Day 1 Whitehorse | Arrival
Welcome to the “Land of the Midnight Sun”. Whitehorse is the capital of the Yukon Territory and at 22,000 people is the largest city in Canada’s North.
Day 2 Whitehorse | Yukon Wildlife Preserve
Time to explore the region and take advantage of all that Whitehorse has to offer. Visit the Yukon Wildlife Preserve (included), a unique wildlife viewing property featuring 10 species of northern Canadian mammals in their natural environment. Encompassing over 700 acres with various natural habitats, the Yukon Wildlife Preserve offers unparalleled wildlife viewing and photo opportunities.
Day 3 Whitehorse to Haines Junction | 154 km/96 mi
Depart Whitehorse for an easy two-hour drive along the historic Alaska Highway to Haines Junction. With a population of approximately 800, this small community sits against the immense landscapes of Kluane National Park, where towering mountains, vast icefields and remote wilderness create a dramatic backdrop. The park is home to Canada’s highest peak and one of the world’s largest non-polar icefields. For an unforgettable perspective, consider a scenic flightseeing tour over the park’s glaciers and mountain ranges, revealing the extraordinary scale and beauty of the Kluane region from above.
Day 4 Kluane National Park | 250 km/155 mi
Travel along the Haines Highway as the road climbs from the Chilkat River Valley to the windswept Chilkat Pass. You skirt the boundaries of both Tatshenshini-Alsek Provincial Park in British Columbia and Kluane National Park in the Yukon, part of one of the largest contiguous protected wilderness areas on earth and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Day 5 Haines Junction to Tok | 467 km/290 mi
Leave Haines Junction and continue northwest along the Alaska Highway, travelling through one of the Yukon’s most dramatic wilderness corridors. The road follows the edge of Kluane National Park and Reserve, with sweeping views of mountains, glacial valleys, boreal forest and the vast waters of Kluane Lake. Continue past remote northern communities and wide-open landscapes toward the Alaska border, where the journey takes on a true frontier feel. Cross into the United States and continue through forested valleys and open country back to Tok, a classic Alaska crossroads town.
Day 6 Tok to Dawson City | 297 km/185 mi
The Top of the World Highway (please note this is a partly gravel road) brings you through spectacular backcountry and gold mining areas. When the highway reaches its highest elevation incredible views into far-reaching countryside open up. Before you reach Dawson City, you’ll cross the Yukon River by the government-run ferry. With your arrival in Dawson City you might feel you just landed in a different century. Experience the old Klondike in its well-kept color and fame.
Day 7 Dawson City | Exploring
Spend a full day exploring the historic sites of Dawson City, including the S.S. Keno, the last steamer to run the Yukon River from Whitehorse; the Jack London Interpretive Centre, with the poet’s original cabin; the Dawson City Museum, with audiovisual presentations; Dredge No. 4, built in 1912 on famous Bonanza Creek; the Palace Grand Theatre, home of the “Gaslight Follies Show”; and Diamond Tooth Gertie’s Casino, with legal gambling tables and can-can floor shows. Do not miss the short drive along the Ridge Road to the top of the Midnight Dome, where you can enjoy excellent views over Dawson City, the Ogilvie Mountains, and the Yukon and Klondike Rivers.
Day 8 Dawson City to Eagle Plains | 408 km/254 mi
Today you will join the Dempster Highway and travel through the spectacular subarctic wilderness of Tombstone Provincial Park. Continue out onto the Eagle Plains, fringed by the Ogilvie and Richardson mountain ranges. Your accommodation tonight is the remote Eagle Plains Hotel, located just 35kms south of the Arctic Circle. (Please note: The Dempster Highway is unpaved)
Day 9 Eagle Plains to Inuvik | 366 km/227 mi
Continue north today, crossing the Arctic Circle and passing through the Richardson Mountains as you leave the Yukon and enter the Northwest Territories. You may wish to take a short detour to Fort McPherson. You will reach the end of the Dempster Highway upon arrival in Inuvik.
Day 10 Inuvik | Exploring
At leisure to explore this remote Arctic settlement and its surroundings. The Western Arctic Regional Visitors Centre in Inuvik is a great place to start. Day tours are available to Tuktoyaktuk or Herschel Island, or you could take a sightseeing flight to view the Arctic Ocean from above (optional, additional cost).
Day 11 Inuvik to Eagle Plains | 366 km/227 mi
Today you drive the Dempster Highway south to Eagle Plains. Again you cross the Mackenzie and Peel Rivers by state ferries (free of charge).
Day 12 Eagle Plains to Dawson City | 408 km/254 mi
Continue south on the Dempster Highway to Dawson City.
Day 13 Dawson City to Mayo | 230 km/143 mi
Drive the Klondike Highway east towards Whitehorse accompanied by scenic mountain landscape. At the intersection with the Silver Trail Highway continue towards Mayo. The area around the Silver Trail Highway was once the richest silver mining area of Canada.
Day 14 Mayo to Whitehorse | 406 km/252 mi
Going south, enjoy the raw beauty of the surrounding landscape. Stopover at the Five Finger Rapids and hike down to the shore of the Yukon River. In late afternoon you will reach Yukon’s capital city, Whitehorse - a city with a unique combination of pioneer values and urban sophistication.
Day 15 Whitehorse | Departure
After check-out of your hotel your Yukon Self Drive adventure comes to an end.
