Canada and Alaska’s Wild West
***NEW TOUR***
Western Canada and Alaska have for eons called out to adventurers. The song of the west, the lure of gold and a better life. Some headed this way to make their fortunes, others to just to make their mark and yet there were those who journeyed to the North West purely to escape. We take in the stunning scenery of the Inside Passage by ferry as we head to settlements and communities that are now thriving locations on the frontiers edge
British Colombia, The Yukon and Alaska all have a rich history of First Nations peoples that were joined by intrepid mountain men and wayward prospectors culminating in a frontier feel that has never left. Along the way we take in the unique and teeming wildlife hoping to catch a Salmon run and experience the forest wonderland in the north. Who knows, maybe we can end the journey by choosing to sell up, drop out and head back to the gold fields in the hope of striking it rich…?
- Due to the logistics and nature of this tour we require a minimum of 8 travellers to run the departure
| 15 Day Itinerary | ||
| Departure: | 2nd August 2025 | (Saturday to Saturday) |
|---|---|---|
| Price: | USD$4990 | |
***A 6 day ADD-ON OPTION to Alaska's Denali National Park is available at the end of this tour (see itinerary below)*** |
- *Vancouver (Arrival day)* - You should arrive in Vancouver today as the tour commences tomorrow. Global Drift can assist with arrangements for accommodation Day 1 - Vancouver (depart on ferry) We depart Vancouver for Bellingham USA and our first ferry heading northwest. The Inside Passage exhibits some of the world’s most scenic vistas and is situated where the spectacular mountainous coasts of Alaska, British Columbia and Washington State meet the Pacific Ocean. A long chain of island archipelagos lie to west of the North American continent and whilst the Pacific Ocean breaks against the western shores the water inside these islands “The Inside Passage”, is calm and protected. We savour stunning views almost continually on our maritime journey Day 2 - On ferry Due to the natural features the Inside Passage contains a rich marine environment. Teeming with marine life we should be lucky enough to see humpback whales, orcas, dolphins, sea lions as well as other large marine life. On the shore the coastal forest is a habitat for grizzly, brown and black bears as well as wolves and many other mammals Day 3 - arrive Ketchikan Ketchikan can be described as Alaska’s “first city” due to its location at the southern tip of the Inside Passage and the first city we reach as we cruise north. We are due to arrive in Ketchikan in the morning. The beauty of Ketchikan's setting is immediately apparent. The cities backdrop is forested slopes and it faces the Tongass Narrows, a busy waterway buzzing with fishing boats, ferries and floatplanes. In town many homes are built on stilts out over the water and others cling to the steep slopes. Ketchikan’s Waterfront Promenade contains historical markers and whale tail seating to take in the view Day 4 - Ketchikan The are many options available to explore in town or take up any of the activities and site visits in the region. We will plan ahead to make the most of our time here pursuing you own particular areas of interest Day 5 - Ketchikan (depart on ferry) We continue on our ferry today to the Alaskan capital of Juneau. More amazing views and time in the open air as we head north Day 6 - arrive Juneau We are scheduled for an early arrival into the state capital. We have a full day to enjoy Juneau which must be one of the most beautiful cities in the USA. Downtown Juneau sits snugly between Mount Juneau, Mount Roberts and the Gastineau Channel and is a maze of narrow streets containing a mix of new buildings, old storefronts and quaint 19th century houses left over from the town’s early gold mining days. The waterfront is the busy centre of activity as there is no road access to Juneau. It is the only state capital that can only be reached by airplane or boat. There are options here for flightseeing and helicopter tours that offer glacier landings, short glacier treks and even dog sled rides Day 7 - Juneau to Skagway (ferry) Our final journey on the water as we travel north on the ferry to Skagway with an early afternoon arrival scheduled. Skagway feels like a step back in time with historic shops, restaurants, wooden sidewalks, and locals in period costumes. In 1897 Skagway was where more than 40,000 gold-rush stampeders began the journey to the Yukon primarily by way of the Chilkoot Trail. You can choose to join the National Park rangers for a walking tour of the historic district or visit the cemetery and the graves of Skagway’s most notorious residents, Soapy Smith and Frank Reid. You can also stop in at the Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park Visitor Centre Day 8 - Skagway to Whitehorse We have the morning to enjoy more of this lovely town. Now we change to travel on land enjoying the historic Skagway-Whitehorse Train. The railroad began construction in 1898 during the Klondike Gold Rush as a means of reaching the goldfields. Completed in 1900 it became the primary route to the interior of the Yukon, taking over from the Chilkoot Trail. We journey along some of the same route that the Klondike stampeders traversed on foot in the 1890’s. Our train journey ends in Fraser where, after a short visit, we board our coach for the drive to Whitehorse Day 9 - Whitehorse Known as "The Wilderness City", Whitehorse is the capital city of the Canadian territory of Yukon. The Yukon River flows directly through its heart and trails and parks line the banks of the river. We have options to enjoy activities such as the Whitehorse salmon run, Gold Rush exhibits and the Mounties in the North. The city takes pride in the culture and traditions of its First Nations people of the Kwanlin Dun and Ta'an Kwäch'än Day 10 - Whitehorse to Dawson City We drive the Klondike Highway today a beautiful yet lonely paved road running through almost pristine wilderness. The highway loosely follows the old winter overland route to the goldfields and was first used in the early 1900’s.
