Yukon and Alaska Explorer

Our trip begins today in Whitehorse. Previously inhabited by First Nations people, the area around the Yukon River's treacherous White Horse rapids was settled by crowds of prospectors in 1896, all hoping to make their fortunes through prospecting for gold. The area became known colloquially as Whitehorse, and although the river was dammed in the 1950s and the rapids were submerged, the name has stuck. Today the town oozes Gold Rush nostalgia.

Due to the number of evening flights into Whitehorse, your Tour Leader plans to do the welcome meeting on the morning on Day 2, and will leave a message in reception with details on timings and everything else that you'll need for the day. There are no activities planned today, so you are free to arrive in Whitehorse at any time. If you would like to receive a complimentary airport transfer, you'll need to arrive today into Whitehorse International Airport (airport code: YXY), which is a 10 minute drive from our hotel.

If your flight arrives earlier in the day, perhaps you might choose to visit the waterfront and walk the banks of the Yukon River.

Today we immerse ourselves in Gold Rush history as we visit the MacBride Museum and its collection of artefacts and pictures, depicting life as it was at the turn of the century, along with profiles of the town's colourful characters, many of whom made or lost their fortunes in Whitehorse. We also discover the SS Klondike, a magnificently restored sternwheeler boat that represents a time when riverboats and rail were the Yukon's only links to the outside world. After spending time amid the old restored buildings and the Gold Rush sites, we head to Miles Canyon, just a short way from the city. Walking across the suspension bridge we will see the emerald river carving its way through the mountains; before a dam was erected, this river would be peppered with rapids, through which daring stampeders would make their way as they travelled to Whitehorse.

This morning we drive to Carcross, home to the Carcross Desert. We spend a short time walking across the sand dunes that make up this tiny area, and take in the views of the surrounding mountains - it's bizarre to think that during winter the sand is covered over by snow, and the area is used for cross-country skiing and snowboarding. We then head to the railway depot to board our train across the mountains to Skagway in Alaska. The railroad was built in 1898 to connect Skagway with Carcross to ease the passage of the stampeders - prior to this, the trail was attempted on foot, earning the nickname 'The Dead Horse Trail' for the estimated 3,000 horses that died in just 2 years. Today we can appreciate the spectacular panoramas of mountains, glaciers, gorges and waterfalls from the comfort of our vintage train carriages, as we wind up through the Yukon mountain range. We break our journey at Bennett to stretch our legs and admire the mountainous scenery around this lakeside village. This remote outpost is accessible only by this train or a 50km hike, and after a short visit we continue on the train to summit the White Pass and descend into Skagway.

The itinerary for the next two days depends on the ferry schedule, which is usually released in spring. If the ferry is in the morning, we jump on board and take our 45 min journey towards Haines through the Taiya inlet, flanked by mountains on either side. On arrival we have the privilege of visiting a Tlingit indigenous village, home to the Tlingit community who were the first settlers in the area around the Chilkat Valley many hundreds of years ago. Their traditions still flourish today in the songs, dances, languages and stories passed on from generation to generation, and we will learn a little about their lives during our visit. We have the afternoon free for optional activities, including a rafting excursion (not white water) on the Chilkat River, through the Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve and either a kayaking excursion or nature and bear watching on the Chilkoot Lake. All activities will be in locations where bears, wolves, moose and eagles are frequently spotted, surrounded by towering mountains, hanging glaciers and lush forests.

If the ferry is in the afternoon, we will do a morning hike in the Klondike Gold Rush National Historical park before our departure for Haines. We will visit the Tlingit community in the afternoon and catch up on the optional activities tomorrow.

Depending on the ferry schedule yesterday, we may catch up on any missed optional activities this morning before heading off on our four hour drive towards Haines Junction, crossing back into Canada en route. On the way, we visit the Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve, a state park and wildlife refuge home to the world's largest concentration of bald eagles, where we may see these majestic birds in the flesh. The Haines Highway is noted for the grand views of the Kluane mountain range with its magnificent glaciers, and the variety of scenery from coastal forest near Haines to alpine tundra at the highest point. During the drive we will stretch our legs on some of the trails, one of which is an easy 45min walk to Kathleen Lake, a beautiful blue lake at the base of the mountains, surrounded by alpine forest.

Kluane National Park is dominated by North America's highest mountain range, the Saint-Elias range. There are many hiking trails here of varying difficulties, lasting between 2-5 hours, and our Explore Leader will take us on a trail that suits our abilities. Whichever trail we do, we will have the feeling of being truly in the wilderness, surrounded by spectacular mountains and hiking through forest up to barren tundra. In the afternoon we are free to enjoy this paradise. There is the opportunity to take a scenic flight over the national park, flying over the most spectacular sections of the mighty Kaskawulsh and South Arm Glaciers, with the mountains of the Kluane Range spreading endlessly before us.

