Rainforest Sanctuary Center and Totems
Great tour, things to see in Ketchikan
October 13, 2023
We really enjoyed the walk through the rainforest and our guide was excellent. She was very knowledgeable and fun to talk to. The raptor center was interesting, close up with bald eagle and red tail hawk. We also enjoyed chatting with the totem pole carver
Reviewer: Scott and Maureen Acker
Wonderful
September 21, 2023
The whole experience was wonderful. Elijah was our guide. So knowledgeable. We saw bears!
Reviewer: Lisa Cate
Rainforest and Totems
September 10, 2023
The excursion met all expectations and our guide knowledgeable and invested in a Maurine that everyone in the group was accommodated and engaged!
Reviewer: Dee Nishimoto
Perfect first Alaskan excursion
August 13, 2023
The young man to hosted us, was wonder. Just the right level of sense of humor and terrific knowledge of his surroundings. We truly enjoyed learning about the local flora and loved the sanctuary and all it stands for. To be that close to those wild birds of prey was amazing.
Reviewer: Kevin B.
Rainforest/Raptor excursion
July 07, 2023
The young guide was wonderful and very knowledgeable on this small group outing - it helped having the Mayor of Ketchikan along with us. Overall an excellent excursion and so glad we took it
Reviewer: Jeremy Spindlove
Enjoyed
July 06, 2023
We enjoyed this excursion. Our guide was well informed and his dialogue was interesting. It was all that we expected.
Reviewer: Ellen Davis
An interesting afternoon
September 30, 2022
We thoroughly enjoyed the excursion.The shuttle bus driver was very pleasant and chatty. It was a short but scenic drive along to the forest centre. The guide on the walk was fabulous. She pointed out local trees and plants. We watched 5 black bears foraging for salmon in the river. There were just 3 birds at the raptor center on display but the birds were well cared for and the talk was informative. We enjoyed seeing the totem carver at work and seeing samples of his finished work. The shuttle dropped us off to explore more of the town and we walked back to the ship.
Reviewer: Cheryl Hutley
Nice excursion
September 28, 2022
It was a nice walk in the rainforest for a different experience in Alaska. The guide was very helpful amd provided information for us to learn about rainforest. Seen many wild animals along the way too. Recommended for someone loves forest and wild animals.
Reviewer: Huiting Zhang
Learned new things
August 05, 2022
It was a nice ride to our destination. Our guide was very knowledgeable and kept it interesting. We saw an eagle falcon, hawk, a black tail deer and even a bear. We witnessed a man making a totem pole that takes five months to complete. They also have a gift shop.
Reviewer: Dawn Ward
review
July 20, 2022
The tour was very good. Knowledgeable guides and the rain forest was beautiful. We also saw many bald eagles that day.
Reviewer: Lola Stoker
Well worth your time
May 28, 2022
This tour is well worth the money and time. Interesting information on the largest temperate rain forest in the world. The visit to the Raptor rehab center opened my eyes to the hazards facing the countries most majestic birds of prey. Our guide Claire (a foodie) was great as she found ways to make sure the information provided stuck.
Reviewer: Ray
Good
October 24, 2019
Very well done
Reviewer: John testa
Amazing
October 19, 2019
It was amazing and our tour guide was very knowledgeable. My husband goes camping with The Boy Scouts and never saw a black bear, but we did on our excursion.
Reviewer: Kim Wick
Fascinating, educational
October 04, 2019
Great tour, even in bone-chilling rain. Now I know what a temperate rainforest is! Wildlife seen included bears, harbor seals, river otters and more.
Reviewer: Jeri
rain forest sanctuary
October 02, 2019
last year took this excursion saw bears and eagles but this year none but the guide Jim was excellent lots of info and jokes it was nice to feed the caribou
Reviewer: ian thickins
Great walk
October 02, 2019
Even though our guide Angie said that it was her first year as a guide, she was terrific! Enthusiastic and knowledgeable. I don't think there was any question that she didn't know the answer to. We really enjoyed ourselves and would definitely recommend this tour.
