SHORE EXCURSIONS

Retrace the historic gold rush route to the Klondike while coasting down from the White Pass Summit on a bicycle! This fun tour starts with a 20 minute van ride to the top of the 3,292 foot pass. Along the way your knowledgeable guides versed in the ecology and history of the area will inform and entertain you. After a bicycle orientation and safety briefing, enjoy the refreshing outdoors and scenic splendor while you cruise downhill on your bicycle for 15 miles on the paved road back to Skagway. Stops are made along the way for photos of waterfalls, the White Pass Yukon Railroad, glaciers, wildlife and the majestic mountains. This exciting excursion offers a unique way to tour Skagway and the surrounding area.

Start your tour in Skagway’s historic downtown area as your guide points out places of interest and regales you with tales of the famous and foolhardy. Wind through streets lined with wooden boardwalks and false fronted buildings en route to Scenic Overlook, Gold Rush Cemetery and Liarsville. Enjoy a dining experience you'll never forget at the Liarsville Gold Rush Trail Camp. Your meal is prepared over an open wood fire using recipes from 1898. Sit down for freshly grilled filet of wild Alaskan salmon, baked chicken, rice pilaf, a variety of salads, baked beans, cornbread, coffee, lemonade and dessert. After your meal gather at the Liarsville Hippodrome where a cast of sourdoughs and dance hall girls will dazzle you with melodrama, recite Robert Service poetry and teach you the art of gold panning. You’re guaranteed to find gold in every pan! Once you've made your fortune, take time to wander through the camp and visit the general store, saloon, bordello and laundry tents to view the antiques and vintage clothing left behind. Be sure to have your picture taken with one of the dance hall girls.

Travel along the incredibly photogenic Klondike Highway to the Canadian border, while pausing along the way to snap pictures of the gorgeous wilderness. The road pretty much follows the trail that prospectors carved out during the Gold Rush of 1898. The countryside is still largely undeveloped, except for a few bridges and the White Pass & Yukon Route Railway that parallels the road. Roadside stops will be made to view natural attractions such as ancient glaciers and Pitchfork Falls, a lovely cascade that splits into branches that resemble the tines of a pitchfork. After pausing at the Canadian border at White Pass summit, you will travel back down the Klondike Highway toward Skagway. Commentary will enhance your understanding of the attractions and the area’s history.

HIGHLIGHTS
• Travel a picturesque highway that follows a trail created during the Gold Rush of 1898. • Snap pictures while pausing at scenic lookouts with views of glaciers and waterfalls. • Stop at the summit of White Pass, which marks the U.S. and Canadian border. • Hear enlightening commentary that describes the area’s history and attractions.

HELPFUL HINTS
• Dress warmly in layered clothing. • Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.

Experience Skagway with Alaska’s original city historical tour for an informative fun filled 90 minutes to “all points of interest”. Skagway character Martin Itjen came here looking for gold in 1898 and became the town’s most celebrated storyteller. He gave Alaska’s first motorized sightseeing tour on his “Skagway Street Car” for U.S. President Warren G. Harding in 1923 and delighted visitors for decades. Today, Martin’s tour lives on! Aboard your yellow 1927 sightseeing bus, your costumed “conductor” passes on a century of history, behind-the-scenes tales and stories.

Explore the waterfront and National Park Historic District, enjoy the panoramic views from the scenic overlook and have your camera ready for the recounting of the Soapy Smith gunfight at the Gold Rush Cemetery. Highlighting the history of this gold rush town and the pioneer families that built it, you’ll motor through the residential neighborhoods of Skagway, famous for its flower gardens. A courtesy stop is made in town for those wanting to shop or explore independently before the tour continues back to the ship. Don’t miss seeing “all points of interest” aboard the Skagway Street Car.

Step back in time with one of the sensational madams of the Red Onion Saloon! Lavishly costumed and highly entertaining, she’ll greet you with a souvenir garter. She’ll guide you through the streets and back alleys of Skagway, where women of the evening brushed shoulders with notorious characters like Soapy Smith and Frank Reid. You’ll pass historic and haunted Gold Rush buildings as you learn of Skagway’s rich history.

Your experience culminates with a stop at the world famous Red Onion Saloon's restored Brothel Museum. Join in a champagne toast and explore the halls and bedrooms of this celebrated brothel with relics and images of the ladies who worked there. If you’re lucky, you might even catch a glimpse of the resident ghost, Lydia!

An all you can eat mouthwatering assortment of warm and cold dishes awaits your arrival in Skagway. Feast on wild Alaskan caught salmon grilled over an open alder wood fire as part of this feast in the forest. Enjoy Chilkoot Chicken, Panners Pasta, Prospector Pete’s Reindeer Beans, Liarsville Rice Medley, Sluice Box Slaw and other fresh salads, plus cornbread and blueberry cake for dessert. Beer and wine are available for purchase.

This delicious meal also includes a visit to an 1898 replica campsite located in the historic Liarsville region. During your visit, take time to reflect on how the prospectors of yesteryear survived. Chat with the colorful characters and gold-digging madams as you enjoy a glimpse back at life during the Klondike gold rush. Visit the Fancy Goods Gift Shop to find that special souvenir.