MC03 The Prospector: Alaska One Way Motorcoach Tour Juneau to Anchorage

Embark on an extended 11-day Alaska and Yukon Territory Rail and Motorcoach Tour from Juneau to Anchorage onboard our luxurious railcars and highway coaches to Denali National Park for outstanding wildlife viewing for grizzly bear, caribou, moose and a variety of birds in a spectacular wilderness setting. Explore Alaska's interior: Fairbanks with it's gold rush atmosphere, followed by a highway adventure highway tour via Tok and Dawson City to Whitehorse for the Frantic Follies Show. A sled dog kennel tour provides some in-deept look into dog mushing. You’ll also experience softadventures from gold panning to a sternwheeler riverboat cruise. Overnights in Denali, Fairbanks, Dawson City, Whitehorse, Skagway and Juneau on the Inside Passage, this Alaska vacation is filled with grand memories.

Juneau

Transfer from the airport to your hotel and remaining day on your own. From gold camp to grand capital . . that's Juneau. But there is a lot more to this colorful city of the North than mere gold and government. Juneau has been called America's most scenic state capital, and it's awfully hard to disagree. For raw beauty, Juneau is hard to beat. In addition to the waterways of the area, and the lush rain forests on the surrounding mountainsides, there are high mountain lakes and - a different form of water - the 1,500 square-mile Juneau icefield capping a sprawling mountain range between Juneau and Canada, some 25 Miles to the east. This is a world of stark beauty, visited each year by several thousand people taking advantage of the icefield flights offered. Juneau is famous too, for Mendenhall Glacier, a "drive to" glacier that sprawls between mountains for some 12 miles before showing its ice face across Mendenhall Lake from the U.S. Forest Service Visitor Center. Several trails provide access to stunning overlooks of Mendenhall and the valley beyond. When all is said and done, however, it is likely to be Juneau's first impression that will be the most lasting - a picture book community nestled along the base of the mountains with winding streets, totem poles, brightly painted store fronts, and more than 30,396 friendly people who wouldn't want to live anywhere else in the world! Overnight: Juneau.

Juneau - Skagway

Fly to Skagway and transfer to your hotel. Explore picturesque Skagway this afternoon. and take a last look at the spectacular natural setting of Skagway. The rest of the day is free to explore on your own. On July 17, 1898, the "Portland" steamed into Seattle with "a ton of gold" from the Klondike. The news electrified the world and sparked the most fantastic gold rush ever known. In the latter part of July, the first boats of the stampede landed at Skagway and the nearby town of Dyea. Also in 1898 a railroad right-of-way was blasted through the mountains, and in 1899 the White Pass & Yukon Railway was completed to Lake Bennett, 40 miles away. A year later saw the completion of the 110-mile railroad to Whitehorse. The perilous Chilkoot Trail was rapidly abandoned in favor of the railway, and Dyea became a ghost town almost overnight. In 1899, news of a gold discovery on the Bering Sea sparked a second stampede to Nome, and the Gold Rush of '98 died almost as suddenly as it had begun. Overnight: Skagway

Skagway - Whitehorse

Experience the summit of White Pass and watch for remnants of the Stampede Trail along the way down to sea level. Built in 1898 during the Klondike 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. The WP&YR railway was considered an impossible task but it was literally blasted through coastal mountains in only 26 months. The $10 million project was the product of British financing, American engineering and Canadian contracting. Tens of thousands of men and 450 tons of explosives overcame harsh and challenging climate and geography to create "the railway built of gold." Skagway, Alaska's northernmost stop on the Alaska Marine Highway's Inside Passage. It is also the home of the Klondike Gold Rush National Historic Park. The Skagway-Carcross Highway is open year-round and was completed in 1978. It connects Skagway with the Yukon and Alaska Highway systems. In its heyday, Skagway was the boomtown gateway to the Trail of '98 and the Klondike gold fields. The population has dwindled from 20,000 feverish goldseekers to about 800 stalwart year round citizens. Streets once choked with gold-crazed stampeders clamouring to get on to the Klondike and strike it rich, are now just as busy with the thousands of tourists that visit annually. This evening, take in the hilarious Frantic Follies Revue. Overnight: Whitehorse

Whitehorse - Dawson City

Travel along the beautiful Klondike Highway. After lunch in Minto, you’ll arrive in Dawson City. Whitehorse, the capital of Canada’s Yukon Territory, is a major stopover point along the Alaska Highway. From historical sites, to live entertainment and beautiful scenery, Whitehorse is a must stop on your vacation. The 20 hours of daily summer sunshine allow you plenty of time to enjoy yourself. Whitehorse is laid out on a level river shelf of land bordering a wide bend in the Yukon River. The town is 914 Miles northwest of Dawson Creek, British Columbia; 609 Miles from Fairbanks; and 724 Miles from Anchorage. Over half of the Yukon’s residents live in Whitehorse. The town has a year-round population of approximately 23,000. A library, theatres, two newspapers, and one television station serve the city. Overnight: Dawson City.