Reviewer: Tom & Susan McAndrew
Very interesting
September 24, 2019
This excursion turned out to be very informative. The guide for the Rain forest & raptors was very knowledgeable & fun. Thoroughly enjoyable
Reviewer: Carole Kirk
Rainforest, Raptor and Totems
September 13, 2019
Very educational and enjoyable tour. The guide was extremely knowledgeable and friendly. Because there were only 4 in our group we definitely benefited by having a very personal tour. Although it rained much of the time (we had poncho's) the tour was still very good - in fact the downpour added to the whole experience.
Reviewer: Vic Malhotra
Rainforest
September 10, 2019
Our guide did an excellent job explaining the all the plants & foliage that we saw in the beautiful rainforest sanctuary. She was also able to answer all of our questions. Very interesting excursion.
Reviewer: Karen Willadsen
Nature at its best
September 09, 2019
Excellent tour with a wonderful tour guide
Our guide made stops along our walk through the rainforest explaining what we were seeing and pointing out interesting facts. She picked up a huge yellow slug
The raptor sanctuary was a bit of a disappointment as we only the resident eagle and a hawk but the salmon hatchery with the salmon returning to spawn was very interesting as was seeing the totem pole being carved Nice to be able to ask questions of an artisan. The pole on display were also impressive
Reviewer: Ruth kergan
Nature Walk
August 30, 2019
Nice leisurely walk through the rainforest, salmon farm, and totem maker’s facility.
The guide was very knowledgeable and entertaining. We saw a Bald Eagle and salmon. Talked with the totem maker in his facility. Great tour for the time available in port.
Reviewer: Robert
Great Guide
August 30, 2019
Our guide was awesome. She was informative and made the walk very engaging. The totem park is amazing to see. The raptor center was small, but it was great to see what they are doing.
Reviewer: Mark
Worthwhile Adventure
August 26, 2019
Anita, our guide, was amazing. She was so knowledgeable. Hiking through the 2nd largest rainforest was very relaxing and enjoyable. The Raven was right. The bear was eating a salmon at the creek. It was fascinating watching the salmon return. Seeing a totem pole come to life is a sight to behold. Seeing how well injured birds are taking care of is rewarding.
Reviewer: Gay D. Gardner
Alaskan Rainforest
August 22, 2019
I Loved this excursion. I would have never thought there would be a rainforest in Alaska. Our guide was very knowledgeable and the walk through the rainforest was very easy with great weather.
Reviewer: Karen G
Rainforest & Raptor Tour
August 12, 2019
Excellent tour - Eagles surrounded us like sparrows at home - just magnificent. Great tour guide too. They do much needed rehabilitation work for these animals also.
Reviewer: Michael Bennett
Rainforest santuary rapture center and totums
August 01, 2019
was unable to go because of health problems Family members said it was excellent
Reviewer: margaret b hall
Rainforest Sanctuary Raptor Center and Totems
July 15, 2019
The trail hike was very good despite the rain. The tour guide was really nice and informative. We enjoyed it.
Reviewer: Rebecca Lai
Best Tour! Great deal for price! Educated Guide!
July 15, 2019
This tour was fabulous! Our guide, Rina, was terrific! Very educated, fun and professional. Was engaging with the group, including kids. The rainforest walk was an easy path filled with all kinds of interesting local flora, trees, and eco systems. Rina was a wealth of local stories, and interesting facts. The many bald eagle sightings at the end was fabulous. (July 9, 2019)
Reviewer: Laurie
Red!!!!
July 15, 2019
You will always remember MR RED.. He is absolutely professional and caring. Very knowledgeable.. Must do.....
Reviewer: magdiel L diaz
Rainforest Sanctuary
July 06, 2019
Enjoyed the small group. We saw a black bear in the distance, and several bald eagles. The guide really gave us specifics on the various plants of the region.
Reviewer: Silvia Steinhardt
Rainforest Sanctuary Raptor Center Totems review
June 28, 2019
Enjoyed this tour very much. The totems were beautiful and very interesting. The guide in the rainforest was excellent. We enjoyed learning about the trees and plants in the rainforest. We would really recommend this tour.
Reviewer: Diana Forster
Rainforest
June 20, 2019
What a fabulous excursion. The guide was so knowledgeable and interesting. We saw about a dozen bald eagles and tiny baby salmon as well as other birds. The raptor center is such a good way of healing injured animals. Definitely recommend this tour. Absolutely fabulous.
