Small-Group Zodiac Wilderness Adventure from Ketchikan
Recommended by 95% of travellers
Badge of Excellence
Ketchikan, USA
- 3 hours 30 minutes (approx.)
- Pickup offered
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Navigate a Zodiac boat in the Alaskan wilderness on this small-group tour limited to just four people. Cruise through rain-forest islands, into remote bays and inlets, and watch for wildlife including eagles, seals, whales and bears. Soak up the sights as each member of your group takes a turn at the boat’s console steering. This 3-hour guided tour includes a beachside snack, a boatman souvenir certificate and hotel transport from Ketchikan.
- 3-hour Zodiac adventure from Ketchikan
- Drive your own Zodiac boat along beautiful bays and past verdant rain-forest islands
- Follow your guide in search of wildlife such as whales, seals, eagles and bears
- Stop by a beach for a warm snack and drinks
- Commemorate your experience with an Alaskan boatman certificate
- Round-trip hotel transport and all equipment and apparel included
What's Included
- Professional guide
- Snacks and drinks
- Zodiac Gear: skiff suit, dry bags, boots, socks, gloves and life jacket
- Food and drinks, unless specified
- Gratuities
Meeting and Pickup
Pickup point
- Ketchikan Cruise Ship DocksKetchikan, AK 99901, USA
Pickup details
We will meet you at the departure time downtown Ketchikan on dock 2 at The Rain gauge next to the bronze statue of people called "The Rock" look for our vans logo'ed with Southeast Exposure letters or a representative holding the tour sign. Please keep your phone on or call us if you can't find us, (907)225-8829
Itinerary
Be the captain of your own Zodiac boat on this Alaskan adventure from Ketchikan. Choose a morning or afternoon departure for your 3-hour tour, which begins with convenient hotel pickup. Upon arrival at the launch site, receive a safety briefing and then climb aboard your Zodiac boat, 14 feet (4 meters) long, along with the others from your small group.
The boat comes equipped with console steering and can speed up to 29 mph (47 kph). During the 90-minute cruise, you’ll take turns at the wheel as the boat winds into inlets and secluded bays, and past rain forests. Pass rocky outcrops where orcas and humpbacks are known to surface, and explore streams teeming with salmon that attract black bears.
Your guide stops the Zodiac at a beachside spot for a snack break of cookies, tea and hot cocoa. On land, admire the beauty of your surroundings. Refueled, return sail to the launch site, and receive an Alaskan boatman certificate to remember your wilderness outing.
Your tour ends with transport back to your hotel in Ketchikan.
The boat comes equipped with console steering and can speed up to 29 mph (47 kph). During the 90-minute cruise, you’ll take turns at the wheel as the boat winds into inlets and secluded bays, and past rain forests. Pass rocky outcrops where orcas and humpbacks are known to surface, and explore streams teeming with salmon that attract black bears.
Your guide stops the Zodiac at a beachside spot for a snack break of cookies, tea and hot cocoa. On land, admire the beauty of your surroundings. Refueled, return sail to the launch site, and receive an Alaskan boatman certificate to remember your wilderness outing.
Your tour ends with transport back to your hotel in Ketchikan.
Ketchikan (Pass By)
1
Southeast Exposure Outdoor Adventure Center
3 hours • Admission Ticket Free
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking, unless booked within 12 hours of travel. In this case confirmation will be received as soon as possible, subject to availability
- Subject to favorable weather conditions. If canceled due to poor weather, you will be given the option of an alternative date or full refund.
- Minimum age is 8 years
- Wheelchair accessible
- All passenger weights MUST be advised at time of booking. Maximum weight per person is 350 lbs (159 kg).
- Boots, socks, gloves, skiff suit, waterproof bags and a life jacket are provided
- Service animals allowed
- Most travellers can participate
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 12 travellers
Supplied by
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveller Photos
Featured review
Sarah_P
We had a blast on our zodiac tour. Cade was an amazing guide. He is a local with a wealth of knowledge and experience in the area. He led us to beautiful places. We were able to see a huge sea lion, a spouting humpback whale, and several eagles. We also felt like we learned a lot about the place. It is a family run business that appears to care a lot about its employees as well as its customers.
Reviews
4.8
based on 64 reviews
Brian_L, May 2026
Had a great time the weather was great so it made for a nice ride. We saw eagles and seals. The guide was knowledgeable and gave great instructions
Matthew_L, May 2026
The zodiac tour was fantastic! Had a great time with my wife and got to drive our own boat.
Our tour guide Sara was knowledgeable (a local), accommodating and extremely personable.
We would highly recommend this tour and Sara for anyone interested in this type of adventure.
roberttilford, May 2026
Fast adventure fun in the open sea as always with trips like these its pot luck on what you see we saw porpose and seals
Paul_G, May 2026
Rose was our guide. She is very personal, intelligent and has a love of what she is doing. She is on her way to becoming a ship’s captain. She will be very successful.
joseph_c, May 2026
Tour guide was excellent. Pick up and drop off was easy. All staff were great! The boats were well maintained
Ralph_D, May 2026
We had a wonderful time. The weather was fantastic and our guide was amazing. She explained everything in detail and made things interesting with her local knowledge. We got to see wildlife such as sea lions, eagles, otters, ducks, and loons. We enjoy excursions that are less crowded and allow us privacy so this was right up our alley operating the zodiac boats was very simple. I would highly recommend this tour for people who want to explore on their own and like the outdoors and fresh air.
Nick, May 2026
Such an amazing experience to be so close to the water and wildlife! Got lucky with clear weather! Felt like a small personal exclusive excursion and Sarah was an amazing guide! Highly recommend.
