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Skagway Tour


boleynkid
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This will be our first Alaskan cruise and would much appreciate hearing about people's favourite tour excursions in Skagway and names of the tour operators.

 

Open to most suggestions with the exception of any extreme tours eg rock climbing etc.

 

I have read about the White Pass railroad so that is one option but it would be interesting to hear about other experiences. Helicopter & dog sled glacier tour is a possible and looks good if anyone has done that. Thank you.

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Our first Alaskan cruise was last May 28th out of San Francisco. Neither my DH or I really were interested in going to Alaska but we did so on a bet. We have been on 20 plus cruises to warm areas and going to a cooler area was not exciting for us. We could not have been more surprised and we lost the bet which was dinner and a bottle of wine. We loved Alaska and are going back again on May 26 out of San Francisco. We took the bus tour to Canada and the Suspension Bridge which ended with a Salmon feast in a reenactment tent city outside of Skagway. This tour show us some of the spectacular scenery you will ever see. Plenty of mountains, mirror image ponds and was so breathtaking. The Salmon feast was also wonderful and for those who don't like Salmon they also served chicken. The salmon was cooked deep into coals and they were cooking at least 200 pieces at a time. My DH thought he died and went to heaven. We also walked around the tent city and saw a lot of mining history. Afterwards the bus driver give us the choice of being dropped off in town or taken back to the ship. We walked around town and shopped then took a bus to the ship. It was a great day. You can also take a ferry ride to Haines which is one of the ports if you are on the Glacier Bay cruise. White Pass train is also a wonderful relaxing tour that gives you the same views as we saw on the bus. We chose the bus because it included the Salmon feast.

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My favorite excursion in Skagway was dog sledding in the snow:

 

P5120110-1.jpg

 

More dog sledding photos:

 

http://www.rogerjett-photography.com/place/alaska-2/skagway-2/dog-sledding/nggallery/page/3

 

Next favorite was the White Pass train/excursion to Lake Bennett with the longer train ride in a private train car:

 

http://www.rogerjett-photography.com/place/alaska-2/skagway-2/white-pass-yukon-railroad/

 

http://www.rogerjett-photography.com/place/canada/yukon-territory/lake-bennett-yukon-territory/

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Many thanks for the replies. As always great tours will have to be sacrificed as there just isn't time. Early signs are it is looking the railroad with the helicopter/dog sled or railroad and the wilderness cruise. Not going to be an easy decision.

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The helicopter dog mushing tour is exceptional and $$$$. If you can handle the price you will not regret this tour. White Pass is very different but very informative. You should have time to do both. Most days in Skagway are long days

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Thanks again for all of your very useful tips (interesting one with regards the fog). Just a shame Skagway isn't a two day stop.

 

If I have read correctly the train/vehicle combo will allow us to see both sides of the canyon but will have to see how long that takes. If we do the helicopter/dog sled tour as well I'm not sure we will have time to go to Bennett and I guess that will mean we also miss out on Emerald Lake which will be a shame. Is there a tour where you can get the train to the top and back again ?

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Thanks again for all of your very useful tips (interesting one with regards the fog). Just a shame Skagway isn't a two day stop.

 

If I have read correctly the train/vehicle combo will allow us to see both sides of the canyon but will have to see how long that takes. If we do the helicopter/dog sled tour as well I'm not sure we will have time to go to Bennett and I guess that will mean we also miss out on Emerald Lake which will be a shame. Is there a tour where you can get the train to the top and back again ?

 

Lake Bennett trip is a full day, if using the rail/road combo.

r

With doing 2 tours including White Pass and glacier helicopter touring, you aren't going to get past the summit with the White Pass with the train.

 

Depending on how organized you are, with a early or late flights AND you having a long port day- into evening departure. You can rent a car and make an Emerald Lake drive, which needs at least a 5 hour time investment. I'd suggest- if a possibility- you rent the car NOW. Cancel when you firm up your plans.

 

I'll dispute the fog. I've seen it all times of the day. I would not give that any priority with scheduling. Most time it comes and goes anyway. Add to the mix, there is a beauty to it- my opinion. :)

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While I loved the White Pass Railway we had an extremely clear day. Our guide made a comment that you can never see all of the glaciers at the same time but we could. We thought that was the best thing we could do there until this year when we went to the kroschel wildlife sanctuary in Haines. you take a ferry to Haines which has incredibly beautiful views on the way there and back. And then you take a small bus ride to this wildlife sanctuary. The owner, Steve kroschel is absolutely hysterical and we learned so much and enjoyed it so immensely. You even get to be Hands-On with a few of the animals. It's not a zoo. It's a whole different animal experience and he is so interesting you don't want the tour to end. We did this through the ship, I don't know how to do it otherwise but I can't say enough amazing things about the tour. Although it was very expensive, afterwards I felt like it was worth every penny.