Reviewer: Ellen Zurich
Rainforest Sanctuary Raptor Center and Totems
June 20, 2019
enjoyed very much, tour guide was very good and she talked about the plants and animals in detailand made the whole tour very interesting.
Recommend every one to take this excursion.
Reviewer: chandradas
Rainforest Sanctuary and raptor Center
June 09, 2019
Avery informative and interesting tour
Reviewer: Douglas Ambrose
Not worth the time
June 04, 2019
We got a walk in the woods to hear about 5 kinds of trees, a couple ferns and some berries. We saw some totems under construction (but no artist) and an old eagle. Hardly worth $90.
Reviewer: TL
Sanctuary Workers Are Devoted to Raptors
November 28, 2018
I was very impressed with the dedication of the employees. All explained the role of the public & how to help guard the raptors. Described each specimen & how to care for them. Rainforest interesting, we saw black bears, juvenile & adult bald eagles; interesting field trip!
Reviewer: North AL gal
Beautiful with lots of wildlife
October 14, 2018
This was a terrific excursion into the (who knew there was one in Alaska?) rain forest. We saw bears and harbor seals in the wild and reindeer, eagles and several other raptors at the center. The totems and the love totem carving were very interesting as well. One note though - this is definitely a hiking excursion. It is an easy hike, but NOT appropriate for anyone with walking problems. Overall we had a great time.
Reviewer: Diane Bennett
Excellent outing
October 13, 2018
We were promptly met by our local knowledgeable driver and taken to the site of the tour where we met Savannah, our tour guide. She was friendly and had a great sense of humor. We saw a black bear, lots of salmon, seals and various birds. The rain forest environment was not something one would expect in Alaska.
Reviewer: Rick
Delightful walk in the Rain Forest
September 28, 2018
Our guide Joseph was very knowlegeable and knew a great deal about the subject at hand. He kept things moving and answered all questions thoroughly. It was a most enjoyable time and the rain forest was fascinating.
Reviewer: Dane Thomas
Bears!
September 25, 2018
This excursion FAR exceeded our expectations. I really enjoyed the forest walk, and we are apparently very lucky to come upon a mama bear teaching her cub to fish for salmon in the river. We were, like, 100 yards away!! It is a contender for the highlight of our Alaska Cruise.
Reviewer: Dave Collins
Rain forest experience
September 22, 2018
This was a good trip. The guide at the sanctuary was very knowledgeable about the forest and the local wildlife and very informative. The raptor centre had only four birds on display which was a little disappointing as one would have expected to see a few more based on the description.
The totems were interesting but unfortunately there was no one there to talk about them with an in-depth knowledge, ie the different totems in the grounds and the significance of all of the designs. The forest guide gave a brief synopsis which was ok but limited (not her fault). Nevertheless it was very enjoyable.
Reviewer: Stephen Milner
review for Rainforest Sanctuary Raptor Center and
September 21, 2018
It is good, the only disadvantage is that time is a little rush, we came back just a few minutes before cruise departed, and the price is a little high.
Reviewer: Yiwei Zhao
Rainforest
September 17, 2018
Good tour guide and interesting tour. I could recommend this tour.
Reviewer: Edwin McGough
Rainforest Tour
September 17, 2018
Outstanding guide and tour!
Reviewer: John
Nice hike
September 17, 2018
We enjoyed the hike through the rain forest. Didn't see any bears, unfortunately, but that's how it is.
Reviewer: Linda-Steve Walsh
Trees, Eagles and Totems
September 01, 2018
Our young guide was very enthusiastic about wildlife and the forest. She taught us a lot about a trees life. We saw many eagles and saw an old saw mill and totem pole carving. Ask the carver about his "Bill Gates" experience. Good shore choice!
Reviewer: Reid Heitkamp
Eagles
August 31, 2018
The guide picked us up at the dock & drove the short distance to the site. Along the way we were told about the sights. At the Sanctuary our guide gave us a very informative walk through the woods. We went to the river/hatchery. The juvenile eagles were out. They swooped over our heads. There’s a new area to showcase the resident raptors. We learned a lot about them & the area. Great tour.
