To book your fly-drive call
01509 618800 - Prices
start from £989pp
Departures: May to Sept 2011
Alaska and the Yukon are one of the
world’s last remaining wildernesses. Vast expanses
of land and very few people mean that you can really get away from it all.
As an example, the Yukon is larger than the whole of the UK and has a total
population of 30,000, of which close to 20,000 live in the
capital city, Whitehorse.
As you would expect, wildlife viewing is exceptional: bear,
moose, caribou and eagles are regularly seen on land. At sea whale
sightings are common, along with seals, sea otters
and other marine creatures. A surprisingly varied and colourful
history, largely based on the exploration for gold in the early days
and more recently black gold (oil). The Alaska Highway was
an epic construction during the last world war and you will at times travel
this highway as part of the journey. Many places in Alaska are only connected
by Alaska’s ferry system called The Alaska
Marine Highway. Whatever you choose to do in the area, be sure of
a great welcome and a spectacular time.
Day
1 - To Canada's True North
Arrive in Whitehorse shortly before midnight. As you are entering
the Land of the Midnight Sun, surprisingly
it will be broad daylight on your arrival in Whitehorse. Pick
up rental car, which will be with you for the next 14 days,
and transfer to your local hotel in Whitehorse. Overnight in
Whitehorse.
Day
2 - Preparing for your trip
A day in the Whitehorse area, where you have the opportunity
to visit the well equipped tourist centre and perhaps an opportunity
to meet some of the local characters and dignitaries before
you set out into the wilderness. The Yukon territory
is the size of England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland with a population
of just over 30,000. You may care to visit the Beringia
Museum that tells of the time pre-ice age when Alaska
was joined to Russia. A fascinating museum conveniently located
on the outskirts of Whitehorse. You will certainly appreciate
the call of the wild in this area. Overnight in Whitehorse.
Day
3 - The Silver Trail
This morning you leave Whitehorse and head northwards towards
Dawson City. Your overnight stay will be in
Mayo at the start of the Silver Trail.
Mayo has a very informative local museum and there is a 50 mile
loop from Mayo right up into the working silver mine area and
back. Most people don’t realise that more value in silver
left the Yukon than gold, and this often left out area is full
of outstanding scenic beauty and special interest. Overnight
in Mayo.
Day
4 - Gold, Gold, Gold
This morning you travel through some spectacular country before
you arrive in Dawson City, the site of the Gold Rush.
Gold mining is still active today and in the afternoon you will
have an opportunity to pan for gold in the
area and perhaps make your fortune. Overnight in Dawson City.
Day
5 - Poets & Midnight Golf
A full day in and around the Dawson Creek area. An opportunity
to visit the site of the working gold dredges and come back
into town and hear the verses of the poet of the Yukon, Robert
Service, being read by the interpreter in the town
centre. As it gets later in the day visit the Follies
Music Show and before retiring to bed perhaps a visit
to Diamond Tooth Gerties Saloon and Gambling
Hall. When you come out of there whatever time of the
day or night it will still be daylight. Daylight enough, if
you so desire, to have a round of golf on Dawson Creek’s
golf course, even though it be 1 or 2 o’clock in the morning.
Overnight Dawson City.
Day
6 - Top of the world highway
You leave Dawson City to go across the Top of the World
Highway into Alaska. This is bound to be one of the
highlights of the trip. It is one of the most scenic roads in
the world with outstanding scenery and a challenging drive.
You will complete the immigration process into Alaska and return
back into the Yukon later in the day when you cross into Beaver
Creek for your overnight stay.
Day
7 - Kluane Park and a Gastronomic Experience
Today you will travel from Beaver Creek down through
Kluane National Park to stay at Haines Junction.
The hotel selected tonight is one of the best gastronomic experiences
in the Yukon territory. The glaciers in Kluane National Park
are some of the largest in North America and there is an opportunity
to take a spectacular helicopter trip over the glaciers.
Overnight in Haines Junction.
Days
8 - Eagles galore
A shorter trip today from Haines Junction to Haines.
You will cross back into Alaska. In Haines the opportunity to
take part in the eagle float on the Chilkat River,
where eagles fish for salmon within feet of you as you float
through the reserve. The secret to this area is the warm water
that keeps the Chilkat River free of ice in the wintertime.
Without it the local population of eagles would have to travel
south to be able to survive. Overnight in Haines.
