Port of Ketchikan

Ketchikan has four Panamax-sized cruise ship berths, all on the downtown waterfront. The berths are numbered from south to north, and each has an adjacent float. The city's Port & Harbors page lists the port as home to four berths. The borough bus key lists a stop named for each berth.

Finding your berth

The city's port page (https://www.ketchikan.gov/port) links a 2026 cruise ship berthing calendar, updated 3 April 2026.

The bus stop at your berth

The borough's bus stop key puts a stop at every berth. Berth 1 is Salmon Landing and the Discovery Center. Berth 2 is the Visitors Bureau at Mission St. Berth 3 is Eagle Park. Berth 4 is Newtown, which is also where the Ward Cove Shuttle stops. In summer the schedule says the free downtown shuttle serves stops every 20 minutes, every day, as posted. The free zone runs roughly from Bryant Street to the Coast Guard Base. The fares page still showed 2025 dates for it, May 6 to September 27 daily and cruise ship days through October 28, so check the current dates before you count on a free ride.

The adult cash fare on the bus is $2.00. Exact change is required, drivers cannot make change, and credit cards and checks are not taken. A day pass costs $5.00, or $2.50 for youth, students and ages 60 and up, and is sold only in the Token Transit app. Transfers to the next bus in the same direction are free. The summer pickup at The Mill at Ward Cove is bus stop #171, as posted.

Across the Narrows to the airport

This section is for cruisers flying in or out. The airport ferry leaves 4171 Tongass Avenue on the quarter hours and leaves the airport side on the hour and half hour, every day. The first run leaves the Ketchikan side at 6:15 a.m. and the last run leaves the airport side at 9:30 p.m. In summer 2026 (May 18 to September 18) a second ferry ran Monday to Friday, 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., giving service every 15 minutes. Check the borough airport page (https://www.kgbak.us/147/Airport) for 2027 dates.

A one-way fare is $6.00 for age 12 and older and $3.00 for ages 6 to 11. Children 5 and under ride free. Keep the receipt, because it lets you take one return trip without charge on the same calendar day.

Sales tax on what you buy

The City of Ketchikan sales tax is 8.0% from April 1 to September 30. From October 1 to March 31 it is 5.5%.

Tour buses and the Dock Street zone

The city's tourism page links a notice titled "2026 Dock Street Tour Bus Zone Relocation". We have not read its contents, so check with your tour operator. For more information, the city's public vehicle permit page gives Port & Harbors at (907) 228-5632.

Ketchikan calls at the four berths

All four berths are on the downtown waterfront, and the borough bus has a stop at each one. WakeRadar's AIS tracking recorded 69 calls at Ketchikan across the date range shown above. That works out to about 5.4 a week. Princess Cruises came first. Tuesday is the busiest day. Arrivals run around 7:45 am to 12:30 pm.

How this page is made

Ship calls come from WakeRadar's AIS tracking (date range shown above). Facts were checked on 2026-10-26 against the sources below. Fares are the ones those pages showed on that date. The text is reviewed by the WakeRadar editor.

Sources

• https://www.ketchikan.gov/port
• https://www.ketchikan.gov/port-harbors
• https://www.ketchikan.gov/tourism
• https://www.ketchikan.gov/publicvehiclepermitandadditionalinformation
• https://www.kgbak.us/287/Fares
• https://www.kgbak.us/DocumentCenter/View/16185/Bus-Schedule-
• https://www.kgbak.us/147/Airport
• https://www.kgbak.us/449/Sales-Taxes