Departures:

• Saskatchewan: June 12 to July 1, 2010
• Alberta: June 13 to June 30, 2010

Highlights

• Cassier Highway
• White Pass & Yukon Route Railroad
• Frantic Follies Vaudeville Review
• Riverboat Discovery
• Alaskaland including Salmon Bake
• Dinner
• Watson Lake Signpost Forest
• Gold Panning
• Diamond Tooth Gerties
• The “Midnight Dome”
• City Tours
• Farewell Dinners
• WestWorld Picnics

On our ever-shrinking planet, there remain few locations where space is measured in never-ending horizons, unspoiled landscapes and epic proportions. Places where nature reigns, wildlife is abundant, and the sun shines until midnight. Join us on Great Excursions’ Alaska and the Yukon Tour and experience the spectacular natural beauty and fascinating gold rush history this Northern panorama – with its vast mountains, gorges and glaciers.

You’ll visit and stay at the Northern fabled four: Fairbanks, Anchorage, Dawson City and Whitehorse. Plus, enjoy an outing on the Riverboat Discovery, a cruise on magnificent Prince William Sound and an incredible train ride on the legendary White Pass & Yukon Route Railway. It’s everything you ever imagined and more — a memory that will last a lifetime.

On route, we’ll stop at one of the most famous landmarks along the Alaska Highway – Sign Post Forest at Watson Lake (which was started in 1942 by a lonely soldier who posted a sign pointing to his hometown). Over the years, visitors added directions to their hometowns, greetings and licence plates, and now there are over 50,000 signs from the world over! (you can add your own, if you wish).

We’ll visit Whitehorse, Capital of the Yukon, nestled on the banks of the mighty Yukon River, surrounded by mountains and clear mountain lakes. Over a hundred years ago, the settlement bustled with gold seekers, trailblazers, opportunists, saloon keepers, gamblers and naughty ladies. Whitehorse’s boisterous history comes alive again at the hilarious ‘Frantic Follies’ Vaudeville Revue.

Next up is Dawson City – the most infamous of Klondike towns still boasts gravel roads, wooden sidewalks and many vestiges of its colourful past. In 1896, three men found gold nearby – triggering one of the world's greatest gold stampedes as nearly 100,000 prospectors headed to the Klondike to strike it rich at creeks named Last Chance and Too Much Gold.

A local guide will accompany us for a fascinating tour of the Dawson City area and you’ll get to try your luck panning for gold. You’ll have free time to browse the frontier-style stores, visit the Dawson City Museum or the Dänojà Zho (Long Ago House) Cultural Centre, or tour the homes of writers Jack London (Call of the Wild), Pierre Berton and Robert Service.

Then get ready for a lively evening of Can-Can, dancehall entertainment and games of chance at Diamond Tooth Gerties Casino. A visit to the ‘Midnight Dome’ (a mountain summit over 3700 feet above sea level) is planned for tonight, where we raise a toast to seeing the midnight sun!

Then it’s on to Fairbanks, Alaska, for a two-night stay. We’ll visit the North Pole and “Santa Claus House” and cruise on the Riverboat Discovery. To top it off, enjoy a delicious Salmon Bake Dinner at Alaskaland, a 44-acre pioneer theme park.

Leaving Fairbanks, we’ll pass the incredible Mt. McKinley & Denali National Park on our way to Anchorage, where we spend two more nights.

After a city tour and stop at the Alaska Wildberry Factory (home of the World’s Largest…maybe it should be kept a surprise ‘till we get there!), we journey to Valdez for our wonderful cruise of Prince William Sound. Our ship will take us right up to the glaciers, much closer than any of the larger ships can go! 

We’ll also visit Skagway, the “Gateway to the Klondike” port and home of the famed Chilkoot Trail. Plus, you’ll experience one of the bona fide highlights of the trip – a thrilling ride on the White Pass & Yukon Route. Built in 1898 during the gold rush, this narrow gauge railroad is an International Historic Civil Engineering Landmark - a designation shared with the Panama Canal, the Eiffel Tower and the Statue of Liberty. 450 tons of explosives and tens of thousands of men fought the brutal weather and tough geography to build “the railway built of gold.”

From vintage passenger coaches, sit back and enjoy the extraordinary views as our train climbs nearly 3000 feet in just 20 miles; we’ll take cliff-hanging turns, pass through tunnels and cross trestles. You’ll also see a 215 ft. (66m) high steel cantilever bridge constructed in 1901, the tallest of its kind worldwide when built.The grandeur of this mountain train trek will take your breath away.

But the adventure doesn’t end here – we continue by motorcoach to Dease Lake and Prince George (in beautiful B.C.). A good pair of binoculars helps with ample opportunities for wildlife sightings, whether it’s moose, caribou, wolf, lynx, a bear foraging for berries or hawks and owls – you may even see a Golden Eagle soaring above. In Prince George, reminisce with your new friends at our special FareWell Dinner. 

This exceptional trip is one of life’s greatest adventures. It’s everything you ever imagined and more — a memory that will last a lifetime. Travel with someone you trust ? Great Excursions ? so you don’t miss a thing!

How This Holiday Makes A Difference (Taking a Motorcoach Reduces Your Eco Footprint)

Motorcoaches use significantly less fuel per passenger than individual vehicles – even the most environmentally friendly hybrid vehicles. A motorcoach also offers these environmental benefits (Ontario Motor Coach Association):

• Emits 60 per cent less CO2 than a standard mid-sized car, 54 per cent less than a passenger train and 86 per cent less than a commercial airline.
• Produces up to 20 per cent less greenhouse gas emissions. The ultra-low-sulfur fuel used exclusively on motorcoaches burns cleaner than regular unleaded.
• Requires less parking space (35 square metres compared with 625 for 56 average cars; motorcoaches displace up to 56 cars), reducing the need for larger parking lots and leaving more room for trees and natural habitat.

Join our All Coach Alaska & The Yukon Tour, with Cruise of Prince William Sound!