3 weeks in Yukon & Alaska
Itinerary
Day 1 – Arrival in Whitehorse
Today, you will be introduced to the ubiquitous ‘Yukon Time’…which means take your time. Enjoy a hearty breakfast at your hotel or in one of the local cafes downtown, and soak in the lively atmosphere in the Yukon capital of Whitehorse. For the next two nights, you will be staying at a boutique hotel overlooking the Yukon River, on Main Street, within walking distance of the local restaurants and shops.
Day 2 – Canoeing on the Yukon River
This morning, after breakfast, you’ll be heading out onto the Yukon River by canoe. After a safety briefing, with paddling tips and getting kitted out, you will take to the water. Paddling at your own pace, take in the incredible scenery and enjoy peaceful moments on the river. You’ll make your way to the pickup point at Takhini River, where you’ll be collected and taken back to your hotel in Whitehorse.
Day 3 – Whitehorse to Dawson City
Today, a longer drive awaits. You’ll cross the Yukon River and reach the old gold rush town of Dawson City. On arrival in Dawson City, you’ll feel as if you have stepped back in time with restored heritage buildings, wooden boardwalks and unpaved roads. You’ll stay in a charming, family-run hotel with an on-site restaurant serving wood-fired BBQ, within walking distance of local shops, galleries, and lively saloons filled with gold rush character.
Day 4 – Gold mine tour
This morning, after a tasty breakfast, you’ll head out to the gold fields near Dawson City, where you’ll have a chance to try gold panning for yourself. During your tour, you will visit the legendary Dredge No. 4, where you’ll learn how gold was mined on an industrial scale and the life-changing impacts for those who came seeking fortune in the Klondike. This afternoon, you can wander through Dawson City and step inside some of the historic buildings that have been lovingly restored, including the post office, saloons and theatres, where you’ll get a taste of life during the Gold Rush.
Day 5 – Crossing the border into Alaska
Today, you’ll journey across the Yukon River, along the Top of the World Highway to the northernmost border crossing in North America, before crossing over into Alaska. This famous highway takes you along steep mountain ridges and winding roads, offering jaw-dropping views around every corner. After crossing the border, the route becomes Taylor Highway, and although there are some paved roads, you’ll mostly be driving on gravel roads that pass through wild, remote landscapes. On arrival in Tok, head to the visitor centre where you’ll receive maps of the area and local information about Tok, including insights into Alaska and the region’s wildlife. Here, you’ll be staying in a rustic log cabin nestled in the forest, with a warm, welcoming atmosphere, perfect for relaxing after a day on the road.
Please note the entry requirements and opening hours. Also, keep in mind that there is a one-hour time difference between Alaska and the Yukon.
Day 6 – Tok to Valdez
Today, you will leave Tok and head southwest, passing the dramatic snowy landscapes at Thompson Pass and then continuing onto the towering peaks of the Wrangell-Saint Elias mountain range. Soon you’ll arrive at Valdez, a town which was once a hub for the transport of gold and copper from the surrounding mines, but is now a lively port town known as a starting point for many tours and glacier cruises. If you’d like to see what Valdez looked like in the past, you can visit the Valdez museum, where you’ll find a model of the town before it was almost completely destroyed by an earthquake in 1964. You will be staying in a rustic mountain-view lodge, decorated in Alaskan-style decor, just a short walk from the harbour and downtown area.
Day 7 – Valdez glacier tour
This morning, after a hearty breakfast, you’ll be taking to the water for a boat tour to the Columbia Glacier. You will cruise along the ice-filled waters on a comfortable boat with indoor seating, large windows and plenty of space to enjoy the dramatic views of towering glaciers and wildlife along the way. Keep an eye out for eagles, wolves, otters, and even coastal bears foraging along the shoreline. During the tour, you’ll learn interesting facts about the marine life of the remote coast, local fishing, the impacts of the oil industry, and historical events from the gold rush era. When you arrive at the Columbia Glacier, you’ll be amazed by the jagged peaks, vivid blue ice, and dramatic crashing sounds as the ice breaks away. The glacier is best known for its significant ice loss, as since the early 1980s it has shrunk by more than 12 miles – a powerful visual that shows climate change’s impact on Alaska’s changing landscape.
Day 8 – From Valdez to Seward
Today, you’ll catch the ferry from Valdez to Whittier, on the other side of Prince William Sound. The ferry takes approximately six hours and departs at 7 am on most days. Enjoy the peaceful crossing, passing deep fjords and pristine riparian forests. From Whittier, it’s about a two-hour drive to Seward and Kenai Fjords National Park.
Note: Please be aware that before Whittier, cars and trains share the only tunnel access to the coastal town. Therefore, the tunnel is only open to cars at certain times per hour for 15 minutes in each direction.
On arrival in Seward, you will leave your car behind and travel by boat to remote Fox Island, where you’ll spend the next two nights in a secluded oceanfront lodge within Kenai Fjords National Park. Surrounded by rugged coastline and towering mountains, you can soak up the incredible scenery and look out for passing whales, sea otters and bald eagles from your lodge.
Day 9 – Guided sea kayaking tour
During your stay on Fox Island, you will join a sea kayaking tour that takes you along the coastline, paddling through the calm waters and exploring scenic coves, with rugged cliffs and lush forests above you. Your experienced naturalist guide will share stories about the park’s history and local wildlife, pointing out animals such as sea otters, harbour seals, sea lions, bald eagles and puffins. If you’re lucky, you may even spot a humpback whale or orca offshore.
When you return to your lodge, relax in the wood-fired sauna, or if you’d like to continue exploring, you can take a canoe or paddleboard out into the peaceful lagoon.