Dawson City

Free day for optional tours. Explore on your own or choose optional tours including a Jeep tour, rafting, city tour or a motor coach journey to Tombstone Territorial Park with a guided hike or naturalist excursion. Diamond Tooth Gertie's Gambling Hall: A real Klondike Gold Rush-style gambling hall featuring Texas Hold'em poker, Blackjack and other table games plus slot machines. Live entertainment features Diamond Tooth Gertie and her Can-Can Girls. Licensed bar and snack bar. Doors open at 7:00 pm nightly. Shows at 8:30 pm, 10:30 pm and 12:30 am Jack London's Cabin: An interpretative center featuring the life of famed American author Jack London during his time in the Klondike. Open 10:00 am - 6:00 pm daily with live presentations. Located near Robert Service Cabin. Dawson City Museum: At Fifth Ave. and Church St. is open daily from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm and features an interesting display of early-day relics. Special features include Dempster Hwy slide show. Minto Park, located next to the museum, has a collection of old locomotives, including an old diamond stacker used in early mining operations in the Klondike district. The Palace Grand Theatre: Originally built in 1898 by gold seeker, Arizona Charlie Meadows. It has been fully restored and is a National Historic Site. Gold Dredge No 4: Is the biggest wooden hull, bucket-line gold dredge in North America It rests on Claim No. 17 on Bonanza Creek, 10 miles from Downtown Dawson City on Bonanza Creek Road. Walking tours of the Historic Downtown Area: Are scheduled during the summer months, from the Visitor Reception Centre including the N.W.M. Police buildings, old churches in the area and Commissioner's residence. Leaves twice daily from the Commissioner's Residence. Overnight: Dawson City.

Dawson City - Tok

Listen as your motor coach driver regales you with tales of the Gold rush era as you make your way from the site where gold was first found - Dawson City. Enjoy a fully narrated, round-trip riverboat excursion aboard the nostalgic Klondike Spirit Paddle-Wheeler. Dawson City probably has more things for visitors to see and do than any town in the Yukon or Alaska. One of the more interesting activities is a quiet stroll up and down the old wooden walkways on a cool, misty morning. For it is then that the Dawson spirit seems most lively. Dawson City, Yukon is host to a decade of centennials and anniversaries. A potpourri of special events takes place during the annual “Discovery Days Festival” which celebrates the Discovery of Gold in 1896. Visit the Commissioner's Residence and the Boyhood Home of Pierre Berton. The Yukon Gold Panning Championships are hosted on July 1 st and Goldpanners attend from around the world and compete in various panning categories. Overnight: Tok

Tok - Fairbanks

Continue your journey on the Alaska Highway to Fairbanks. Enjoy a heary lunch before boarding the 3.5-hours Riverboat Discovery Cruise. If you've ever read Mark Twain you know of his days as a riverboat captain. Did you know that Jack London was a riverboat pilot as well? Here's your chance to experience the adventure these renowned writers enjoyed as you cruise aboard the authentic sternwheeler riverboat Discovery II, rated the number one boat tour in North America. Enjoy a lively narration as you view a trapper's cabin, log homes, and a bush pilot performance. Visit the former home of four time Iditarod champion Susan Butcher, as you pass Trail Breaker Kennels along the Chena River. Learn first hand about kennel life and the challenges that go into making a champion dogsled team. You'll make a stop at the historic site of a Chena Indian village to see native crafters in action and to learn abut Native Alaskan hunting and fishing at an Athabascan Fish Camp. Overnight: Fairbanks

Fairbanks - Denali National Park

Board the luxurious dome cars of the Alaska Railroad for a scenic trip from Fairbanks to Denali. Denali, the “Great One”, is the name Athabascan people gave the massive peak that crowns the 600-mile-long Alaska Range. Denali National Park and Preserve was created 1980 from the former Mt Mc.Kinley National Park. At over 6 million acres, the park is larger than the State of Massachusetts. It exemplifies interior Alaska’s character as one of the world’s last great frontiers for wilderness adventure and it remains largely wild and unspoiled, as the Athabascan knew it. Early (pre-reserved time) Tundra Wildlife Tour departure - the park road is closed for private vehicles - for a wildlife observation and sightseeing tour within the shadows of Mt. McKinley - with 20.320 ft. the highest mountain in North America. The views are just spectacular. Watch for grizzly bears, moose, caribou, wolf, lynx, wolverine and fox roaming throughout the park or observe one of the 150 different bird species which inherit the Denali National Park area. The afternoon is reserved for an enchantingly scenic ride aboard some luxury railcars to Fairbanks. Take in the views as you opt for fine Alaska-inspired cuisine in the elegant dining room. Or save room for a hearty dinner at the Alaska Salmon Bake in Pioneer Park, one option for frontier flavor. Overnight Denali National Park

Denali National Park - Anchorage

Board the Railroad in Anchorage at 8:15 AM. Enjoy sweeping views of snowcapped mountain ranges while traveling from Anchorage via Wasilla and Talkeetna to Denali National Park, home of the tallest mountain in North America. Along the way, you may spot a variety of wildlife (optional onboard lunch). Upon arrival at the Denali Village train station at 3:45 PM transfer to your pre-reserved hotel at the national park entrance. Remaining day at leisure or for outdoor activities. Choose from a variety of optional excursions such as golf, fly-fishing, or visit the informative Denali Visitor Center with it's park ranger naturalist programs. Tip: Reserve a spectacular Denali Flightseeing Tour into the mighty Alaska Mountain Range. Overnight: Anchorage

Anchorage - Portage Glacier - Anchorage

Enjoy the deluxe motorcoach tour to Portage Glacier. After leaving Anchorage you can enjoy the sweeping views of Turnagain Arm and the Kenai and Chugach Mountain Range. Board the mv Ptarmigan for an unforgettable cruise across the iceberg-dotted Portage Lake. On your way home you'll stop at the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center to get a close-up look at Alaska's wild animals. This nonprofit organization is dedicated to care for injured or orphaned animals. Overnight: Anchorage

Anchorage

Spend the rest of the day with sightseeing activities in and around Alaska's largest city: take a hike along the coastal trail with sweeping views of Mt. McKinley and Mt. Susitna aka: the "Sleeping Lady" - shop for Alaska Native Art, or spend some time at a museum. Try some fresh Alaska seafood (salmon, halibut and dungeness crab) for lunch in one of the many excellent restaurants around the hotel. Transfer to the airport and end of tour.