Misty Fjords National Monument is a roadless wilderness of granite fjords, waterfalls and sheer cliffs east of Ketchikan, and you can only get there by air or by water. From a cruise ship there are two ways in: a floatplane flightseeing tour, which took about 1.75 hours door to door with Taquan Air in 2026 and started at $329 a person, usually with a landing on a lake or fjord; or a boat tour, which runs 5.25 hours with Allen Marine. The floatplane shows you more in less time. The boat is for nervous flyers and long port days.

This page is for cruise passengers with a Ketchikan call who are trying to decide between the two. The caveat that matters: weather decides everything here. Low cloud grounds floatplanes, and the boat needs a port day of seven hours or more to fit safely. Last updated October 28, 2026. Every price, fee and schedule below is dated, and the sources are listed at the end.

Misty Fjords is the biggest splurge on the list of things to do in Ketchikan, and for many cruisers the most memorable. Here’s how to choose, and how to fit it around your ship.

Misty Fjords Floatplane vs Boat at a Glance

	Floatplane	Boat
Example operator (2026)	Taquan Air	Allen Marine Tours
Total time	About 1.75 hours including check-in, with about 60 minutes in the air	5.25 hours, about two hours each way
Price	From $329 per person booked online	Not shown on the operator’s page; check when booking
Landing	Usually on an alpine lake or in a remote fjord	No landing; you stay aboard
What you see	The big picture: lakes, peaks and fjords from above	The details: cliffs, waterfalls and New Eddystone Rock from water level
Weather risk	Cancels in low cloud	Usually runs; views can be limited
Port time you need	About 3.5 to 4 hours	About 7 hours
Best for	Most people, and short port calls	Nervous flyers, long calls, anyone who prefers to move around

What Is Misty Fjords National Monument?

Misty Fjords is part of the Tongass National Forest, run by the U.S. Forest Service rather than the National Park Service. According to the Forest Service, President Jimmy Carter proclaimed it a national monument in 1978, and in 1980 Congress designated 2,142,243 acres as the Misty Fjords National Monument Wilderness, the largest wilderness area in the Tongass. There are no roads in, no visitor center and no cruise-ship docks. That’s the appeal.

The landscape was carved by ice. Glaciers ground out long, deep fjords, then melted back, leaving granite walls that the Forest Service describes as rising about 3,000 feet from the sea, with waterfalls pouring down clefts and over rounded rock shoulders. The monument takes its name from the weather: it gets more than 150 inches of rain a year, and low cloud drapes the valleys on most days. On a clear day it’s spectacular; on a misty day it’s moody and quiet, which is also spectacular, just differently.

One thing Misty Fjords isn’t is a glacier trip. The ice that carved these fjords is long gone from the waterline, so if tidewater glaciers calving into the sea are what you’re after, that’s the scenic cruising day elsewhere on your itinerary, and our guide to the Alaska glacier cruise experience explains the options. Misty Fjords is about rock, water, rainforest and scale.

Misty Fjords Floatplane Tours

The floatplane is the classic way to see Misty Fjords, and it’s the one most cruise passengers choose. Several Ketchikan operators fly the route, including Taquan Air and the family-run Misty Fjords Air, and cruise lines sell their own versions.

Taquan Air’s 2026 tour is a good benchmark. Its Misty Fjords Flightseeing tour listed rates starting at $329 per person for about 1.75 hours including check-in, with a flight of about 60 minutes, and search listings showed a regular rate of $369, with the $329 price for web bookings. Guests weighing 250 pounds or more, clothed, may pay a $168 surcharge, and transportation to the floatplane dock isn’t included. Taquan describes the trip as including a landing on an alpine lake or in a remote fjord.

What the flight is like

You’ll fly in a small bush plane, typically a de Havilland Beaver or Otter, with a pilot who narrates over the headset. On a small plane almost everyone gets a window. The takeoff from the harbor is smooth, then the plane climbs over the islands and follows the fjords inland, banking so both sides get views of the cliffs, lakes and waterfalls. Expect some bumps in wind, and a quiet moment of awe when the walls close in on either side.

Landing or no landing?

Most Misty Fjords flights include a landing, and it’s worth insisting on one. The pilot sets down on a lake or a sheltered arm of a fjord, cuts the engine and lets you step out onto the float for a few minutes of silence, photos and fresh air. It’s usually the part people remember most. On some flights the landing depends on wind and conditions, so ask what happens if it isn’t possible, and whether that changes the price.

