Chikoot Discover The Yukon Adventure With 15-Minute Dogsled Ride

[TRAVELISMYTHING]

After reading all your great reviews and avoiding the "tourist trap" excursion I did have booked, we finally decided on the

Discover The Yukon Adventure With 15-Minute Dogsled Ride. I am really excited about this as it seems most people have positive experiences with the excursion and the Chikoot company. We did have to "downgrade" from the train/bus combo to the bus only as we are going with 4 people - my 2 kids, but I am not too worried about that. Reviews I read seem to think that is OK. A train ride would be nice, but we are doing nice excursions at almost every port, so I would rather do that than pay $700 at just one excursion and skip another port. Anyone who has done this bus excursion, especially with kids, I would love to hear your feedback. How long will we be in the bus there and back? Thanks!

[vbmom87]

I went on the bus/train combo with Chilkoot and had a wonderful experience, but I can surely understand the cost being prohibitive for a large group.

 

Have you thought of just renting a car? You can purchase Murray's Guide online for $5 which will give you all the highlights along the Klondike Highway to watch for. As far as I understand, you can still stop for a dog cart ride. This should save money and be a great trip for you and your traveling companions. Just another option to consider.

 

Our CHilkoot bus driver was excellent and provided a great narrative and stopped at many places along the way, including stops that weren't on his agenda, but passengers requested. As long as he could safely pull off the road he did. They give a great tour, but if I was trying to save money, I would rent a car.

[PCruiser22]

After reading all your great reviews and avoiding the "tourist trap" excursion I did have booked, we finally decided on the

Discover The Yukon Adventure With 15-Minute Dogsled Ride. I am really excited about this as it seems most people have positive experiences with the excursion and the Chikoot company. We did have to "downgrade" from the train/bus combo to the bus only as we are going with 4 people - my 2 kids, but I am not too worried about that. Reviews I read seem to think that is OK. A train ride would be nice, but we are doing nice excursions at almost every port, so I would rather do that than pay $700 at just one excursion and skip another port. Anyone who has done this bus excursion, especially with kids, I would love to hear your feedback. How long will we be in the bus there and back? Thanks!

 

We did the Chilkoot train + bus combo from skagway last week, all the way to Carcross. The train part was exceptional. The tour part (which is what Chilkoot does), ended up being just a quick return journey to Skagway with a couple of touristy stops for literally 20 seconds (things like here's the border of alaska, here's the desert, take a pic by the nameboard).

The driver spoke for most of the return trip but spoke mainly about his personal life (really!, he was entertaining but the tour was really mediocre). This might have been because we had seen all the real highlights on the train already. The guide was not from Alaska and didn't seem to know the area too well. I will not book with Chilkoot again.

[vbmom87]

We did the Chilkoot train + bus combo from skagway last week, all the way to Carcross. The train part was exceptional. The tour part (which is what Chilkoot does), ended up being just a quick return journey to Skagway with a couple of touristy stops for literally 20 seconds (things like here's the border of alaska, here's the desert, take a pic by the nameboard).

The driver spoke for most of the return trip but spoke mainly about his personal life (really!, he was entertaining but the tour was really mediocre). This might have been because we had seen all the real highlights on the train already. The guide was not from Alaska and didn't seem to know the area too well. I will not book with Chilkoot again.

 

Our experience was totally different. Perhaps they are getting too large and have to employ non-natives. Our tour guide was from Alaska, had many, many planned stops and he did not rush anyone. We were allowed to stay at each stop as long as we wanted. As mentioned above, he would happily add a stop whenever anyone asked.

 

I would contact Chilkoot and let them know of your dissatisfaction. I am sure they would be interested in knowing about your experience. Perhaps the employee that operated your bus tour needs additional training or needs to be let go. Without feedback, they will never know this.

 

You are the first person I have read about that was not happy with their tour.

[Kellie in Texas]

Travel -- We did this tour the first week in June, just without the dog sled ride. We had a fantastic guide named James. A couple of suggestions, especially since you have kids with you (we had two boys, ages 18 and 9): first thing, use the restroom before you get on the bus; there are public restrooms right off the pier and next to the tour bus parking lot. The next restroom stop will be at Fraser where you may pick up some folks off the train. Our bus only had 7 passengers until Fraser, and after that, we were full. There is a restroom at Fraser and we beat the train there by about five minutes. Our driver told us if we needed to use the facilities, not to wait; once the train got in, there was a line.

