Ketchikan Zodiac Boat Adventure

Recommended by 97% of travelers

Badge of Excellence

Ketchikan, USA

Popular pick

Booked 10+ times last week!

3 hours (approx.)
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

Why travelers loved this

4.9

· Brooke_F ·

Jun 2026

This was such a fun experience. They provide boots and water resistant coveralls and jackets. It was beautiful on the water last week. We got a little chilly but loved it. The boats zoom fast and you get a different perspective of Alaska! We saw tons of eagles and seals. The guide was great. Would 10/10 recommend this excursion!

· Julie_M ·

Jun 2026

Great excursion booked independent of cruise. Excellent guides, all gear provided (waterproof overalls, jacket, life vest, boots, gloves), zodiac boat for the two of us. Visited island where numerous seals were hanging out, and another island where we saw several bald eagles in trees. Highlight excursion! Highly recommend.

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Overview

Hop into a military-grade inflatable boat for the ride of your life and take the wheel if you dare. You’ll follow a lead boat captained by a guide who’ll take you to some of the best places in the water for wildlife spotting, from seals and sea lions to bald eagle nests and humpback whales. Speed along island coastlines on a 3-hour excursion you’ll never forget.

Be in with a chance to spot a range of incredible Alaskan wildlife
Drive your own boat or just hang on for the ride
Tour leader will take you off the beaten track, so to speak
Great for adventure-seekers

What's Included

Private transportation
Rain Bibs, Jackets, Gloves & Boots Provided
Coffee and/or Tea

Hot Chocolate, Coffee or Tea upon return.

Bring a Warm Hat & Sunglasses

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

Sockeye Sam's
425 Water St, Ketchikan, AK 99901, USA
We meet all guests at the Visitor Information/Restrooms building on the pier next to Sockeye Sam's store at cruise berth 3. 425 Water Street Ketchikan, AK 99901. We are there with a Yellow sign "Ketchikan Zodiac Boat Adventure" 15 minutes before departure time.

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

What To Expect

Creek Street

Saxman Tribal House

Inside Passage

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Not wheelchair accessible
Near public transportation
Not recommended for travelers with back problems

Not recommended for pregnant travelers
No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
Most travelers can participate
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 12 travelers

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Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Gallery picture 1 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 2 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 3 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 4 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 5 (from a traveler's review)

Featured review

James_P

This excursion was so memorable. Even though we didn’t see any wildlife other than a couple of bald eagles, just riding around in these breathtaking waters was amazing. Our boat guide Danielle was full of information about the area, and Teddy, who drove us to and from Ward’s Cove to the resort where the Zodiacs launched from, was so amazingly friendly and upbeat that we were immediately put at ease for the whole experience. We highly recommend this tour!

Reviews

4.9

based on 111 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

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Sort by: Most insightful

Great experience

Carlos_M, Aug 2026

Beautiful views of Ketchikan. Great trip to enjoy with family and friends. They provide the necessary equipment for a safe trip.

Great experience!

Sarah_m, Jul 2026

All of the equipment was given to us that we needed to be comfortable on the water. Our guide Luke was very knowledgeable and fun.

It can get windy and...

Marc_A, Jul 2026

It can get windy and rainy, but the company provides you with gear to stay dry and warm. The waves were at times choppy but we had a lot of fun. Some chances for wildlife spotting!

Incredible Excursion- Can’t miss!

Erin_S, Jul 2026

Amazing experience! I’ve been on several excursions, and this was by far the best! Austin was very knowledgeable about the area and an overall great guide. Highly recommend as it was very hands on. Also we saw seals!

Matt, our tour director...

Steven_M, Jul 2026

Matt, our tour director was simply the best. He assisted my family and me at every turn in the process, from helping all six of us with the rain gear, giving us instructions, watching our every move while on the water while still doing his best to find whales, where we had much success. At the end of the tour, Matt was kind enough to offer to take us back to the ship. Like I said Matt was simply the best.

Great day on the water!

Leigha_B, Jul 2026

Spectacular day on the water for our group of 11. We had a great show from the humpbacks and had a blast speeding around in our zodiacs! Lukas was a great guide!