Weather and cancellations

Floatplanes need visibility, and Misty Fjords is named for the lack of it. Flights are delayed or canceled in low cloud, fog or high wind, and on a short port day there may be no time to try again. Tours booked through your cruise line are normally refunded if they’re canceled for weather; for tours booked directly, read the operator’s policy before you pay. If Misty Fjords is a must, book the earliest flight of your port day, which leaves room for a delay.

Misty Fjords Boat Tours

The boat takes you through the same country at water level, and it shows you things the plane can’t: the scale of the cliffs from below, waterfalls up close and wildlife on the shoreline. Allen Marine Tours’ “Misty Fjords National Monument and Wilderness Exploration” runs 5.25 hours from Ketchikan, with about two hours of travel each way. It features New Eddystone Rock, a forested pillar rising from Behm Canal, and Rudyerd Bay, one of the monument’s grandest fjords.

The vessel is a custom-built expedition boat with indoor seating behind panoramic windows, an open-air viewing deck, restrooms and a small galley shop, and a sweet and savory snack plus hot drinks are included. Allen Marine notes that waterfall sightings depend on the weather, which in practice means the falls are bigger after rain. Its tour page didn’t show a price in September 2026; bookings go through its True Alaskan Tours site or your cruise line.

Allen Marine lists seals, bald eagles and seabirds as likely sightings, and possibly bears along the shoreline. The Forest Service’s wildlife list for the monument also includes mountain goats, which you may spot as white dots high on the cliffs, black and brown bears, river otters, sea lions, orcas and Dall’s porpoises.

Floatplane or Boat: Which Is Better?

For most cruise passengers, the floatplane. It fits into a normal port day, it shows you the full sweep of the monument, and the landing is a highlight of any Alaska trip. The boat is better in three situations:

• You don’t like small planes. The boat is stable, warm and roomy, with restrooms, and nobody minds if you move around.
• The weather is poor. Boats run in conditions that ground floatplanes, although low cloud will still hide the tops of the cliffs.
• You have a long port day and want wildlife. Five hours on the water gives you more chances to see seals, eagles and bears than an hour in the air.

Verdict: fly if you can, sail if you must, and book whichever you choose early. On a clear day, the floatplane is one of the best hours you can spend in Alaska.

Will it fit your port day? The all-aboard math

Ketchikan calls vary a lot. Carnival’s seven-day Seattle itinerary for Carnival Spirit, as listed in September 2026, shows Ketchikan from 7:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., just six hours. Work it out before you book:

Tour	Tour time	Getting to and from the dock	Cushion before all aboard	Port time needed
Floatplane	About 1.75 hours	About 30 minutes, more from Ward Cove	45 to 60 minutes	About 3.5 to 4 hours
Boat	5.25 hours	About 30 minutes, more from Ward Cove	45 to 60 minutes	About 7 hours

On a six-hour call, the boat doesn’t fit safely, and a floatplane leaves time for a walk along Creek Street afterward. On a nine-hour call, either works. If a floatplane is canceled for weather early in the day, a long call may leave time to switch to the boat, if seats remain.

What You’ll See in Misty Fjords

• Granite walls. Sheer faces rising straight from the water, streaked with waterfalls and clinging trees.
• Rudyerd Bay. The fjord most tours target, with walls that close in as you go.
• New Eddystone Rock. A tall volcanic pillar standing alone in Behm Canal, on the boat route.
• Alpine lakes. From the air, a scatter of lakes in hanging valleys, several of them landing spots.
• Rainforest. Dense spruce and hemlock growing on slopes that look too steep to hold anything.
• Wildlife. Mountain goats on the cliffs, seals and eagles on the water, and sometimes bears on the shore.

Is the Floatplane Worth the Money?

At $329 or more for about an hour in the air, the flight isn’t cheap, but it compares well with other Alaska flightseeing. In Juneau, Temsco’s 2026 helicopter tour with a guided glacier walk cost $409, and its helicopter dog-sledding trip $699. For roughly the price of a nice dinner for two back home, the Ketchikan flight gives you a landscape of a scale you can’t see any other way on a cruise day, plus a landing in the wilderness. Verdict: if you’re going to splurge on one flight in Southeast Alaska, this is one of the best candidates, especially if your itinerary lacks a helicopter-friendly port day.

