From the Pacific to the Arctic Ocean

This 15-day Yukon and Alaska tour tour will take you all across the Canadian Northwest and parts of Southeast Alaska, on this journey from the Pacific Ocean to the Arctic Ocean!

From high alpine peaks to the boreal tundra and the Arctic Ocean, this incomparable journey crosses borders and thousands of kilometres along the Alaska Highway, Haines Road, Klondike Highway, Campbell Highway, Dempster Highway, and Canada’s newest highway, the Inuvik-Tuktoyaktuk Highway (ITH).

Along the way, you will get the chance to be immersed in the local history, from First Nations and Inuit people of the North to the construction of the Alaska Highway and the biggest Gold Rush of all time. Furthermore, you will constantly be in presence of the unimaginable natural beauty of the Western and Northern Canadian landscape and wildlife.

From riding a ferry on the waves of the Pacific Ocean, all the way to dipping your feet into the Arctic Ocean, your journey to the Arctic Circle will create unforgettable memories that you will forever cherish.

Itinerary "From the Pacific to the Arctic Ocean"

Day 1

Welcome to Whitehorse, the capital of the Yukon!

Your tour guide will meet you at the airport and take you to the hotel you will be staying at for the next couple of nights.

On the way you will get a short, scenic overview of the local area, and then once you have checked-in at the hotel, you will have a moment to recharge. This evening you will have an included welcome dinner where you will have an opportunity to meet. your guide, and the rest of your group.

Overnight stay in Whitehorse

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Day 2

After a long day travelling yesterday, we’re keeping it local today, with a city tour, and a trip to the Yukon Wildlife Preserve and Eclipse Hot Springs

You’ll get to see Miles Canyon, the SS Klondike as well as some of the Yukon’s iconic animals, in their natural habitats, at the Yukon Wildlife Preserve. After a quick lunch break it’s off to the Eclipse Nordic Hot Springs for a rejuvenating soak!

Overnight Whitehorse

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Day 3

Today it’s West, then a bit South, to Haines, Alaska. We’ll begin the day travelling on the Alaska Highway, to Haines Junction, and the edge of Kluane National Park. After a few stops along the way, we head south towards Alaska and the Pacific Ocean.

With a few stops to admire some particularly breathtaking spots, we will cross the border into Alaska and arrive at the shores of the Pacific, in Haines.

Overnight in Haines

By the way: We recommend taking an optional sightseeing flight over the national park, available this evening or the following morning – weather permitting of course.

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Day 4

Today we have a free day in Haines, for you to fill as you please. We highly recommend an optional whale watching boat trip, down the Inside Passage, to Juneau, the capital of Alaska. Alternatively there are plenty of other activities available, like sea kayaking, rafting, hiking, etc. There’s something for everyone to enjoy!

Overnight Haines

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Day 5

As we say our goodbyes to Haines, we will board the ferry and take the Lynn Canal to Skagway, Alaska, the starting line for the famous Klondike Gold Rush.

After exploring Dyea, Reid Falls, and an orientation around downtown Skagway, you’ll have a free afternoon to explore this historic gold rush town at your leisure.

Overnight Skagway

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Day 6

Today we leave to Pacific coast, and cross the Coast Mountains back into Canada. Whether you choose to drive the White Pass with your guide, or take the historic White Pass Railway, one of the greatest train rides in the world, you be blown away by the scenery!

After regrouping in Canada, it’s east on the Alaska Highway to Watson Lake.

Once we arrive in Watson Lake, we will make sure to visit the world-famous Sign Post Forest, where over 100,000 signs have been put up by travellers from all around the world. Bring your own to add to the collection, and who knows, you may even find a sign from your own hometown!

Overnight Watson Lake.

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Day 7

And on the seventh day, we rest, as we take a trip to the Liard Hot Springs, quite possibly the most beautiful hot spring in all of Canada. But not before we head into the stunning Northern Rockies for lunch!

After a drive to the beautiful Muncho Lake, and lunch at the Muncho Lake Lodge, we head back to the Liard Hot Springs for a soak in the semi-natural springs.

Once we return to Watson Lake, there will be an optional one-hour show at the Northern Lights Centre, where you can lean many fascinating facts about the origin of the Northern Lights.

Overnight Watson Lake

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Day 8

As we begin our second week, we wake up early and take on the longest stage of our entire trip: the Robert Campbell Highway. A wild, and primarily unpaved road, the Campbell Highway takes us through the most untouched sides of nature, past the exceptional Francis Lake, as well as the communities of Ross River and Faro.

