Day 1
Fly to Ketchikan in the morning. Ketchikan International Airport is an unusual experience, because it's located on a different island than the town; a five-minute ferry ride gets you to Ketchikan proper. Once there, you can explore downtown attractions like historic Creek Street, the Tongass Historical Museum, the Southeast Alaska Discovery Center and the Great Alaskan Lumberjack Show. Ketchikan is famous for its many totem poles, so round out the day by visiting either Saxman Native Village or Totem Bight State Historical Park, both of which showcase a number of these iconic Alaska Native works of art.
Day 2
Take a boat, plane, or mixed boat/plane tour to the incredible Misty Fiords National Monument. This 2.3-million-acre wilderness area's glacier-carved fjords climb 3,000 feet skyward from its protected waterways, and wildlife sightings—both on land and in the sea—are very frequent. Fill the afternoon with another half-day adventure of your choice: You can snorkel protected waters near shore, go ziplining, or go saltwater or freshwater fishing. Local processors will clean, package and even smoke your fish before and send it to you once you get home or just take it with you.
Day 3
Spend the morning outdoors. Take part in a guided kayak outing or visit popular hiking destinations like Deer Mountain and Lunch Creek before departing Ketchikan.
Does spending more time in Ketchikan and other nearby communities sound like fun to you? Check out the full itinerary and visit Ketchikan, Sitka, Juneau and more.