The most powerful words cannot describe the unrivalled wild beauty, and immense, almost deserted expanse, of Yukon and Alaska. This round-trip Yukon - Alaska will bring you a little closer to one of the last completely wild spots of the world. You will get to know it from several perspectives:

• By ship through Kenai Fjords National Park, experience the unique diversity of marine life in the Fjords. Calving glaciers that extend into the ocean and northern rainforest characterize the landscape of this rugged coast along which we will sail.

• By canoe down the mighty Yukon River; once feared, the Five Finger and Rink Rapids will be small obstacles on our way to Minto, an old Sternwheeler stop.

• By the last of Alaska’s Sternwheelers on the Chena River to the old Chena River Indian Village. Hiking tours will bring us into the breathtaking mountains of the Kenai and Denali State and National Parks. In the Yukon we will trek through the picturesque beauty of the arctic tundra and mountains near the Arctic Circle.

• By Airplane, we will fly over Kluane National Park (optional). This park contains the highest mountain range in Canada, and the largest non-polar ice fields on earth.

• By passenger van, we will roam the northwestern highways and gravel roads.
  The Alaska Highway, Klondike Highway, Top of the World Highway, and other roads stretching deep through vast wilderness. Majestic mountain ranges, virgin forest, mountain tundra, serene lakes, and untamed rivers are the most substantial component of hundreds, often thousands, of kilometres of wilderness that will surround us in its awesome and magnificent grip.

Itinerary:

Day 1
Arrival to Whitehorse. Our guide will welcome you at the airport and transfer you to the hotel.

Hotel: River View Hotel

Day 2
In the morning you may stroll the streets of Whitehorse and visit sites such as: the McBride Museum, the Yukon Stern Wheeler, and the Old Log Church. This is also your last chance for shopping. In the afternoon we will travel along the Klondike Highway to Carmacks, in Central Yukon. This evening’s campsite will be at the shore of the Yukon River.

Day 3 and Day 4
Two days of canoeing down the Yukon River lay ahead of us. Although once feared, the Five Finger and Rink Rapids will not present a problem, even for beginners. A fascinating, peaceful feeling will embrace you while you drift by impenetrable forest along the riverbanks. Tens of thousands of adventurers, greedy for gold, took this same route during the Gold Rush to reach their dream destination - the Klondike. Our canoe tour will end in Minto, an abandoned stern wheeler depot. In the afternoon of day 4 we will follow the Klondike Highway and the Silver Trail to Keno, an abandoned Ghost Town founded during the Silver Rush of 1911.

Day 5
On our hike up to Keno Hill we will visit an abandoned silver mine. Reaching the top of Keno Hill will reward our effort with breathtaking views of numerous lakes and endless wilderness. In the afternoon we will hit the road again towards the Dempster Highway and North Fork Pass, the gate to the Northern Tundra.

Day 6 and Day 7
The Dempster Highway, a notorious gravel road, is distinguished as being the only road in Canada to lead all the way to the Arctic Ocean. 700 km/450 mi long, it leads through a unique landscape of rugged mountains, taiga and tundra of the Arctic. The Dempster Highway will be our starting point for two days  hiking. Our first destination will be the Tombstone Mountains. We spend one day trekking through their black moonlike basalt mountains. The second day we will hike through the feeding pastures of the Barren Ground Caribous, just south of the Polar Circle.

Day 8
Early this afternoon we will reach Dawson City. This legendary capital of the 1898 Gold Rush is a living relic. We will visit the Gold Miner Museum, Jack London Cabin and Diamond Tooth Gertie’s Gambling Hall. From the panoramic Midnight Dome we will have the opportunity to say goodbye to Dawson City. The overwhelming view from the top of the Dome embraces the Klondike and Yukon River valleys. Here you will see the scars that one hundred years of searching for gold has left.

Day 9
Leaving in the morning, we will drive the  Top of the World Highway. This route takes us through the sub-alpine tundra of Alaskan Mountain Ranges to our next stop near Tok.

Day 10
We travel 350 km on the Alaska Highway to Fairbanks. The U.S. Army constructed the 2,400 km/1,500 Mi long Alaska Highway through the almost impenetrable wilderness of Alaska and Yukon in 1942. This feat was achieved in an unbelievable eight months. We will make a short stop in North Pole, 50 km/30 mi east of Fairbanks, to visit Santa Claus’ domicile. Christmas remains here year round. In the afternoon we will go for a cruise aboard the sternwheeler "Discovery III". At the Old Chena Indian Village we step ashore for a guided tour furthermore we will experience a traditional Athabascan fish camp. This tour is rated by the travel medias as the # 1 boat tour in North America.

