Tourists Ask:

“Do you sell tickets for the Fast Ferry to Haines?”

The Skagway Small Boat Harbor in the wintertime. There is no fast ferry service this time of year but it sure it pretty.

In the M&M tour booth in Skagway, we hear a lot of questions about all sorts of things. Sometimes people ask us about the weather forecast or to identify a certain flower. Fortunately, tour salespeople are very smart and can answer questions on a wide variety of topics. Today we are going to answer the question, “Do you sell tickets for the Fast Ferry to Haines?”

What is the Fast Ferry to Haines?

Haines is a quaint little town about 10 miles south of Skagway. Sometimes tourists want to go there and explore attractions like The Hammer Museum, Fort Seward, or The Fogcutter Saloon. There are two ways to travel from Skagway to Haines. One is by airplane and the other is by ferry.

There are two ferries servicing Haines and Skagway. One is the Alaska Marine Highway System and the other is the Haines/Skagway Fast Ferry. Everyone in Skagway calls it the Fast Ferry. It takes about 45 minutes to travel one way, so it’s not super fast but faster than swimming. The cost of a round trip fast ferry ticket is about $75.

So, do you sell tickets to the fast ferry?

No. The fast ferry is not really a tour. It is a mode of transportation. At M&M Tours, we stick to what we know, which is selling Skagway based tours. You can buy a ticket for the fast ferry online. There may also be a place in Skagway that sells them but you’re better off buying a ticket well in advance if The Hammer Museum is on your bucket list.

What else can you tell me about the fast ferry?

I sometimes take the fast ferry to Haines for the Southeast Alaska State Fair. I go to hear the music, drink a few beers and then head over the Fogcutter to hang out with the locals. However, most of the time I take the AMHS ferry because I can bring my car and canoe. Then I head out to Chilkoot State Park where there’s good fishing and bear viewing from my canoe.

Sometimes fast ferry travelers see wildlife from the boat. Whales, seals, and seagulls are commonly spotted. Mostly seagulls though. There are also eagles, surf scoters and the occasional otter or sea lion. You may see all of those things but you won’t see them for long because the ferry isn’t a tour, it’s a mode of transportation.

If you would like to take a wildlife tour, we can make that happen. But if hammers are your thing, the fast ferry may just make your vacation the best it can be.