Exceeded expectations Best way to get out of town to see cultural and natural highlights of your choice. Rick took us to the end of the road both north and south of town to visit lakes, waterfalls, pristine rain forest and, best of all, to Totem Bight Historical State Park (not to be missed). He was accommodating, knowledgeable and willing to go above and beyond to get in as many highlights as possible. Quality, well maintained van and professional service all the way.

Great price, great tour guide, and way better than a cruise line excursion! Great tour. We saw bears, humpback whales, salmon, and seals. Rick took us to a stand that sold homemade jam and smoked salmon. He was knowledgeable about the islands history and culture. The totem pole park was very cool. You won’t get to see and do all of that on a normal cruise ship tour. This is the way to go!

Small town, with local flavor Great guide, very welcoming, very local, very knowledgeable. Went above and beyond to show us this quaint town. Only down side was that were 2-3 weeks for the salmon runs, and the bears that show up for that.

Unforgettable Experience When looking at excursions that best suited our needs, Orca Song Tours checked all of the boxes of what we were looking to do in Ketchikan. I want to note that our main goal was to see bears fishing for salmon, so to give my family the best opportunity, we booked back to back tours with Orca Song, and were with them for six hours instead of three.
Throughout the process of booking and traveling, Bernie was an excellent communicator, responding in a timely manner when I'd pester her with questions, but more importantly, reaching out to me before we left, that helped soothe any fears we had. Upon arrival in Ketchikan, we saw that Orca Song was waiting for us well before the gangways were lowered, and when we met, we had a spacious Honda Odyssey minivan for our private tour. Jason was our driver and met all of our questions, quirks and conversation head on, he was a great match for my 14 and 15 year old (knowledgeable) boys.
Bernie, and Orca Song knew our goals, and accommodated us accordingly, on the way to Herring Cove, we stopped to see some salmon ladders, but didn't linger too long as the primary objective was to see bears. Jason took us to the Salmon hatchery (which was off limits), but there were viewing spots to watch Bald Eagles, Deer, and Salmon - and of course Bears, when they decide to eat We were also close to the shore, so after a bit and no luck, we meandered to the coast where the black sands shown in receded tide. Jason took us around the point where we were able to explore, look for crabs, and dig for clams; a real hands on tide-poolish experience! After a bit of tinkering, we walked back to the spot to look for bears and boy did we find them There were plenty of highlights to this, but yes, indeed, we were fortunate enough to see some.
I think it's critical to mention that we were very willing to sit for the entire 6 hours until we saw bears, BUT Bernie and Orca Song also knew that when/if we did, they could take us on an adventure of their choosing to see the Ketchikan beyond the cruise excursions, and Jason did not disappoint (Salmon Berries, blueberries, huckleberries, hiking in a rain forest, beach combing, etc.).
As much as I would love to share all of the details of what we saw and did, Ketchikan is a remarkable town with so much to offer. I feel very fortunate to have connected with Bernie and Orca Song - our visit far exceeded our expectations, and they are solely responsible for our enjoyment. Relative to cost per person for other excursions, the price point was affordable, communication was frequent and timely, and the experiences were unforgettable. The attached photos really don't do justice, so we've already started to look at traveling back to Ketchikan because of what they provided for us. It's obvious Orca Song takes great care and pride in their business, but more importantly put their best foot forward to let Ketchikan be the star. Thank you!!!!

Bears, waterfalls & totems! Absolutely fantastic!! Our guide knew all the places to bring us for the best chance of seeing wildlife. She also was a local who had so much information to share with us.

Exactly the tour we were hoping for We are 3 adults in our 60s who just want to know how things tick. Bernie had the scoop on everything Ketchikan. Although it is early in the season, so the animal food supplies are limited, Bernie made a brave attempt to find some bears. No luck. But we did see a fine tide change, climbed up on some rocks to look at a fantastic waterfall, and had a quick look at some fresh bear scat and paw prints. Being the nosy biddies that we are, we were thrilled to see the local kids playing on their new softball field, the A&P Market where rotisserie chick costs $28, the landslide that took out the old market, the crematorium, the airstrip that is only accessible by ferry, and a great totem park that we had to ourselves. Bernie showed us around to the things that are important to her and her family, which was exactly what we wanted!

Great local tour! Wonderful way to see Ketchikan like a local. We learned a lot about the town’s history and wildlife. Saw bears, deer, eagles and more. Great tour!

Memorable Our guide was wonderful, text when and where we would meet. Very informative.

This private tour is the best! Absolutely the best way to experience Ketchikan! Our guide Rick has lived in Ketchikan for over 30 years and was a font of local as well as Alaskan knowledge. Rick really cared that we have a great experience while in Ketchikan. The Honda Odyssey van was spacious enough for the four of us. Rick had pairs of binoculars and waters for us. He took us to a place to see black bears catching and feasting on salmon. We saw Bald Eagles and just missed seeing an orca. While on Creek Street, a black bear emerged from under a building to eat blueberries and huckleberries. We ate a few too after the bear moved on. Rick took us to a totem pole park and gave a great tour and history of totem poles. We took many tours while in Alaska and this was by far the most enjoyable one. You can’t beat having a private tour with a guide who is proud of his town and wants you to have a great experience.

Ideal tour Mark had a nice, laid back approach to our tour. He knew where to go to see bald eagles and black bears. Got lots of photos of both. We also stopped on the beach, where our two boys looked at star fish and played on the shore. We finished with a succinct drive through parts of the town that tour buses don’t go was a great way to see how folks live in the area. Beautiful and enjoyable experience!