Individual arrival of participants in Whitehorse. Welcome to Canada's Yukon! Participants will be greeted and transferred to the hotel at the airport. The tour participants will meet the tour guide for an information session.

Today, our exploration begins, following in the footsteps of Jack London. In true style of the old explorers and adventurers, we set off on one of the classic historical routes: first by canoe on the Teslin River and later on the world-famous Yukon River towards Dawson City, following the lure of gold. Off the beaten track, we follow the traces of history. We travel by van along the Alaska Highway to Johnson's Crossing, where our nine-day canoe trip begins with a thorough briefing. Over the next few days, we'll cover approximately 360 kilometers (200 miles) in our boats on these legendary rivers. We'll travel past old, abandoned settlements and trapper cabins, venturing into a magnificent wilderness. Along the way, we'll be constantly reminded of the history of the great Gold Rush. Back then, traveling by river was the only way to push further north and reach the object of our "golden" dreams. During these days, we'll experience the wilderness up close and spend the nights in tent camps we've set up ourselves on the banks of the mighty river. Perhaps a freshly caught fish will grace our menu one day. Then it's time to gather firewood, and in the evening, around the campfire, we'll listen to our guide's tales of Yukon legends. We'll also learn a bit about life and survival in the wilderness. Here in the bush, we might even be lucky enough to spot one of the enormous bull moose with its powerful antlers. Bald eagles—the national bird of the United States—will be our companions along the river. And we might even encounter a grizzly bear just around the next bend. Gliding silently along in a canoe is truly a fantastic way to travel. It's never boring, and there's always something new to discover.

Our van will pick us up today after we finish our canoe trip on the river in Carmacks, and we'll continue north along the Klondike Highway. En route, we'll visit the Five Finger Rapids – a formidable stretch of rapids that proved disastrous for many paddle steamers in the past. We'll then continue our journey on the Dempster Highway. This famous gravel road is the only road connection all the way up to Inuvik, located on the Arctic Ocean. It's over 730 kilometers long in total. We'll pitch our tents at the foot of the Tombstone Mountains and spend the night at a beautifully situated campground. This will be our base camp for the planned hike the following day.

Today we're embarking on a spectacular day hike in this truly unique environment. It's an unforgettable experience amidst the tundra and mountain scenery. Every season has its own special charm in this area. The changing colors of the landscape in early autumn are simply breathtaking. The Tombstone Mountains have a distinctive wedge shape and have therefore always served as a unique landmark for early explorers, trappers, and RCMP patrols. The black basalt mountains appear almost like a bizarre lunar landscape. After completing the hike, we'll return to our tents and spend another night at the campground. Here, there's also a very informative visitor center with exhibits about the region.

Towards evening we reach Dawson City, the legendary gold rush town at the confluence of the Yukon and Klondike Rivers. This place was the coveted destination of the stampeders back then. Even today, gold is still mined in this historic town. After a refreshing shower, we'll dive into the nightlife and will certainly visit the famous Diamond Tooth Gerties casino with its gaming tables and cancan dancers.

Today we explore the legendary gold rush town at the mouth of the Klondike River. We visit Bonanza Creek, where the first fabled nuggets were discovered. Of course, we'll also try our luck panning for gold in a real gold mine. Then we'll visit the Jack London Cabin. An excursion to Midnight Dome, Dawson City's iconic mountain, is also on the agenda. We'll visit the fascinating Gold Rush Museum and stroll through the small town with its charming buildings, some still original, others lovingly restored. Those who wish can attend an optional evening at the Palace Grand Theatre for a turn-of-the-century musical.

The adventure continues: We leave the Klondike goldfields and continue our journey on the Top of the World Highway. In Dawson City, we take a ferry across the Yukon River to continue our journey on the Top of the World Highway, one of the most beautiful and spectacular high-altitude roads in North America. We drive through alpine plateaus and experience a unique, hilly landscape of boreal coniferous forest and tundra. We cross the highest border crossing between Canada and the USA at Little Gold Creek. Along this route, we pass through quaintly named towns like Chicken, Action Jackson, and Jack Wade Camp. We spend the night at a beautiful campground in Alaska.

Our journey continues along the Alaska Highway to the Kluane National Park area and along the picturesque shores of the vast Kluane Lake. Weather permitting, there is an optional bush plane or helicopter flight to the glaciers of the Kluane Massif. A stop at the Sheep Mountain Visitor Center is planned. In the surrounding mountains, there is an excellent chance of spotting some of the rare and shy snow-white Dall sheep.

