We follow the historic footprints of the gold seekers and adventures of once and start our canoe trip on the mighty Yukon River in Whitehorse. Away from civilization and in the midst of the wilderness, we follow the old routes of the big Klondike gold rush. From Whitehorse to Dawson City, past abandoned settlements, trapper cabins and old paddle wheelers we enjoy the beautiful scenery of the Yukon. Again and again, we come across remains from the past.
Some of our camps are located at historic sites, for example Lower Laberge, Hootalinqua at the confluence of the Teslin River or Big Salmon Village. A trip to the streamer “SS Evelyn” at Shipyard Island and panning for gold at “Cyr’s gold dredge” puts us back into the gold rush era. With some luck, we will be able to observe bald eagles, beavers, moose and possibly black and grizzly bears at close range.
After passing through the notorious Five Finger Rapids, we reach the historic village “Fort Selkirk” in the following days of the canoe trip. The next days we will enjoy the endless wilderness in our canoe, before we reach the Klondike gold fields and Dawson City.
We will stay for the next two days in Dawson. In the city, where around 100 years ago everything was dominated by gold, we will visit an active gold mine at Hunker Creek and dig in the river for gold nuggets. In the evening we visit the legendary Diamond Tooth Gerties Casino. By black jack, poker or roulette, we can enjoy the Can Can Show.
The visit of the historic gold dredge “Dredge No.4” and a detour to the “Discovery Claim” at Bonanza Creek concludes our adventure tour.
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 10:
We start our canoe trip on the Yukon River in Whitehorse. After a few kilometers, we leave the civilization behind us and for the first time we enjoy nature in its quietness. We setup our first wilderness camp just before Lake Laberge. The following day, the Yukon River extends into Lake Laberge. At the end of the Lake the story of the gold rush catch up to us. Abandoned settlements are witnesses of the time, when the first gold seekers traveled the River. Old Mountie and telegraph stations, trading and supply posts, remains of old paddle wheelers and sluice boxes accompany us throughout the tour. Some of our camps are in close proximity to these historic sites, allowing plenty of time to explore. After passing a few old trapper cabins, we reach Carmacks, a small community on the Klondike Highway, which is the halfway point of our tour.
Day 11 to 19:
The second half of our trip to Dawson City leads us again past old settlements, trapper cabins and trading post stations for the paddle wheelers. A highlight of the trip is our camp at historic 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.
Your guide will tell you about the old days and the new days of the Gold rush, while we are sitting at the campfire in the evening.
After we passed the confluence of the White River, the stream of the Yukon River flows much faster. The breathtaking White River valley shows us the enormous size of the land.
The Yukon River now spreads into a large river with several wide arms and hundreds of islands.
We use this opportunity to explore some of the smaller channels and might have the chance to see some wildlife close by.
After 18 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 20:
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 21:
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 22:
Transfer from your hotel to the Whitehorse Airport and say “good bye”.
Services include in price:
- Whitehorse Airport shuttle
- 22 days tour from/to Whitehorse
- English speaking guide
- Guided tour in small groups from 2 to 12 people
- All overnight fees (4 x hotel, 17 x camping in tents)
- Overnight stays in two people Dome Tent incl. Therm-A-Rest mats
- Full camping and outdoor equipment is provided
- 18 days guided canoe trip on the Yukon River
- Canoe for two people incl. 3 paddles, 2 life jackets, sponge and bailer
- 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 device
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
Dates: | Price: | Availability: |
01.06.2025 to 22.06.2025 | $3,825 CAD | available |
06.07.2025 to 27.07.2025 | $3,825 CAD | available |
17.08.2025 to 07.09.2025 | $3,825 CAD | available |
Single room supplement: $450.00 CAD
Single tent supplement: $125.00 CAD
All prices are in Canadian dollars plus 5% GST.