A Delightful Day in the Yukon Territory
On our most recent Alaskan cruise, we elevated our Skagway excursion by booking an excellent tour that took us into Canada’s Yukon Territory by bus. Then the bus dropped us off at the train station in Fraser, British Columbia, and we returned back to Skagway via the White Pass & Yukon Railway.
Other than whale watching, our excursion to the Yukon Territory from Skagway is probably my favorite excursion yet on our Alaskan cruises.
Below are three reasons why this excursion to the Yukon Territory from Skagway knocked it out of the ballpark for us.
Bring your passport, and be ready for a delightful day!
Bears
My husband was on a mission. Before departing for our most recent Alaska cruise, he kept teasing us by threatening to snap a “bear selfie” this trip.
To our delight, it turns out he was able to do so! Safely from the bus, of course!
My hubby and nephew were thrilled to finally get the “bear selfie” they wanted!
We saw about a half dozen bears along the side of the road as we traveled through the Yukon. Our driver was always happy to pull over and let us snap away. The bear viewing alone made this excursion worth it!
It was a delight to watch mama bear and cubs snacking on the flowers.
Mama bear kept a careful watch over the cubs.
This lone bear was content to let us watch him eat the flowers near the road.
The bears are so close to the road that you can get great views from the tour bus.
Of course, bear sightings aren’t guaranteed. But this excursion gave us the most bear sightings out of all three of our Alaskan cruises and cruisetours.
Emerald Lake
In our digital-saturated world, it is easy to Google “Emerald Lake images” and call it a day. Photos of Emerald Lake’s vibrant colors look photo-shopped anyway, so I was doubtful it could be that pretty in real life.
It was. Startlingly so.
Seeing it in person is about absorbing this remote location with your senses – simultaneously filling your eyes with beauty, feeling the wind, and noting the serene silence. It’s best experienced in person, not via a screen.
Our excursion included a stop to photograph Emerald Lake from an upper road.
Caribou Crossing Trading Post
Our bus stopped in Carcross for a buffet lunch at Caribou Crossing Trading Post. They feed a lot of people at once as various tour buses arrive. But it is so well-organized that we actually didn’t mind having to sit at long picnic tables with strangers.
(Yep, we’re introverted travelers.)
I had let the tour company know in advance that I needed a gluten-free lunch, and I was served a delicious vegetarian dal soup. It hit the spot on a chilly early-June day! (My hubby, niece, and nephew enjoyed the BBQ chicken.)
We also had time to visit the on-site Yukon Wildlife Museum. I’m not a fan of taxidermy, but it was interesting to learn more about the past and present animals of the region.
Yep, another bear selfie, but this one, sadly, was in a room full of taxidermied animals.
Our favorite part of the Caribou Crossing Trading Post lunch break was the sled dog segment of the property. Future sled dog puppies were available for snuggling, and we paid extra for a dog-pulled cart ride.
My niece was all smiles anytime we got a chance to snuggle sled dog puppies.
It was a speedy ride around the property at the Caribou Crossing Trading Post, and the dogs were happy to hustle.
You can see more about our fun experiences with sled dog excursions here.
The tour’s three big features – bears, Emerald Lake, and Caribou Crossing Trading Post – made this one of our most favorite excursions.
But the day wasn’t over yet! We had more sightseeing to do in the village of Carcross and from the train.
Carcoss
Next, we visited the tiny, wind-swept village of Carcross (population approximately 300). It was easy to picture how frozen and desolate it would become in winter. It’s a quick stop for restrooms and to support the local economy by visiting the few small shops (ice cream, snacks, etc.).
Also, if you take your federal passport to the post office, you can get it stamped “Carcross, YT”. You’ll have your federal passport on you anyway. It is required for this excursion since you’re traveling between Canada and the USA. But the only opportunity you’ll have to actually get it stamped is if you wait in line at the post office.
And I was happy to do so, since I love anything that documents my travels.
I’m a travel nerd that way. You too?
Next, our bus dropped us off at the train depot in Fraser, British Columbia, and we enjoyed the scenic journey on the White Pass & Yukon Railway back to Skagway.
We easily boarded the train in Fraser for our return to Skagway.
White Pass & Yukon Railway
This was our niece and nephew’s second Alaska cruise with us. But it was their first time porting in Skagway. We knew that they would enjoy the White Pass & Yukon Railroad for its many photo opportunities. But we weren’t sure that only the laid-back train trip would be enough to keep these young adults engaged for our entire day in port.
The bus-rail excursion we chose was perfect for all of us. It provided time on the railroad. But at 1.75 hours, this segment is shorter than the whole 2.5 hour Summit Excursion roundtrip route.
This was my second time on the White Pass & Yukon Railway. I enjoyed both the Fraser-Skagway route and the longer, roundtrip from Skagway Summit Excursion.
Perfectly-Paced Excursion of the Yukon Territory & Skagway
Above all, this busy excursion to the Yukon Territory from Skagway provided beautiful scenery, more bears than we ever expected to see, and puppy hugging.
It was a long day (7.5 hours) but one that we look back on fondly. (We purchased our Yukon excursion via Chilkoot Charters & Tours and were pleased with the good customer service.)
We’ll probably cruise to Skagway again on a future fourth Alaskan cruise, but I’m not sure how we could ever top the great day we spent there.
Let’s make the most of our vacation days!
Please share your questions or comments below.
Alecia says:
Your day in Skagway looks like it was amazing! I booked the White Pass & Yukon Railway this summer through our cruise line and everyone in my family loved it, including my tween and teen!
December 18, 2018 — 9:27 pm
Dana says:
So glad you got to go on the White Pass & Yukon Railway too! To me, it makes for such a relaxing day in port! The railway is under new ownership for upcoming cruise seasons, so I’ll be curious to see if there are any changes or improvements.
January 3, 2019 — 9:02 am