Reviewer: Kim
Great time!
August 20, 2018
We just returned form our cruise and wanted to let everyone know that if they go to Ketchikan, this is a great way to start your trip. I beautiful hike thru the rain forest. Our guide, Rylee was OUTSTANDING! We learned a great deal about bears, wolfs, plants, eagles and even banana slugs. She was very knowledgeable and enthusiastic!
Reviewer: Gary Cuiper
Beautiful and Informative
August 20, 2018
Tour of the Rainforest was much more detailed than expected...loved the education on the flora and fauna of the area. Raptor Center offered a great opportunity to get close to some beautiful birds-of-prey and it was very interesting to see how totem poles were carved and constructed. If you are lucky like we were, you will also see many bald eagles in the wild and perhaps a bear! Raised walkway over the tidal stream gave us a chance to safely see a black bear looking for salmon. Only issue is that the tour started hour and 45 minutes after the ship docked which made timing very tight to get back to the ship on time.
Reviewer: Gina
Rainforest
August 20, 2018
Excellent tour guide through the rainforest to the salmon hatchery and the raptor center. Our guide, Allie, provided a lot of interesting information on plants, trees and wildlife and was willing to answer all our questions throughout the walk. The very best land tour of the three we took on this cruise.
Reviewer: Pelle Deinoff
Wonderful Experience
August 13, 2018
We thoroughly enjoyed our walk through the rainforest with Anna. She was keen, knowledgeable and passionate about nature. She explained everything so well and also geared the information to all ages. The children enjoyed themselves as much as the adults. She was so interesting. Kudos.
The only negative is that the bus to return us to the cruise ship was late and that stressed some of us out to be cutting it so close. I would suggest that that be tightened up.
Ann Surch
Reviewer: Ann Surch
Rainforest Sanctuary Raptor Center and Totems
August 13, 2018
Despite the rain and cool weather, we enjoyed the rain forest tour. Our guide was very informative and we counted over 18 Bald Eagles during our hike. We also got to see a harbor seal, and the salmon were just starting to run, very exciting!
The Totem Pole demo was great, especially seeing the work and dedication that goes into carving these wonders! We especially enjoyed seeing the bird rescue center, and learning how these injured birds are nursed back to health by the staff.
The entire tour was fun & very educational, and I would recommend it.
Reviewer: Mary Pat Bischoff
Beautiful walk
July 30, 2018
The rain forest is spectacular - really enjoyed the walk. Our guide was very knowledgeable
. The bald eagles are so impressive!
Reviewer: Mary Roll
Great tour for first visit to Ketchikan
July 23, 2018
We really enjoyed the tour of the rainforest. Our guide was enthusiastic and very knowledgeable. If she didn't know an answer she found out and let us know later. Only thing a little odd is the constant zip lining that is going on in the same area above you as you tour the rainforest. The number of eagles was just amazing. Everywhere you look you can see them flying, in the trees or on the logs near water. We really enjoyed speaking with the gentleman carving the totem and learning more about the stories they tell. We thought the timing was adequate and the transportation well organized.
Reviewer: Jan HR
Highly Recommend!
July 23, 2018
Our family consisted of 4 grandparents, 2 parents, and 3 boys aged 14, 12, 9. Everyone in our family enjoyed this tour. The tour bus was on time. The bus ride was short and sweet. The size of the group was perfect. The tour guide, Connor, was knowledgeable. Connor's love of nature was contagious. We saw bald eagles, salmon, a red-tailed hawk, a great-horned owl, and a harbor seal. We saw evidence of bears. We learned a lot about the native plants and berries. We had some time afterwards to explore Ketchikan.
Reviewer: Amy
Great time with a great guide!
July 02, 2018
Anthony made this excursion wonderfully memorable! The bear and eagles helped. Anthony was very knowledgeable and kept us all interested. I would recommend this to anyone interested in our Earth and the ways it amazes us all. Great photo ops and incredible sites. Not for those who can’t walk a few blocks.
Reviewer: Hilary Arnold
The BEST excursion!