Bad weather, good ride.

Todd_S, Jul 2026

It was terrible weather, but it was an awesome adventure. Rain and wind did not stop the fun. They suit you up head to toe. Take sunglasses. The rain in the eyes was a little rough. Scenery is beautiful. We didn't see much beyond a deer as far as Wildlife, but the rain made it tough to see. I am sure it would be amazing in better conditions. We still had a good time being out on the water. Everyone at the company was friendly and helpful. Tons of information and facts. I recommend them. Hopefully your weather is better, but it was a great adventure.

Fun adventure to get a...

Marka_K, Jul 2026

Fun adventure to get a feel for the area but be aware the sea life viewing is very limited and the waters are very choppy on a windy day. It was basically just driving around following the leader with like 5 stops where they pull the boats together for a brief moment of narration of the sights. Guide was extremely friendly and interesting but we did not see anything except a few seals. Not his fault but sort of thought we’d see a little more than we did.

Crazy boat driver!!

Penny_M, Jul 2026

The actual boat didn’t look like the add!! 🤪 But our guide, Lucas was the best and got us through it all! He was very knowledgeable and patient.

Best excursion in Ketchikan

Fay_B, Jul 2026

This was one of the best excursions we took in Alaska. Great guide Devon, we saw orcas up close. Driving our own boat was really fun. Also guide was mindful about all aboard time from our ship.

An Awesome Experience.

Jennifer_S, Jun 2026

This was, without a doubt, one of the best excursions of our entire Alaska trip! From the moment we climbed into the Zodiacs, we knew we were in for something special. Getting to drive our own Zodiac was an absolute blast and made us feel like we were part of the adventure instead of just along for the ride. Our tour guide was incredible. They were friendly, funny, and incredibly knowledgeable about the area and the wildlife. You could tell they genuinely loved what they do, and their enthusiasm made the experience even more enjoyable. The moment we’ll never forget was seeing a pod of orcas in the wild. It was one of those breathtaking experiences that gives you goosebumps. Watching them surface and swim through the beautiful Alaskan waters was truly unforgettable. The scenery around Ketchikan was absolutely stunning, and every part of the tour was well organized and relaxed. We left with huge smiles and memories that will last a lifetime. If you’re debating whether to book this excursion, do it—you won’t regret it. It was worth every penny and easily one of the highlights of our cruise. Thank you to the entire team for giving us such an incredible experience!

So much fun!

Brooke_F, Jun 2026

An Adventure to remember

Peg_J, Jun 2026

Exciting trip on the water. Windy day so trip was like an amusement park ride. Our guide was very knowledgeable. He led us to great locations to view seals sunning themselves on the rocks and about 30 eagles feeding. Great gear provided. Would do it again.

Great times !

Lori_S, Jun 2026

Upon meeting up at the appointed date and time, we met Devon, the owner of Zodiac tours. He was very friendly and accommodating. After driving us to the facility that houses the outerwear and docks the zodiacs,we met Lucas. He was extremely friendly ,fitted us properly with outerwear and led us to the zodiacs. After a small lesson on zodiac driving and instruction,we departed on our adventure. We all had an amazing time out in the water, Lucas would stop us at times to give us history and watch for whales. Unfortunately we lucked out with whales, but did get to see some harbor seals resting and playing in the water. Eagles were very plentiful also. The trip was fun, quite long and well worth the price and experience. Wildlife is hit and miss,wish we would’ve seen a whale,but Lucas gave a great tour and just being out in a zodiac was well worth it,a great time. We highly recommend the zodiac tours in Ketchikan.

Excellent Zodiac Boat Activity

Slluczu, Jun 2026

Excellent boat trip. Vendor communicated well, on time, small group with friendly guide. We highly recommend this choice.

So fun! Very organized,...

Michelle_L, Jun 2026

So fun! Very organized, professional and comes with all the gear to keep you warm and dry. My boys took turns driving the boat and we had a blast! Not to mention saw so many seals!!!

