Great River Journey

Tour Information

Small groups will travel in their own riverboat with a pilot and an experienced local guide. Frequent landings will be made to view wildlife, explore the wilderness, visit historical and geological sites. Overnight accommodation will be in small, private, remotely situated lodge facilities. Each lodge has been designed and themed to harmonize with and accentuate the unique wilderness and historical aspects of the surrounding area.

Riverboat: 38 foot specially designed “stretched Kingfisher hull” Harbercraft aluminium hull boat. This hull is designed to handle well in both rivers and lakes.The passenger area is carpeted with comfortable reclining seats and excellent leg room. A lexan dome covers the passenger area – it is a clear tinted see-through material similar to those on Alaska scenic rail-tour cars. The dome has been designed specifically for this boat and installed by the manufacturer. Panels can be opened for air circulation and photo opportunities. The maximum capacity is 10 seats, allowing for ample space within the passenger area to move around.

Day 1

Fly from the UK - Whitehorse
Independent transfers to your hotel. Whitehorse, capital of the Yukon, is home to some of the most spectacular scenery in Canada. Named by some the Wilderness City, Whitehorse nestles on the banks of the famous Yukon River surrounded by mountains and clear mountain lakes. Day at leisure
Overnight in Whitehorse.

Day 2

Whitehorse to Upper Labarge Lodge
Tour the historic SS Klondike Paddle Wheeler to get your first glimpse of a bygone era before transferring aboard our custom designed river boat, the Shakat, for a scenic trip to Upper Labarge Lodge. Thus begins the 600km epic journey of discovery. Enjoy our luxurious tented cabins, gourmet food, and the opportunity to experience the legendary northern wilderness. Our knowledgeable wilderness guides will take you out to explore – or you can just relax with your favourite beverage in the lodge, by the campfire, or in a chair overlooking the lake. Revel in our extended days and lingering sunsets.

Day 3

Upper Labarge Lodge - Extra Day
Wake up to the sounds of nature amidst the fabled ancestral lands of the Ta’an Kwach’an Council. Before a gourmet camp breakfast, take in the glory of the morning by paddling a canoe along the shores of Lake Laberge, or try your hand at fishing for pike, arctic grayling or lake trout – or go for a refreshing early morning hike in the solitude of our northern forests. Set off by canoe or kayak to visit the local beaver and bald eagle population, paddle the shore of famous Lake Labarge and see what the early travelers and First Nations saw so many years ago. Take a guided hike along the trails and visit the historical Ta’an Village and cemetery.

Day 4

Journey to Homestead Lodge
Board the Shakat after breakfast and make your way downstream to the “Thirty Mile”, where narrow channels run through dramatic high cut bluffs – the cause of many a paddle wheeler disaster in the past. Stop to visit the huge shipwrecked shell of one such vessel and imagine the immense challenges of the era. After a gourmet picnic lunch, board a private floatplane for the spectacular flight over the immense and perilous Five-Finger rapids. Disembark at Homestead Lodge, settle in, relax by the campfire, or explore the trails behind the homestead fields. High cut banks and bluffs offer expansive views of the river and valley below.

Day 5

Homestead Lodge - Extra Day
Join your fellow travelers for a hearty home-cooked homestead breakfast. Hike to Pelly Farm, a thriving wilderness homestead. Meet the resident family and explore the blacksmith shop, gather vegetables from the garden and collect fresh eggs for a handson demonstration of the lost culinary art of homestead cooking. Travel down river to Fort Selkirk, where history comes alive through a self guided tour and homesteader stories. See first hand the Selkirk First Nation’s extensive, ongoing restoration of the historic settlement. Immerse yourself in history as you explore the ancient fort and imagine what it used to be like – a thriving town accessible only by water. Fort Selkirk had a vital cross-cultural mix of farmers, merchants, gold miners and First Nations who depended upon this spot of civilization for supplies as they trudged northward to the gold fields of Dawson City.

Day 6

Journey to Wilderness Outpost
After a down home farm breakfast, the journey continues north, deep into the heart of the sub-Arctic wilderness where the great river runs through wide-open valleys framed by looming rock bluffs. This is where the Stewart and White river join the Yukon River, bringing with them vast amounts of glacial silt, colouring the Yukon white. Arrive at a true wilderness camp, nestled on the banks of the river. Wilderness Outpost combines nature in her unadorned glory with indulgent creature comforts. Gather round the cook shack or campfire for sun-downers, fine food, and storytelling. Explore the spectacular views and vistas along the river. Join us for a light filled evening hike - we guarantee the opportunity to see wildlife!

Day 7

Journey to Dawson City
Enjoy a guided hike through the surrounding wilderness, home to 10 per cent of Canada’s grizzlies, the Porcupine caribou herd, peregrine falcons, and seasonal home to millions of migratory birds. In the late morning we continue our journey by riverboat, stopping for wildlife sightings and for a last gourmet shore-picnic. This is the threshold of the world’s most famous gold rush, brought to life through the stories of your guides. Abandoned settlements and camps are testament to the ebb and flow of humanity into this now reclaimed wilderness. Arrive in the fabled Northern Eldorado of Dawson City – back to the time of gold fever and dance hall girls!
Savour the sights, the noise, and hustle and bustle of still thriving “Paris” of the north. The cultural richness of Dawson City is a perfect counterpoint to the stark beauty of the preceding days of wilderness. History, gold, shopping, and entertainment await. Explore the Edwardian streets & museums, enjoy the readings of Robert Service, and see the log cabin where Jack London spent his winters.

Day 8

Dawson & Homeward Bound
For millennia, Dawson was used by the Han-speaking people of the Tr’ondek Hwech’in as a small fishing camp – until everything changed when gold was discovered in 1896. Drive or hike over the ‘Dome’ and tour the gold fields, try your hand at gold panning on the world famous Bonanza Creek and learn how large-scale mining was done 50 years ago with a visit to Dredge #4. Your journey of discovery with us winds down as you travel homeward along the Klondike Highway. When this road was built it ended the era of romantic and adventurous travel by paddle wheelers along the river you have so recently experienced. Travel back to Whitehorse via the route of the “modern world”, stop at a twisted log cabin for an old fashioned homemade lunch, often cooked on a working wood cook stove. Watch the flocks of birds as they make their way through the geologically unique Tintina Trench and see Five-Finger Rapids from a different perspective.
Overnight Whitehorse.

Day 9

Independent transfers back to the airport for your return flight back to the UK.

What's Included

• Transatlantic flights on scheduled airlines
• Internal flights from/to Whitehorse and Dawson City
• 2 nights accommodation in Whitehorse in a quality hotel
• 6 nights Great River Journey with accommodation in lodges as described above
• Riverboat pilot and experienced local guides
• All meals and adventure/wildlife explorations such as wildlife viewing, nature photography, bird watching and hiking
• Floatplane air charter over Yukon River on Day 4
• All government fees and taxes – airline taxes and fuel surcharges