Itineraries for Your Trip to Skagway
3 Days in Skagway for First Timers
With three days in Skagway, you’ll have the time to really explore the town’s historic gold rush–era sites, enjoy the mountain scenery along the Klondike Highway, and head out for an outdoor adventure or two such as dog sledding, sea kayaking, or rock climbing. Here are some ways to maximize your three day visit to Skagway.
The weather can be unpredictable, so dress in layers.
Since Skagway is a remote location, connectivity can be limited.
Delve right into Skagway’s gold rush history at the Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park Visitor Center and watch a short film about the area’s gold rush history. Next, hop on the free ranger-led tour of downtown Skagway and see the 100-year-old gold rush–era buildings including the Mascot Saloon and the Moore Homestead, the oldest structure in Skagway. You can also explore the old buildings at your own pace by downloading the audio guide narrated by a local storyteller.
If you want to learn more, stop by the Skagway Museum to see the city’s largest collection of gold mining artifacts and memorabilia from Skagway’s pioneer history, before heading to see the ghost town and cemetery and the Dyea townsite. In the afternoon, head out for a short hike on the Chilkoot Trail, the major route into the Yukon during the 1890s gold rush, which can also be combined with a rafting or horseback riding tour.
To see as much of the mountain scenery just outside of Skagway as you can, opt for a full-day tour of White Pass Summit and beyond into Canada’s Yukon Territory, just don’t forget your passport. Choose between scenic train trips, small-group bus tours, or combination bike, train, and bus trips.
You’ll enjoy plenty of photo opportunities as you drive the scenic Klondike Highway stopping off at top attractions such as Emerald Lake, the Yukon Suspension Bridge, and the Welcome to Alaska and Yukon Territories signs. Adventurous travelers can choose to climb to the top of Feather Peak or Mount Cleveland for incredible panoramas of the entire White Pass area.
Spend your final morning in Skagway enjoying the area’s natural attractions and wildlife. Options are nearly endless. You can take a scenic rafting trip through the Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve or venture out to the Davidson Glacier on a canoe and look for whales, sea lions, and more. Other options include rock climbing, sea kayaking, ziplining, and dog sledding tours or a visit to Skagway’s Jewell Gardens.
For lunch, head out to Liarsville Trail Camp for an all-you-can-eat feast of wild Alaskan salmon and other frontier favorites. You’ll also enjoy music and stories by performers dressed up in gold rush–era garb and can even give gold panning a try at the old gold camp. You can also visit Skagway’s former brothel, the Red Onion Saloon, for a Brothel Museum tour.
