Northern Coast Mountains: Sightseeing Tour from Whitehorse to Anchorage

Day 1: Arrival in Whitehorse

Welcome to Yukon Territory! Your tour guide will meet you at the airport and transfer you to your hotel. Here you’ll meet the rest of your group and go through a brief orientation. (Overnight hotel accommodation in Whitehorse)

Day 2: Whitehorse - Haines Junction

After breakfast we’ll take a tour through the Yukon’s capital, which may include a visit to the SS Klondike, a restored sternwheeler and National Historic Site right next to the Yukon River. After that, it’s a short two-hour drive to Haines Junction, a small town at the edge of enormous Kluane National Park. This 220,000-square-kilometre park encompasses a large portion of the biggest non-polar ice sheet in the word, and holds Canada’s tallest peak, Mount Logan. Depending on the weather and the group’s interests, we can take an optional “flightseeing” tour by airplane or helicopter over this extraordinary mountain landscape, or take a short hike into the park. (Overnight hotel accommodation in Haines Junction)

Day 3: Haines Junction - Tok

From Haines Junction, we head west along Kluane Lake, following the Alaska Highway to Tok. Along the way we’ll stop at Sheep Mountain Visitor Centre, where chances are good you’ll spot some white Dall sheep high on the mountainside. In Tok, we may visit a sled dog demonstration. (Overnight hotel accommodation in Tok)

Day 4: Tok - Valdez

We begin the day southbound on the Glenn Highway, where, at Mile 102, a short walk allows you to literally touch one of the massive glaciers that cover much of Wrangell-St. Elias National Park. We’ll then branch off on the Richardson Highway toward Valdez, crossing the coastal range at Thompson Pass, where waterfalls plunge right next to the road. Valdez is known as “Little Switzerland” for its alpine surroundings, and is also the deep water port where the famous Trans Alaska Pipeline terminates, and enormous oil tankers come and go. (Overnight hotel accommodation in Valdez).

Day 5: Valdez - Whittier - Seward

Today we head over water, crossing Prince William Sound by ferry. The ferry takes us through water teeming with puffins, otters, sea lions and whales, and past calving glaciers that drop straight into the sea. Once ashore, we’ll cross the Kenai Peninsula, stopping at the Portage Glacier, which is easily accessible by road. Our day ends in the seaside town of Seward. (Overnight hotel accommodation in Seward).

Day 6: Seward - Anchorage

Just west of Seward lies Kenai Fjords National Park, Alaska’s premier marine life viewing location. An optional tour by boat into the national park is a great way to start the day, and highly recommended. We can then head north along the Turnagain Arm to Anchorage. This area is known for its beluga whales and coastal scenery. The rest of the day is at your disposal in Alaska’s largest city. Check out Lakes Hood and Spenard, where up to 800 floatplanes take off and land daily. The aviation museum is nearby—a great place to gain an appreciation for an important part of Alaskan life. In downtown Anchorage there’s the Art Museum, the Museum of History and Art, and, of course, the essential American shopping malls. Take a tour through some of the bars and microbreweries, which offer a fantastic assortment of craft beers. For the evening, try a very special dinner at “Gwennies”, where the chefs serve up the biggest and best steaks, “gold-digger style.” (Overnight hotel accommodation in Anchorage)

Day 7: Depart from Anchorage

Your last day in Anchorage is a chance to catch up on any last-minute shopping, or simply rest before starting the journey home. Ruby Range will provide a transfer to the airport or to a connecting program. (End of tour services)   (Due to the nature of this tour, last-minute changes to the itinerary are a possibility and are left to the discretion of the guide.)