Routes · Americas

Shanghai to the Yukon: Whitehorse and Dawson City

Shanghai → Whitehorse → Dawson City

Gold Rush towns & midnight sun Best season (general guide): Jun–Aug

The Yukon is a vast northern territory of rivers, mountains and forest, shaped by the Klondike Gold Rush of the late 1890s. This route spends three nights in Whitehorse and three in Dawson City during the long summer days. From Shanghai you'll fly to Vancouver and connect north.

How to pace it: Spend days one to three in Whitehorse: day one, the riverfront; day two, SS Klondike and Miles Canyon; day three, Kluane day trip or a lake paddle. Then spend days four to six in Dawson City: day four, Klondike Highway north to Dawson; day five, gold fields and the Midnight Dome; day six, Dempster Highway drive.

Whitehorse, the capital, sits on the Yukon River. The SS Klondike, a restored sternwheeler, shows how goods and people once travelled the river. Miles Canyon, just upstream, has a suspension bridge over the green water. Day trips lead to lakes and to Kluane National Park.

The Klondike Highway runs north through the forest to Dawson City, the centre of the Gold Rush. Its wooden buildings and boardwalks have been preserved, and Diamond Tooth Gerties still puts on dance-hall shows. Tours visit the gold fields along Bonanza Creek, where you can try panning.

UNESCO lists Tr'ondëk-Klondike, recognising the history of the Gold Rush and its impact on the First Nation people who lived here. North of Dawson, the Dempster Highway heads towards the Arctic through wild, open country.

June to August is the best season, with long days and the warmest weather. Winter brings the northern lights, but temperatures fall far below freezing.

In midsummer the sun barely sets, so bring an eye mask for sleeping. The drive north passes lakes and rivers where you may see moose or bears from the road. Stop at the roadside pullouts rather than on the highway itself.

Good to know: A hire car is the easiest way to get around, but distances are long and services sparse, so fill up whenever you can. Bring insect repellent for the summer mosquitoes.

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