Fly from the UK to Whitehorse. Stay one night in Whitehorse.

Built in the height of the Klondike Gold Rush by prospectors who had survived the strenuous Chilkoot Trail from Skagway, Whitehorse is now the largest town in the Yukon. The area surrounding Whitehorse is still largely unspoiled and the mountain wilderness provides a fantastic backdrop for winter and summer activities alike. Make sure you see the SS Klondike National Historic Site, the Old Log Church and the Log Cabin Skyscraper.

Day 2 - Sky High Wilderness Ranch

You will be collected from your hotel and do some last minute shopping in Whitehorse. Afterwards you will transfer to the Sky High Wilderness Ranch, 20km South of Whitehorse where you will be outfitted with your expedition clothing. Enjoy a light lunch and then be introduced to your guide and your four legged companions for the tour. Learn the basics of dog care, checking their feet and shoulders, dog massage, sledding and parts of the sled. Harness your team, hook up and go for your very first run! After taking care of the dogs you can enjoy the sauna, have a shower, hot dinner and cozy up by the fire. (Lunch, dinner included today)

While the morning sun lifts slowly over the magnificent horizon, say good morning to your new canine friends and ensure they are fed, watered and happy. Enjoy breakfast in the lodge dining room and plan your day. Today you will cover approx. 35km in distance driving towards secluded Jackson Lake. The only sound will be the runners in the snow, the working dogs, and your words of encouragement. This is the day that you begin to know each dog's personality and form a bond that only man and dog can understand. With every stop, praise and show of affection for your dogs, they will learn to trust you and you to trust them. Relax in the ranch’s sod roof sauna before retiring for the night. 

Overnight at Sky High Wilderness Ranch. (Breakfast, lunch, dinner included today)

Day 4 - McIntyre Mountain

Today your team will pull you east of the ranch. As you climb in elevation you are heading onto an old abandoned mining road on McIntyre Mountain. Enjoy the rugged landscape of the coastal mountains nestling Fish Lake in its valley. Keep an eye out for wildlife - you never know what you might see! Return to Sky High Wilderness Ranch for the night. Take care of the dogs, then curl up by the fire or sit around the dinner table recounting your adventures with others. There is a gravity fed shower waiting for you in the main lodge. (Breakfast, lunch, dinner included today)

Day 5 - 

This day takes you towards beautiful Bonneville Lakes, west of the ranch. The trails are narrower here with some challenging ups and downs. The scenery is breathtaking and the coastal mountains are always in view to the south and west. For part of the trip you are above tree line and easily cover 20-30km. A breath of new life will creep slowly into your soul and in harmony with the running rhythm of your team you will enjoy nature like you have never experienced it before. Take it all in and these memories will go with you as you continue your journey home. In late afternoon you will be transferred to Whitehorse where you will receive your musher's Diploma. (Breakfast, Lunch included today).

Overnight in Whitehorse.

This morning collect an intermediate SUV and drive to Dawson City, approx. 330 miles.  Stay two nights in Dawson City. Head to the wilds of the Yukon interior today. As you travel the North Klondike Highway northbound, you’ll begin to get a sense of the sheer size and grandeur of the Yukon. At half the size of Ontario, or roughly the same size as California, the Yukon’s total population is only 45,000 people. Breathtaking doesn’t describe the vastness or the beauty of the Yukon’s wilderness! The route roughly follows the Yukon River valley and takes you through a few small settlements and villages including Braeburn, Carmacks, Pelly Crossing and Stewart Crossing before the Ogilvie Mountains come into view. The road then drops down to the famous Klondike River Valley that spawned the Klondike Gold Rush of 1898. Still considered the greatest gold rush the world has ever seen, the gold discovery near Dawson City in 1896 drew more than 50,000 people to the Yukon in 1898, making Dawson City the largest city west of Winnipeg (Canada) and north of Seattle (USA)! As a national historic site, Dawson City today still retains its turn-of-the-century pioneer feel. Saloons with batwing doors and buildings with wooden facades, wrapped with wooden boardwalks, line un-paved streets. Straight out of the Old West, this is the Yukon you imagined! Parks Canada has restored many of the original buildings including the Palace Grand Theatre, the Commissioner’s Residence and the cabins of Jack London and Robert Service’s cabin, among many others. Take a trip up Bonanza Creek road to the actual claim where gold was discovered in 1896 or to Discovery Claim, located near the impressive Dredge #4 National Historic Site. In the evening discover Dawson City’s small but authentic bar scene and keep an eye out for the Northern Lights.

As a check-point on the famous Yukon Quest dog-sled route, Dawson City has plenty to offer in the winter as well as the summer. Try snow-shoeing, cross-country skiing or some more dog-sledding, or if you’d prefer just to spectate you can sit back the true Canadian pastimes of ice-hockey or curling.

Return to Whitehorse today after fully immersing yourself in a wild Canadian winter. Spend your final night in Whitehorse.

Day 9 - Depart

Return your car to the airport and fly back to the UK.