 

Second thing is take a couple of bottled waters with you on the bus. There is no water at Fraser, and nothing to drink until you get to Caribou Crossing for lunch. I had a bottle in my purse, but we were pretty thirsty by the time we got to lunch.

 

It is a full day; I think we boarded the bus around 8:30 a.m. and got back to the pier at 3:30 or 4:00, if I recall. But it is a beautiful day and getting to see and pet the sled dog puppies is really fun.

[TRAVELISMYTHING]

Travel -- We did this tour the first week in June, just without the dog sled ride. We had a fantastic guide named James. A couple of suggestions, especially since you have kids with you (we had two boys, ages 18 and 9): first thing, use the restroom before you get on the bus; there are public restrooms right off the pier and next to the tour bus parking lot. The next restroom stop will be at Fraser where you may pick up some folks off the train. Our bus only had 7 passengers until Fraser, and after that, we were full. There is a restroom at Fraser and we beat the train there by about five minutes. Our driver told us if we needed to use the facilities, not to wait; once the train got in, there was a line.

 

Second thing is take a couple of bottled waters with you on the bus. There is no water at Fraser, and nothing to drink until you get to Caribou Crossing for lunch. I had a bottle in my purse, but we were pretty thirsty by the time we got to lunch.

 

It is a full day; I think we boarded the bus around 8:30 a.m. and got back to the pier at 3:30 or 4:00, if I recall. But it is a beautiful day and getting to see and pet the sled dog puppies is really fun.

 

Great tips, thanks! Glad to hear you enjoyed the encursion!

[Kellie in Texas]

Oh, and one other thing: I've got a long post called "What We Did" that has more details in it, but at Caribou Crossing, there are lots of huge mosquitos. We never got bitten, but they are flying all in front of your face, etc. If you are prone to mosquito bites, you might take some lotion or spray with you.

[Budget Queen]

Frankly, if you are not doing the train, then I would be renting a car and then just stop, yourself, in Caribou Crossing and go on the cart ride. Purchase and take with you Murrays Guide. For 4 people including kids you are FAR better off being on your own schedule. It is a simple drive.

 

Perhaps compare costs http://www.cariboucrossing.ca/thingstodo.html

[TRAVELISMYTHING]

Frankly, if you are not doing the train, then I would be renting a car and then just stop, yourself, in Caribou Crossing and go on the cart ride. Purchase and take with you Murrays Guide. For 4 people including kids you are FAR better off being on your own schedule. It is a simple drive.

 

Perhaps compare costs http://www.cariboucrossing.ca/thingstodo.html

 

Thanks for the suggestion, but honestly, with a 7 and 9 year old, and knowing my husband and I, I think we are more opt to just get in a bus and ride and view the scenerary and be told about the lay of the land and enjoy stories, etc. Otherwise we will be fighting about directions, how he is driving, the kids whining, etc. Ha ha. We are fine with the tour bus, the cost of that tour and meeting/being with other people and going with the flow. This way, we can both watch the sceneray and not the road too.:D I am just hoping the itineary itself is a good one and not too boring or long for the kids - ie too long of a ride both ways regardless in a car, bus or train.....

[sharecruises]

Hi....how much is the cost for this tour with the dog card included?

 

Cost for an adult fare please?? thanks

[flashdog_1]

IT IS AN ALL DAY tour. We did it in 2005 with SE Tours. They did not arrange the dog sled ride because we'd pre-arranged it (time wise we just had less time in the museum) but I believe they did offer a package including dog cart ride. It was reasonably priced. We paid Marilyn about the same she's charging today for the dog cart ride. Her dogs were the best kept of any I've seen in films, or on the glacier for mushing. Got to play with puppies, too. And with only 6-8 people in the van we got individual attention and could ask all the questions we wanted. Much different from a ship's tour in a big bus.

[TRAVELISMYTHING]

Hi....how much is the cost for this tour with the dog card included?

 

Cost for an adult fare please?? thanks

 

Here is what Chilkoot sent to me when I emailed them a request for a price:

 

Discover The Yukon Adventure With 15-Minute Dogsled Ride

Duration: 6.5 Hours

Departure: 8:30AM

Lunch: Caribou Crossing Trading Post/Yukon Wildlife Museum/Husky Puppy Camp

Itinerary: Skagway/White Pass Summit/Carcross/Emerald Lake and return to

Skagway by bus and dogsled ride is included in this package

Cost: $128 Adults $95 Child (12 & Under)

www.chilkootcharters.com