June 25, 2018
I read a brilliant review on this tour before booking it and I fully agree. Sarah, our guide, was exceptional! She didn’t rush us and explained the eco system of the rainforest with patience. Even though it rained, it didn’t detract from our visit in the rainforest. It was almost a necessity! The trees are magnificent and her stories were entertaining. We had plenty of time to explore the lumber museum, the visitors’ centre and the Totem Park after the nature trail. The raptors were fascinating and we also saw Bald Eagles all around. I took hundreds of photos. There were complimentary salmon and crackers and a drink after the tour - a special gesture! I recommend this excursion - our very best one during our cruise.
Reviewer: Jenny
Wonderful!
June 25, 2018
Outstanding excursion. The rain forest is definitely the best part of the excursion. The guide was excellent - funny, informative, interesting and attentive without being intrusive.
Reviewer: Kevin Sprong
Don’t miss this one!
June 18, 2018
Best experience. Must do excursion! Terrific guide.
Reviewer: David
Great tour
June 11, 2018
We had a great walking tour through the Rain Forest. Our guide "Red", was fun and very knowledgable, we were entertained and learned a-lot. The Totems were interesting. We got some great up close pictures of Bald Eagles.
Reviewer: Ed Waltrip
Rainforest Sanctuary
September 25, 2017
This excursion was good from start to finish. We took a relaxing stroll through the rainforest with an excellent guide. When we got to a stream and open area, we were treated to seeing eagles and bears. A couple of bears were fairly close. It was easy to watch them reach in and grab a salmon.
Reviewer: Deborah Bradford
Rainforest Sanctuary Raptor Center & Totems
September 13, 2017
This was an excellent tour, very interesting, and even saw a black bear reach in the water, pull out a salmon and eat it! The only drawback was the rain!! We did have ponchos on but hard to take pictures while raining.
Reviewer: Elizabeth A. Hartman
Best excursion of the trip!
August 02, 2017
We completed this excursion with Rylee, who by far is the best tour guide I have ever had! She took so much time with us and her passion for her job radiated through every detail she shared. We had originally selected this excursion because we didn't know what else to do at this port, but it ended up being the best decision we made! We highly recommend!
Reviewer: Nicole Morris
Awesome!
August 02, 2017
This was one of the highlights of our trip. If you have a child it is a must! So educational, so personal we couldn't believe it. Saw live black bear, bald eagles were amazing,petting the reindeer. The guide "Red" was so entertaining and informative. Got to actually see Wayne Johnson carving his totem pole. Would very highly recommend! My grand daughter loved it.
Reviewer: Marti Felder
Rainforest Sanct. etc. in Ketchikan, Alaska
July 22, 2017
This tour was excellent. The young guide was well informed and provided good commentary. As the weather was wet we were also provided a complimentary poncho.
Reviewer: Jack
Good Choice
July 10, 2017
This is a good walking tour. It is an easy pace in the forest for the most part. We did emerge into a field to cross a bridge over water. From the bridge we saw three black bear on the other end of the field. Our guide, Riley, was exceptional. Her details on everything we saw were complete and she encouraged questions.
Reviewer: Kelly
Great Tour and Lots of Eagles
June 06, 2017
Loved this tour. The path through the forest is easy to walk and the guide shares a lot of interesting info on the plants and animals. We saw several wild eagles in the forest. Loved the Raptor Center got to get very close to a rehabilitating eagle. Got lots of great pictures.
Reviewer: AnnMarie Pursel
Excellent Guide!!!
November 28, 2016
Our guide, Clint, was the best!! He was extremely knowledgeable about the temperate rain forest we were visiting which really helped make the hike interesting. He was entertaining and had a great sense of humor too. It seemed that he was really making every effort to ensure that we had a great time. The forest was spectacular and we even saw bear tracks and a huge slug, as well as spawning salmon. All in all a great excursion!!
Reviewer: Donna Morris
Rain tree raptor center
November 28, 2016
The young lady that eaccompanied us on this excursion was fantastic. She was very knowledgable, had a fantastic sense of humor and answer all questions thoroughly. This excursion introduced us to everything from fauna to black bears eating salmon to bear skat on the trail. Loved the entire experience.
Reviewer: Carl Spurgeon
Confusion to start...
