Yukon excursion

[Tazj]

Has anyone ever taken the DCL excursion to the Yukon on your Alaska cruise? Also, did your kids go with you? My kids are 12 and 14. I’m trying to figure out if it’s worth it or better left to another time if we ever return to the area, because the excursion is so long.

 

[Geomom]

We didn't do the DCL excursion. We booked through Chilkoot Charters--Yukon Bus and Rail with dogcart ride. We did it in August 2016. Our kids were 12 and 16. It was the highlight of our trip! We had a van that held 24 vs. a bus that holds 60 and our tour guide avoided the tourist spots when the big buses are there--you still get to see all the stops though! We did the bus up, Whitepass railway down. I thought that was the perfect way to do it. Gives the fog a chance to burn out before you're on the railroad. Also, we were all tired by the full day, so it was nice to just sit and relax on the train back to Skagway. The excursion included a BBQ chicken lunch at Caribou Crossing trading post, which was yummy.

 

[Tazj]

I’m glad to know you enjoyed your excursion. It’s been a dream of my husband’s to visit the Yukon so we’ll keep this in mind while making a decision about the trip.

 

[anjuan]

We also did the tour through Chilkoot Charters and really had a great time! The only difference from the above poster was that they put us on the train first and then we did the bus part of the tour. While on the bus we saw grizzly and black bears as well as a couple of moose.

 

[Kennywood]

We took the excursion through DCL. We thoroughly enjoyed it. Your kids will probably enjoy the train trip back.

 

[KashasMom]

Twice we rented a car from Avis (in town) and using Murray's Guide to the South Klondike Highway drove through the Yukon to Emerald Lake. (Google for the guide which lists things to see/do by mile marker. Some of the places we stopped at along the way - Tutshi to see the Sled Dogs(puppies), Yukon Suspension Bridge, and the Welcome to Alaska highway sign.) The first time it even snowed a little as we came back into Alaska. And...we saw a moose. Scenery was spectacular. Fantastic day(s)! (Need to bring your passport to show at the Canadian border.)

 

[ajo]

We did the train up/Yukon Suspension Bridge/bus down with DCL. Our kids were younger than yours and thoroughly enjoyed it. The train was the highlight for our bunch. The Yukon Suspension Bridge is cool, but we had been to the Capillano Suspension Bridge in Vancouver before we boarded and that is much more fun.

 

[jtntx34]

I went last year but did not go with Disney. We used Beyond Skagway to go into the Yukon from Skagway, and they were great. They customized our trip to what we wanted to do. (I know they offer a treasure hunt for families.) Personally, I would not do the train. I did the road both ways, and it was great, because we could get out and stretch and move around. We even got to drink some fresh water from a mountain waterfall (which is not an everyday occurrence in the part of Texas I'm from).

The trip was a long one, but it never felt long. We went to the suspension bridge but did not cross it, and there is also a summer dog sled camp in Tutshi (pronounced too-shy) where you can stop.

If you like pictures, the Yukon is a must do...there are so many different types of landscapes. It's just beautiful!

I used to teach kids the age of yours, and I know how they can be, so I'd probably rent a car or take a private tour. Skagway is very small and touristy (great for shopping but not a place to keep most 12 and 14 year olds interested for long), so it's definitely best to get out of town and see the scenery.

 

[Tazj]

Thanks everyone for your replies, they’re very informative. I’m leaning towards another way to see the Yukon instead of the Disney tour because of my sometimes easily bored and surly children, but we shall see.
You know they get a little older and they start having their own ideas about things.

 

[anricat]

We were on the same tour as @Geomom in 2016 with Chilkoot charters. My daughter was 8 at the time and all three in our family agree that it was our favorite day. My 8 year old was totally engaged and loved it. I know it's the whole day, but it's 100% worth it, especially if it's a dream of your DH's to visit the Yukon. Chilkoot was fantastic. Probably one of my top excursions in all our cruises (out of 7 cruises in all). If you click the link in my signature for my trip report, you can read all about it and see our amazing photos.