Back then it took a minimum of five days to complete the frosty journey in horse drawn stagecoaches. However today the drive takes us little more than six hours of extremely pleasant travel with stops to explore the historic silver-mining towns along the route Day 11 - Dawson City Dawson City is the heart of the Klondike Gold Rush. It has preserved its past and we can turn back the pages of time and experience the rich living history. Options here include touring the Klondike Gold Fields and try your luck panning for gold. You may choose to join an unforgettable First Nations tour and Wilderness Adventure. Perhaps we cap off our day with a night in ‘Diamond Tooth Gerties’, Canada’s first legalised gambling hall with a dubious past Day 12 - Dawson City to Tok Tok is Alaska’s first community across the Canadian border for Alaska Highway travellers. The town is 93 miles from the Canadian border and has been a trade and services center ever since its beginnings as a construction camp in the 1940’s. Depending on our travel time we may have a chance to pop into the Mainstreet Visitors Center which is said to be Alaska's largest log structure. Known as the "Sled Dog Capital of Alaska" many of its residents are involved with dogs and dog mushing Day 13 - Tok to Anchorage Mountains, mountains and more mountains. For almost the entire journey between Tok and Anchorage we will savour vistas of forested slopes, snowy peaks and glacier-filled valleys. We hope to arrive into our final destination of Anchorage in the afternoon Day 14 - Anchorage The legendary city of Anchorage lies between the mountains and the sea and is surrounded by wilderness. The salmon rich waters of Cook Inlet are a feature as are the 5,000 foot peaks of Chugach State Park. Within a short drive from downtown are dozens of wilderness adventures and a multitude of light plane rides will open up the area to many types of adventure. We have many choices here from fishing in town to hiking the nearby mountain trails to photographing glaciers Day 15 - depart Anchorage You are free to depart today at your convenience - ***** THIS IS A SAMPLE ITINERARY ONLY ***** - DENALI NATIONAL PARK 6 DAY ADD-ON OPTION - COST U$TBA - Day 15 - Anchorage to Denali National Park We journey north to the showpiece of Alaskan wildlife and scenery and settle into our base for the stay. Denali is six million acres of wild land with only one road. There are a variety of forests, high alpine tundra as well as the ubiquitous snowy mountains. Wild animals of all shapes and sizes roam unfettered living at peace as they have for ages. Solitude, tranquility and wilderness await Days 16-18 - Denali National Park We have a full program of options to choose from including, and not limited to, hiking (on or off a trail), joining a ranger for a talk and a walk, visiting the sled dog kennels, multiple flightseeing adventures and cycling the Denali Park Road. A full program of options and inclusions is available on request Day 19 - Denali National Park to Anchorage We enjoy a lovely scenic drive back to Anchorage for a final night in this picturesque city Day 20 - depart Anchorage You are free to depart Anchorage any time today |  |
Local Payment
Your Local Payment is collected by your group leader in cash at your group meeting on Day 1 of the trip and is part of your tour price. The money is spent locally on your tour.
Inclusions and Exclusions
Extra Accommodation
Pre and post trip accommodation is offered on most journeys pending availability. Please indicate in your enquiry if you require any rooms before or after your tour and the amount of nights requested.
For tours where the start and finish points are different w can assist you with your arrangements in both locations.
Single Traveller
Global Drift encourages interactive experiences for all of our travellers. As such we presume that you will be happy to share accommodation with a same sex person should you be travelling alone.
However, for those that would prefer a single room for the tour we do offer a single supplement. This also applies to single travellers who we are not able to match up.
It must be stated however that on many of our tours we stay in small family owned guesthouse accommodation. In certain instances with full groups the passenger combinations may not always allow you to enjoy a single room. Please keep this in mind when booking your single supplement. We will however, always do our best to accommodate you.
Please make your request for this service a minimum of 3 months prior to your journey.
The quoted extra payment is for the entire trip.
Single Travellers
Global Drift encourages interactive experiences for all of our travellers. As such we presume that you will be happy to share accommodation with a same sex person should you be travelling alone.
Due to the exploratory nature of this journey no single supplement is offered.
Airport Arrival Transfer
Global Drift offers an optional arrival transfer to your hotel at the quoted fee.
In your trip dossier you will receive directions on how to make your way to your starting point hotel. It is quite easy and possibly cheaper than we are able to offer it.
Should you require this service please advise us at the time of your booking.