Misty Fjords Floatplane Flight & Remote Water Landing
Duration: 2 hours
Meeting: Downtown Ketchikan Waterfront Dock
Cruisers wanting breathtaking aerial wilderness views in a compact time window
View live dates & pricing →Ketchikan, Alaska · Fjords & Floatplanes
Misty Fjords National Monument Excursions
Encompassing 2.3 million acres of pristine coastal wilderness, Misty Fjords National Monument is Alaska's answer to the Norwegian fjords. Carved by massive glaciers during the last ice age, vertical granite cliffs rise 3,000 feet straight out of deep ocean channels.
Typical Duration2 hours for floatplane flight; 4.5 to 5 hours for wilderness catamaran boat
Return MarginFloatplane requires 4-hour port call (90 min buffer); Boat tour requires 6.5-hour port call (75 min buffer).
Weather SensitivityModerate to High Sensitivity
Meeting PointFloatplanes meet directly on the downtown Ketchikan waterfront harbor (Bert...
Cruise-Safe Standard
The Last Frontier Return-to-Ship Guarantee
Downtown floatplane slips sit 200 yards from Berth 2 and Berth 3. Floatplane tours have virtually zero transit overhead in Ketchikan.
1. Gangway Disembarkation & Meetup10 mins walk from ship gangway to floatplane dock
2. Transit from Pier to Activity5 mins taxiing out into Tongass Narrows
3. Active Tour / Wildlife / Flight75–90 mins airborne flight and fjord landing
4. Return Transit to Cruise Pier5 mins taxi back to harbor slip
5. Guaranteed Pier Arrival Before All-Aboard90–120 mins margin before all-aboard
Meeting Logistics: Floatplanes meet directly on the downtown Ketchikan waterfront harbor (Berths 1–4). Catamarans board directly from the cruise ship docks.
How this excursion works on a cruise port day
There are two distinct ways to experience Misty Fjords from your cruise ship: by air on a floatplane tour that lands on an alpine lake or remote salt fjord, or by sea on a high-speed expedition catamaran cruising past Rudyerd Bay, New Eddystone Rock, and Punchbowl Cove.
The floatplane gives you an eagle's-eye perspective on hanging valleys, pristine mountain tarns, and sheer rock precipices, while the boat cruise lets you look straight up 3,000 feet from water level and feel the spray of cascading waterfalls.
Weather & Operating Reality
Ketchikan receives over 140 inches of rain annually. Misty Fjords is famously dramatic in mist and rain, when hundreds of temporary waterfalls cascade down the 3,000-foot granite walls. However, low cloud ceilings can ground floatplanes—keep a totem or cultural backup in mind.
Key Highlights
- Soar past 3,000-foot sheer granite walls rising straight out of the ocean
- Floatplane water landing on remote wilderness fjords or alpine lakes
- Circle the iconic 237-foot-tall New Eddystone Rock volcanic basalt pillar
- Witness hundreds of cascades and waterfalls ribboning down cliff faces
What to Bring
- Polarized sunglasses to cut through cockpit window reflections
- Waterproof rain jacket (mist and spray are common during water landings)
- Camera with wide-angle lens for framing towering cliff faces
- Warm sweater or fleece layer
Verified Independent Providers
Recommended Cruise-Safe Excursion Options
Live pricing, real-time departure slots, and cancellation policies are controlled directly by each excursion provider. Follow links below to review live availability and reserve with zero middleman markups:
Misty Fjords Wilderness Catamaran Boat Cruise
Duration: 4.5 hours
Meeting: Ketchikan Cruise Ship Dock
Travelers who prefer to stay on the water and avoid small aircraft
View live dates & pricing →Port Day Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
Is floatplane or boat better for Misty Fjords?
Floatplanes take only 2 hours total and let you appreciate the vast scale of hanging valleys, alpine lakes, and icefield terrain. Boat tours take 4.5 to 5 hours and offer a profound sense of scale looking up at towering vertical cliffs. If short on time, choose the floatplane; if nervous about flying, choose the boat.
Does it rain too much in Ketchikan for Misty Fjords to be worth it?
Rain actually improves the experience! In dry weather, many of the cliffside waterfalls dry up. In rain and overcast conditions, hundreds of waterfalls come alive, and low-hanging wisps of cloud cling to the granite crags—creating the mystical atmosphere that gives the monument its name.
What happens if our ship docks at Ward Cove instead of Downtown Ketchikan?
Ward Cove is located 7 miles north of downtown Ketchikan (used primarily by Norwegian and Oceania ships). A complimentary shuttle runs between Ward Cove and downtown, taking 20 minutes each way. If docking at Ward Cove, add 45 minutes of total buffer to any downtown tour departure.