 

[Pens Fan]

We aren't great fans of group tours, so we went with Skagway Private Tours for a tour into the Yukon and Emerald Lake for just our family. It was an incredible day. This is a one woman show. You book with Sherry and she will be your guide - no farming you out to other vendors, no piling on a bus or van with a bunch of strangers. Touring with Sherry is akin to spending the day with an old friend. It's not the most economical option, but she will pretty much take you anywhere you desire to go. The day is yours. If we ever take another cruise that stops in Skagway (and we probably will), I'll be contacting Sherry for another great day.

 

[Ravenne]

I booked my husband and son directly with Chilkoot as well. Unfortunately, they weren't able to go the day we were in Skagway because of a rock slide that blocked the tracks and it would take a few days to remove. I over heard other guests talking about it on glacier day, and they said DCL had removed it from their itinerary and bill (refunded) but since we booked direct, we had to sort it out ourselves. It wasn't a big deal though. A representative from Chilkoot met my husband and son (and others who booked privately with them as well) at the bottom of the gangway to discuss other options. They could've taken a bus tour instead, but declined (they were interested in the train) and was given a business card to call for a refund, which he did while in port. It was effortless, and the money was back in our account by the time we got home. I didn't hesitate having my son go along. We watched some YouTube vids of the excursion, and it was something he was interested in doing. Too bad it didn't happen, but I had no qualms about it.

 

[ofcabbagesandkings]

We rented a Green Jeep and I would do it again, I would personally never take a group tour to the Yukon. We enjoyed going at exactly our own pace and not having a big bus full of people to wait behind at each stop. You can drive up to the dogcart places yourself and get there before the big bus tours. I think for a family of four renting the Jeep is not that much more than booking a tour.

 

[xlxo]

I can't comment on the kids.... but I enjoyed the trip as an adult.

Cariboo Crossing is the major stop for food and entertainment...

 

[scottishclover]

Has anyone ever taken the DCL excursion to the Yukon on your Alaska cruise? Also, did your kids go with you? My kids are 12 and 14. I’m trying to figure out if it’s worth it or better left to another time if we ever return to the area, because the excursion is so long.

Just off Alaska cruise this morning. I second renting a car. Our teens loved the trip with stops of our choosing. We saw bears twice, once on way to Carcross and one on way back to Skagway. Tracked it for about 5 mins and watched it have a good old scratch! Pretty special. We were away for 7 hours in total. Impossible to be bored, lots of areas to stop and explore. Was without a doubt best thing we did on our trip. Much better to do it at your own pace, with a copy of Murray's guide than on a bus tour.

 

[jenmiller114]

We just did Alaska last month and we also used Beyond Skagway Tours. It was a long day but they had shorter options and you could tailor it any way you want. It cost us the same as it would have cost to do the Disney version but we had a van for 7 and it was just us with our tour guide. We stopped every time we saw bears on the side of the road (5 times) and we even saw a moose. We never had to wait for a bus when we got to a spot to take photos (Alaska Sign & Yukon Sign) which was great! We added on the summer musher's camp and hugged LOTS of cute puppies. We also added on the panning for gold. My kids are 15, 17 and 19 and they loved it all. We added enough fun stuff in the middle to keep the drive from being too boring. We went up to Emerald lake and had lunch at Caribou Crossing then turned around. We took the train back, as well. We wouldn't have minded just doing the return trip with our driver because we was so good (and it would have saved some money) but the train was pretty cool. It was just us and one other family in the car so it was not too claustrophobic and you could stand outside of the car to take pictures of the scenery and get fresh air. Probably one of the best tours we have ever done. Don't pass it up. I think your kids will enjoy it and who knows if you will get the chance again. Other than the glacier excursion, this was the highlight of our Alaska trip.