Getting Here
The capital of the Yukon Territory, Whitehorse is located along the shores of the Yukon River. It offers the optimal blend of culture, history, restaurants, outdoor activities, and some of the best views in the world. There is nothing quite like Whitehorse, especially in the far reaches of Northern Canada.
Highlights include the S.S. Klondike, Miles Canyon, Eclipse Nordic Hot Springs, and the world’s longest wooden fish ladder. Whitehorse is a great location to view the northern lights from September to April, and is also the starting/finishing point for the Yukon Quest dogsledding race in Februrary each year. Several summer music and cultural festivals happen within Whitehorse or in the general area to keep people busy under the midnight sun.
For more information on Whitehorse and the Yukon, visit the Yukon Government’s website.
By Airplane
The local airline, Air North, offers flights on their fleet of Boeing 737s from Vancouver, Kelowna, Calgary, and Edmonton year-round. They offer additional flights from Victoria, Ottawa, and Toronto during summer months. From Whitehorse, they offer flights to the northern communities of the Yukon.
Whitehorse is served by the major airlines of Canada with service out of Vancouver by WestJet and Air Canada. Air Canada is year-round, while WestJet is seasonal in the summer months.
From Europe, Condor offers flights from Frankfurt, Germany direct to Whitehorse. The flight occurs once a week during the summer months.
Once at the airport, our preferred taxi company will take you to the hotel: Yukon Cabs – 867-333-4444
By Ferry/Cruise Ship
Whitehorse is only a two hour drive north of Skagway, Alaska, the terminus for the Alaska Ferry marine highway. With departures from Prince Rupert, BC and Bellingham, Washington, the ferry is accessible from Canada and the United States.
BC Ferries offers service from Vancouver and surrounding coastal towns to the northern town of Prince Rupert, where you can connect with the Alaska Ferry system.
Several cruise companies offer cruises to Skagway from Vancouver or ports in Washington. Princess, Celebrity Cruises, Holland America are the more popular options.
All marine travel is limited to the seasonal months from late April to September.
Once in Skagway, you can either rent a car through Avis or get on the White Pass railway and rent a vehicle in Whitehorse. If you have your own, the highway between Skagway and Whitehorse is a beautiful drive.
By Car
There are two major highways linking Whitehorse to the world.
The Alaska Highway begins in Dawson Creek, BC, and ends in Fairbanks, Alaska. Whitehorse is 1400 kms away from Dawson Creek. The highway is open year-round, but services are limited between October and early May. Please plan accordingly when making your travel arrangements.
Klondike Highway connects Skagway, Alaska to Whitehorse and then north to Dawson City. It is open year-round, but the road is closed frequently in the winter and spring due to avalanches. In the summertime, the highway is a gorgeous drive. 180 km in length to Whitehorse, but definitely plan for 2.5 hours with several stops along the way to take in the view.
Other highways that connect with the Alaska Highway, include the Stewart-Cassiar (Hwy 37) from Prince George, BC which is open year-round, but services are extremely limited in the winter months. People generally carry extra gas cans in their vehicles when going down this highway. Prince George is 1600 kms away from Whitehorse.
Haines Highway connects Haines, Alaska to Haines Junction, Yukon and the Alaska Highway. The Alaska Ferry stops at Haines and is a slightly longer alternate route than driving from Skagway. Whitehorse is 400 kms away from Haines.
An essential guide for travelling on the highway to/from the Yukon and Alaska is the Mile Post guidebook. It is updated annually with places to stay, eat, get fuel, and other places of interest along all the highway systems in the Yukon, Alaska, British Columbia, and more.