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!!!!

Fantastic local tour. Highly recommend Thoroughly enjoyed this tour. Rick was very knowledgeable on Ketchikan, the history, the people and the politics. He narrates the whole tour and it was very interesting, we learnt so much and would highly recommend. He went above and beyond when it came to a bear sighting and this is where local tours and local knowledge wins out. It was only thanks to his dedication that we ended up seeing a mumma bear and her cubs. It was an amazing experience and we can’t thank him enough. We saw eagles and seals as well but of course bear sightings rate above all else. The cafe he recommended for lunch has THE BEST fish and chips. So grateful we chose local.

Beautiful sights, fun driver My 82yr old mom, my 2 sisters and I took this tour. Bernie was excellent. She asked if we wanted to see anything specific and offered ideas we hadn't thought of. It was a perfect tour for us and I'd do it agsin.

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!

Connaissance locale fantastique et sympathique Bernie possède une mine de connaissances locales, elle est née et a été la quatrième génération de Ketchikan et vous accueille chaleureusement dans la région de Ketchikan. J'ai réservé en privé et j'ai été si heureux, évitant les foules des croisières que vous pouvez voir beaucoup plus de la ville que Bernie adapte à vos besoins familiaux. Merci pour cette belle journée Bernie!

Ketchikan Excursion We had a wonderful time, and our guide Jason was very knowledgeable and made the experience special. We all enjoyed the views and want to come back to Ketchikan to spend more time.

Ketchikan with Jason Jason was very knowledgeable, accommodating and thoughtful. He offered water and bathroom stops as needed.
He made sure we saw sights on our bucket list.
The van was clean and easily accessible.

Le meilleur de Ketchikan en peu de temps Bernie est chaleureux et amical. connaître sa culture et sa ville; est connu et respecté par tous les autres guides touristiques. Elle savait exactement où trouver toute la faune sauvage. Passionné d'histoire et de culture. Vraiment comment battre les foules. Elle était le meilleur guide. J'ai bien aimé aller au stand de confiture local. Voir les aigles à tête blanche, les cerfs, les cascades, surtout - - les totems. Entendre parler de la spiritualité et du caractère sacré des personnes et de l'environnement. Endroit magnifique. Je recommande vivement Bernie.

Best tour of our cruise. Bernie picked up us close to our ship and took us on a three-hour adventure. She was able to get us to sites before other groups got there so we beat the crowds. Because she is a native of Ketchikan, she was able to give us first and experiences. Listening to the stories about the history of Ketchikan was the best part. .

Thanks again, Bernie!

Beautiful Ketchikan and Bears We had an amazing experience! We saw two bears feasting on salmon! Our tour was our own and tailored to just us! We spent most of our time watching the bears. I highly recommend this tour for anybody wanting to see bears in their natural habitat!