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.
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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.
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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.
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Book a tour
Participants:
min 7 / max 12 persons
Tour Dates Yukon-Alaska Round Trip:
July 10 - July 30, 2008
Other add on options:
"Chilkoot Trail"
|
Price per person from/to Whitehorse |
| based on double room occupancy |
CA$ |
2,690.00 |
| single room / single tent supplement |
CA$ |
290.00 |
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:
Two nights in a hotel in Whitehorse
18 nights in two-person double-roof
tents
Round trip in a 15-passenger van as
described
Guided hiking tours:
one day Keno Hill
two days
Dempster Highway/Tundra
two days
Denali National/State Park
one day Kenai Fjords National Park
one day
Eureka Pass
one day Kluane National ParkAll National Park fees and
insurances
Two day canoe tour on Yukon River
Rental and transfer of canoes
Guided tour of Dawson City
Admission fees for Casino and
Museum in Dawson City
All campground fees
All camping and cooking gear
Multilingual guide