With plenty of wildlife and flora ahead of us, we will take a short detour to the airport prior to departing Watson Lake, and make sure to see the oldest remaining wooden airport hangar in Canada. After that, we drive, reaching Carmack in the early evening and checking into the hotel upon arrival.

Overnight Carmacks

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Day 9

The ninth day of our tour takes us to Dawson City, the capital of Yukon until 1952, and the heart of the Klondike.

After a few kilometres down the North Klondike Highway from Carmacks, we’ll make a stop to see the infamous Five Finger Rapids. During the Gold Rush, it was known as one of the deadliest sections of the Yukon River, shattering many self-built rafts and leading equally many prospectors to a watery grave. We’ll also pass by the First Nations communities of Pelly Crossing and Stewart Crossing, arriving in the former capital of the Yukon Territory in the afternoon.

Once we’re in Dawson, we’ll take a brief city tour, then check into our hotel. You will then be free to spend the rest of the evening as you like.

Overnight Dawson City

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Day 10

Gold, gold, gold! Today is about all that glitters, but which is most definitely gold.

Our path to fortune starts where it all began: Bonanza Creek, the legendary site where gold was first discovered and triggered the greatest gold rush of all time. After that, we then drive along with former gold mines, some of which are still active today, and visit Dredge No. 4, the largest wooden-hull bucket dredge ever used in North America. Then it’s your turn! With professional instruction, you’ll get to try your hand at gold panning yourself.

We end our short trip with a jaunt over to the Midnight Dome, Dawson’s local mountainside view. With a wide view of the Yukon River, the Klondike, and Dawson City itself, it is a truly gorgeous sight. You will then have the rest of the afternoon to yourself, and in the evening we will visit the oldest and northernmost casino in Canada, “Diamond Tooth Gerties”. An unmistakable blast from the Gold Rush’s past, Gerties offers roulette, blackjack, slot machines, and can-can shows.

Overnight Dawson City

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Day 11

Day 11 is D-Day, as our adventure on the Dempster highway begins and we start the final leg of our journey to the Arctic. We will drive approximately half of the rugged 741 kilometre-long gravel road. This highway is truly unique, as the only road connection from Yukon to the Northwest territories, it is absolutely massive and endlessly surrounded by the isolated, untouched beauty of the Northern landscape.

As we pass through the grandiose peaks of the Tombstone and Ogilvie Mountains, we will visit Tombstone Territorial Park and its Visitor Information Centre. Additionally, if desired, we can then take a short hike to fully appreciate the true beauty of nature.

We then end the night in Eagle Plains, which houses the only hotel/motel on the entire highway, as well as the last gas station on the way to the Arctic.

Overnight Eagle Plains

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Day 12

On Day 12 we will share a toast as we reach our penultimate milestone and cross the Arctic Circle, reaching the 66th parallel just a few kilometres after Eagle Plains. From there we then enter into the Northwest Territories and drive through the stunningly impressive Richardson Mountains.

Along the way, we’ll also visit the First Nations communities of Tsiggehtchic and Fort McPherson, and cross the Peel and Mackenzie River by ferry. Finally, in the afternoon we will reach our accommodations in the town of Inuvik, on the east channel of the MacKenzie Delta.

Overnight Inuvik

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Day 13

Day 13 marks the final chapter of our journey, as our voyage from the Pacific Ocean reaches its end at the Arctic Ocean. After a short city tour in Inuvik and a visit to the famous Igloo Church, we will take a ride down Canada’s newest highway – opened in November 2017 and the first all-season connection to the Inuit community of Tuktoyaktuk and the Arctic Ocean. With such deep layers of permafrost, this two-lane gravel road was an incredible feat of engineering.

A notable natural spectacle as we head to the Arctic Ocean are the pingos, a vast sea of permafrost hills created by expanding ice cores. And then, 134 kilometres later, we are there. We reach Tuktoyaktuk and the shores of the Arctic Ocean. Follow the tradition and dip at least your toe into the Arctic Ocean, and join the exclusive 0.000001% of people who have ever accomplished this journey. You will even get the chance to take home a certificate, proving the span of your travels. We will then return to Inuvik.

Overnight Inuvik

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Day 14

Today, having reached to pinnacle of our journey, we fly from the Arctic back to Whitehorse. You will have the rest of the afternoon and evening to yourselves, free to spend as you like.

Overnight Whitehorse

Day 15

We bid fond farewell on our final day together. With the many unforgettable memories made over the course of the past two weeks, we wish you the best on all your future travels.