Private Tour: Rainforest, Wildlife, Waterfalls, Totem Poles...
Description
Explore Ketchikan with a private tour designed for all ages, where your family and friends are the only guests in the tour van. Enjoy comfort, flexibility, and a relaxed pace. Giving you the freedom to focus on what interests you most. Every stop on our tour is chosen for its genuine connection to Ketchikan’s rainforest, coastline, wildlife, and history. You’ll explore places shaped by nature, not created for show, giving you a clear sense of what makes this place special. Our goal is to create an experience that is fun, friendly, authentic, and unscripted—like exploring Alaska with a local friend. Wildlife sightings are never guaranteed. What we can guarantee is taking you to the same beautiful spots that we as locals visit that offer the best chance of seeing wildlife.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Experience the thrill of wildlife with the chance to see bears, bald eagles, salmon, and seals! This open grassy field and creek, attracts a variety of wildlife to this location! Please note the diversity of wildlife will vary depending on time of season.
Capture stunning photos and videos of a beautiful waterfall just steps away from where you exit the van! Plus, step inside our lush rainforest for more spectacular views and vantage points of this waterfall!
Discover the diverse tide pools along the coastal inner passage, where you may spot purple and orange starfish, crabs, sea anemones, sea urchins, sea cucumbers, and more! Chance to also see eagles in the trees, seals in the ocean, and with a little bit of luck a whale passing through. The variety of wildlife will change with the tide levels. When the season is right, you can also pick and enjoy the wild edible berries in this location! (rocky and sandy terrain)
Discover the charm of Herring Bay Village, home to the enchanting Native Totem Park and the masterful Bifrost Blacksmithing. Begin your journey at the Native Totem Park, where an engaging guide will unveil the rich stories behind these stunning works of art, illuminating their cultural significance and beauty. Next, witness the artistry at Bifrost Blacksmithing, where skilled blacksmiths Jake and Joron meticulously hand-forge their exquisite knives. Crafted in Ketchikan from recycled steel and elegantly complemented by handles made from the antlers of Sitka black-tailed deer, these knives are not just tools – they are unique pieces of art that embody craftsmanship and tradition. Don't miss the opportunity to experience this exceptional blend of artistry and heritage! Entry into this privately owned location, which includes the Totem Park and blacksmiths is $10 per person(ages 12 and under $5)upon arrival.
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
Where to meet Pick up instructions for ships docked in Downtown Ketchikan All guests will be picked up in front of their cruise ship 10 minutes prior to the selected tour time. Your guide will be waiting in front of your ship, holding a sign that reads Emerald Forest Tours. Drop off is back to your ship or anywhere in town you wish! Pick up instructions for ships docked at Ward Cove Ships that are docked at Ward Cove. All guests exiting the Cruise ship at Ward Cove will enter a large red brick building. Once inside the building you will see a large sign hanging down that reads Tour Departures . Your guide will be waiting there with a sign that reads Emerald Forest Tours. Drop off will be back to Ward Cove after your tour.
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Reviews(151)
We booked the Wildlife, Watefalls and Totem Poles tour and we could not have been more pleased! The excursion was a bit pricey, but just having a private tour with just myself, wife and the guide was just perfect. Our guide was Leanne and she was just awesome. She tried to find us some bears, but they were not accommodating. She took us to a spot where there were at least 25-28 eagles in a tree! This was a great photo op for seeing eagles as they just perched in the tree and waited for fish to be tossed on the beach, then we watched as they flew down in hopes of getting fish. Along the way we saw otters and a black tailed dear. A stop to The Herring Bay Totem Park, where saw some Totem Poles and listening to Leanne tell the stories behind them was great. We also saw a Totem Pole that was in the carving process and was able to talk to Totem carver and ask questions about it. She took us to a waterfall for a few pictures, then we had to start heading back. As we were going back to town we got an added extra bonus as we were able to pull over in time to see a humpback whale do a bubble net feed!! So cool! We were truly blessed, our guide Leanne and this excursion was priceless!
Outstanding tour. Our guide, Hans, called onsite to meet, was super friendly and had extensive knowledge of the area having lived there for 15 yrs. Our journey took us to everything advertised - eagles, bear, bonus deer sighting, totems, sawmill and blacksmith shop and a trip to the shore to see some marine life. Highlight was the waterfall. Our group of 6 all have some level of hiking experience from moderate to very skilled. Since we were all wearing the appropriate gear Hans guided us up to get some beautiful photos and then safely back down. Highly recommemd!