Got lucky and saw some orcas, Eagles, and some deer! Be sure to look by the dock for the jellyfish
ToniHansen, May 2026
Don't bother reading the description. The listing says specifically that zodiac gear is provided: skiff suit, dry bags, boots, socks, gloves & life jacket.
In actuality,
a rain suit is available, but discouraged because the weather was clear,
there were no dry bags or socks,
when I inquired about gloves was handed a box of mismatched discards I could rummage through.
The experience itself...
You pilot your own zodiac which can be a pro or con, we were not thrilled as you have minimal interaction with the guide.
We saw an eagle's nest and an eagle perched on a sign. The guie pointed out several features in the distance.
The only thing of any real interest was an orca siting, but as it got close enough to see we had to leave.
Overall, not impressed
Jude_D, May 2026
Enjoy the outdoors. Operate a RIB in open water. Safe. Fun. Exhilarating. Cookies and cocoa afterwards.
Elizabeth_S, Oct 2025
Get ready for a great time. Lots of fun, fun, fun! Saw whales and porpoises. Jarod was a fabulous guide!
Rebecca_L, Sept 2025
Jared and his staff did a great job. I had like a private tour since it was end of the season. Saw humpback whales, star fish, and Harbor seals. Driving my own zodiac boat was a lot of fun and easy to do!
Stephanie_R, Sept 2025
Went in September. Rained on and off, and was windy. You will get wet and cold, but it was so much fun!
Laura_M, Sept 2025
Be prepared for weather. But even rain didn't dampen the experience. We didn't see whales on this one but there was plenty of wildlife we did see. I would happily take the excursion again.
KAREN_S, Sept 2025
Fun experience; great guide. It was Amazing to view whales coming to surface for their feeding routine. New life experience cruising and driving a zodiac in the Pacific Ocean!!
mandy_w, Sept 2025
We got to drive our own zodiac, and we followed our guide, Sarah, all over the lake to see a myriad of animals. We saw Stella sea lions, a bald eagle, but the best part was watching a humpback whale breach and frolic in front of us for at least 45 mins.
It was an extraordinary experience!
Kate_S, Sept 2025
Super fun and exciting day on the water. Andy was a great guide and worked hard to make sure we had a great time and saw as much as possible.
Candy_W, Aug 2025
We have a great time. It was so much more than we expected. Our guide was great he went above and beyond. We were able to see the whales up close.
Jules_V, Aug 2025
We had scheduled this excursion months ahead of our cruise. Finally, the day came, a beautiful sunny warm day, and we got to spend it on the sparkling waters near Ketchikan. We were picked up at "The Rock" (a statue near the Visitor's center on the cruise pier) & driven to the excursion's base (about 20 minute drive). We were given the opportunity to wear rain gear but we opted not to since it was so warm, though we did wear the waterproof boots. At the dock, we were given instructions by our tour guide, Andy, for operating the boat, the expected itinerary & loaded in the boats. Away we went! We went to Eagle Island to see the bald eagles, saw a seal & then went cruising around the nearby islands to locate other wildlife. Andy offered botanical and wildlife information as we came to points of interest. The salmon had started their migration north and tides were high, so wildlife wasn't as plentiful as we had hoped - saw sea lions, birds & fishing jumping. Still, it was a beautiful day on the water with wonderful scenery. We were on the water for 2+ hours & then returned to the docks for the drive back to town. Overall, a wonderful day!
Sheila_M, Aug 2025
Cade was the best guide every. He explained everything and made sure everyone was safe and had a good experience. Miss. Betty's cookies were wonderful.
Glenn_P, Aug 2025
Excellent tour. Andy was the guide and was very informative. Toured around the islands in a zodiac. Highly recommend this tour.
Gillian_S, Aug 2025
We had so much fun yesterday. Andy was amazing and a fantastic guide. We saw sea lions, seals, bald eagles, bald eagle nest. They even gave us homemade chocolate chip cookies when we took a break.
Ron_M, Aug 2025
A unique action packed adventure, tailor- made by our homespun guide, Cade. He was knowledgeable, fun and sincerely excited to show us around his home bay. Got wet enough to prove we had tons of fun. Couldn't have picked a better excursion.
Sarah_P, Jul 2025
We had a blast on our zodiac tour. Cade was an amazing guide. He is a local with a wealth of knowledge and experience in the area. He led us to beautiful places. We were able to see a huge sea lion, a spouting humpback whale, and several eagles. We also felt like we learned a lot about the place. It is a family run business that appears to care a lot about its employees as well as its customers.
Carlos_E, Jul 2025
It was Way more than I expected!!
Everything was better than in was hoping for
Thanks for the experience
MariaCorina_C, Jul 2025
We had an awesome time on our shore excursion in Alaska! Driving our own small boat was so fun, and the views were absolutely stunning. Every turn revealed beautiful mountains and coastline.
Our guide was great, super friendly, and full of fun facts. This trip was definitely a highlight of our Alaska adventure. We loved every minute of it!
Love_H, Jul 2025
This tour was much better than expected. The tour guide was very professional and shared great information about the area.
Joseph_G, Jul 2025
It was beyond my expectations. Weather was not cooperative. We had to do less areas but overall it was fantastic and HIGHLY recommended it. Our tour guide was also amazing. Very patient with all of us.
Sarah_H, Jul 2025
Rusty was great - kids had a blast! Saw seals and eagles and learned a lot about the area! Super fun - all gear supplied!
Dan_R, Jun 2025
Great experience, bit of rainy day but we had an awesome guide. Zodiacs were fun to drive and the scenery is beautiful.
Shawna_G, Jun 2025
Beautiful scenery and knowledge about the area! Great time. Got to see eagles and seals! Just missed the whales coming through. The views made up for it.
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