How it compares with Ketchikan’s other big outings

Outing	Price (2026)	Time	Best for
Misty Fjords floatplane	From $329 (Taquan, web rate)	About 1.75 hours	Scenery on a grand scale, short calls
Misty Fjords boat	Check with the operator	5.25 hours	Long calls, wildlife, nervous flyers
Bear viewing at Neets Bay or Traitor’s Cove	About $400 to $500, per local guides	Half a day	Bears in mid to late summer
Great Alaskan Lumberjack Show	About $45	About an hour	Families and a light morning

If you can only afford one big outing in Ketchikan, the choice is usually between the floatplane and bears. In June and early July, before the salmon runs bring bears to the streams, the floatplane is the safer bet.

Sample Ketchikan Days With Misty Fjords

A short morning call (about six hours)

Walk off the ship as soon as it’s cleared and head for an early floatplane. By mid-morning you’re back on the waterfront with time for Creek Street and a coffee, and back aboard with an hour to spare. Skip the boat on a day like this; it won’t fit.

A long day in port (nine hours or more)

Take the morning boat tour, which gets you back in the early afternoon, then have a late salmon lunch in town and walk to the salmon-viewing spots along Ketchikan Creek in July or later. Alternatively, fly first thing, then spend the afternoon on the Great Alaskan Lumberjack Show or a totem site. A long day is also your insurance: if the morning flight is canceled for cloud, there may still be time for the boat.

An afternoon or evening call

Some ships arrive at midday and stay into the evening. Book the first flight after your arrival, while the light is good, and remember that late-day cloud can build over the mountains. In June and July, Ketchikan has more than 16 hours of daylight, so light isn’t the problem; weather is.

Booking: Through the Ship or Direct?

You can book the same kind of trip two ways, and the difference is mostly about risk rather than scenery.

	Through your cruise line	Directly with the operator
Price	Set by the line, usually higher	The operator’s own rate, such as Taquan’s $329 web price in 2026
If the tour runs late	Lines generally hold the ship for their own tours	You must make all-aboard yourself
Weather cancellations	Normally refunded to your onboard account	Depends on the operator’s policy
Transport to the dock	Usually arranged	Often not included
Best for	Short calls, Ward Cove berths and anyone who wants no risk	Long calls at downtown berths and price-conscious travelers

The guarantee is worth more here than on most tours, because a floatplane that waits out a weather delay can eat into your cushion quickly. Royal Caribbean, for example, says the ship will wait if one of its own shore excursions is delayed, and won’t wait for guests touring independently. If you book direct, choose the earliest departure and keep the full 45 to 60 minute cushion.

Photographing the Fjords

• In the floatplane: wear dark clothing to cut window reflections, hold your lens close to the glass without touching it, and use a fast shutter speed to beat vibration. The best shots often come on the banking turns.
• At the landing: this is your chance for the classic photo of the plane on still water under the cliffs. Step onto the float carefully, and keep your phone on a strap.
• On the boat: the open deck beats the windows. A zoom lens finds mountain goats on the cliffs and eagles in the trees, and waterfalls look best with a slightly slower shutter speed.
• In the mist: don’t wait for sun. Low cloud threading through the valleys is the monument’s signature look, and it photographs beautifully in black and white.

The Names on the Map

The fjords lie within the traditional lands of the Tlingit people of the Ketchikan area, who knew these waters long before European charts named them. The British explorer George Vancouver’s expedition surveyed Behm Canal in 1793, and New Eddystone Rock takes its name from the Eddystone Lighthouse off Plymouth, England, which the lone pillar was thought to resemble. The monument itself dates from the late 1970s, when the federal government moved to protect large parts of Alaska’s wild land, and its wilderness designation followed in 1980.

Other Ways Into the Monument

Floatplanes and day boats are the only practical options on a cruise day, but they aren’t the only ways in. Sea kayakers paddle the protected coves and inlets, usually on multi-day trips with a boat or floatplane drop-off, which makes it a trip for a separate vacation rather than a port call. Some small expedition ships, which can reach narrower waters than big cruise ships, include time in the area on itineraries that start or end in Ketchikan. If you’re drawn to the wilderness itself rather than a sightseeing hour, those are worth a look for a future trip.

What to Wear and Bring

• A warm, waterproof layer. It’s cool on the water and at the landing, and it rains often.
• Light luggage. Floatplanes have tight weight limits and little space. Bring a small bag, not a backpack full of gear.
• Motion-sickness remedy, taken in advance if you need one.
• Binoculars for goats, bears and seals.
• Your ship card and photo ID, plus your all-aboard time written down.
• Snacks and water for the boat, even with the included snack.