 

Sent from my SM-G955U using Forums mobile app

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  • 3 weeks later...
Many thanks for all your comments which were much appreciated. We have decided on the Helicopter/dog sled (morn) and Glacier Point Wilderness Safari (aft) or that's Plan A at least.

 

You have chosen 2 excellent excursions!

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  • 2 weeks later...
Our first Alaskan cruise was last May 28th out of San Francisco. Neither my DH or I really were interested in going to Alaska but we did so on a bet. We have been on 20 plus cruises to warm areas and going to a cooler area was not exciting for us. We could not have been more surprised and we lost the bet which was dinner and a bottle of wine. We loved Alaska and are going back again on May 26 out of San Francisco. We took the bus tour to Canada and the Suspension Bridge which ended with a Salmon feast in a reenactment tent city outside of Skagway. This tour show us some of the spectacular scenery you will ever see. Plenty of mountains, mirror image ponds and was so breathtaking. The Salmon feast was also wonderful and for those who don't like Salmon they also served chicken. The salmon was cooked deep into coals and they were cooking at least 200 pieces at a time. My DH thought he died and went to heaven. We also walked around the tent city and saw a lot of mining history. Afterwards the bus driver give us the choice of being dropped off in town or taken back to the ship. We walked around town and shopped then took a bus to the ship. It was a great day. You can also take a ferry ride to Haines which is one of the ports if you are on the Glacier Bay cruise. White Pass train is also a wonderful relaxing tour that gives you the same views as we saw on the bus. We chose the bus because it included the Salmon feast.

 

Did you book the Salmon Feast Tour independently or thru your cruise line? I usually like to book independently.

 

I am trying to assist 2 friends in planning their end of April/Begin of May cruise out of Seattle on NCL Pearl.

When I was in Skagway I did White Pass RR. I loved it; my traveling companion fell asleep during it, so I'm checking other options for these 2. They are salmon lovers so this may be a great option!

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Did you book the Salmon Feast Tour independently or thru your cruise line? I usually like to book independently.

 

I am trying to assist 2 friends in planning their end of April/Begin of May cruise out of Seattle on NCL Pearl.

When I was in Skagway I did White Pass RR. I loved it; my traveling companion fell asleep during it, so I'm checking other options for these 2. They are salmon lovers so this may be a great option!

 

Use the shore excursion list as a guide, since this early in the season, may have some tours that will not yet be operating.

 

Simple to add walk up, on the dock- for the Gold Creek Salmon Bake in Juneau. essential to book when you get there in my opinion as it is outside. A cool day is going to have your food cold before you sit down. Twisted Fish on the dock along with the Hanger etc could be easy inside/restaurant options.

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While I loved the White Pass Railway we had an extremely clear day. Our guide made a comment that you can never see all of the glaciers at the same time but we could. We thought that was the best thing we could do there until this year when we went to the kroschel wildlife sanctuary in Haines. you take a ferry to Haines which has incredibly beautiful views on the way there and back. And then you take a small bus ride to this wildlife sanctuary. The owner, Steve kroschel is absolutely hysterical and we learned so much and enjoyed it so immensely. You even get to be Hands-On with a few of the animals. It's not a zoo. It's a whole different animal experience and he is so interesting you don't want the tour to end. We did this through the ship, I don't know how to do it otherwise but I can't say enough amazing things about the tour. Although it was very expensive, afterwards I felt like it was worth every penny.

 

Sent from my SM-G955U using Forums mobile app

 

Sounds like a very neat experience that would be good for our family ranging from 6-63. Couple questions if you don't mind: is ferry terminal within walking distance from cruise port? Do you recall price of ferry and bus fares? What was the cost of the tour itself? Total time from departure of cruise terminal to return?

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Sounds like a very neat experience that would be good for our family ranging from 6-63. Couple questions if you don't mind: is ferry terminal within walking distance from cruise port? Do you recall price of ferry and bus fares? What was the cost of the tour itself? Total time from departure of cruise terminal to return?
Yes, it's a very small dock. The ferry and bus are included in the tour. I think it was 263 a person. At first the price bothered me but it was worth it to us after.

 

Sent from my SM-G955U using Forums mobile app

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While I loved the White Pass Railway we had an extremely clear day. Our guide made a comment that you can never see all of the glaciers at the same time but we could. We thought that was the best thing we could do there until this year when we went to the kroschel wildlife sanctuary in Haines. you take a ferry to Haines which has incredibly beautiful views on the way there and back. And then you take a small bus ride to this wildlife sanctuary. The owner, Steve kroschel is absolutely hysterical and we learned so much and enjoyed it so immensely. You even get to be Hands-On with a few of the animals. It's not a zoo. It's a whole different animal experience and he is so interesting you don't want the tour to end. We did this through the ship, I don't know how to do it otherwise but I can't say enough amazing things about the tour. Although it was very expensive, afterwards I felt like it was worth every penny.

 

Sent from my SM-G955U using Forums mobile app

 

Thanks for posting. We are docking in Haines and booked this excursion for July.

