Skagway vs Ketchikan: Which Alaska Port Fits Your Style?
If your cruise calls on both ports, you’re spoiled. If you need to choose one hero day, here’s the local photographer’s take - what each port does best, how to plan for weather, and where to find those can’t-miss shots.
Choose Skagway if you love gold-rush history, mountain rail panoramas, and big-vista photography.
Choose Ketchikan if you want rainforest vibes, totems, salmon runs, and better rain-day backups.
Skagway vs Ketchikan: Quick Comparison
Skagway
Best for: Historic railroad experiences and sweeping alpine views.
Signature tour: White Pass & Yukon Route Railway.
Weather backup: Visit the local museum or enjoy short scenic hikes.
Crowds: Higher concentration near the train and main street area.
Photo highlights: Mountain passes, bridges, and iconic train curves.
Family friendly: Great for families — easy rail rides and short walks.
Ketchikan
Best for: Rainforest culture, totem heritage, and salmon runs.
Signature tour: Misty Fjords flightseeing or visiting the totem parks.
Weather backup: Excellent—totem parks, museums, and covered boardwalks make it ideal on rainy days.
Crowds: More spread out across the town and nearby parks.
Photo highlights: Deep greens, cascading waterfalls, eagles, and colorful totems.
Family friendly: Ideal for kids — totem parks, the salmon hatchery, and the lumberjack show.
What Skagway Does Best
When you visit Skagway, you feel like you stepped back in time. The Main Street is lined with shops, restaurants and it has a beautiful rhythm to it. It boosts rail-day magic, glacier-carved valleys and swinging bridges. Photo tips: 1/1000s for train motion, wide at 16–24mm for curves, window glare hack: lens hood against glass.
Top 3 in Skagway
White Pass Railroad (half or full)
Dyea area + Chilkoot Trail first mile
Scenic shuttle pullouts toward the pass
What Ketchikan Does Best
Ketchikan is known as the ‘Salmon Capitol’ of the world. It has a more adventurous vibe to it and there’s a lot of totem poles there. If you’re someone who is more drawn to culture, history, etc., Ketchikan is most likely your place! Old-growth rainforest, Tongass mood, totem artistry. Photo tips: embrace overcast; greens pop. Bring a lens cloth. 1/250s+ for eagles.
Top 3 in Ketchikan
Totem Bight or Saxman Native Village
Creek Street + salmon ladder (in season)
Misty Fjords by floatplane (weather permitting)
If It’s Raining
Ketchikan wins: totems, museums, covered boardwalks.
Skagway: lean into rail + Klondike museum; add short forest walks.
Photography Tips (both ports)
Polarizer for glare, microfiber for mist, stabilize against rail windows, shoot RAW for rainforest dynamic range. I would highly consider bringing camera rain protection along with you as a lot of Southeast can be rainy.
If you wanted my top port recommendation to my friends, I would recommend Skagway. The views from the rail experience are breathtaking. Just saying ;).