Thank you for your wonderful review! We’re thrilled to hear that you enjoyed your tour with Hans and that he was able to provide such an informative and friendly experience. It’s great to know that you were able to see all the advertised sights and enjoy the highlight of the waterfall. We appreciate your recommendation and hope to welcome you back for another adventure in the future!
Bianca is just an amazing human! The visit to the tidal pool was such a simple pleasure with Bianca pointing out treasures I would have missed. Two eagles put on a spectacular performance that Bianca was able to capture on video. The hike was short but wonderful! Would definitely recommend!
Thank you so much — Bianca will love this. We’re glad the tidal pools, the eagles, and the short hike all made your visit special. We appreciate the recommendation and hope to see you again.
Leanne was an amazing guide with Emerald Forest Tours! She was knowledgeable, kind, and incredibly adaptable throughout our tour. She even took us through a part of the forest she doesn't normally visit, which made the experience feel unique and memorable. Along the way, she taught us so much about the forest and the local ecosystem, and it was clear how much she loves sharing her knowledge. What made the tour truly special was Leanne herself. She was warm, relatable, and connected with everyone in our group, regardless of age. Her enthusiasm and genuine kindness made the experience both fun and educational. She went above and beyond to make sure we had a great time, and our tour ended up being one of the highlights of our trip to Ketchikan. I highly recommend Emerald Forest Tours, and if you get Leanne as your guide, you're in for a fantastic experience!
Thank you so much for this wonderful feedback. We’re thrilled Leanne made your time in the forest such a highlight — her warmth, knowledge, and flexibility truly shine through. We’re grateful you chose to spend part of your trip with us.
Our tour with Bianca was wonderful. We have a 3 year old and a six year old, and Bianca did a great job tailoring our tour to their interest levels. We would highly recommend Bianca and the 3 hour private tour
We had a private tour of Ketchikan for our family of 9. It was a great experience and we had beautiful weather. Our guide Bianca was great she was able to show us many different wildlife and give us a lot of cool information about this beautiful city. We saw eagles, whales, bears and seals and even caught some berries. We had plenty of time to do everything and had the option to be dropped off in downtown to see more things before our cruise left. Highly recommend and hope to come back again to explore more.
Thank you for the wonderful review — we’re so glad your family had such a great day. Bianca will be thrilled to hear you enjoyed the wildlife, the sunshine, and the pace of the tour. Seeing eagles, whales, bears, seals and finding berries is an unforgettable lineup.
Bianca was outstanding! She made our trip. She never gave up on us finding a bear and she did not disappoint. We actually named him Bruin to represent Boston. We loved all her knowledge and highly recommend!!! You will not be disappointed.
Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We’re thrilled to hear that Bianca made your trip memorable. We appreciate your kind words about her knowledge and dedication. We look forward to welcoming you back in the future!
We had such a wonderful time with our guide, Bianca! She was informative and so much fun. Thanks to her knowledge, we learned all about Ketchikan's history and thanks to her persistence we saw TWO BEAR CUBS!! We will definitely be calling her anytime we can return.
Thank you so much for your kind words! We’re thrilled to hear that you enjoyed your time with Bianca and that she was able to share Ketchikan’s history with you. Seeing the bear cubs must have been an unforgettable experience! We look forward to the opportunity to guide you again in the future.
Fabulous tour with Hans! He was so informative and a fun guide. We enjoyed the sawmill & totem park, and LOVED the short waterfall hike. We all enjoyed our time exploring and would absolutely take a tour with him again. Thank you!
Thank you so much 😊 it was great meeting you and everyone in the group and best wishes to you all!
Bianca was a great tour guide. She made the tour a great experience and made us feel welcomed. The tour was simple but was well worth our time. Also being a private tour allowed us to make changes and reallocate our time to things we wanted to see.
Thank you for your wonderful review! We’re thrilled to hear that Bianca made your tour experience enjoyable and welcoming. We strive to provide personalized and flexible tours, and it’s great to know that the private nature of your tour allowed you to tailor it to your interests. We hope to have the opportunity to guide you again in the future!