We cross the border once again into Alaska during our scenic drive to Tok. During this 6 hour journey we explore one of the ghost towns that sprang up as gold was found in the Kluane Lake area. These villages were transient and the boom of gold prospecting died out as quickly as it began, leaving these smaller settlements to go to ruin. Ruins and graves are now scattered through the forest, and we take the opportunity to visit the ghostly 'Silver City', somewhat ironically named but bearing no relation to any other precious metals found in the area! We have plenty of other opportunities to stretch our legs during the drive as we walk amid the outstanding panoramas of the Kluane range, exploring the rivers and forests that lie beyond trails just off the road. Today's night stop is a typical simple motel just outside of Tok.

Heading out of Tok, our first stop is at Chicken Village, a living museum of Gold Rush and Alaskan frontier history that has a year-round population of only a few dozen inhabitants. We join a daily tour of the town (this visit may include people who are not travelling with our Explore group), which is less of a tour and more of a viewing of the small handful of buildings that make up the settlement. The old wooden houses are fascinating, and we visit the school house, which was home to 'Tisha', the name given to Chicken's most famous inhabitant, the teacher Anne Hobbs Purdy. Anne later co-wrote a book recounting the difficulties of living in this close-set community, where there were many prejudices against the indigenous children whom she was dedicated to educating. Leaving Chicken Village we take a scenic woodland walk to a viewpoint over the Cowden Dredge, a dilapidated Gold Rush dredge on the Mosquito Fork River, abandoned in its wild location in the 1930s. We then continue on our adventure and join the 'Top of the World Highway' towards Dawson, Canada. Meandering over the ridges far above the treeline, the endless views over the rough, lonely landscape are quite spectacular, with rolling hills and barren shrub, perforated by alpine trees. Towards the end of August, the land turns brightly autumnal with a blanket of almost unreal reds, yellows and oranges spreading before us. The road is rough in places and weather can be erratic, but the adventure and feeling of being alone in the wilderness is incredibly memorable. We return to civilisation in the early evening, as we arrive into Dawson city.

Exploring Dawson on foot, we visit some of the beautifully restored wooden buildings and bustling streets that once gave this city the nickname 'Paris of the North', harking back to a time when it was one of the most wealthy and influential cities in North America. Dawson is an intrinsic part of Gold Rush history, and with the facades and shopfronts of the era still intact, walking around the city seems somehow like stepping back in time. A quirk to our discovery of this historic city is our exploration of the 'Paddlewheel Graveyard' on the banks of the Yukon river, home to the remains of around seven historic paddlewheel boats, abandoned here as land travel became more popular and now heavily overgrown with woodland. The wrecks look almost as if they crashed onto shore and after years of their wooden struts rotting away they have an almost ghostly appearance, their sad remains poking through the trees. The afternoon is free to explore Dawson; we may choose to take a boat trip up the Yukon River, discover the SS Keno, a restored vessel now a museum, or visit the Jack London Interpretive Centre. The writer of Call of the Wild and White Fang is one of the region's most famous residents, and set these iconic tales in the Yukon during the time of the Gold Rush itself. This museum is a labour of love by historians, who are obviously fans of his work. We can also discover Dredge Number 4, the best and most well restored old Gold Dredge, dating back to 1912 and now of great historical importance in the area.

Today we have a full free day in Dawson to explore the city further, and to visit some of the museums and other spots that we didn't have time to see yesterday. There is also the option to hire bikes for half a day and explore the city's beautiful surroundings, or learn more about the region's goldmining history with a tour of a family-run working mine in the traditional goldfields of the Klondike.

Today we head to Tombstone Territorial Park to explore the walking trails and wildlife found in this hiker's paradise. There are many different trails to explore, including the hike up to the Grizzly Lake viewpoint. The region encapsulates the spirit of the Yukon territory - virgin nature, solitude and the habitat of grizzly bears, in a setting of craggy, imposing mountains. After spending time in the nature, we head back to Dawson for the late afternoon. Here we can try another of Dawson City's traditions - the Sourtoe Cocktail. Established in 1973, this is exactly what it sounds like - an actual human toe that has been dehydrated and preserved, ready to gruesomely garnish a drink of your choice.

On our final full day in the Yukon, we set off back to Whitehorse from Dawson this morning. The drive will take approximately 7 hours in the vehicle, but we aim to stop a couple of times en route, perhaps at the Tintina Trench Viewpoint or the Five Finger Rapids. When gold was discovered in the Klondike in 1896, the Yukon River was thought to be unnavigable above Five Finger Rapid - the rapids were a major obstacle along the route, and more than a few daring Stampeders ended up in the water after choosing the wrong channel, or 'finger'. We arrive in Whitehorse in the early evening.

Our trip ends in Whitehorse this morning. There are no activities planned today, so you are free to depart at any time. If your flight is departing later in the day, luggage storage facilities are available at the hotel. If you would like to receive a complimentary airport transfer today, you'll need to depart from Whitehorse International Airport (airport code: YXY), which is approximately a 10 minute drive from our hotel.