Ultimate Alaska Discovery & Yukon

Ultimate Alaska Discovery & Yukon

Tours Starts: Anchorage, Alaska

Tours Ends: Seward, Alaska

Day 1

Arrive in Anchorage

Today your adventure begins upon arrival in Anchorage, a picturesque city sandwiched between 5,000-foot peaks and the Cook Inlet, home to one of the world’s only urban Beluga whale pods. If you purchased your airline tickets from YMT, you will be welcomed by a representative and transferred to your hotel. Approximately 40 percent of Alaska’s population lives in Anchorage, where you can always find great food and a killer cup of coffee. Sample some fresh-caught local salmon or reindeer sausage, but stay on the lookout for wild moose, who have been known to wander through downtown. Relax this afternoon and tonight, because tomorrow the fun really starts!

Aspen Hotel or similar

OPTION: BREAKFAST PACKAGE:

Book our breakfast package and enjoy breakfast at your hotel everyday of your trip! $320 p/p. Please add this option at time of booking.

Day 2

Tok via Wrangell-St. Elias National Park

Today promises to be full of breathtaking natural beauty as you enjoy one of the most scenic drives in the world, the Alaska Highway, from the comfort of a deluxe motorcoach. Travel past the treelined Matanuska River and the 27-mile long Matanuska Glacier, then stop at the Wrangell-St. Elias National Park Visitor Center. The Wrangell- St. Elias National Park and Preserve is America’s largest national park, and covers more land than Yellowstone National Park, Yosemite National Park, and Switzerland combined. This rugged, isolated park is home to dazzling blue glaciers, spruce forests, and nine of America’s 16 tallest mountains. Spend the evening relaxing in Tok, a small frontier town surrounded by dense wilderness. Tok was supposedly named after the husky puppy who acted as a mascot for the Army Corps of Engineers that built the nearby stretch of the Alaska Highway.

Youngs Motel or similar

Day 3

Whitehorse via Tetlin National Wildlife Refuge & Kluane National Park

From your climate-controlled coach, take in the beauty of Tetlin National Wildlife Refuge, a dynamic landscape made up of forests, wetlands, tundra, lakes, mountains, and glacial rivers bounded by the snowy peaks of the Alaska Range. Next, have your passport at the ready and cross the border into Canada. Welcome to the Yukon Territory, where you will continue past Kluane National Park, 24.2 million acres of ice fields, forests, frigid lakes, and towering peaks. Your day ends in Whitehorse, the capital of the Yukon and the territorial headquarters of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

Best Western Gold Rush or similar

Day 4

Whitehorse City Tour & Skagway

Start your day with a city tour of Whitehorse, the capital of the Yukon Territory. Nicknamed “Wilderness City,” Whitehorse is an oasis of civilization; its historic buildings, public artworks, and independent shops and cafes are surrounded by some of Canada’s most isolated terrain. Take a fun day trip over to Skagway via the Trail of ’98, the same mountainous path that countless eager gold seekers scaled on foot during the Klondike Gold Rush.

Best Western Gold Rush or similar

Day 5

Dawson City via Carmacks

Your journey continues northwest through the town of Carmacks, current population 493, that was once an important supply station for gold seekers on their way to the Klondike. Stop at the Five Finger Rapids, a harrowing section of the Yukon River where islands divide the river into five narrow channels, only one of which is passable. The rapids were a formidable obstacle to the hordes of fortune seekers that passed this way—an untold number of whom were lost in the fast-moving current. Tonight, enjoy the high-flying entertainment of Diamond Tooth Gertie’s Saloon. This Dawson City institution promises a “whooping good time” with nightly ragtime music, can-can girls, and an old-fashioned casino.

El Dorado Downtown or similar

Day 6

Dawson City Tour

Take a tour of Dawson City, where old-time wooden boardwalks connect frontier-era buildings in the Yukon Territory’s original capital. Highlights on your morning sightseeing tour include Bonanza Creek, site of Claim #1 where the first gold strike was made, and the Robert Service Cabin and Interpretive Center. Enjoy a photo opportunity at the SS Keno, the last sternwheeler to run between Dawson and Whitehorse. Spend the evening enjoying Dawson City’s 19th-century charm on your own. Adventurous travelers can head on down to the Sourdough Saloon to try the infamous Sourtoe Cocktail. Joining the ranks of the Sourtoe Cocktail Club is simple: finish a single drink, of your choosing, garnished with a preserved human toe. If you’re concerned, don’t be. The digit was donated willingly!