Day
9 - Ferries & Trains
A short ferry journey today on the Alaska ferry system to the
town of Skagway. Skagway was the start of the
journey for many of the early explorers on the Gold
Rush Trail. We suggest a trip on the Yukon
& Whitepass Railroad today, the train that took
many of the early settlers up the first hard pull from the sea
to the plateau around Whitehorse. Overnight in Skagway.
Days
10, 11 & 12 - Inn on the River or Lake
This morning further time to discover Skagway before you head
back into the plateau and onwards into the Whitehorse area.
We now have three nights for you, which may either be spent
at Inn on the Lake, closer to Whitehorse, or
Inn on the River, based 1 ½ hours away from Whitehorse
on the Teslin River. These magnificent properties
offer first class facilities, together with food and a wilderness
experience. At the end of the holiday it gives you a good opportunity
to have some R & R in a spectacular setting. (You have the
option of staying all three nights in one location or combining
both properties.)
Day
13 - Homeward Bound
All good things must come to an end and today you head back
to Whitehorse, return your hire car and start your journey home
arriving back mid afternoon on Day 14.
Extension to your intinerary
It is possible on Day 9, using the Alaska Marine Highway, to
extend your trip to Juneau, Alaska, which would
allow you to visit Tracey Arm and Icy Straits.
Detailed below is how this would fit in to the itinerary above.
New
Day 9- The Alaska Marine Highway
We travel today down to Juneau, the land locked capital of Alaska,
arriving late in the afternoon. Juneau has a unique feel and
one of the very few capital cities in the world to which you
cannot drive. We would still suggest taking your car with you
on the ferry as this ferry will return via Haines to Skagway
later in the trip.
Whilst in Juneau there are two water based excursions that should
not be missed. In our opinion Tracy Arm is the very best of
the glaciers/fjords in Alaska. The entrance is very restricted
and as such the large cruise liners cannot access this unique
environment. Using a smaller ship from Juneau you will cruise
the Gustineau Channel and Stephens
Passage before entering Tracy Arm. A narrow fjord with
massive cliffs provides a wealth of breathtaking sights. Watch
out for mountain goats on the towering cliffs,
seals on floating icebergs and calving glaciers as Sawyer
Glacier comes into view. Return to Juneau for overnight
stay.
New
Day 11 - Whalewatching in Icy Straits & Glacier Bay
The option we suggest today is a whalewatching cruise
in Icy Straits. Here the opportunity to view the great
humpback whales in their feeding grounds. This is perhaps the
greatest watchable concentration of humpback whales
to be found anywhere in the accessible world. All this occurs
at the entrance to Glacier Bay, probably Alaska’s
best known glacier which provides a fitting end to this memorable
day. Overnight in Juneau.
New
Day 12 - Alaska’s Inside Passage & the Lynn Canal
This morning board the early morning ferry from Juneau and travel
via Haines to Skagway. Skagway was the start point for the Klondike
Gold Rush. It is still a lively town in summer with
some good shops, great bars and restaurants. Overnight in Skagway.
(You will then pick up the first itinerary at Day 10.)
What will this cost?
Please ring 01509
618800 and we can provide you with a price for the above
itinerary to include airfares, hotels, car hire and ferry journeys.
Recommended Wildlife and sightseeing options:
1. Eagle float at Haines.
2. Tracy Arm excursion at Juneau.
3. Icy Straits excursion at Juneau.
4. Yukon & White Pass Railroad at Skagway.
We highly recommend that all these options are pre-booked and
we would be pleased to do this on your behalf.
Please be aware that the above is a suggested itinerary and
can be tailored to meet your individual needs. It demonstrates
appropriate time over distance constraints as it is very easy
to underestimate the distances involved in the area. Contrary
to popular belief the road system is quite good, the vast majority
of roads are paved and the only road on this itinerary that
is not, is the Top of the World Highway, which in some ways
adds to its appeal.
The Next Step
We have available a large amount of useful information, brochures, etc on
the area described above. We would be happy to forward these to you and work
with you to produce an individual quotation to meet your specific needs. Please
feel free to modify the trip.
call 01509 618800 today to get started
your adventure begins here…
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What to do
next
We would suggest you ring us and talk through your ideas. We
will then prepare a choice of accommodation, car-hire and flights that fit your travel plans.
You will then recieve a full quotation for you to consider.
We are able to arrange everything for you and will
support you throughout your holiday.
Alternatively, complete our online quote form by clicking the button below.
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