November 23, 2016
No one seemed to know where our tour driver was. All of us were wondering around and waiting in the area the tickets said to be in. Finally, about five minutes before we were supposed to be on the tour, someone showed up. The description of this tour said nothing about a tour of the rainforest and that was the best part of the entire thing. The sanctuary was kind of a bust. The rainforest was incredible though.
Reviewer: Kathy Ray
Ketchikan Rainforest,Raptor and Totems
November 21, 2016
We had a great time in the Rainforest. Learned a lot about Black and Brown Bears and their differences. Was pouring rain when we were there in August, 2016. Raptor center was a bit disappointing - only an injured bald eagle that could not fly. Totems were interesting.
Reviewer: Bob and Peggy Lang
Rainforest Sanctuary Raptor Center and Totems
November 17, 2016
Excellent excursion seen Black Bears on trail, Eagles, river otters, salmon, ravens& other wild life. Forest tour was informational The raptor center was equally as good. The birds are big and beautiful.
Reviewer: Rainforest Sanctuary Raptor Center and Totems
walk in the forest
November 16, 2016
Great trip and the guide was superb. She was bubbly, excited about the fauna and flora and certainly entertaining. The day was perfect; sun warm and DRY. There is still time following this tour to take in another tour of the community.
Reviewer: d hardie
Rainforest, nature and totems
November 13, 2016
Picked up in front of our ship and transported to Rainforest where very enthusiastic naturalist walked us through easy trails, showing us signs of bears and ended up at a river to observe salmon spawning and eagles feasting on fish. An abandoned sawmill housed the Raptor for injured birds and Tlingit Indian carving totem.
Reviewer: Richard Hoback
Best of all of the excursions
November 10, 2016
Our guides were pretty spunky and tried very hard to impress us with their knowledge. Everything promised to see, we saw. plant life of various forms, Eagles, and a bear. Even stepped in some bear poop.
My one and only criticism is that we were told to hang out in the store, etc, which we did, and later found the other folks who came with us from the meeting place at the docks, were no longer there we asked how long we should plan to wait for the tour to take place. They had no idea we were even still there. We found that to be a little irritating. They had to hold everyone else up because of it...
Like I said, though, it was a pretty decent trip. I'd do it again just for the heck of it.
Reviewer: Anonymous
Rainforest in alaska ?
November 05, 2016
Our guide was very informative. Saw many
eagles but no bear. Would tell anyone to try
this trip and say hello to Voltar the eagle.
Reviewer: Jim C
Rainforest Sacntuary Raptor Center
November 04, 2016
One of our highlights of trip!
Didn't see as many eagles as I thought we would at the center...only one, but we more than made up for that in BEARS! We observed bears close by eating berries, than walking across a path twice almost right in front of us, then observing cubs playing right
by a boardwalk by the meadow....our tour guide and the day at the rainforest were outstanding! Once again our tour group was very small and personal. Highly recommend!!!!
Reviewer: Kathie
Good tour
October 03, 2016
Although our weather wasn't particularly good for walking through a rain forest, we did enjoy this. This is more a nature walk than anything else. The guides were very nice and knowledgeable. The sanctuary and totems were interesting.
Reviewer: Bonnie Marcus
Rainforest Sanctuary Raptor Center and Totems
September 28, 2016
The rainforest was beautiful we saw where bears have been but did not see any bears. We saw plenty of salmon & also saw a harbor seal chasing the salmon. It wasvery interesting watching the local artists carving a totem pole and be able to talk with them.
Reviewer: Julie & Chuck Wolfe
Great Day
August 29, 2016
Guide was amazing, and the small group personal atmosphere made the day very enjoyable !!
Reviewer: Dp
rain forest
August 18, 2016
good wild life exposure
Reviewer: tony lopresti
Wonderful
August 18, 2016
Our tour guide was very nice & informative, forget his name but he looked like a ""Ginger version"" of Jake Gyllenhaal. We saw several bald eagles & a friendly resident kitty, scenery was beautiful. Totems were awesome, my favorite part was seeing the reindeer!!!
Reviewer: Laureen Schneeberger
Rainforest Sanctuary Raptor Center and Totems
August 11, 2016
Excellent tour
Reviewer: gary e
Rainforest Sanctuary Raptor Center and Totems
August 08, 2016
This was an incredible excursion! We loved every minute of it! Our tour guide was well informed and fun to listen to. She knew all the local lore and all about the wildlife and their habits and secrets. Thank you for a great day!
