Here’s the bucket list for your day ashore: the most extraordinary thing to do at each stop, and the private, small-group, or expert-led way to make it yours — your own pace, real access, none of the crowd.
In port at CRUISING BEHM CANAL, the bucket-list move is Misty Fjords by Float Plane: Aerial Wilderness Immersion. Taquan Air runs it — a private, expert-led experience at your own pace, not a 40-person coach. Below: all 6 bucket-list things to do on a CRUISING BEHM CANAL port day, each with the independent way to make it yours.
1scenic
Soar over the granite walls and mirror-still lakes of Misty Fjords National Monument — one of America's most dramatic wilderness areas — in a floatplane that lands on a remote alpine lake. A true once-in-a-lifetime perspective of Southeast Alaska's primeval grandeur.
Book it withTaquan AirUSD 299–349 per person (fly-and-land scenic tour)
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2scenic
Charter an intimate vessel exclusively for your group to cruise deep into the Behm Canal and Misty Fjords National Monument — a UNESCO-calibre wilderness of waterfalls, sea stacks, and bald eagles accessible only by water. Unhurried, unscripted, and gloriously private.
Book it withAllen Marine ToursUSD 1,800–3,500 per charter (private group, contact operator for exact quote)
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3water
Paddle the pristine tidal waters of the Behm Canal in a small-group guided sea kayak expedition, threading through sea caves and kelp gardens beneath walls draped in old-growth rainforest. One of the most intimate wildlife encounters in all of Alaska.
Book it withSoutheast Sea KayaksUSD 109–149 per person (guided half-day tour)
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4water
Fish the legendary salmon-rich waters of the Behm Canal aboard a private guided sportfishing charter — targeting King (Chinook) Salmon, Silver Salmon, and halibut in one of the most productive fisheries in Southeast Alaska. The ultimate Alaskan bragging right.
Book it withKetchikan Charter BoatsUSD 275–325 per person (shared charter, 4–6 guests); USD 1,200–1,600 per vessel (private charter, full day)
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5culture
Explore Ketchikan's extraordinary Tlingit and Haida totem poles with an Indigenous cultural guide who decodes the stories, clans, and cosmology carved into each ancient cedar pole. A profound, intimate encounter with one of the world's great living art traditions.
Book it withAlaska Shore Excursions (Ketchikan Small Group & Private)USD 89–149 per person (small-group cultural tour)
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6wildlife
Trek deep into the Tongass National Forest — the largest temperate rainforest on Earth — with a certified naturalist guide along old-growth trails bordering the Behm Canal watershed. Bears, eagles, and ancient trees await just minutes from the waterfront.
Book it withAlaska Rainforest SanctuaryUSD 59–79 per person (guided sanctuary experience including raptor centre)
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