Mistakes to Avoid

1. Booking the boat on a short call. Five and a quarter hours plus transfers doesn’t fit a six-hour port day.
2. Booking the last flight of the day. An early slot leaves room for a weather delay.
3. Forgetting Ward Cove. If your ship docks there, add the shuttle time to both ends.
4. Skipping the landing to save money. The stop on a silent lake is the highlight.
5. Expecting glaciers. This is a place of rock, water and forest; the tidewater ice is elsewhere.
6. Giving up on a misty day. Boats usually run, and the cloud is half the atmosphere.

Getting From the Ship to Your Tour

Where your ship docks changes the first part of the day. Downtown calls use the city’s waterfront berths, a short walk from Creek Street and the floatplane docks. Ships at Ward Cove, the two-berth terminal on the site of the old pulp mill, rely on shuttles: 2026 port guides put Ward Cove about 7 miles north of downtown and describe a free shuttle to downtown’s Berth 4 every 15 to 20 minutes, a ride of roughly 20 to 30 minutes. Allen Marine also ran a waterfront shuttle between the two.

If you book through your cruise line, transport is usually arranged. If you book directly, confirm where to meet: Taquan Air, for example, doesn’t include transportation to its dock. Build the extra time into the math above, especially from Ward Cove. The Ketchikan cruise port guide covers the berths in detail, and our page on Ward Cove Ketchikan explains the newer terminal.

Weather: Why “Misty” Is Honest

Ketchikan is the wettest of the major cruise ports. NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Ketchikan International Airport show 8.68 inches of rain in May, 7.02 in June, 7.33 in July, 11.30 in August and 14.30 in September. Average highs run from about 57°F in May to 64.7°F in August.

Month	Average high	Rain	Misty Fjords outlook
May	56.9°F	8.68 in	Snow on the peaks, waterfalls running high
June	61.3°F	7.02 in	The driest month and the longest days: the best odds for flying
July	64.5°F	7.33 in	Warm, busy and still relatively dry
August	64.7°F	11.30 in	Wetter, with more cancellations
September	58.9°F	14.30 in	The wettest month: great waterfalls, lower flying odds

None of this means you shouldn’t go in August or September. It means you should book the earliest slot, keep a backup plan and accept that the mist is part of the place.

Seasickness, Mobility and Traveling With Kids

• Motion. Floatplanes can be bumpy in wind, and the boat can roll on the more open stretches. If you’re prone to motion sickness, take your usual remedy before either trip; on the boat, sit low and near the middle, and look at the horizon.
• Getting aboard. Boarding a floatplane means stepping from a dock onto a float and climbing a short ladder into the cabin. If that’s difficult, the boat, with its level boarding and restrooms, is the easier choice.
• Weight. Small planes balance loads carefully. Expect to be asked your weight, and note surcharges such as Taquan’s $168 for guests of 250 pounds or more.
• Kids. Children usually love the floatplane, and headsets help with the noise. For younger children, five hours on a boat can feel long; bring snacks and entertainment. Our guide to things to do in Ketchikan with kids has shorter family options.

Fitting Misty Fjords Into a Ketchikan Day

A morning floatplane leaves the rest of the day for town. The waterfront is compact: walk the boardwalks of Creek Street Ketchikan is famous for, see the Ketchikan totem poles at the heritage sites around town, or catch the Great Alaskan Lumberjack Show, which in 2026 ran both downtown and at Ward Cove. From July through October, Ketchikan Creek, at Water and Bayview streets, has salmon you can watch from the bridges.

If you’re weighing Misty Fjords against the rest of the menu, our guide to Ketchikan excursions compares the tours, and Ketchikan bear viewing is the other big-ticket option, with local guides putting floatplane or boat trips to Neets Bay or Traitor’s Cove at about $400 to $500 a person. Ketchikan fishing charters and the Ketchikan zipline suit more active groups. For a cheaper day, see Ketchikan excursions on your own, the free things to do in Ketchikan, the best Ketchikan hiking trails, or the best restaurants in Ketchikan for a salmon lunch. And for the full port, from docks to rain gear, our Ketchikan port guide puts it all together.

Misty Fjords FAQ

Is Misty Fjords worth it on a cruise?

For most people, yes. It’s one of the most dramatic landscapes in Southeast Alaska, with sheer granite walls, waterfalls and lakes you can only reach by air or water. The floatplane fits into most Ketchikan port days. The main risk is weather, since low cloud can cancel flights, so book early in the day.

