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Yukon Wildlife Tour

Yukon Wildlife Tour

Canoe trip on the Yukon River with animal observations close up!

Carmacks to Dawson City, 416 km / 15 days

Our wildlife canoe tour is a very unique experience that takes place every year at the end of May on the Yukon River from Carmacks to Dawson City. A perfect trip for those who appreciate the nature and its wildlife. In spring, as soon as the first warm rays of sun set over the freshly melted meadows and forests, Yukon’s wildlife awakes to new life once again.

This is the time when the black bears and grizzlies wake up from their long hibernation. They eagerly collect the typical Yukon “kinnickinnick berries” on the meadows and mountain slopes along the Yukon River, which survive the harsh Yukon winter and are a real delicacy for all bear species.

Wapiti elks and moose enjoy the first fresh shoots of the numerous willows and plants along the shore. Many moose give birth to their young in May on one of the countless islands along the Yukon River. The bald eagle protects its offspring from dangerous robbers and draws its own circles in the sky.

Our animal observations mainly take place from the canoe in a safe distance. This quiet approach allows us to experience the wildlife in their natural environment without disturbing them.

Day 1:
Your guide will greet you at the Whitehorse Airport and transfer you to your hotel. After the check-in we will meet for a tour briefing and discuss your trip details and answer all of your questions.

Day 2 to 12:
We start our adventure tour with a drive on the North Klondike Highway. We pass the beautiful Lake Laberge along the Miners Range before we arrive in Carmacks, the starting point of our Wildlife Tour. Our route down the famous Yukon River takes us to the goldseaker town of Dawson City.

Right at the beginning of our tour we pass a big mountain range, where we can watch dall sheeps climbing across the steep slopes. During our excursion in the numerous channels of the Yukon we will hopefully see moose cows with their calves.
Taking opportunity of the slow moving water, we will add some fresh caught fish to our menu.

One particular highlight of our trip is our camp at the remote Fort Selkirk at the confluence from the Pelly in the Yukon River. While exploring the former settlement, we will gain the best impression of the pioneer life during the middle of the last century, until the settlement was abandoned in the 1950s.

Further down the river we will see blooming green slopes, thickly covered with kinnickinnick berries and fresh plants. This smell attracts grizzlies and black bears to a first feed after their long winter sleep. From a safe distance, out of the canoe, we take the opportunity to observe the wildlife and take some pictures.

During our last days of the canoe trip, the Yukon River spreads in a labyrinth of channels and islands. This is the perfect place for observing beavers building their dams. This area is also a favored habitat for Moose and Elk. With a little luck we may observe a wolverine hunting on the small island for hares or birds.

After 12 days on the mighty Yukon River, we arrive at the Klondike Goldfields. Here we see the first signs of modern gold mining. For us a sign that we will reach Dawson City today.

We will arrive in Dawson in the early afternoon and stay for the next two nights at the Bunkhouse Hotel.
In the evening we will explore the nightlife of Dawson and visit the legendary Diamond Tooth Gerties Casino with its Can Can Show.

Day 13:
After breakfast we will drive to the Klondike gold fields and have a look at historic gold dredge “Dredge No.4”, before we head out to the discovery claim in Bonanza Creek. There where Skookum Jim, Tagish Charlie and George Carmack found the first gold and staked their claim on August 17th 1896. The big goldrush has started…
Afterword we will continue our trip to Hunker Creek and visit the Goldbottom mine. A guided tour through this active site, shows you the effort needed to dig out the gold from the frozen ground. We will step into the creek and try our best to uncover some gold nuggets of our own.
On our way back to Dawson we cross the Yukon River and take a short drive up the “Top of the world Highway” to our viewpoint. We will have an excellent overview and great photo opportunity of Dawson City and the surrounding Klondike goldfields.

Day 14:
In the early morning we drive down the Klondike Highway back to Whitehorse and stop by the rustic Moose Creek Lodge and the Five Finger Rapids to take some more pictures. Arriving in Whitehorse we check in for the last night in our hotel.

Day 15:
Transfer from your hotel to the Whitehorse Airport and say “good bye”.

Included Services:

  • Whitehorse Airport shuttle
  • 15 days tour from/to Whitehorse
  • English speaking guide
  • Guided tour in small groups from 2 to 12 people
  • All overnight fees (4 x hotel, 10 x camping in tents)
  • Overnight stays in two people Dome Tent incl. Therm-A-Rest mats
  • Full camping and outdoor equipment is provided
  • 11 days guided canoe tour on the Yukon River
  • Canoe for two people incl. 3 paddles, 2 life jackets, bailer and sponge
  • 1 full day in Dawson City incl. Diamond Tooth Gerties Casino & Can Can Show
  • Drive to the Klondike Goldfields incl. Goldmining Tour, etc.
  • All meals during the tour
  • All transportations
  • Emergency equipment including Satellite communication

Not Included:

  • Air fare to/from Whitehorse
  • All hotel meals and during the transportation
  • Alcoholic drinks
  • Personal expenses and tips
  • Sleeping bag
  • Fishing License
  • Travel and cancellation Insurance
Date: Price: Availability:
26.05.2024 to 09.06.2024 $2,650 CAD available

Single room supplement: $450.00 CAD
Single tent supplement: $125.00 CAD

All prices are in Canadian dollars plus 5% GST.