Canada’s True North

We fly to Whitehorse, capital of the Yukon, and transfer to our hotel. This evening is our Welcome Dinner.

Whitehorse, (the “Wilderness City”), sits on the banks of the Yukon River surrounded by mountains and pristine lakes. Our tour begins at the Visitor Centre to learn about the history and different regions of the Yukon, as well as the SS Klondike - the Yukon’s last remaining original sternwheeler - a relic from the Gold Rush days. We then visit the MacBride Museum, which houses the history of the city, the Gold Rush, the Mounties (RCMP) and the First Nations. Later we visit the wildlife preserve, and finish with a scenic countryside drive to see the Miles Canyon suspension bridge.

Today’s tour takes us to Carcross with a stop at beautiful Emerald Lake. We will enjoy a cultural and historical walk in Carcross and enjoy views of spectacular Bennett Lake. Lunch today will be a campfire experience at Conrad Campground before returning to Whitehorse.

We travel the spectacular Klondike Highway north, stopping at the Five Finger Rapids viewpoint. Lunch will be included at the rapids before we continue to Dawson City, arriving in the late afternoon to this vibrant northern community with a real “wild-west” flavour on the banks of the Yukon River.

Dawson City was the heart of the 1898 Gold Rush and many of the original buildings from those glory days remain standing. We will take a gold-panning excursion at Bonanza Creek and a narrated visit to Dredge #4 - an original from the mining days. At Dome Mountain we’ll have fantastic views of the Ogilvie Mountains, Klondike Valley, Yukon River and Dawson City. The rest of the afternoon is free. Tonight we enjoy an old-fashioned variety show with Can-Can dancers, reminiscent of the Great Klondike Gold Rush!

We drive the scenic Dempster Highway - named for Corporal Dempster who pioneered the route by dogsled at the turn of the century. The route winds its way over two mountain ranges, crosses the continental divide three times, and traverses the Arctic Circle. We’ll visit the Dempster Interpretative Centre before continuing to Eagle Plains for our overnight.

We continue north within the Arctic Circle and visit Fort McPherson - a Gwich’in First Nation settlement. Then we cross the Mackenzie River and continue to Inuvik.

On today’s tour of Inuvik we learn about the three cultures that shaped Inuvik’s growth. In the afternoon we’ll have a tour of the community greenhouse and visit our Lady of Victory Church (for obvious reasons it’s known as the “igloo church”!). The intricate interior was done by local artisans who congregated to create the work from rock and bone. This evening we’ll attend a show featuring local indigenous cultures including song and dance performed by local drummers and dancers in traditional costumes.

Today we take an amazing sightseeing flight over the Mackenzie River Delta - a spectacular place of water, squalls, wildlife and an occasional deserted trapper’s hut on the emerald green banks. We may spot reindeer, pods of whales or even caribou. In ‘Tuk’, as the locals call it, we will learn about the culture of the people who call it home. Lunch will be “Northern” style and there will be an opportunity for hardy souls to take a traditional Arctic swim (or just dip a toe in the Arctic Ocean!). We will also drive the recently built Mackenzie Valley Highway - Canada’s only road to the Arctic Ocean!

We fly to Yellowknife, on the shores of Great Slave Lake, and transfer to our hotel. The First Nation’s culture remains strong in the region, alongside the recently-introduced modern conveniences.

Our tour of Yellowknife begins at the Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre for an overview of the amazing Northwest Territories. We’ll learn about the exciting “wild west” period of the mining industry, and the past and present life of the local Dene people. We will visit the outdoor Mining Heritage Museum and the Bush Pilots’ Monument that offers great views of the area and local houseboats on the bay (keep your eye out for float planes coming and going on the lake). Later we’ll visit the Buffalo Airways Hanger, home to the Ice Pilots, to see the aircrafts that are vital to the region, including the infamous DC-3. This evening will be a cultural night out with dinner included.

A walking tour in Yellowknife takes in the NWT Diamond Centre followed by a tour of the impressive legislative assembly. The rest of the afternoon is free to further explore the town on your own and perhaps shop for souvenirs. This evening is our Farewell Dinner

We fly home from Yellowknife.