El Dorado Downtown or similar

Day 7

Fairbanks via Top of the World Highway

Take the Top of the World Highway back to Alaska. Have your camera ready for photo opportunities at Dawson Overlook and Top of the World Highway, where the motorcoach will re-enter the United States. For most of the ride, your coach will travel along the peaks and crests of mountains and hills, allowing you to look down at the valleys below and take in spectacular views of the Alaska Range. Visit one of the last surviving gold rush towns in Alaska, and enjoy a meal at an authentic Alaska Roadhouse before your evening arrival in Fairbanks. Spend the evening in the “Golden Heart City” of Fairbanks, Alaska’s secondlargest city found on the banks of the Chena River.

Springhill Suites Fairbanks or similar

Day 8

Gold Dredge #8 Visit

Explore the area’s gold mining history as we visit the restored Gold Dredge #8. The visitor center offers a great perspective with artifacts from the gold rush era, bringing to life the history of Fairbanks. To round off your visit here you can learn to pan for gold and take a picture with the Trans-Alaska pipeline, an American engineering marvel. In the afternoon, explore Fairbanks on your own. (D)

SpringHill Suites Fairbanks or similar

Day 9

Denali Natural History Tour

Today we travel on the Parks Highway to Denali National Park. Learn about how permafrost presents a challenge here to road construction and maintenance, as you travel through the sparsely populated Alaskan Interior. At 6 million acres, Denali National Park is one of the world's great frontiers for wilderness adventure. Get a deeper look at this amazing park as we embark on a Denali Natural History Tour. With a focus on the rich, cultural history of Denali National Park, the Denali Natural History Tour provides insight into the diverse native and early pioneer influences in and around Denali. Your driver/ naturalist will provide a great introduction to the landscape, geology, and history of Denali National Park. Visit Savage Cabin, the original cook's cabin in the park's first tourist camp, and still a ranger patrol cabin used by the Park Service. The rest of the day is yours to explore at your own pace.

Denali Park Village or similar

Day 10

Iditarod Sled Dog Headquarters and Anchorage City Tour

We leave Denali this morning to continue our journey south, traveling through Matanuska-Susitna Valley. En route, we will visit the Iditarod Sled Dog Headquarters near Wasilla where you will have the opportunity to learn about “The Last Great Race.” Afterwards, continue to Anchorage for an included lunch stop and a city tour of downtown. (L)

Crowne Plaza Anchorage or similar

Day 11

Anchorage to Homer

This morning, we continue by motor coach and travel across the Kenai Peninsula to Homer. Upon arrival in Homer, your Tour Director will take you to the Homer Spit, which features the longest road into ocean waters in the entire world! Enjoy a guided walk along the Homer Docks and see the Salty Dawg Saloon, which is constructed out of several of the city's historic buildings. Originally one of the first cabins built in Homer in 1987, the landmark has served as a post office, railroad station, grocery store, and school house throughout the years. You may recognize the Saloon with its distinctive lighthouse tower from the Discovery Channel's Deadliest Catch. Be sure to bring a dollar bill to sign and leave on the wall alongside the thousands of other bills that line the bar!

Best Western Bidarka or similar

Day 12

Homer Leisure Day

Enjoy this day at leisure in the quaint town of Homer. Your Tour Director will be happy to help you plan your day to make the most of your time in this versatile destination; whether you decide to head out on an optional tour or take the ferry to the remote town of Seldovia, perhaps Alaska’s best kept secret, you are sure to enjoy the breathtaking scenery!

Best Western Bidarka or similar

Day 13

Kenai Fjords National Park Glacier & Wildlife Cruise

Today, board a catamaran for another highlight on your Alaskan Discovery: enjoy a 6-hour cruise through Kenai Fjords National Park to see marine wildlife, witness tidewater glacier calving, and feast on an included Alaskan Salmon and prime rib lunch buffet. The remainder of the day is free for you to explore Seward. (L)

Breeze Inn or similar

Day 14

Depart for Home

Today, drive back to Anchorage and bid farewell to Alaska. Note: Most flights from Anchorage are non-direct with at least one or two connections. Departure flights from Anchorage to most cities are overnight and arrive the following day; some flights depart Anchorage after midnight.

Please note that this is a proposed itinerary; the actual itinerary may vary due to season, special events, or weather. Hotels may differ depending on date. Because our tour arrangements are often made a year or more in advance, YMT Vacations reserves the right to alter the itinerary. Itinerary changes are made to improve your vacation experience, as well as respond to any unforeseen circumstances that mandate alterations. By their nature, all tour vacations involve a certain level of physical activity. While YMT tours have been designed with our guests in mind and are not physically demanding, this tour does include walking and periods of standing during the sightseeing visits. You will also encounter steps and some uneven ground along the way, particularly at older, historical sights. Please ask your Travel Consultant for more information.