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.
Other highlights of the town include The Kwanlin Dün Cultural Centre, gathering place for First Nations culture and MacBride Museum, the best place to learn the Yukon’s history with some 40,000 objects.

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

Today you visit the Yukon Wildlife Preserve (entrance included in your tour), featuring 10 species of northern Canadian mammals in their natural environment over 700 acres, including elk, moose, bison, lynx, deer and arctic foxes.
Another recommended excursion is the guided Eagle tour on the Yukon River by kayak or canoe, leaving from downtown Whitehorse to the confluence with the Takhini River. The region has a significant population of majestic bald eagles, promising unforgettable sightings.
Another option to visit nearby is Long Ago People’s Place, an authentic recreation of a First Nations village, an hour west of Whitehorse.

Depart Whitehorse today for a two-hour drive along the historic Alaska Highway to Haines Junction. This town has a population of just 800 residents, fewer than the number of grizzly bears 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

Taking the Haines Highway, the road climbs from the Chilkat River Valley to the windswept Chilkat Pass.

Skirt the boundaries between Tatshenini-Alesk Provincial Park of British Columbia and Kluane National Park in the Yukon, part of the largest contiguous area of protected wilderness on earth, and a UN World Heritage Site.

Spend more time exploring Kluane National Park. Highlights include kayaking on Kathleen Lake, hiking King’s Throne Trail and rafting on the Alsek River. The park has wildlife including black bears, wolves, moose, caribou and Dall Sheep.

· 250 km Haines Junction to Kluane National Park

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

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

Continue to explore 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 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 you 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.