Reviewer: Lorna
Rain forest, raptor center
July 18, 2016
Our first contact did not show up and it was Norwegian lines people who got us on the correct bus.
We did see a bear and eagles and a sawmill (abandoned) and the totem carver was nice to see.
Reviewer: Marge Young
Great trip
June 07, 2016
Guide we had was so exciting and thrilled to show us what she was so happy and proud of her rain Forrest. She made the trip worth it.
Reviewer: Mark O.
Nice tour at a good price
June 07, 2016
Although we only saw one captive eagle on the tour, this was a nice experience because of the rain forest walk and the First Nations artist carving a totem pole. Definitely worth the time and money.
Reviewer: Todd L.
Was very nice and informative
June 05, 2016
guide was knowledgeable. We are not regular travelers
Reviewer: none
Outstanding
September 11, 2015
Saw a bear eating a salmon
Reviewer: Unknown
Agood intro to the rainforest
August 29, 2015
enjoyed learning about the plants and the slug on the nature walk. Enjoyed seeing the old saw mill saw and the Bucyrus crane. Enjoyed learning about the salmon
Reviewer: Bill
Informative
August 08, 2015
Our guide Jan was very enthusiastic , informative .
We enjoyed very much.
Reviewer: Travelers
Wildlife Wonderland
June 25, 2015
Enjoyable experience including wildlife and history of the area. Lovely walk through the forest learning about trees and other plants. The driver on the outward journey gave us lots of information about the area.
Reviewer: Gandalf
pretty cool experience
June 19, 2015
Saw a lot of eagles, guide very nice and friendly. I think we were early in the season to get the most of the experience.
Reviewer: a mom
Interesting and informative!
June 10, 2015
Very informative!! Knowledge driver and guide.
Reviewer: joan
Rainforest walk for everyone!
October 05, 2014
Walking with an experienced guide on a packed path through the rainforest was educational and exciting. Would there be a bear around the corner? Probably not! The bears could hear us coming, but we certainly saw signs of the bears recent activity. The salmon river and the wetlands as seen from a raised observation walkway gave an opportunity to observe salmon spawning, sea gulls and eagles fishing and, if you are lucky, a mama bear bringing her two cubs to the river to fish! Using a cane for balance, I felt very comfortable and not hurried during my rainforest walk. The raptor center was educational and a great opportunity to photograph an eagle close at hand. The totem carver shared his knowledge and demonstrated the tools he uses to create the most impressive totems...a true artist!
Reviewer: Kentucky Nana
Beautiful start of our Alaskan adventure
September 28, 2014
The staff was warm, welcoming and knowledgeable.
Reviewer: Mark and Di
Great for kids!
July 30, 2014
This was a nice balance of nature exploration, environmental perspective, cultural and historic information, and art/craftsmanship. Our kids, ages 5 and 8, were very engaged the whole time. They were very interested in the creatures and plants/trees of the rainforest, and loved meeting the eagle and other birds at the raptor center. The totem pole workshop was also great to explore. Our guide was very knowledgeable and friendly, as well.
Reviewer: NJ traveler
Enjoyable experience
September 29, 2013
""Raptor centre"" may be be a little overstated - saw one injured bald headed eagle and an owl - lovely, but expected more from the heading.
Would have liked a longer trail.
Loved the sighting of black bears, salmon and the interesting info on the rainforest plants and animals.
Reviewer: Li
Rare sunny day in a rainforest
September 03, 2013
Guide was very knowledgeable and passionate about nature.
Highlite of walk was seeing a black bear and her cub about 50 ft away.
Only downside was a problem with the shuttle bus scheduling which caused
our guide to have to rush thru the walk.
Reviewer: mover
Good even when wet
October 05, 2012
Tour was excellent even in pouring rain. Nice to have ponchos offered. Seeing black bears in the wild was terrific. Very knowlable guide, especially about the many plants.
Reviewer: Lisa nature lover
relaxing walk with nature
September 07, 2012
very nice nature trip, guide was very informative,saw great wildlife. bears eagle, fish hatchery etc. only issue was no van to pick me up. the person at the meeting place had to call several times to get them to come .
