The Yukon’s capital city of Whitehorse is a paradise for outdoor enthusiasts, culture vultures, culinary aficionados and history buffs. Known as the ‘Wilderness City’, Whitehorse is the hub of the Yukon where exciting outdoors meets great cuisine, live theatre, amazing wildlife, and the world-famous gold rush history.
Erik Nielsen Whitehorse International Airport is the gateway to the Yukon, just over a two hour flight from Vancouver International Airport and served by Air Canada and Air North, the Yukon’s airline, and seasonally (summer) by WestJet from Calgary International Airport. .
A visit to Yukon starts and ends in Whitehorse, where the mighty Yukon River runs through. Visitors can collect their RVs and rental cars from the capital city and venture in the untamed wilderness. Accommodation options include cabins, lodges, hotels, campgrounds, bed and breakfasts, and guest houses.
Here’s a round-up of the top things to do in Whitehorse:
Beringia Interpretive Centre
A visit to the Beringia Interpretive Centre is a must-do. The centre houses a full-size replica of the largest woolly mammoth ever recovered and a reconstruction of the 24,000-year-old Bluefish cave archaeological site. Discover the beasts that roamed Beringia before the last Ice Age, from mammoths and the giant short-faced bear, to the steppe bison, and the scimitar cat. Immerse yourself in film, original works of art and exhibits of discovered remains that tell the story of the Beringia landscape, flora and fauna. And right next door, the Yukon Transportation Museum | Whitehorse – Canada provides a great introduction to the Yukon’s more recent history, including a replica of the Spirit of the Yukon, sister-ship to Lindberg’s Spirit of St.Louis and the world’s largest weather-vane.
Whitehorse Fish Ladder
For thousands of years, salmon have travelled over 3000 kilometres from Alaska’s west coast, up the Yukon River, to lay their eggs in the gravel. Once hatched, the young salmon spend almost two years in the river before heading out to the ocean, only to return as adults to begin the cycle again. Visit the hatchery, watch the salmon migration first-hand and see these gentle giants up close – some of them up to three feet long. The salmon begin arriving around the end of July and the run continues to the end of August.
MacBride Museum
Learn about the Klondike Gold Rush, Yukon’s First Nations, and the ground-breaking events that shaped the territory. MacBride, located in downtown Whitehorse, is Yukon’s first museum, open year-round, offering interactive gold-panning activities and daily demonstrations. The museum recently re-opened with a new, two-storey-high building expansion and new, exciting exhibits. William and Kate, on their Yukon honeymoon stop famously sent a Tweet by telegram from the original Telegraph Office, which has been incorporated into the museum.
Millennium and Yukon River Trail
Stroll the Millennium Trail past the impressive Whitehorse dam and along the Yukon River to tour the regal S.S. Klondike sternwheeler, the last of its kind to operate on the river, now a National Historic Site. While you’re there, check out the historic White Pass and Yukon Route train station and hear the fascinating stories of the Kwanlin Dün First Nation people at the Kwanlin Dün Cultural Centre. If you’re feeling particularly energetic, you can extend your walk to historic Miles Canyon. To the gold-seekers of 1898, the raging waters of the canyon, now tamed by a hydro dam, appeared like galloping white horses and gave rise to the Yukon capital city’s name.
Culinary adventures
For a small city, Whitehorse packs some culinary punch. Check out the diverse cafes downtown, from funky Burnt Toast Café to Café Balzam, a creperie inspired by French cuisine based on locally produced fare. For lunch on the go, make the most of Whitehorse’s thriving food truck scene. Lulu’s Lunch Truck serves outstanding salads and meat pies, Garlic A GoGo offers great Mediterranean food, while cheese lovers can’t get enough of Alligator’s Gourmet Grilled Cheese. For an evening meal to remember, head to Woodcutter’s Blanket for some of the best cocktails in the country. This historic log cabin is hard to miss, with two enormous faux moose adorning the exterior since the 1930s.
Fireweed Community Market
One of the best ways to get to know any community is to visit its markets. The Whitehorse Fireweed Community Market is a great place to chat to local artists and producers, and browse the wide selection of hand crafted goods, fresh produce, specialty foods, preserves, spices, and baked goods. You’ll fall in love with Yukon’s authentic, salt-of-the-earth characters, and might even feel tempted to become one yourself! The market is open each Thursday throughout the summer months.
Old Log Church
Take a guided tour of the only log-cabin-style cathedral in the world. The Old Log Church Museum showcases Yukon’s church-related history, including the building itself, which is amongst the oldest surviving structure in Whitehorse. Listen to the stories of the missionaries and whaling practices, as well as the legendary Bishop who boiled and ate his boots while lost in the wilderness, leaving only the sole behind. Goldrush era poet, Robert famously wrote the Shooting of Dan McGrew for the church’s ladies auxiliary, who were understandably shocked when it was first recited in the church by Service-himself given the themes described in the now classic poem.
Yukon Wildlife Preserve
Visitors can get up close to Yukon wildlife including bison, lynx, muskox, moose, deer, foxes at the Yukon Wildlife Preserve – a non-profit organisation dedicated to research, education and rehabilitation of Yukon wild animals, located less than a 30 minute drive from downtown Whitehorse.
Take me to Whitehorse with Freedom Destinations:
Freedom Destinations offers an eight night package to Whitehorse for £1695 per person. Price includes two nights in Vancouver and a six night Northern Lights package. Price includes return international flights, internal flights from Vancouver to Whitehorse with Air North, two nights in Vancouver at the Rosedale on Robson Suite Hotel, six nights at the Best Western Gold Rush Inn in Whitehorse, three aurora viewing experiences and a sightseeing tour of Whitehorse. Price based on two people sharing. To book, visit www.freedomdestinations.co.uk or call 0333 234 0943
About Yukon:
Situated in the upper Northwest corner of Canada, next to Alaska, the Yukon is Canada’s most accessible northern destination. Home to Canada’s highest mountain (Mount Logan) and the planet’s largest non-polar icefields located in Kluane National Park – a UNESCO World Heritage site. One of North America’s most undiscovered destinations; close to 80 percent remains pristine wilderness with 5,000-metre peaks, forested valleys, unspoiled waters and untamed wildlife. Roughly the size of Spain at just over 186,000 square miles, the Yukon is home to more than 220,000 caribou, 70,000 moose, 22,000 mountain sheep, 7,000 grizzly bears, 10,000 black bears and 250 species of birds, with a human population of only 46,000. For further information on the Yukon, visit www.travelyukon.com