Ketchikan Cruise Port
Ketchikan, United States · Alaska
Cruise ship docks at Berth 2 — Downtown Central, Ketchikan.
Excellent DIY port — downtown berths drop you into the shopping and sightseeing zone, and most highlights are walkable
Small downtown-dock cruise port with Creek Street, totem parks and easy DIY options for Alaska's First City.
Port summary
Ketchikan has three downtown berths (Berths 1-3) plus Ward Cove, Norwegian's dedicated dock 8 km north. Downtown berths walk off directly into the shopping strip; Ward Cove needs the line-provided shuttle. The town is famously rainy — bring a waterproof layer.
Cruise docks
🚢 Berth 2 — Downtown Central
The central downtown cruise berth, directly in front of the Ketchikan Visitors Bureau and the tour kiosks. Most passengers walk off here straight into the Front Street shopping strip.
📍 Latitude: 55.340847, Longitude: -131.647249
See dock on port map →🚢 Berth 4 — Downtown North
The northernmost downtown berth at the Bar Harbor North cruise dock. About three minutes on foot from the Visitors Bureau and Berth 2 down the seawalk.
📍 Latitude: 55.344043, Longitude: -131.656077
See dock on port map →🚢 Berth 3 — Downtown South
The southernmost downtown berth at the Spruce Mill dock. Steps away from the Great Alaskan Lumberjack Show and the Southeast Alaska Discovery Center.
📍 Latitude: 55.342711, Longitude: -131.651662
See dock on port map →🚢 Ward Cove Dock
Norwegian Cruise Line's dedicated dock 8 km north of downtown. Passengers reach town via the complimentary NCL shuttle bus. Confirm the last shuttle time before heading into Ketchikan.
📍 Latitude: 55.403308, Longitude: -131.729355
See dock on port map →Getting to Ketchikan
From the cruise terminal to the city centre
Downtown berths 1-3 drop you on the waterfront — Creek Street, shops and the Visitors Bureau are all within a block
📍 Step directly off the ship onto Front Street or the Berth 2 plaza
Norwegian runs a complimentary shuttle from Ward Cove to downtown; other lines occasionally run paid shuttles to Saxman or Totem Bight
📍 Cruise-line shuttle stop at the Ward Cove dock plaza
Ketchikan taxis accept cards; a round trip to Totem Bight runs around $60-80 and Saxman is cheaper
📍 Taxi rank on Front Street beside Berth 2
"The Bus" Silver Line runs north to Totem Bight area and south to Saxman — cheap but infrequent and cash-only
📍 Ketchikan Gateway Borough Transit stops on Main Street and Mill Street, one block from Berth 2
Map & things to do
Money & payments
Cards are fine almost everywhere — keep a few singles for tips and the public bus
Things to do
Saxman Totem Park
⭐ Highlight
World's largest collection of standing totem poles with a working carving shed and clan house
🕐 Mid-morning when the carving shed is active
Totem Bight State Historical Park
⭐ Highlight
State park of 14 restored totems and a reconstructed Tlingit clan house on a forested point
🕐 Any time — park is rarely crowded even on peak days
Creek Street
Short stop⭐ Highlight
Ketchikan's iconic wooden boardwalk on stilts over the creek — galleries, cafés and salmon in season
🕐 Morning before shuttle groups arrive
Married Man's Trail
Short stop🚶 Walk
Short wooded trail from Creek Street up the hillside — the historic escape route from the brothels
🕐 Morning when the trail is quietest
Deer Mountain Hatchery & Eagle Center
Short stop🎯 Activity
Working salmon hatchery and eagle-rehab centre a short walk from Creek Street
🕐 July through September during the salmon return
Great Alaskan Lumberjack Show
🎯 Activity
Family-friendly log-rolling, axe-throwing and speed-climbing show two blocks from the cruise dock
🕐 Book the earliest or latest showtime to avoid the midday crowd
Misty Fjords Seaplane Tour
🎯 Activity
Two-hour floatplane tour over 890,000 hectares of cliff-walled fjords with a water landing
🕐 Mid-morning when weather is usually clearest
Dolly's House Museum
Short stop🏛️ Museum
Former Creek Street red-light house preserved as a museum of Ketchikan's gold-rush-era underworld
🕐 Visit as part of a Creek Street walk
Totem Heritage Center
Short stop🏛️ Museum
Indoor collection of 19th-century totem poles rescued from abandoned Tlingit and Haida villages
🕐 Early afternoon after Creek Street to avoid backtracking
Southeast Alaska Discovery Center
Short stop🏛️ Museum
USFS centre on the Tongass rainforest, native cultures and Southeast Alaska ecology
🕐 Any time — excellent rainy-day backup, roomy enough even on five-ship days
Ketchikan Creek Fish Ladder
Short stop📸 Viewpoint
Wooden fish-ladder viewing platform above Ketchikan Creek — busy with salmon July-September
🕐 Late July through mid-September during the salmon run
Deer Mountain Trail
🌿 Nature
Strenuous 4.8 km climb from downtown to a subalpine summit with sweeping Tongass views
🕐 Early in the day so you are back well before all-aboard
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Plan my day →Frequently asked questions
- Where does my cruise ship dock in Ketchikan?
- Your ship docks at one of the cruise terminals in Ketchikan, United States. The specific berth is assigned by the port a few days before arrival.
- Can I walk from the cruise port into Ketchikan?
- Yes. Ketchikan is walkable from the cruise port — many cruisers reach the city centre on foot.
- How do I get from the cruise port to Ketchikan centre?
- Typical options include On foot, Shuttle bus, Taxi, Local bus. Durations and costs are listed in the transport section above.
- How much time do I need in Ketchikan?
- Plan for at least 4 hours ashore to see Ketchikan independently and return to the ship with a safe buffer.
- What currency is used in Ketchikan and are cards accepted?
- Ketchikan uses the US Dollar. Carry some cash for markets, taxis, and smaller vendors — cards aren't accepted everywhere.
- Is there Wi-Fi at the cruise port?
- Free Wi-Fi is available at the Ketchikan cruise terminal.
- When should I be back at the ship?
- Cruise lines usually require all passengers on board about 30 minutes before scheduled departure. Confirm the exact all-aboard time on your daily programme.