Traveler Ratings of Private Tours In Ketchikan, Alaska by Tour Guide Cruin MacGriogair
Overall Rating ★★★★★
Sorted by tour type:
A Wee Place, Ketchikan: Between the Sea and the Mountains
Peter Burlow United Kingdom
Rating ★★★★★
Tour: Ketchikan - A wee place between the sea and the mountains
Date: Jul 17/17
Had a great day out with Cruin, he was quite a character, although not a descendent of the area was well immersed in its culture and explained a lot about the carvings and local life. He showed us around the area and answered all our questions.
TOUR GUIDE RESPONSE: Thank you Peter, I really enjoyed meeting you and your family. It was a fun day. Regards, Cruin.
Kellie Holmstrom United States
Rating ★★★★★
Tour: Ketchikan - A wee place for Kellie and Hubby between the sea and the mountains
Date: Jul 24/17
Cruin did a great job. He was at the assigned meeting spot wearing his kilt. He was informative about Ketchikan showing us his carving tools. Unfortunately few salmon were running but he shared some canned salmon and crackers at the end of the tour. He drove to see where the "bridge to no where" was suppose to go. WE enjoyed the hike thru the forrest.
TOUR GUIDE RESPONSE: Thanks Kellie, it was my pleasure to meet you and your husband, and I had great fun showing you around and walking with you. I hope we all meet again someday.
Steven Mattix United States
Rating ★★★★★
Tour: Ketchikan - A wee place for Steven Mattix & Family between the sea and the mountains
Date: Jul 28/17
Cruin was personable, friendly and knowledgeable. He accommodated our personal interests plus guided us to local points of interest that we were not familiar with. He was generous with his time and knowledge. We highly recommend his tour. If you are looking for something smaller and more personable, this is the tour for you.
TOUR GUIDE RESPONSE: Thank you, Steven I really enjoyed our tour, and meeting you and your friends. I thought you were very funny, and very human, and you made the tour great fun. I do hope we meet again someday. Cruin.
Albert Kopp South Africa
Rating ★★★★☆
Tour: Ketchikan - A wee place between the sea and the mountains
Date: Sep 2/17
We loved our tour with Cruin. He was knowledgeable and clearly loved what he was doing. He added a really nice touch to our stay in Ketchikan. He gave us a good introduction to Ketchikan, which was our first stop on our Alaska cruise.
TOUR GUIDE RESPONSE: Thank you Albert. It was fun to go on tour with you.
David Schaffer United States
Rating ★★★★★
Tour: Get to know Ketchikan
Date: Sep 16/17
Really enjoyed the tour. Deep local knowledge makes a difference in the experience.
TOUR GUIDE RESPONSE: Thank you David.
Kimberlee Hayward reviewed Ketchikan Tours —
Rating ★★★★★
February 21 · 2018
A fabulous story teller! Super entertaining and engaging. Their website is a great resource with lots more info about the tour and the guide. Enjoy!
Cruin Responded:
Thanks Kim, you are so neat. I appreciate the boost.
Ebeth E
Rating ★★★★★
June 1, 2018
This tour was so great that I married the guide!
Cruin Responded:
Thanks sweetie! You are allowed to review me – you've been on my tour more times than anyone else! – I just hope you are not sorry now!
Custom Tours: Hiking, Photography, Shopping, etc.
Lee & Karen, Seminole, Florida, United States
Rating ★★★★★
Tour: Ketchikan - A wee place between the sea and the mountains,
Date: June 10/18
Beautiful Day in Ketchikan!
We visited Ketchikan on a cruise in June and wanted to avoid the “group” tours so we booked with Cruin MacGriogair for a private tour. It was a perfect choice! Cruin was a wonderful host and knows so much about Ketchikan and its history. We started with a quick look and history of some of the totem poles and he even brought some of the tools used to make them and let us try it out. My wife was apparently an expert totem pole artist and I was NOT! We then rode through town and he took us to some spots off the normal tour path where we got to photograph a number of eagles . We then made our way up to a beautiful waterfall where we were the only visitors. Cruin was extremely knowledgeable and friendly and we would highly recommend him to anyone wanting to get a better view of Ketchikan and what it has to offer.
Guide Response:
Thank you. I had a great day that day too, and I found you and your wife charming, intelligent and... well... I wanted to say "graceful..." or perhaps... "coordinated..." and she certainly was, and you... well... I am sure you have some very good qualities too! Laughing -- it was my pleasure and privilege to meet you both. Please keep well and keep in touch.
Cruin did a great job in personalizing our tour based on our interests. We took a short hike through the forest to a beautiful beach with amazing views, and were able to see the salmon run up close. We also looked at several of the totem poles in town, learning about carving techniques and getting a chance to try out Cruin's hand forged tools. He gave us some great tips for shopping in Creek Street, and even provided a light snack. We also got a good sense of how everyday people live and work in Ketchikan
TOUR GUIDE RESPONSE: Thank you, Deborah, It was my pleasure to meet you and your parents and take you out for a tour. I had a great time too, and remember and laugh every time I think of you almost helping that salmon by pushing it up the stream (your parents egging you on to push it) -- so funny. I hope I get to meet you all again one day. Cruin.
