The Yukon: self-drive tour in Canada's backcountry

Make your way back to the terminal for your flight north to the Yukon. Provided the weather is good, this can be an incredibly scenic flight over mountains and rainforest. On arrival, make your own way to your downtown hotel and settle in. You have the rest of the day to relax and see what the city of Whitehorse has to offer.

After two days of traveling, you have a day at your own leisure. We find that a great place to start is the Yukon Beringia Interpretive Centre, focusing on an area that includes the Yukon, Alaska and Siberia during the last Ice Age. We also recommend visiting the SS Klondike and the MacBride Museum. For something a little more active, there are good walks in the area, or you can make a splash in the Yukon River on a white-water rafting trip.

This morning, you’ll be taken by shared coach just across the border into British Columbia where you’ll board the narrow gauge White Pass and Yukon Railroad. Feel the gentle rock of the train as it travels 45 km (28 miles) over the White Pass Summit, past mountain peaks and iridescent blue lakes, over wooden trestle bridges, and into the Alaskan town of Skagway. You then have a couple of hours to explore this small, historic town, absorbing the legacy of the pioneers that once made this route, before making the journey back to Whitehorse.

Collect your car from the downtown depot this morning. The car will include LDW, an additional driver, unlimited mileage, and enable you to drive some of the unpaved roads in the province. You then make the journey north, toward Dawson City. As the drive is so long, we’ve included a night in the small town of Mayo to break up the journey. As you head north, you take The Silver Trail, often referred to as the Yukon’s best-kept secret for its glimpses of the Stewart River and views of glaciated terrain.

Journey back along the Silver Trail to continue your journey north to Dawson City, the center of the 1897 Gold Rush. This road is rarely traveled, and you can often go for miles without seeing another car. You’ll spy mountains in the distance and several of the abandoned mining communities on the journey. On arrival in Dawson City, the rest of the day is yours to explore. We recommend a trip to the Klondike-period Diamond Tooth Gerties for a can-can show complete with nostalgic tunes.

Meet your group and guide downtown this morning for a journey along the scenic Dempster Highway to explore Tombstone Territorial Park. Along the way, stop at several viewpoints to admire the alpine scenery and wide open spaces. Begin with a stop at the visitor information center before taking a light hike along the North Klondike River. Tuck into a hearty picnic lunch while listening to the gentle rush of the water, and soaking up the fresh air before journeying back to Dawson City.

You have today at your own leisure to explore the area. The city is easy to stroll around, exploring the unpaved streets, wooden sidewalks and historic wooden buildings. We recommend a visit to Bonanza Creek, where gold was struck in 1896. Gold is still mined today, and you can tour one of the historic gold dredges. We also suggest taking the hike or driving to the top of the Midnight Dome for a panoramic view of the Yukon River, Klondike Balley, Dawson City, and the Ogilvie Mountain Range in the distance.

Leaving Dawson City behind, today you make the journey along the rugged Top of the World Highway west to the Alaskan border. The road earns its name by winding along a series of ridges high above the tree line. We recommend stopping at the Yukon River viewpoint en route. Cross the border into Alaska and pass through the tiny community of Chicken before arriving in Tok. This is a long but incredibly scenic journey.

From Tok, continue southeast on the Alaska Highway to the Canadian border where you cross back into the Yukon. As you cross over, journey alongside the mountains of the Wrangell St-Elias National Park and Kluane National Park. This is a truly remote area of Canada until you reach the small town of Burwash Landing with a great wildlife museum and lake views. Continue driving to reach Haines Junction, overlooking the Kluane mountains.

With no roads into Kluane National Park, one of the few ways to experience the grandeur and majesty of this vast wilderness area is by air. Make the short journey back to Silver City this morning for a 90-minute flightseeing tour over the UNESCO World Heritage Site, home to the highest mountains in Canada. You land on an icefield just across from Mount Logan for the opportunity to get out on the snow and immerse yourself in the vastness and silence of the largest non-polar icefield in the world. The rest of the day is at your own leisure.

Today you’ll leave the Kluane mountains behind and make your way toward Whitehorse and then down into the Southern Lakes region, close to the border with British Columbia. Though smaller, there are still rugged mountains to be found in this area, along with large, sparkling lakes. On arrival, settle into your personal cabin, and enjoy a drink on your deck overlooking the lake and mountains.

Having had the experience of a scenic road trip through Canada’s backcountry, you now have the opportunity to relax at your secluded base in the lakes. The lodge has plenty of activities on offer if you want to keep up the exploration. We recommend taking a hike through the rolling hills and boreal forest on the extensive trail system, or taking a guided ATV tour to see far into the Coast Mountains to Alaska.

You have another day at your own leisure at the resort. To make the most of the setting, today we suggest paddling in the calm waters in a canoe or kayak. Alternatively, take a fishing charter on Tagish Lake to find out why it’s known for its fishing grounds. The frigid water is extremely pure, providing an excellent habitat for lake trout, lake whitefish and Arctic grayling. Enjoy an evening admiring the phenomenon of the midnight sun, or if you’re arriving in late summer, perhaps even the dancing colors of the Northern Lights.

Make the journey back up to Whitehorse this morning. You’ll catch a flight down to Vancouver, flying over Alaska’s mountains, the Inside Passage, and the Great Bear Rainforest on your way. On arrival in Vancouver, make your way to your airport hotel for the night before your onward journey.

Enjoy a leisurely morning today doing any last-minute sightseeing in Vancouver before making your way to the airport for your onward journey.