How2Day: Float Plane Tours in Ketchikan, Alaska

The city of Ketchikan is known as "the Salmon Capital of the World." ketchikan harbor rainbow image by Alan James from Fotolia.com
As the first city founded along Alaska's scenic Inside Passage, Ketchikan is a must-see region featuring a variety of land, sea and air tours. It's the fifth largest city in the state, and is well known for its abundance of salmon and Native American culture. Regardless of how you travel to or within the state of Alaska, you'll be surrounded by its unparalleled beauty of natural waterfalls, glaciers, rainforests and fjords.

Located in the heart of Ketchikan, Alaska Seaplane Tours offers a number of tours. As of 2010, the company's floatplane tour service has a perfect safety flight record and has been voted Editors Choice for Shore Excursions since 2004 by the Cruise Critic website. Tours offered by Alaska Seaplane include bear viewing at Prince of Wales Island, the Misty Fjords Seaplane Tour over Alaska's fjords and glaciers, plus the one-of-a-kind fly-out fishing trips to reel in Ketchikan's catch of the day. All tour guests will be picked up and dropped off at Ketchikan's Visitor Information Center by Alaska Seaplane's tour van.

As a fully licensed tour service, Island Wings Air conducts seaplane and floatplane tours throughout the Tongass National Forest and Misty Fjords National Monument areas of Ketchikan. This company's wilderness tours are is operational via a permit issued by the USDA Forest Service. Island Wings Air has the ability to provide flight service to your rented U.S. Forest Service cabin. The company also embarks on wildlife watching tours to view bears from a specialized viewing platform, or whales traveling through the passage waters along the shores of Ketchikan. All charter tours are guided and supervised by experienced Island Wings Air staff.

Promech Air provides guided and unguided tours to various parts of Ketchikan. Embark on a guided Neets Bay bear viewing tour, Misty Fjords flight seeing tour or if you'd prefer to cruise and fly, there is a Misty Fjords tour that incorporates both excursions. Promech Air will fly you out via floatplane to your desired destination so you can explore and hike on your own. The company can also rent out necessary wilderness survival items like camping gear, cooking equipment and food.

Locally owned and operated for 23 years by the Kamm family, SeaWind Aviation operates small floatplane tours with a seven-passenger maximum per tour. The Alaska bear viewing tour combines a magnificent flight route, plus a land excursion that enables visitors to get to a close, yet safe distance from native bears. Other tours Seawind Aviation offers include flight seeing above the Ketchikan region, glacier tours, and flights above and around the Misty Fjords National Monument. Seawind Aviation can also customize your tour flight and enable access to remote wilderness cabins or private beaches.

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