Should you take a floatplane or boat to Misty Fjords?

Take the floatplane if you can. It covers the monument in about 1.75 hours, usually lands on a lake or fjord and fits short port calls. Choose the boat if you dislike small planes, the weather is poor or you have a long port day. Allen Marine’s boat tour runs 5.25 hours.

How long is the Misty Fjords floatplane tour?

Taquan Air’s 2026 Misty Fjords tour took about 1.75 hours including check-in, with about 60 minutes of flying and usually a landing on an alpine lake or in a remote fjord. Allow about 30 minutes to reach the floatplane dock and a 45 to 60 minute cushion before your all-aboard time.

How much does a Misty Fjords floatplane cost?

Taquan Air listed its 2026 Misty Fjords Flightseeing tour from $329 per person booked online, with search listings showing a regular rate of $369. Guests weighing 250 pounds or more may pay a $168 surcharge, and transportation isn’t included. Cruise lines sell their own versions at their own prices.

Do Misty Fjords floatplanes land?

Most do. Operators such as Taquan Air describe a landing on an alpine lake or in a remote fjord, where you can step out onto the float for a few minutes. Landings depend on wind and conditions, so ask what happens, and whether the price changes, if a landing isn’t possible.

What happens if your Misty Fjords flight is canceled?

Floatplanes don’t fly in low cloud, fog or strong wind. Tours booked through your cruise line are normally refunded if canceled for weather. For tours booked directly, check the operator’s policy before paying. On a long port day, you may be able to switch to the boat tour if seats remain.

What is the best month to visit Misty Fjords?

June is usually the best bet for flying. It’s Ketchikan’s driest cruise month, with about 7 inches of rain on average, and has the longest days. July is similar and warmer. August and especially September are much wetter, which means more flight cancellations but bigger waterfalls for anyone on the boat.

Can you see Misty Fjords from your cruise ship?

Usually not. Most big-ship itineraries don’t sail into the monument’s fjords, so the normal way in is a floatplane or tour boat from Ketchikan. A few itineraries have listed scenic cruising nearby, so check yours. Small expedition ships, which can reach narrower waters, sometimes include it.

Related Alaska Cruise Guides

• Things to Do in Ketchikan on a Cruise: The Complete Ketchikan Port Guide
• Alaska Glacier Cruise Guide: Hubbard, Tracy Arm, College Fjord and Every Glacier You Can Sail To

Sources and How We Checked

We checked the prices, rules, schedules and ship deployments in this guide against the sources below on September 26, 2026, and we log each one in our research database with the date it was checked. Cruise lines change ships, fares and fees every season, so confirm anything that affects your booking with the line or the agency concerned. Alaska Cruise Guide (AlaskaCruise.org) is an independent publication. It is not affiliated with any cruise line, port, tour operator or tourism office, and no one paid to be included.

• Alaska Department of Fish and Game: Ketchikan salmon viewing
• Alaska Public Media: Ketchikan Ward Cove
• alaskaitinerary.com: Ketchikan bear viewing
• allenmarinetours.com: Misty Fjords boat tours
• allenmarinetours.com: Misty Fjords boat tours
• carnival.com: Carnival Cruise Line
• cruiseports.org: Ketchikan docks
• ketchikanattractions.com: Ketchikan Ward Cove
• ketchikanattractions.com: Great Alaskan Lumberjack Show
• NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information: Ketchikan weather
• Royal Caribbean: shore excursions
• taquanair.com: Taquan Air
• Temsco Helicopters: Glacier dog sledding
• Temsco Helicopters: Temsco Helicopters
• Travel Alaska (State of Alaska): Misty Fjords
• U.S. Forest Service: Misty Fjords
• U.S. Forest Service: Misty Fjords
• U.S. Naval Observatory: Ketchikan daylight
• Ward Cove: Ketchikan Ward Cove

Photo Credits

• Rudyerd Bay area, Misty Fjords (NOAA): photo by LCDR Mark Wetzler, NOAA Corps., via Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)
• Cliffs in the Rudyerd Bay area (NOAA): photo by LCDR Mark Wetzler, NOAA Corps., via Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)
• DHC-2 Beaver floatplane, Ketchikan: photo by Rob Hodgkins, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)
• Floatplane landing in Misty Fjords, 1998: photo by RCraig09, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
• New Eddystone Rock, Behm Canal: photo by Jerzystrzelecki, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 3.0)
• Waterfall in Misty Fjords National Monument: photo by Enrico Blasutto, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)