Day 11 to Day 12
Two days are set for hiking tours within Denali State & National Park. Mt. McKinley, the highest mountain of North America is encircled by pure wilderness, solitude and many impressive vistas. Shuttle buses carry visitors deep into the park in ten minute intervals. Bear, moose, dall sheep, caribou and other animals are accustomed to the many visitors and can frequently be viewed from the road.

Day 13
In Wasilla we will stop at the Iditarod Headquarter. An interpretive center informs about the historical background of the 1.000 miles (1.700 km) Iditarod Sled Dog Race from Anchorage to Nome at the Bering Sea. Passing through Anchorage and along the Seward Highway we reach a campground near the Exit Glacier.

Day 14 to Day 16
The Kenai Peninsula Kenai Fjord National Park boasts superlative vistas, an other of the many superior landscapes found in the Yukon and Alaska. One day we will hike up to the Exit Glacier and Harding Ice Field, and on the second day we will sail for more than 6 hours through the Kenai Fjords National Park. The marine life of the fjord is abundant. Whales, sea lions, seals, otter and many rare seabirds can be spotted from the vessel. Floating icebergs descend from the nearby glacier fields. Facing the huge Holgate Glacier a deli-style seafood snack will be served. Via Anchorage we will reach the Glenn Highway and eventually late in the afternoon a campground near the Eureka Pass. While passing the Matanuska Glacier spectacular vistas of the sub alpine tundra encourage for multiple photo stops.

Day 17
Today we will hike through the treeless tundra near the Eureka Pass. White open valleys are seamed by numerous snow capped mountains. In 2002 the 200 km / 125 mi long stretch between Anchorage and the Eureka Pass  was declared as "National Scenic Highway".

Day 18 and Day 19
Many travelers through Alaska claim traveling on the Glenn Highway and along Wrangell National Park was the most impressive segment of their Alaskan journey. We will cross the picturesque Copper River Basin and the foothills of the largest active volcano in Alaska. On a clear day you may see a vapor cloud above the snow capped peak of the 4,700 meter/15.420 ft. high Mt. Wrangell. We are accompanied by the majestic scenery of the Wrangell and St. Elias Mountains for the remainder of our day.

Day 20
Kluane National Park, together with adjacent parks in British Columbia and Alaska, make up the largest continuous nature and wildlife preserve of the world. In the morning we will be lifted by Airplane for a sightseeing flight over the Kluane National Park Glacier and Ice Fields (optional). This will assuredly be an incomparable highlight of our trip. In the afternoon and during an other hiking days we will enjoy the pristine and magnificent beauty of Kluane National Park. Late in the afternoon we will be back in Whitehorse and will spend the evening together enjoying a round of drinks, relaxing, and recalling our experiences during this unforgettable holiday.

Hotel: River View Hotel

Day 21
This day will be at your leisure on your own schedule. You may go for a shopping excursion on Main Street with all its shops and galleries, or visit the anthropological Beringia Museum showing the pre-ice-age world of the Yukon Territory. You also could sail the Schwatka Lake and Miles Canyon or just enjoy a walk to the longest wooden fish ladder of the world.

TOP

Participants:   min 7 / max 12 persons

Tour Dates Yukon-Alaska Round Trip:        July 10 - July 30, 2008

Other add on options:    "Chilkoot Trail"

All prices plus  5 % GST (Goods & Service Tax)

Book a tour

We reserve the right to change our prices due to unpredictable increase of fuel prices.

Price includes:

Not included:
Sleeping bag and sleeping pad
US Visitor Visa (US$ 6.00)
Tips
Optional excursions
Food and beverages (Food Kitty approx. $ 75.00/week)

Important Note:
We reserve the right to stay in hotels other as described in the itinerary. We also reserve the right to conduct the itinerary in opposite direction or change parts of the tour description if necessary due to circumstances that are beyond the control of Canadian Wilderness Travel Ltd. All changes will be replaced by same or better options.

We strongly recommend you to purchase proper insurance coverage at the time of booking. Your policy should cover at least trip cancellation, injury, illness, travel accident, emergency medical and search & rescue.

You will be required to sign a " Release of claims and waiver of liability" prior to departure of this tour.

TOP