Ketchikan Tour: Explore in a '67 Volkswagen Van

Discover Ketchikan’s history and nature in a ‘67 VW van. Customize your tour and explore beaches, waterfalls, and scenic spots with a local guide.

Duration: 2 hours, 15 minutes
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Ketchikan - The group will be welcomed at Berth 2 near the Rock Statue.
  • Ketchikan - While traveling through historic Ketchikan, participants will discover the town’s vibrant history.
  • Rotary Beach - At Rotary Beach, there will be an opportunity to explore an Alaskan beach. Guides will highlight the unique flora and fauna, some exclusive…
What's Included
  • Private transportation
  • Bottled water
  • Local Guide
  • Van equipped with seat belts
What's Not Included
  • On-board WiFi
  • On-board restrooms
Additional Information

Discover Ketchikan in our classic ‘67 Volkswagen van. Immerse yourself in the vibrant history of Ketchikan, its rich Native heritage, and the diverse flora and fauna that make Southeast Alaska a remarkable destination. Our itinerary includes a visit to a local Alaskan beach for intertidal exploration (subject to tides), photo opportunities along Nichols…

Location
Ketchikan Visitors Bureau
Front Street
We will be parked at Berth 2 between the Visitors Bureau and the Tongass Trading Dock Store. We will meet you at the bronze statue called "The Rock" with a sign. If you are docked at Ward Cove, you will have to take the free shuttle to town walk to Berth 2 to meet us.
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
5.0
(65 Ratings)
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1 star
313sadiaq
Aug 28, 2025
10/10 Amazing Local Experience - Tristen was amazing, knowledgeable and had a very relaxed vibe. He took us to amazing spots and let us take our time to explore. We saw starfishes, salmon, bears and eagles. My daughter (7yr old) and I had a great time and really enjoyed ourselves. Highly recommend!!! Thank you for a wonderful day!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Freedom767385
Aug 26, 2025
Do this private VW van tour. - This is the private tour you should take. Tristan (if I'm spelling correctly) has lived in Ketchikan his entire life and is married to a marine biologist. He knew details about animals, tides, rain forrest plants salmon, bears, eagles etc. And, we saw them all He spotted wildlife that we watched the tour busses drive by and miss. We could stay at areas of interest to whatever we wanted while the big tours had crowds of people doing a quarter of their sightseeing getting off or on their bus. If Ketchikan is an area you are unlikely to visit often spend a few extra bucks it was 100 percent worth it. Fantastic time.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
584carim
Aug 20, 2025
Wonderful ways to see Ketchikan - We loved it! Super genuine and relaxing. Tristan was very welcoming and shared his home. Great for kids! He even accommodated us for a quick snack stop!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
The_m
Aug 15, 2025
Fun alaska - Very authentic and fun experience the guider was very gentle and polite recommend to all to drive in the blue vw
Review provided by Viator
Islandgirl121193
Aug 15, 2025
5/5. Would definitely do this again! Very knowledgeable about the island. VW bus ran like a charm. - So much fun to ride around in this amazing VW bus in Ketchikan. Would recommend to anyone. Tristan grew up there and knows of some off the beaten path places to visit. Got to see bears, whales and waterfalls. Couldn’t have asked for a better experience. Would definitely do this again. Ashley and Tristan made this adventure so easy from beginning to end. 5/5
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Tarawp8068xi
Aug 14, 2025
A MUST DO TOUR - We had the best time on our tour of Ketchikan in this VW Bug! Tristen was very knowledgeable and fun! He took us all over! Salmon stream, waterfall, walk through forest and even took us straight back to our cruise ship while 200+ people stood in lines for the bus in town. We highly recommend this tour in style!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Valeriacb9322gx
Aug 14, 2025
A wonderful walk in the woods! - Tristán and Ashley are delightful and so knowledgeable about the area! We got to ride in the awesome bus with the best pillows!! We got to see some wildlife, learn about plants and trees, and enjoy a waterfall! If you want a unique and personal tour, this is the one to book!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Mike_c
Aug 11, 2025
Tristan is a local and... - Tristan is a local and knows this area. Highly recommend the early 7:00am tour if you want to see wildlife. Tristan took us to a location where we immediately saw a bear in the stream that caught a large salmon! We were able to see a bunch of salmon swimming upstream as well. Then to top it off a bald eagle landed very near us. Great tour in the old VW bus. But watch your head several of us bumped our heads pretty hard getting in and out. I highly recommend this tour.
Review provided by Viator
Thomas_p
Aug 11, 2025
Kool Ketchikan Bus Tour!! - Great private tour around Ketchikan in a very cool ‘67 VW Bus, very knowledgeable about Ketchikan thank you very much Tristan.
Review provided by Viator
I1272rrtammyg
Aug 11, 2025
Nature Deep Dive - We had such a great time on this tour! Our guide first took us to the beach, where we spotted an eagle’s nest, a young eagle, and all kinds of interesting things along the shore thanks to low tide. Next, we headed just outside of town and made a quick stop along the highway to walk a short way into the forest — it was absolutely beautiful. We also got to see a waterfall across the road and even tried our luck looking for bears from a bridge nearby (no luck this time!). After that, he drove us around town and shared a bit about the area. We had already seen some of those types of nature sites at other cruise stops, so it wasn’t as exciting for us personally, but if Ketchikan had been our first stop, we would have been thrilled. This tour is less about the history of Ketchikan and more of a nature-focused deep dive into the area. Overall, we really enjoyed it and just wished it had been a little longer for the price. Be sure to wear hiking boots and a rain jacket — it can get muddy and wet where you walk.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
From $500 (Per Group)
up to 6 guests
1 - Traveler
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).