Deborah Hindmarch Carnation, WA, United States
Rating ★★★★★
Tour: Ketchikan - A wee place between the sea and the mountains
Date: Sep 12/17
Colin Forrest United Kingdom
Rating ★★★★★
Tour: Get to know Ketchikan
Date: Aug 11/17
Excellent tour with Cruin. Very knowledgeable about a wide range of local customs and traditions as well as natural history. The trip exceeded our expectations because Cruin accommodated our requests perfectly e.g. The cemetery trip. He provided several surprises that added a great deal to our enjoyment. Very many thanks.
TOUR GUIDE RESPONSE: Thanks Colin, It was my pleasure meeting you and Beverley. I really enjoyed our tour, and and I really liked the side trip we took to the cemetery. I was also delighted to meet a Traveler with a strong knowledge of Natural History. I hope we meet again someday. Regards, Cruin.
Richard Silver United States
Rating ★★★★★
Tour: Ketchikan - Sights and Hiking for Richard Silver and party
Date: Aug 4/17
We loved our tour with Cruin. He is a great guide and a good person. We especially appreciated that he crafted the tour to meet our preferences and made the day a lot of fun.
TOUR GUIDE RESPONSE: Thanks Richard. It was my pleasure to meet you and your friends. I hope we meet again someday.
Kim S. Canada
Rating ★★★★★
Tour: Kim and Friends take a Drive into Southeast Alaska History
Date: Sep 21/17
We had a wonderful afternoon with Cruin. Because it was a beautiful, sunny day, he changed our itinerary a bit and we went to Settlers Cove. We had a lovely walk through the forest, down to the beach and also stopped to watch the salmon run. We had a nice snack of local salmon and also visited the Totem Heritage Center. Cruin was kind enough to stop at a drug store for us as well. He is very knowledgeable and we very much enjoyed our day with him.
TOUR GUIDE RESPONSE: Kim, it was great to meet you and your family. I will try and get to unloading and sorting pictures soon.
Kids & Parents
Larry Lipman United Kingdom
Rating ★★★★★
Tour: Ketchikan - The Lipman Family Visit A wee place between the sea and the mountains
Date: Aug 5/17
We throughly enjoyed our tour of Ketchikan with Cruin, who was just amazing. He was very knowledgeable about the area and entertained us with many of his fascinating bear stories. Cruin engaged our 7 year old twins brilliantly by teaching them how to make a totem poles, and look for wild-life at the beach. He even had a buckets and magnifying glasses for the kids.Thank you so much Cruin for making our day in Ketchikan a most memorable one. And thank you for all the fabulous photos you took of our family!
TOUR GUIDE RESPONSE: Thank you, I really enjoyed meeting you all. I really liked the time I spent with the kids (I think I am a big kid myself, I could have spent the whole day gathering crabs on the beach). I hope we all get a chance to meet again someday. Regards, Cruin.
Jeannette Chabina USA
Rating ★★★★★
Tour: Ketchikan - Tide pool fun and ecology and creature search.
Date: Sunday, June 17, 2018
Bob and I would like to thank you for the marvelous tour of Ketchikan. The day you planned for us was incredible and your efforts were amazing. You delivered not only an excellent tour but a life long memory. The sight of you leading, the children to the tidal pools, with squalls of excitement and laughter, will be tales that Lara, Evan, Oscar and Henry will one day tell their grandchildren. The man in the Green Kilt with wet knee socks and hiking boots, handing them pails for their treasures. Then Mr. Cruin jumping into the pools, handing them their first star fish and a tiny black crab, to the finale of a hermit crab race with the entire group being the winners. I am going to ask Lara and Irene to send you pictures, that you can post to your website and make a few copies for your keepsake.
Cruin, there are many guides to choose from but we picked the perfect one for our family. You, made the trip for all of us. We thank you so much and if you ever get up to the Washington DC area, you need to let us host you. Same goes from the Miami FL. Group. You are a treasure to be shared. Thank you.
TOUR GUIDE RESPONSE: Thanks Jeannett, I had a ball that day. There is nothing K like better than wading around in tidal pools. I think I had more fun than did the kids!
Leah Anderson-Taylor United States
Rating ★★★★★
Tour: Ketchikan - A wee place for Leah Anderson Taylor & Mum
Date: Jun 9/17
Hi, my name is Leah Anderson-Taylor and my Mom is Barbara. We recently did a tour with Cruin in Ketchican Alaska. He was wonderful. The point was that my mom is 80, and could not do a long tour. He customized the tour for mom, and he understood our needs perfectly. He came right to us and helped with my mom's walker, took us to ADA accessible places and was really informative. Took great pictures of us together. You should really promote his abilities with persons who need extra help or ADA tours. Thanks
TOUR GUIDE RESPONSE: Leah, you and your mum were a delight to take out on tour. Thank you for telling me about Ojibwa Jingle Dresses. Barbara is a strong woman who has lived a long and interesting life, and despite some physical setback is striving to be active, and share things with you – I take my hat off to both of you. I hope our paths will cross again someday. Regards, Cruin.