Fun times

Lori_T, Jun 2026

Beautiful views. Olex was very helpful and gave us lots of information. We saw seals, bald eagles and deer. Boats were fun!

Awesome zodiac

Joann_J, Jun 2026

Great experience everything was well organized the boats were great and the scenery was amazing.our guide was friendly knowledgeable and helpful

Our guide was awesome and...

Tammy_C, Jun 2026

Our guide was awesome and it was SO fun! I highly recommend this experience as it exceeded expectations even though we didn’t get to see any whales. That zodiac is great!

Excellent trip, highly recommend

MARLON_G, Jun 2026

Highly knowledgeable tour guide. Exciting adventure with alot of photo opportunities of wildlife. A definite to do excursion.

Must try

Jennifer_W, Jun 2026

Saw a whale and several seals close . Two bald eagles. Nice weather and tour guide Olex very friendly and informative

Awesome outing!

Julie_M, Jun 2026

Do it! Super fun excursion!!

Tracey_D, Jun 2026

This excursion was easy to find the meeting point from our cruise ship and a short ride to where the boats were. My husband had never driven a boat before and had no issue getting the hang of it. He loved driving the boat and we both loved all of the wildlife we seen. The surrounding scenery was stunning!!

Great service, super...

Kerrie_C, May 2026

Great service, super friendly. Family friendly! Dress warm. Wild life and stunning views everywhere you look

Just try it!

James_P, Sep 2025

Don't Go past this trip - The cost is worth it.

Gareth_H, Sep 2025

For this experience do not look at the price as the reason to give this a miss. This rated as by far our best trip of our recent Canada / Alaska Holiday. The team was very friendly and our van driver was polite and being that he was a local to Ketchikan gave us excellent advise on places to visit and see after our tour. So back to the tour, we were picked up at the cruise terminal and taken by van 30 minutes to Salmon Falls Lodge, the staging point for our boat trip. We were kitted out with Rubber Gumboots and Waders to keep us dry. However the day we were there it was mirror flat seas and no wind. We did dress warm for the wind chill from the boats when travelling. The boats are RHIBS with 40HP 4 stroke engines and in very good condition. And you are given good instruction on how to operate them as this is a self drive - guided tour. there was three boats in total on our trip - total of 3 paying guests. The guide and two following. The trip it self we were on the water for close to the 2.5 hours, with a very experienced guide Danyel . She showed us the seals, Bald Eagles and gave us a very good commentary when we moored up together. The trip ended back at Salmon Falls lodge with a "Feast" and I call it this as we had three large platters of dips for a variety crackers, vegetables. The dips were crab, salmon and humas. Along with a cold drink. This is included in the price. This trip no matter what the weather would be worth it. Just dress correctly and enjoy getting up close to the area in your own boat. The photo shows the approximate trip route.

Great Staff

Edward_D, Sep 2025

Teddy and Danielle were excellent and very friendly. Nice way to get out on the water and experience a little bit of Alaska up close.

Zipping around on a Zodiac, super fun!

Gregory_N, Sep 2025

What a fun experience! The boat was easy to maneuver. The sites were amazing, although whales were not observed. Danielle did such an excellent job as the guide, very knowledgeable and friendly. Great snacks at the end at the lodge and Teddy did a great job getting us there and back from the ship.

Great Experience!!!

Cathy_M, Aug 2025

Great experience! Driver to facility, sorry forget his name was amazing had a ton of knowledge of Ketchikan & so friendly. Danielle was awesome & showed exactly how to run the boat & stayed with us & gave us a ton of information.

Highly recommend this...

Amit_B, Jul 2025

Highly recommend this experience! Crew was very nice and accommodating! They offered pick up at ward cove and downtown Ketchikan. After pickup we went by car to Salmon Falls and then on to the zodiac for an excellent ride on the zodiac. Our tour guide Teddy was phenomenal. The zodiac boats were in great condition and easy to drive/maneuver. After the experience we got treated to beer and snacks. Everyone was very cognizant of our ship departure time to ensure we made it back to the ship on time. We were then dropped off directly at our ship dock. Would highly recommend again!