Alaska and Yukon Highlights

Drive north on the Glenn Highway to Wasilla and continue to Talkeetna. Along the way, you can stop at the Alaska Native Heritage Centre. Talkeetna, home to 857 residents, sits at the confluence of the Talkeetna and Susitna Rivers and serves as a base camp for Denali climbers.

This morning embark on an included Jetboat Tour into Alaska’s wilderness. Travel 20 miles on a narrated river cruise as a naturalist shares insights on local history, wildlife and Denali. After your excursion drive the Parks Highway north to Denali National Park, passing incredible forest and mountain landscapes.

Today, tailor your Denali experience. Perhaps choose the Denali Highway Jeep Excursion, a guided self-drive 4×4 journey along one of National Geographic Traveler’s top “Drives of a Lifetime”, offering expansive views of Denali, the Alaska Range, and remote wilderness. Or opt for the Tundra Wilderness Tour, a narrated coach trip showcasing classic park highlights such as Cathedral Mountain, Sable Pass and the East Fork River. For an upgrade enjoy either a Denali Summit Flightseeing Tour, flying over snow-covered peaks and glacier-carved valleys or take a Helicopter Glacier Landing, soaring above tundra and rugged mountain terrain while watching for wildlife before touching down on the vast Yanert Glacier.

Continue north to Fairbanks, Alaska’s second largest city, situated at the confluence of the Chena and Tanana Rivers. In the afternoon, climb aboard the Riverboat Discovery III for an unforgettable 3-hour cruise into the Alaskan Interior, traveling on the only authentic sternwheeler riverboat operating in Alaska. This narrated tour provides background on the area’s natural history and the Athabascan Indian culture.

Allow plenty of time for today’s drive along the Alaska Highway to Tok. As you follow the course of the Tanacross River, keep your eyes peeled for wildlife such as moose and bears.

Today you will set out on one of the truly great wilderness drives of North America. The stunning Top of the World highway traverses mountain tops and ridges as you cross the international border into Canada. Before you reach Dawson City, you’ll cross the Yukon River by the government-run ferry.

Enjoy a day immersing yourself in the fascinating history of Dawson City. Colourful Dawson was the centre of the greatest gold rush that the world had ever seen at the turn of the 20th century, and the town still features many of its original wooden buildings. Drive out to the nearby goldfields, visit Bonanza Creek and try your hand at panning for gold. An evening’s entertainment back in town at historic Diamond Tooth Gertie’s, a casino and dancehall, is highly recommended to complete the Dawson experience!

We advise an early start for today’s long drive south. Follow the Yukon and Stewart River valleys, passing the Five Finger Rapids and other scenic viewpoints as you approach the ‘wilderness city’ of Whitehorse, capital of the Yukon Territory.

Time to explore the region and take advantage of all that Whitehorse has to offer. Visit the Yukon Wildlife Preserve (admission included), a unique wildlife viewing property featuring 10 species of northern Canadian mammals in their natural environment.

Depart Whitehorse for an easy two-hour drive along the historic Alaska Highway to Haines Junction. This small town of about 800 residents sits in vast Kluane country, fewer people than the number of grizzly bears in nearby Kluane National Park. The park features Canada’s highest peak and the world’s largest non-polar icefields. For an unforgettable experience, take an air tour over the park to fully appreciate the immense glaciers and natural scale from above.

Travel along the Haines Highway as the road climbs from the Chilkat River Valley to the windswept Chilkat Pass. Along the way, you pass the edges of Tatshenshini-Alsek Provincial Park in British Columbia and Kluane National Park in the Yukon, part of the world’s largest continuous protected wilderness and a United Nations World Heritage Site.

Take a short morning hike before driving north along the shores of Kluane Lake. Stop at Sheep Mountain to watch for Dall sheep on the slopes. Continue along the famous Alaska Highway through vast wilderness, arriving back in Tok, often called the “Dog Mushing Capital of Alaska”.

Continue along the Glenn Highway with impressive views of the Wrangell Mountains. Stop at the historic roadhouse in Copper Centre and see native fish wheels on the Copper River during the salmon run. Further along, Worthington Glacier comes into view, where a boardwalk leads to its edge before you arrive in Valdez.

Experience Alaska’s beauty on an included Columbia Glacier cruise from Valdez. Cruise past the Trans-Alaska Pipeline Terminal and through Columbia Bay to Columbia Glacier, the largest tidewater glacier in south-central Alaska. Along the way, watch for wildlife such as porpoises, puffins, sea lions, and sea otters.

Drive north from Valdez through dramatic Thompson Pass, famed for towering peaks and cascading waterfalls. Stop at Worthington Glacier to explore up close, then continue along the Richardson Highway through the lush Chugach Mountains. Visit historic Copper Centre to see Native Alaskan artifacts and gold rush memorabilia and stop at the Gulkana River viewpoint to spot salmon or bald eagles. End the day at Sheep Mountain Lodge, surrounded by colourful mountains and glacial valleys offering breathtaking views of Alaska’s rugged terrain.

Continue toward Anchorage with a stop at Matanuska Glacier for stunning views and hiking. Explore Independence Mine State Historical Park near Hatcher Pass to see a historic gold mining town. Enjoy the Chugach Mountains and winding rivers along the Glenn Highway and take a short walk at Eagle River Nature Centre to spot wildlife. End your trip at the Alaska Native Heritage Centre to learn about Alaska’s indigenous culture.