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Yukon Discovery & Sled Dog

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Description

There is a reason that visiting the Yukon is one of the most popular Skagway shore excursions. This full-day scenic tour starts in Skagway and begins with a beautiful, picturesque ride north over the White Pass summit to Canada’s Yukon Territory, paralleling the White Pass scenic railway. The Yukon Discovery & Sled Dog Tour is narrated with local Klondike history by your guide and contains photo opportunities just about everywhere you look. What separates this tour from the Yukon Discovery Tour is an extra bonus: an exciting 1-mile ride on a customized, wheeled cart or ATV with authentic Iditarod huskies. Once you arrive in the Yukon, a lunch break with free time provides the opportunity to not only view the husky puppies but to experience what it’s like riding behind a team of these elite canine athletes. Along the ride, the local mushers, who are professional racers in the winter, share stories about what it’s like training, caring for, and racing up to 90 dogs at a time!

Climb aboard either the 12-passenger wheeled training cart or ATV while mushers ready the teams. As guides add each new dog to the line, you'll hear each dog's excitment as they can't wait to take off running. During this time, you will have the opportunity to experience the team dynamics, social order, and passion of your dog team. After the team of 8-12 dogs are ready, the musher drops the brake and you're off. The sled dogs respond instantaneously to the musher's commands, forking right, then left, as you meander through the forested trail, specially designed to train these canine athletes in the off season.

A 1-mile ride is the perfect amount of time to see the team respond to mushing commands, and romp in their watering pools. This exhilarating portion of the trip is approximately 15 minutes long, and provides time for team hookup, safety briefing, and your ride through the forest. Time on the trail can vary due to conditions, temperatures, and the team of dogs.

You may consider the Yukon Discovery Tour which includes all the same features without the husky dog experience.

What's Included

This trip includes a narrated ride by mini-bus up and over White Pass Summit and into Yukon Territory. Your professional guide will provide a historic and ecological narrative while stopping along the way for breaks and photo opportunities. There are limited outhouse facilities along the way and it is recommended to use the restroom before the tour. Lunch is included at the dog mushing camp in the Yukon, with modern facilities and restrooms. Time will be set aside to visit the wildlife gallery and husky sled dog camp where you will join mushers for a ride with the dog teams. Additional stops include Emerald Lake and Carcross Desert before returning to Skagway.