Reviewer: anita
a great excursion
July 30, 2012
very enjoyable walk through the rainforest with a friendly, informative guide. Unfortunately we didn't see any bears, but we saw lots and lots of bald eagles
Reviewer: Jackie O
Great walk
July 05, 2012
Our guide was well informed. We saw bear, eagle, reindeer, owl. Learning of the various plants and life cycle of bear very interesting.
Reviewer: Mr &Mrs Murdoch
A real ""rain""forest experience!
May 11, 2012
Excellent tour, Jan is very knowledgable of the rainforest. Beautiful scenery and photo opportunities in protected natural area. We were first cruise of the season (May 1) so not much wildlife - although we did see an eagle up in a tree and 3 harbor seals swimming very close. Ketchikan gets rain at least 300 days of the year so be prepared.
Reviewer: ThomBanK
INEXPENSIVE DOESN'T MEAN ""CHEAP""
October 13, 2011
WE HAD SEEN A SIMILAR EXCURSION WITH THE CRUISE LINE AND FOUND YOUR PRICING MUCH MORE THAN JUST COMPETETIVE ..... SO WE EXPECTED LESS .... OUR TOUR GROUP WAS SMALLER, MORE PERSONAL. WE WILL CHECK YOUR OFFERINGS IN THE FUTURE AND URGE OUR FRIENDS TO USE YOU AS A RESOURCE.
Reviewer: CRUISIN' COUPLE
Totally a great experience
September 16, 2011
I had a great time on this excursion. I would like to thank our guide for being so informative and I even learned a few new things. He made the trip fun and answered each and every question. Overall the trip was very enjoyable and relaxing.
Reviewer: Mick
Bears Galore
September 12, 2011
Sam was an outstanding guide, showed us lots of unique Alaskan wildlife and fauna...the seven bears were the highlight especially the mother and cubs catching salmon
Reviewer: Bill
Short Walk; Animal Sighting Potential
July 22, 2011
This was a fun excursion, though I would have liked the ""hike"" to be longer, and we walked pretty slowly. I was surprised at how dense the rainforest was. I was hoping to see a bear during my whole trip, and at this last port of call, we finally did! The bear was eating berries off to the side and walked across the path in front of us. It happened so early on that I hoped to see more, but that was the only one. There is evidence of bears frequenting that area, so watch where you step! We saw a lot of bald eagles up close and salmon in the estuary. We also saw a seal. I would have loved to see a bear feeding on the salmon, but no luck. At the end of the tour, it was fun to feed the reindeer and see a bald eagle and great horned owl up very close. This is a fun, leisurely excursion that the whole family can enjoy. There is a good potential for sighting wildlife. Our guide was very knowledgable and friendly.
Reviewer: Stephanie
Great Rainforest Excursion
July 08, 2011
Enjoyed the rainforest. Didn't get to see any bears, but lots of fresh bear [*]. So they were close by. Saw lots of bald eagles and an owl.
Reviewer: Chuck & Vonda
A walk in an unique ecosystem
July 01, 2011
This was a very relaxing stroll through the Tongass rain forest on a clearly marked, easy path. Our guide was quite knowledgeable about the local fauna and pointed out many interesting features. We were able to see the evidence of local wildlife, such as scent markings , claw marks on bear cub training trees, and even the remains of eaten salmon. Our guide even gave us an interactive experience with a banana slug that we came across. At the end of our walk through the forest, we were fortunate enough to see an early school of salmon swimming up river from the estuary. If we had been there a few weeks later, we probably would have seen salmon in full run.
Next, we stopped and fed reindeer at the on-site rescue habitat. The next stop, an abandoned saw mill wasn't that exciting, but slightly interesting to see the appalingly poor safety standards that were once employed. We then had the privilege to watch a master totem pole carver work on his latest project. A quick visit with a couple of rescue birds, an eagle and an owl,followed.
The tour ended with some complementary refreshments at the souvenir shop, which was fairly nice, understated and moderately priced compared to similar shop in Ketchikan without any pushy sale techniques. All and all, we thoroughly enjoyed this excursion.
Reviewer: Jamie