12D11N Alaska & The Yukon

Welcome to Anchorage! Your Tour Director is on hand from 3-6:00 p.m. to answer any questions.

Once settled into your downtown hotel, perhaps venture out and start exploring Anchorage. There are lots of interesting shops and restaurants nearby or maybe take a stroll on the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail that runs along the waterfront.

As you enter Whittier from North America’s longest tunnel, the panoramic view of the ocean, mountains, and glaciers greet you. As the gateway to Prince William Sound, this is where you’ll board a cruise to see and marvel at the natural beauty of the fjords and glaciers. Watch for eagles, whales, mountain goats, porpoises, and salmon jumping out of the cold, pristine water!

Travel northeast through Palmer in the Matanuska Valley, a lush farming region where cabbages can grow to weigh more than 70 pounds in the 24-hour daylight! Up over scenic Tahneta Pass with spectacular vistas of Matanuska Glacier. Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve, the largest park in the United States, is also visible in the distance. The area boasts glaciers larger than the island of Manhattan and is home to nine of the sixteen highest peaks in North America. Overnight in Tok, the “Sled Dog Capital of the World.”

Journey on the scenic Alaska Highway making a brief but memorable stop at the Tetlin National Wildlife Refuge. Then cross into Canada tracing the shores of Destruction Bay and stunning Kluane Lake, once a vital meeting place for the crews constructing this legendary highway. Behold spectacular vistas of the rugged mountains of Kluane National Park, home to 19,551-foot-high Mount Logan, Canada’s highest peak. The next two nights are in Whitehorse, capital of the Yukon and the territorial headquarters of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

Follow the Trail of ‘98 over the same mountains that thousands of determined gold seekers scaled on foot in the dead of winter while heading for the Klondike. From Fraser, your Tour Director will suggest an optional scenic train trip on the narrow-gauge White Pass & Yukon Railway to Skagway. Otherwise, continue by motorcoach to Skagway, then stroll the wooden sidewalks past charming false-front buildings and colorful saloons.

Head northwest through the town of Carmacks, once an important supply station for gold seekers on their way to the Klondike. Stop at the Five Finger Rapids, a major obstacle to the hordes of fortune seekers that passed this way. Reach Dawson City, the center of excitement after the first gold strike in the Klondike in 1896, which led to the world’s largest gold rush. Tonight, enjoy the high-flying entertainment of Diamond Tooth Gertie’s Saloon, featuring ragtime music, can-can girls, and an old-fashioned casino.

Highlights on your morning sightseeing tour include Bonanza Creek, site of Claim #1, where the first gold strike was made; and a presentation by Parks Canada regarding the Gold Rush Era. Enjoy a photo opportunity at the SS Keno, the last sternwheeler to run between Dawson and Whitehorse. The rest of your day is free to soak up the exciting history of this Gold Rush town at your own pace. Perhaps a return to Diamond Tooth Gertie’s Saloon is in order!

A full day and well worth it, as the scenery is magnificent. Have your camera ready for photo opportunities at Dawson overlook and Top of the World Highway, where the motorcoach will re-enter Alaska, and visit one of the last surviving gold rush towns in Alaska before heading west on the Alaska Highway to Fairbanks.

Morning sightseeing features highlights of Alaska’s second-largest city and a visit to the Trans-Alaska Pipeline. Then try your hand at gold panning and see if you strike it rich! This afternoon, enjoy free time in Fairbanks or take an optional excursion aboard the Sternwheeler Riverboat Discovery III for a leisurely cruise on the Chena River. You will see a bush floatplane take off alongside the boat, see the home and kennels of the late four-time Iditarod winner, Susan Butcher, and see her champion sled dogs in action. Then be immersed into the ancient Athabascan Indian culture when Alaskan Native Guides take you on a tour of the Chena Indian Village. This evening, catch a local tradition with an optional salmon bake dinner.

Board the world-famous Alaska Railroad for a memorable journey through untamed wilderness as you sit back in comfort and enjoy the spectacular scenery through the wide windows and domed-roof car. The ride ends in Denali National Park & Preserve. North America’s highest peak, 20,310-foot Denali, formerly known as Mount McKinley, dominates the park’s six million acres of glacial streams, river valleys, and multi-hued tundra. After a brief orientation tour, the afternoon is free to explore on your own.

A free day for independent activities. Perhaps hike along one of the many wilderness trails or take advantage of several exciting optional outings, including a wildlife tour to seek out grizzly bears, caribou, moose, and Dall sheep; a raft trip down the Nenana River; a sled-dog kennel tour, or an exhilarating flightseeing excursion over the park. Your Tour Director will have plenty of suggestions.

Relish one last look at the outstanding scenery and wildlife of Denali before traveling south toward Anchorage and the tour hotel for guests extending their stay in Alaska. For guests with homebound flights, the trip ends at Anchorage International Airport. With possible delays for weather, we strongly suggest that guests do not book flights prior to 5 pm.