Today we continue along the border of Kluane National Park. Kluane is not only the largest national park in Canada, but it also boasts a diverse array of wildlife and the largest contiguous glacier area on Earth, excluding the North and South Poles. To this day, this vast national park remains largely undeveloped and untouched. We'll be camping in this region for two nights. From the small town of Haines Junction, located right at the foot of the park, there are excellent opportunities to explore this scenic area. Today is dedicated entirely to this. The rest of us will hike into Kluane National Park, where there are also chances to get up close to the impressive wildlife of this mountain region. In Haines Junction, there is also another opportunity to take a scenic bush plane flight over the park and its ice fields (optional).

After a short drive in the morning, we reach the starting point for our next adventure: a breathtaking day of whitewater rafting on the world-famous Tatshenshini River. All the necessary equipment for this exhilarating adventure will be provided. After the thrilling ride, we'll set up camp near Million Dollar Falls.

We continue south along Haines Road to the Pacific coast and on to Haines, Alaska. Crossing the coastal mountains, we reach a completely different climate zone. Today's route takes us through the Bald Eagle Valley, where a particularly high concentration of bald eagles can be found at certain times of the year. We spend the day in this charming landscape against the backdrop of the majestic, snow-capped Chilkat Mountain Range. Haines is considered one of the centers of Native American culture. The Tlingit people still play an important role today. The work of the totem carvers can be admired at several locations throughout the town. A visit to the old Victorian-style captains' houses is also worthwhile.

From Haines, we take the ferry through the bizarre landscape of Lynn Canal. With a bit of luck, we might spot the adorable sea otters, or perhaps puffins, sea lions, or even whales. Finally, we reach Skagway, Alaska, once the gateway to the greatest gold rush of all time. Here in this small Pacific port town, over 100 years ago, most of the gold seekers arrived with their ships from the south, believing they had reached their dream destination. But the far more arduous part of the journey to the Klondike goldfields was only just beginning. It wasn't just nature that needed to be conquered. More than 100,000 mostly adventurous characters and desperados from all over the world crowded into this confined space. An atmosphere of envy and resentment prevailed among the newcomers in their quest for legendary riches. In the many saloons, might made right, and shootouts were commonplace. Soapy Smith, one of the biggest con men of the time, didn't earn his fortune by panning for gold, but by cleverly and persuasively swindling newcomers out of their savings. His life came to an abrupt end when he was summoned before the Security Committee to answer robbery charges. Frank Reid blocked his path, and both were killed in the ensuing shootout. For over 70 years, this event has been reenacted nightly in the revue "The Days of '98" at Eagles Hall. All of Skagway can easily be called an open-air museum of the Gold Rush era. Almost the entire town, with its nearly 800 inhabitants, is now a protected historical site. Perhaps we, too, will visit one of the bars, ideally the "Red Onion Saloon"—a brothel during the Gold Rush—and let ourselves be transported back to the atmosphere of the old gold rush days with live music and a drink.

A stroll through Skagway's historic old town, with its many original relics from the turn of the century and the Gold Rush era, includes a visit to the cemetery where the scoundrel Soapy Smith and Frank Reid are buried. Afterwards, we'll take a detour to the Chilkoot Trail. The Stampeders had to traverse this mountainous route multiple times due to the extensive equipment and provisions they carried. All in all, it was nearly 3,000 kilometers across mountains and scree. And all this with 50 pounds (approx. 23 kg) of luggage on their backs! A grueling ordeal for both man and beast, and many couldn't withstand the hardships. Jack London vividly recounted all of this in his famous novel, "The Alaska Kid." We'll also visit the old cemetery in Dyea. Here lie those unfortunate souls who never reached their ultimate goal at Bonanza Creek. Another highlight of the tour (optional) is a ride on the historic White Pass & Yukon Route Railroad, which runs almost parallel to the challenging Chilkoot Trail. Just like a hundred years ago, the train climbs to White Pass. On one side, there are deep drops, on the other, sheer cliffs. Wooden bridges span dizzying gorges. Once at the top of White Pass, we transfer to our tour van. After an impressive drive through constantly changing scenery, we head back towards Whitehorse. Along the way, we stop at the Carcross Desert – the smallest desert in the world – and, of course, we'll also have the opportunity to admire Emerald Lake, also known as Rainbow Lake by locals because of its sensational water color.

On the last day of this eventful journey, the provincial capital of Yukon offers several opportunities to explore the surrounding area and some of the local attractions. These include the world's longest wooden salmon ladder and the Transportation Museum. A short boat trip through Miles Canyon on the upper reaches of the Yukon River is also worthwhile. However, those who simply want to relax at the end of this extensive tour, filled with many new impressions, or perhaps do some shopping before returning to Europe, will have the opportunity today. (Transfer to the airport or start of your individual onward travel arrangements). (As this is an expedition-style trip, short-notice changes to the itinerary are possible and at the discretion of the guide.)