Day 10 – Seward to Anchorage
Today, you’ll bid farewell to the coast and continue onto Anchorage, a scenic drive of around 2.5 hours. Along the way, you can stop off at Exit Glacier for a short walk with close-up views of the shimmering ice, at one of the most accessible glaciers in Alaska. In Anchorage, you’ll stay at a restored boutique hotel just minutes from local restaurants, shops, and cultural sights.
Day 11 – Free time in Anchorage
We have not planned anything for today, so you can spend it as you wish. You could choose to rent a bike and cycle along the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail, which takes you from downtown Anchorage, along Cook Inlet to Kincard Park. If you’re lucky, you might even spot moose or bears along the way. To learn more about Alaskan history, the Alaska Heritage Centre is a must – you’ll learn about the lives of various indigenous people and hear fascinating stories.
Day 12 – Anchorage to Denali National Park
It’s time to leave the buzz of the city behind and head into nature. The roads are wide and well-maintained; however, take your time as bears may graze along the side of the road, and you may encounter moose crossing the road. In just over four hours, you’ll reach Healy, just outside Denali National Park, where you’ll spend the next two nights in a charming, rustic B&B surrounded by forest.
Day 13 – Denali National Park
Today, it’s an early start, as you’ll be driving to the Denali visitor centre, where you’ll hop on a park bus and travel along the Denali Park Road, taking you deep inside the national park. Your friendly naturalist guide will teach you all about the park’s history and help you search for wildlife, including moose, caribou, and, often, the highlight for many – a grizzly bear roaming near the vehicle.
Day 14 – Denali to Fairbanks
The next stop on your Alaskan adventure is Fairbanks, a short two-hour drive away and the last major town before reaching the Arctic Circle. Fairbanks is where the Chena River meets the Tanana River, once a hub for prospectors during the Gold Rush. Today, the Goldstream Dredge No. 8 – a historic gold panning facility- serves as a reminder of Alaska’s history, where you can learn about this famous era and give gold panning a go. Tonight, you’ll stay in a modern hotel in the city centre, within walking distance of the local shops, restaurants and museums.
Day 15 – Free time in Fairbanks
Since Fairbanks is located on two rivers and much of Fairbanks’ life revolves around the water, you will spend today aboard a traditional paddlewheeler for a scenic river cruise. Gliding along the Chena River, you’ll step back in time and learn about Fairbanks’ history from its Gold Rush roots to the traditions of Alaska’s indigenous communities. You’ll also get an insight into the life of a musher, hearing about four-time Iditarod champion Susan Butcher and seeing her hardworking sled dogs in action.
If you’d prefer a trip to the Arctic Circle, exploring the remote, isolated wilderness, then we can arrange this for you. Speak to your travel specialist for more information.
Day 16 – From Fairbanks to Tok
Today, you will return to the small town of Tok, which takes around 3.5 hours, and is your final stop in Alaska, before crossing the border back into Canada tomorrow. You’ll stay in the same log cabin for the night, surrounded by lush forest.
Day 17 – Tok to Kluane National Park
This morning, it’s an early start as you’ll begin your roughly 5.5-hour journey to Haines Junction, where you’ll re-enter Canada and return to Yukon Territory. Along the way, you can stop off at Tachäl Dhäl (Sheep Mountain) visitor centre, where you can see the Dall sheep on the mountain ridges and learn more about the wildlife and geology of the Kluane region. You’ll soon arrive at your local motel in Haines Junction, where you can enjoy views of the high peaks of Alaska and Yukon mountain ranges.
Day 18 – Kluane National Park
Nestled in the heart of Kluane National Park, today you can visit Mount Logan and explore the beautiful natural surroundings. Be mindful of bears, as this park is home to both grizzlies and black bears, so keep your distance and follow the rangers’ safety advice.
If you’d like to see the park from above, we can arrange a scenic flight for you. Fly over vast ice fields, shimmering glaciers, and turquoise lakes and get up close to the towering peaks from the air. Speak to your travel specialist for more information.
Day 19 – Haines Junction – Skagway
Your next stop is Haines, around a three-hour drive back into the U.S, before you catch an hour-long ferry to Skagway. Cruising across a narrow channel, surrounded by snow-capped mountains and dramatic coastline, sit back and take in the incredible views. You’ll spend this evening in a former gold rush hotel where many prospectors once stayed. Skagway is the gateway to the wild north, where fortune seekers travelled to the gold deposits via the Chilkoot Trail, which begins in Skagway.
Day 20 – Along the Chilkoot Pass
Today, you’ll set off on a train ride of a lifetime, the White Pass & Yukon Route Railway. As the vintage carriages pass through towering coastal mountains and deep gorges, you’ll cross wooden bridges and wind through some of the North’s most incredible wilderness. The train’s large, panoramic windows allow you to enjoy the scenic views without fighting for a window seat. Once you arrive in Fraser, your passport will be checked and you’ll be transferred back to Skegway. It’s a round-trip across the border, but the bureaucratic hassle is more than worth it.
Day 21 – Skagway to Whitehorse
Take your time today, as this is your final drive of the trip. Crossing the border back into Canada, you’ll pass a small town on Lake Bennett called Carcross, which is perfect for a stopover before returning to Whitehorse. In total, the drive is around three hours, so spend today as you wish and soak up the last moments surrounded by nature.
Day 22 – Departure from Yukon
Take some time to enjoy your final breakfast before heading to the airport. After returning your car, check in for your international flight home, taking with you unforgettable memories of your journey through wild Yukon and Alaska.
Accommodation
