Itinerary

Arrive in Whitehorse and pick up your hire car from the airport.
Welcome to the Land of the Midnight Sun. After checking in to your hotel, take some time to explore Whitehorse, the capital of the Yukon Territory and with 22,000 people, the largest city in the region. A main attraction is S.S. Klondike, one of only two surviving paddle steamers from the 1930s.

A recommended excursion from Whitehorse is the Yukon Gold experience in the Southern Lakes, visiting Emerald Lake, the world’s smallest desert, the First Nations community of Carcross and Caribou Crossing Wildlife Museum.

Or you could visit the Yukon Wildlife Preserve, which has 10 species of northern Canadian mammals in their natural environment over 700 acres, including elk, moose, bison, lynx, deer and arctic foxes.

Depart Whitehorse today for a two-hour drive along the historic Alaska Highway to Haines Junction. This town has a population of just 800, fewer than the grizzly bear population in Kluane National Park.
The park is home to Canada’s highest peak and the world’s largest non-polar icefields behind the façade of mountains that provide the town’s spectacular backdrop.
For a truly unforgettable experience, take a flightseeing tour over the park for incredible views of the mountains and glaciers.

· 154 km Whitehorse to Haines Junction

This morning, drive north along the shores of beautiful Kluane Lake. Stopover at Sheep Mountain and look out for Dall sheep on the mountain slopes.
Your journey continues on the famous Alaska Highway through the wilderness. Arrive in Tok, known as the “Dog Mushing Capital of Alaska”, so taking a dog sled ride here is highly recommended.

· 467 km Haines Junction to Tok

Your journey continues on the Glenn Highway, offering impressive views of the Wrangell Mountains.
Stop at the historic roadhouse in Copper Center and watch native fish wheels at the nearby Copper River, providing an excellent salmon run. Shortly afterwards, the Worthington Glacier comes into view where a boardwalk leads to the toe of the glacier before arriving in Valdez.
Explore Valdez’s beautiful harbour and museums on indigenous and Gold Rush history.

· 407km Tok to Valdez

Today, discover the majestic beauty of Prince William Sound on a full-day Columbia Glacier cruise from Valdez.
Prince William Sound encompasses 10,000 square miles of protected glaciers, inlets, islands and fjords surrounded by towering mountains and lush rainforest.
A local captain and crew will guide you through the Trans Alaska Pipeline Terminal and Columbia Bay before arriving at Columbia Glacier, the largest tidewater glacier in South Central Alaska. Look out for wildlife along the way, including porpoises, puffins, sea lions and sea otters as well as chunks of ice breaking off the glacier, crashing into the sea. Lunch is included in the cruise.

This morning, drive north on the Richardson Highway with great views of the magnificent Wrangell Mountains as you reach Glennallen. Then follow the Glenn Highway towards Anchorage until you reach Sheep Mountain Lodge.
The rest of the day is at leisure to enjoy scenic mountain views and activities in the area. There are over 20km of trails near the lodge, perfect for discovering abundant birdlife and wildflowers.
· 309 km to Sheep Mountain Lodge.

Drive the Glenn Highway south to Anchorage. Highlights along the way include the Independence Mine in beautiful Hatcher Pass, farming communities of the Mat-Su Valley and beautiful views of the Chugach Range.

Arrive in Anchorage and explore the city including Alaska Heritage Museum with exhibitions on Alaska’s First Nations cultures, and Anchorage Museum, charting the state’s history and showcasing local artwork.

· 172 km to Anchorage.

Continue to explore Anchorage. There are some great hiking trails on the edge of the city, including the steep three-mile hike up Flattop Mountain for views of Chugach State Park, and the Coastal Trail along Cook Inlet to Earthquake Park with a magnificent view of the Alaska Mountain Range in the distance.

Enjoy a delicious meal at one of Anchorage’s top seafood restaurants.

Drive the Glenn Highway north to Wasilla and on to Talkeetna. Stops can include a visit to the Alaska Native Heritage Centre to learn more about local indigenous cultures.

Talkeetna is a small, picturesque town located at the confluence of Talkeetna and Susitna rivers and serves as a base camp for Mt. Denali climbers. An early 20th century gold mining centre, the town has retained much of its early Alaskan culture.

· 181 km to Talkeetna.