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This will be our first Alaskan cruise and would much appreciate hearing about people's favourite tour excursions in Skagway and names of the tour operators.

 

Open to most suggestions with the exception of any extreme tours eg rock climbing etc.

 

I have read about the White Pass railroad so that is one option but it would be interesting to hear about other experiences. Helicopter & dog sled glacier tour is a possible and looks good if anyone has done that. Thank you.

We took the ferry to Haines and did a boat tour - we saw bear and lots of wildlife. On a different cruise we did a nature tour that was really interesting - but I can’t remember his name. He lives there with rescued animals and it was very entertaining. We go again in August and are renting a car to drive to emerald lake

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This will be our first Alaskan cruise and would much appreciate hearing about people's favourite tour excursions in Skagway and names of the tour operators.

 

Open to most suggestions with the exception of any extreme tours eg rock climbing etc.

 

I have read about the White Pass railroad so that is one option but it would be interesting to hear about other experiences. Helicopter & dog sled glacier tour is a possible and looks good if anyone has done that. Thank you.

 

We went on our first Alaska cruise on the Ruby Princess last summer and went on some wonderful excursions. All but one were booked privately. We absolutely loved the Chilkoot Charters Yukon Rail & Bus tour. Our tour guide Mike, one of the best we have ever experienced, picked us up at the dock and gave us a 10-minute tour through town on the way to the train station. Chilkoot had reserved the last car, which was perfect for taking pictures. Mike picked us up in Fraser, B.C. at the train station and whisked us off to Emerald Lake. The best part (besides Mike) was that there were just 11 of us on a small bus, which made the logistics of hopping out at scenic spots very easy.

https://chilkootcharters.com

 

For us, taking the train up, and a fascinating mini-bus tour down (including lunch at Caribou Crossing) made for a perfect day.

 

If you are interested, I did a pretty extensive trip review on our trip starting with our pre-Seattle stay, and including detailed information and pictures about our excursions in Juneau (Coastal helicopter sled dog ride with extra landing), Skagway (Chilkoot tour), and Ketchikan (Misty Fyords float plan trip with Island Wings), as well as the Ultimate Ship's Tour. (There also random information about trying to plan excursions, despite my susceptibility to motion sickness and fear of heights!) Just scroll down the review to find the pictures/information on our wonderful day in Skagway.

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2533305

 

Here are a few pictures from our Chilkoot train/bus tour.

 

enhance

 

The front of our train as viewed from the last car

 

enhanceEmerald Lake - our first stop after getting off the train

 

 

One of two bear sightings we had on our mini-bus tour!

enhance

 

 

Oops! I just noticed that you said you had already chosen your excursions! We did the helicopter dog sledding in Juneau, and it was the highlight (among many) of our week.

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We went on our first Alaska cruise on the Ruby Princess last summer and went on some wonderful excursions. All but one were booked privately. We absolutely loved the Chilkoot Charters Yukon Rail & Bus tour. Our tour guide Mike, one of the best we have ever experienced, picked us up at the dock and gave us a 10-minute tour through town on the way to the train station. Chilkoot had reserved the last car, which was perfect for taking pictures. Mike picked us up in Fraser, B.C. at the train station and whisked us off to Emerald Lake. The best part (besides Mike) was that there were just 11 of us on a small bus, which made the logistics of hopping out at scenic spots very easy.

https://chilkootcharters.com

 

For us, taking the train up, and a fascinating mini-bus tour down (including lunch at Caribou Crossing) made for a perfect day.

 

If you are interested, I did a pretty extensive trip review on our trip starting with our pre-Seattle stay, and including detailed information and pictures about our excursions in Juneau (Coastal helicopter sled dog ride with extra landing), Skagway (Chilkoot tour), and Ketchikan (Misty Fyords float plan trip with Island Wings), as well as the Ultimate Ship's Tour. (There also random information about trying to plan excursions, despite my susceptibility to motion sickness and fear of heights!) Just scroll down the review to find the pictures/information on our wonderful day in Skagway.

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2533305

 

Here are a few pictures from our Chilkoot train/bus tour.

 

enhance

 

The front of our train as viewed from the last car

 

enhanceEmerald Lake - our first stop after getting off the train

 

 

One of two bear sightings we had on our mini-bus tour!

enhance

 

 

Oops! I just noticed that you said you had already chosen your excursions! We did the helicopter dog sledding in Juneau, and it was the highlight (among many) of our week.

 

Many thanks for your reply. As you you say we have already booked our excursions now but if you hadn't posted I wouldn't have seen your wonderful photo's.

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Yes, it's a very small dock. The ferry and bus are included in the tour. I think it was 263 a person. At first the price bothered me but it was worth it to us after.

 

Sent from my SM-G955U using Forums mobile app

 

Ah ok, I was thinking this was something you did on your own. According to their website, admission to the wildlife center is only $32/adult. So I am guessing I could book the ferry and bus on my own and come in well under $263

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