough transit route and return timetable. Do not assume a free downtown shuttle serves every attraction. Ask how much guided interpretation is included and what walking is involved. Combine a park with a short town visit only when your call leaves room for both transfers and the return queue. ## Misty Fjords and other excursions A boat trip or flightseeing excursion to Misty Fjords can be a memorable main outing, but it takes a different block of time from a town walk. Compare the full duration, departure location, weather cancellation terms and accessibility. Check whether a Ward Cove booking collects at the port or requires you to travel downtown first. For flights, follow the operator's baggage and weight requirements. Keep an alternative plan in town in case weather changes the excursion. ## Rain, food and shopping Bring a waterproof layer and shoes with grip; wet boardwalks and sloping streets can be slippery. A seafood meal, chowder or a café stop provides a useful indoor break. Check menu prices and additional tax or service charges. If buying Alaska Native art, ask who made it and where, rather than assuming every item in a local shop was made locally. US dollars and cards are the usual payment choices. ## The return matters at Ward Cove Ask for the last shuttle back to your particular ship before leaving the port. Save the downtown pickup location and allow a generous queue margin: arriving at Berth IV is not the same as reaching your gangway at Ward Cove. Do not base the plan on a perfect 20-minute drive. Keep the ship's all-aboard time, excursion contact and map downloaded. For a downtown berth, check the berth number as well as the ship's name. Emergency number: 911. ## Accessibility & mobility Confirm gangway and shuttle lift or ramp arrangements with the ship or Ward Cove operator. Ask about vehicle capacity and any boarding wait. Downtown includes wet boardwalks, kerbs and gradients. The Totem Heritage Center, museum and totem parks have different routes and facilities; check the specific visit in advance. Small excursion boats and floatplanes need separate access checks. Plan your call ## Who's in port? 744 calls in the collected schedule. [View timetable](/p/united-states/ketchikan/timetable/2026-10/) ## Maps & transport - [Official Ketchikan visitor mapsOpen Maps for downtown and island orientation ↗](https://www.visitktn.com/) - [Ward Cove shuttle informationSave the current return pickup instructions before leaving the port ↗](https://wardcoveak.com/schedules/) ## Useful links - [CruiseMapper: Ketchikan port informationPrimary port background, terminal overview, map and cruise calendar; confirm your berth with the ship ↗](https://www.cruisemapper.com/ports/ketchikan-port-409) - [Ward Cove shuttle and scheduleOperator's complimentary shuttle, downtown endpoint and approximate drive time ↗](https://wardcoveak.com/schedules/) - [Ketchikan visitor informationOfficial visitors bureau maps, attractions and information centres ↗](https://www.visitktn.com/) - [City museumsTongass Historical Museum and Totem Heritage Center addresses and cultural context ↗](https://www.ketchikan.gov/museums)