Today, drive the Parks Highway north to Denali National Park through incredible forest and mountain landscapes.
Take your time to experience the majesty of Denali National Park, take in the sights of the George Parks Highway then arrive at your hotel near the park entrance to take advantage of an optional excursion or a visit to the Denali Visitor Centre.
· Talkeetna to Denali National Park 169 km

Continue exploring amazing Denali National Park and choose from a range of four excursions, one of which is included in your tour.

Ranked as one of the top Drives of a Lifetime by National Geographic Traveller magazine, the Denali Highway Jeep Excursion is a four-hour guided tour along a 217km gravel road, going off the beaten track to enjoy wonderful views of Denali, the Alaska Range, glaciers and wildlife.

The half-day Tundra Wilderness Tour offers incredible scenery, a narrated history of the park road and opportunities to view wildlife. Highlights include the craggy cliffside of Cathedral Mountain, Sable Pass and the East Fork River.

Alternatively, upgrade and see Denali from above on a Summit Flightseeing tour from a small aircraft. Fly over the snow-covered peaks, jagged ridgelines and valleys carved by glaciers, passing within half a mile of the mountain.

Another great upgrade excursion is the Denali Glacier Landing, a helicopter trip to the massive Yanert Glacier. Soar over the rolling tundra, keeping an eye out for caribou, moose, bear and Dall sheep, before landing on the ice.

Continue on the George Parks Highway north to Fairbanks. Pass incredible forest and mountain landscapes, driving through the communities of Healy, Nenana and Ester, an old mining camp.
In the afternoon, climb aboard the Riverboat Discovery III for an unforgettable three-hour cruise into the Alaskan Interior, travelling on the Chena and Tanana Rivers on the only authentic sternwheeler riverboat in Alaska. This narrated tour (included in your holiday) provides background on the area’s natural history and the Athabascan Indian culture. Return to Fairbanks and your hotel.
· Denali National Park to Fairbanks 198 km

Explore Fairbanks, a city of stunning contrasts, famous for the Midnight Sun in summer and the Northern Lights the rest of the year.

Attractions in the city include Pioneer Park and University of Alaska Museum of the North. The nearby Chena River State Recreation is popular for hiking, canoeing, as well as nearby hot springs and Aurora Ice Museum.

Heading south-east, the Richardson Highway passes through woodland of white birch and black spruce beside the Tanana River. Enjoy the raw beauty of the drive into the central Alaska Range en route to Tok.
Arrive back in Tok. If you didn’t get chance to take a dog sled ride earlier in the tour, then now is another chance. Alternatively, take a cruise on the Tanana River.
· Fairbanks to Tok 325 km

Today you experience one of the world’s most famous drives along the Top of the World Highway (partly gravel road in places), through spectacular backcountry and gold mining areas. When the highway reaches its highest points, enjoy incredible views of the Yukon wilderness.
Cross the Yukon River by ferry before reaching Dawson City. You might feel as if you landed in a different century in this historic former mining town.

Visit historic sights of Dawson City including SS Keno, the last paddle steamer to run the Yukon River from Whitehorse, the Jack London Interpretive Center with the poet’s original cabin, the Palace Grand Theatre and Diamond Tooth Gertie’s Casino.

· 297 km Tok to Dawson City

Spend another day exploring Dawson City. A Klondike Goldrush tour is recommended, including a visit to Dredge No. 4, built in 1912, where you can learn to pan gold on the famous Bonanza Creek. The best place to learn about the history of gold in the Yukon is Dawson City Museum.

A recommended trip out of town is to Tombstone Territorial Park’s spectacular wilderness of Arctic tundra, alpine lakes, meadows and granite mountains, 1.5 hour’s drive from Dawson City. The park is home to grizzlies, black bears, moose, caribou and wolves, and lies within Tr’ondek Hwech’in territory with an interesting Interpretation Centre.

A recommended evening excursion is on the Ridge Road to the Top of the Midnight Dome with excellent views over Dawson, the Ogilvie Mountains and the Yukon and Klondike Rivers.

Going south, enjoy the raw beauty of the surrounding landscape. Stop at the Five Finger Rapids and hike down to the shore of the Yukon River.
In late afternoon, arrive back in Yukon’s capital city, Whitehorse. A good stop on the way is Nordic Hot Springs for a soak in the Yukon’s only thermal baths, half an hour north-west of the city.

· 532 km Dawson City to Whitehorse

After checking out of your hotel, drive to the airport and drop off your hire car as your Yukon self-drive adventure comes to an end.