Special-Needs & ADA Tours
Barry Willstrop United States
Rating ★★★★★
Tour: Ketchikan - A wee place for Barry & the Missus
Date: Sep 3/17
Our tour with Cruin was a wonderful experience. He was prompt and most courteous and assisted my wife, who is disabled, in every way possible. Altho' Cruin is not native to Ketchikan his knowledge and insight were fabulous. He went out of his way to look for wildlife, and our tour lasted longer than the scheduled time. I don't consider him as a tour guide but as a new found friend. Would I recommend him and use his services again? YES. Thanks for a wonderful day and it was a pleasure to meet you. Barry W
TOUR GUIDE RESPONSE: Barry thank you for your very kind words. It was my pleasure to meet you both. I am sorry about the weather in Tracy Arm, and the landslide in Skagway (Boy! you really got the Alaska experience) but at least we had a fine day here in Ketchikan, and I am glad you got home safe. I do hope we get to meet again. Cruin M.
The Spirit in the Wood: Understanding Totem Poles
Ed Murl Markham, ON, Canada
Rating ★★★★★
Tour: The Spirit in the Wood -- a Private Tour of Ketchikan Totem Poles and Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian art
Date: Aug 17/17
Had a great and informative visit to Ketchikan with Cruin in spite of the weather. It rains a lot there.
TOUR GUIDE RESPONSE: Thank you Ed, and thank you both for being such good sports in spite of the weather. Cruin.
Wildlife, Nature, Birdwatching, Photography Tours
Heather MacIsaac United States
Rating ★★★★★
Tour: Ketchikan - A wee place between the sea and the mountains
Date: Jul 16/17
Wonderful tour.!. Cruin was really fun and informative. We got to see a bit of almost everything...eagles, bears...a really beautiful waterfall too.
TOUR GUIDE RESPONSE: Thank you, Heather It was my pleasure -- I was happy to meet you and Gene. I hope we can meet again. Cruin.
Ryan Jones reviewed Ketchikan Tours — Rating ★★★★★
September 7, 2017 ·
Amazing tour!! Knowledgeable tour guide and a fantastic experience. Saw tons of wildlife. Bears, eagles, etc. A must for anyone who stops through Ketchikan
Robin Cole, United States
Rating ★★★★★
Tour: Ketchikan - A wee place Between Sea and Ocean – Photography and Birding
Date: Aug 24/17
We loved our tour, as well as meeting you and your lovely wife! I do appreciate your knowledge of the area and ability to get us to places that we wouldn't otherwise know on our own. And of course the gift of getting to meet such wonderful characters as yourself! We are hoping to get back up to the area within the next couple of years, and we will certainly be in touch as well as letting anyone else we know traveling to the area about your services!
I give the tour nothing but positive high marks for a delightful experience, bringing Ketchikan to life in the very short time that a cruise ship stop allows. Our entire party felt fulfilled and our trip enhanced by joining you on a tour!
Ryan Andrews reviewed Ketchikan Tours — Rating ★★★★★
September 25, 2017 ·
First time in Ketchikan and I can’t wait to visit again. I had no idea that Ketchikan had so much nature and wildlife to offer. The secret is finding someone who knows where it is. I was able to witness bald eagles and bears in the wild all in one afternoon. The secret is knowing where to go and knowing where to go is Ketchikan Tours specialty. We had an amazing time and I would highly suggest this tour over every other option. It’s informative, it’s personal, and our tour guide topped it off with an amazing sense of humor. Five stars all the way!
A Walk into Southeast Alaska History – Walking Tour
Penney Grylls Canada
Rating ★★★★★
Tour: A Walk into Southeast Alaska History -- for Penney Grylls and Family
Date: Jun 23/17
Cruin was an excellent guide who seemed to be known by many in the town of Ketchikan. Loved the information he was able to give us about the carvers and the carving of the totem poles he showed us. Just wish we had more time to spend, it was a short port stop for us.
TOUR GUIDE RESPONSE: It was my pleasure to meet you and your family, and show you a wee bit of Ketchikan and some of our carvers. I hope you are all doing well.
Please do Write a review (or read reviews) of Ketchikan Tours on other review sites:
★★★★★
What a truly lovely man! He knows so much background to everything on his tours.
A Recent Review of this tour
★★★★★
#1 request... SEE A BEAR! With no guarantee from him, we hooked up anyway. What a day we had. We saw a mama bear and her cub, then we saw 3 bears, you know, THE 3 BEARS! Papa, mama and baby bear. So so cool! Then we ate crab and more crab and more until I couldn't take another bite. Our rain forest hike was off the beaten track and so unbelievably gorgeous. We finished the day at a local art project. We watched locals paint real dead fish!!! Then make artistic bags. Great private tour and guide!
Maryann Stanger