Ketchikan - Where Men and Salmon Head Upstream
- Work To Wonders
- Mar 7
- 2 min read
Updated: Mar 8
The history of the Alaskan old rush is pretty much everywhere in Alaskan ports. You can see it in both the architecture and the souvenirs on sale. Nowhere is that more prevalent than Ketchikan.
When you arrive, you'll notice that it's a small, but smart frontier town, with a very pretty marina, which we heartily recommend you visit.
However, its main attraction is Creek Street: a former red light district that flanks a river filled with salmon and the odd seal. This place has retained its original buildings (with some restoration), including the infamous Dolly's House, a former brothel, which still maintains the bawdy and cheeky signage from 'back in the day', and where the guide is dressed as gold rush madam.
Of course, the souvenirs are a little over-priced, and are geared towards hunting and fishing. Of course, like all the Alaskan ports, its Native American history is front and centre (as it should be). However, Ketchikan is made truly unique by Creek Street, which is a blast from an immoral past that reminds us that not all the money made during the gold rush was legitimate.
How to get there
There is an airport, but North American aviation is very expensive by comparison to Europe or Asia. It's also possible to get there by road. However, the best way to reach Ketchikan is by sea on an Alaska cruise. There are multiple lines that provide cruises in the Alaskan Inside Passage. Our suggestion is to choose your line by price, date, ports of call and the facilities you will need.
Alaskan cruises mostly leave from Vancouver, Canada or Seattle, USA. Vancouver appears to have the cheaper flights from the UK, but these are still pretty expensive.
Cruise ships dock downtown and everything is within walking distance, so there is no need to take a cruise ship tour.
How we did it
We flew from Reykjavik, Iceland with IcelandAir to Vancouver, and back via Toronto with WestJet. They are budget carriers, so don't expect luxury.
We cruised with Royal Caribbean on the Brilliance of the Seas. It was a family-oriented ship and a little on the old side, but the crew were fantastic.
Our Top Tips
We were blessed with warmth, sunlight and no rain for most of our cruise. This is not normal for Alaska cruises. Make sure you have a waterproof jacket and shoes. Rain is likely and can come with little notice.
Head to Creek Street first, and then double-back through the marina to the cruise port, which is mostly free of tourists, and where you will get a little peace and quiet before boarding the ship.
Make sure when buying souvenirs that you buy something that you can both take on the ship and on your flight home. We saw Native American knives for sale that we are not sure can be taken on either.
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