Best of Yukon

Duration: 14 days / 13 nights

This self drive tour is one of the best tours through the Yukon.  Ten days are packed with interesting features including the stunning scenery of the St Elias Mountains and the majestic Yukon River flowing towards the Pacific Ocean. Less travelled areas like Keno City and Mayo are a time warp experience. The Alaskan communities of Haines and Skagway are picturesque and friendly while the Alaska Ferry link through the fjord makes a change from driving. At the end of your tour, you will stay 2 nights at a small lodge that offers unexpected luxury for where it is. Surrounded by only nature, here you can try some canoeing and kayaking, go hiking, read a good book, or just relax while listen to the quietness and enjoy a good glass of wine one the verandah.

Hotel accommodation is the best available and each hotel is staffed with friendly, helpful people. At any point you can savor the magic of the Yukon’s unique frontier atmosphere and understand why people love to live here. Driving is surprisingly easy, roads are good and with a tiny population of 30,000 spread throughout in half a million square kilometres, highway congestion and delays are virtually unknown.
 

Itinerary - Best of Yukon

14 days / 13 nights

Day 1: Whitehorse arrival
Upon arrival in Whitehorse, pick up rental vehicle on arrival at airport and drive to your hotel. You are now in the capital of the Yukon Territory. The rest of the afternoon is at your leisure. Optional activities are available such as a boat ride with the MS Schwatka, visit the MS Klondike or rent a bike and drive along the Yukon River. Overnight Whitehorse.

Day 2: Whitehorse - Mayo / 407 km
Plan 5 hours driving time, not including stops
Today you drive the Klondike Highway north and into central Yukon. Primarily you drive through scenic forest landscape partly accompanied with lake scenery and views of the Yukon River. A highlight of today's route are the famous Five Finger Rapids of the Yukon River. The rapids have always been a very dangerous passage for river travelers. If you leave early this morning you can enjoy a unique excursion from Minto to Fort Selkirk, an original trading post established in 1848. Then continue and take the Silver Trail Highway towards Mayo.  The Silver Highway leads along Steward River to Mayo and ends at the ghost town Keno. This region once was one of the richest silver regions in Canada. Long before there were roads, the extracted silver was transported by paddle-steamers to Whitehorse and put on the trains. Overnight in Mayo.

Day 3: Mayo - Dawson City  / 235 km
Plan 3 hours driving time, not including stops
This morning you may want to drive to the end of the Silver Trail Highway to Keno. Keno is a very small community offering great outdoor activities such as hiking. It also is worth to visit it's small but very informative museum. Then you continue through forest landscape to Dawson City, the capital of the Klondike.  Overnight Dawson

Day 4: Dawson City
Enjoy a day in this town that takes you back 100 years. Dawson City's colorful, old-fashioned houses and dusty or muddy streets create a frontier atmosphere which is unique anything else in the Yukon. Start with visiting Dawson City's Visitor Center on 1^st Avenue and King Street to find out all current activities and activity schedules. Later take a drive out to the Bonanza Creek Road. Here you can see one of the old gold dredges (gold dredge no. 4) or try your own luck with gold panning at one of the gold claims open for visitors. In the evening don't miss Dawson’s gambling hall “Diamond Tooth Gerties”, where you should see the dance performance of the famous Can-Can-Girls. Overnight.

Day 5: Dawson City - Beaver Creek / 493 km
Plan 8 hours driving time, not including stops
You will drive the Top of the World Highway - another highlight of your holiday. From Dawson City you first will take the free government ferry across the Yukon River, before the road starts climbing and winding up the mountains. Once you are above the tree line you will have fantastic and far reaching views to all directions (weather permitting). On the Alaska side you will drive partly still active mining area, including Chicken, a place with almost a handful residents. Overnight Beaver Creek.
(note: on today's route you will cross the border to Alaska, USA. Valid passport and visa are required to enter the USA)

Day 6: Beaver Creek - Haines Junction, Kluane / 295 km
Plan 4 hours driving time, not including stops
The route from Beaver Creek to Haines Junction, a gateway to Kluane National Park is scenic. Before you reach Haines Junction you travel by Kluane Lake, the longest lake of the Yukon.  The small community of Haines Junction is situated on the eastern boundary of the Kluane Nationalpark. Kluane National Park together with the Wrangell-St. Elias National Park on the Alaskan side became an UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1980. Overnight Haines Junction

Day 7: Haines Junction / Kluane Park
Today enjoy the nature around the park. There is no road leading into Kluane National Park, consisting of hundreds of mountains and glaciers. The best way to see parts of the massive mountains is with a flightseeing tour. There are several hiking trails near Haines Junction in the boundary area of the park.  Overnight Haines Junction

Day 8: Haines Junction - Haines, Alaska / 234 km
Plan 3 hours driving time, not including stops
Drive the Haines Highway along the perimeter of Kluane National Park towards Haines.  Just before Haines the highway leads through the Chilkat Valley and its Bald eagle preserve. Overnight Haines
(note: on today's route you will cross the border to Alaska, USA. Valid passport and visa are required to enter the USA)

Day 9: Haines, Alaska
Full day to explore coastal town: bald eagle preserve or optional rafting trips or even day trips to famous Glacier Bay National Park. Overnight Haines

Day 10: Haines - Skagway 
Travel by Alaska Ferry through Lynn Canal to Skagway. The ferry ride takes approx. 1 hour. Skagway is another town which had its heyday with the Klondike gold rush.  In late July of 1897 the first stampeders arrived by boat in Skagway and Dyea. Soon the small settlement turned into a lively town with nice streets, frame houses, shops, saloons, gambling and dance halls and a population of approx. 20.000. From here people took on a deadly journey over the mountain pass to reach Whitehorse and to continue from there by boat to Dawson City. Today Skagway still has some of its gold rush flair and a year round population of approx. 800. Overnight Skagway

Day 11: Skagway - Inn on the River on Teslin River / 202 km
Plan 3.5 hours driving time, not including stops
In the morning explore the Gold Rush town Skagway a little more. Later you drive the Klondike Highway north towards Whitehorse and to Marsh Lake.  On your way you will pass by the small community Carcross, Carcross desert and Emerald Lake. For the next two nights you will stay at the first class style Inn on the River. A dinner is included today.

Day 12: Inn on the River on Teslin River
Today you have time to kayak, canoe, mountain bike or just to relax in this beautiful and quiet setting. Overnight Inn on the River. Breakfast and dinner are included today.

Day 13: Inn on the River on Teslin River - Whitehorse / 122 km
This morning after breakfast drive the Alaska Highway to Whitehorse. In the afternoon you have time for optional activities in Whitehorse. Overnight Whitehorse

Day 14: Whitehorse - Departure
Return car to airport prior to departure flight.

Services included and not included

Included are: 
13 nights accommodation in comfortable tourist and moderate class accommodation, typical for the Northern area. 2 weeks midsize rental car with unlimited km, Alaska Marine Highway ferry from Haines to Skagway (passenger fares and car space). During stay at the Inn on the River 2 dinners and 2 breakfasts and use of non-motorized inn equipment such as canoes and kayaks. Detailed information package, day by day driving descriptions and map.

Not included are:
Any insurances for rental car, additional driver fees, gas. Meals, optional excursions, park/admission fees other than mentioned. Gratuity. GST (goods & service tax) on overnight accommodations ***
 

Important Notes:

*** GST (goods & service tax): currently non-Canadian residents are not required to pay goods & service tax on hotel/inn/lodge accommodation. GST is not included in the tour rates and will be charged in addition for all Canadian residents.

2008 Dates of Operation:

May 22 to September 1: Daily Departures

2008 Rates: On request