ACROSS THE TOP OF THE WORLD HIGHWAY AND INTO THE YUKON
Ayres Adventures 13-day Alaska/Yukon Adventure is a great way to explore the rugged and untamed beauty of Alaska and Canada’s Yukon Territory.
As we depart Anchorage, we’ll follow the winding roads of the “Top of the World Highway”, passing several operational gold mines before crossing the Canadian border into the Yukon. After crossing the Yukon River on a ferry, we’ll arrive at the historic town of Dawson City, then continue on to the Yukon capital, Whitehorse.
From Whitehorse we will cross into the Alaska panhandle, ride through British Columbia, and re-enter the Yukon to ride along the shores of Kluane Lake. Continuing northward, we’ll re-enter Alaska and finally arrive in Fairbanks.
In Fairbanks, we’ll have the opportunity to ride on the Dalton Highway up to the Arctic Circle. As we travel southward towards Anchorage and past Denali National Park, we’ll enjoy incredibly beautiful riding and scenery.
Throughout this tour, we’ll have the chance to observe various types of wildlife, including bears, wolves, moose, and caribou, as well as admire the breathtaking vistas of the Alaskan and Yukon wilderness.
Highlights of this 13-day Adventure include:
- Alaska has a multitude of scenic highways, with most of them being paved. Notably, The Top of the World Highway with its breathtaking vistas of the Alaska and Yukon wilderness.
- Exciting optional activities on free days such as scenic flights and gold panning.
- An optional trip to the Arctic Circle including a ride alongside the Alaska pipeline.
Our Alaska and Canada schedule has been designed to allow riders who wish to extend their tour to continue with our Prudhoe Bay Excursion, a bucket-list destination to the tip of the North American continent. For riders who combine the Prudhoe Bay Excursion with our Alaska and Yukon Adventure, we’ll cover the cost of lodging for the days between the trips. If you wish to rent a motorcycle for the intervening days, we’ll provide recommendations for exciting day rides.
Minor adjustments to the proposed itinerary may be required based on lodging availability. If alternate lodging is necessary, we will make every effort to secure accommodations of the same or higher quality and rating than what is specified in this listing.
AT A GLANCE YOUR ALASKA AND YUKON ADVENTURE
DAY 1: ARRIVE ANCHORAGE
The tour leaders will meet you at the airport and take you to the hotel where you can spend the day relaxing or exploring Anchorage.
In the late afternoon we will meet for the motorcycle handover followed by a brief kickoff meeting. Following the briefing, we will enjoy our first dinner together at a wonderful local restaurant.
DAY 2: ANCHORAGE TO VALDEZ, ~300 MILES
Our first ride will be along the stunning Palmer Highway, one of Alaska’s most scenic highways, as we make our way to Copper Center. Along the way we’ll stop to view the breathtaking Matanuska Glacier. Continuing south from Copper Center to Valdez, we’ll have several impressive photo opportunities. Upon reaching Valdez, we’ll have enough time to explore this small town before heading out for dinner at a local restaurant.
DAY 3: VALDEZ TO TOK, ~260 MILES
Backtracking to Copper Center will allow us to stop at several scenic viewpoints that we may have missed during our southward journey, including the Worthington Glacier viewpoint. The ride along the Glenn Highway from Copper Center is both straightforward and visually appealing, with numerous interesting stops along the way.
DAY 4: TOK TO DAWSON CITY (YUKON), ~185 MILES
As we depart Tok, we’ll get on the world famous “Top of the World Highway” heading to Dawson City in the Yukon. Before crossing the border entering Canada, we’ll stop at the small mining community of Chicken to indulge in a slice of their famous pie. At Poker Creek, the northernmost border crossing point in the United States, we’ll cross into Canada. A brief ferry ride across the Yukon River will transport us to the historic Klondike Gold Rush town of Dawson City. No visit to Dawson City is complete without a Sourtoe cocktail.
DAY 5: DAWSON CITY TO WHITEHORSE, ~330 MILES
Today involves a full day of riding along the Klondike Highway, from Dawson City to Whitehorse, the capital of Yukon. This ride offers remarkable photo opportunities and the possibility of spotting wildlife.
DAY 6: FREE DAY IN WHITEHORSE
Whitehorse offers a variety of Klondike area attractions, including scenic flights, gold-panning, and a popular railroad trip. The town also has a wide variety of shopping opportunities as well as charming cafes and restaurants.
DAY 7: WHITEHORSE TO SKAGWAY, ~120 MILES
Get ready for a great ride surrounded by absolutely breathtaking landscapes as we ride along the famous Chilkoot Trail. The trail served as a significant pathway from the coast to the Yukon goldfields during the late 19th century. After crossing the border, it won’t take long to reach the charming town of Skagway, Alaska. Arriving in the early afternoon, we’ll have plenty of time to explore the town.
DAY 8: SKAGWAY TO BEAVER CREEK, ~330 MILES
We’ll begin our day early to catch the ferry to Haines, then proceed with a short ride to the Alaska/Canada border. We’ll cross back into the Yukon for a few miles before crossing into the Canadian Province of British Columbia. The ride from Haines Junction to Beaver Creek, where we’ll spend the night, features breathtaking scenery along the shores of Kluane Lake. The terrain is incredibly remote, beautiful, and there’s a high probability of spotting wildlife.
DAY 9: BEAVER CREEK TO FAIRBANKS, ~315 MILES
Today we will have our last border crossing, from Canada to Alaska. We’ll ride back through the small town of Tok on our way to Fairbanks. Just before arriving in Fairbanks, you may opt for a brief stop in North Pole, Alaska to mail some postcards stamped with the legendary postmark “The North Pole”.
DAY 10: FREE DAY IN FAIRBANKS
It’s a full day’s ride to the Arctic Circle on the Dalton Highway. For those who prefer not to spend the day riding, you can explore the entertainment options available in Fairbanks.
DAY 11: FAIRBANKS TO DENALI, ~125 MILES
As we head south, we’ll take the stunning Parks Highway towards Denali, relishing the breathtaking views and the chance of seeing wildlife along the way. We’ll arrive at the town of Denali with enough time to go on a brief one-way ride in and out of the park. The town has several charming boutique shops, ideal for souvenir and gift shopping.
DAY 12: DENALI TO ANCHORAGE, ~240 MILES
On our last day, we’ll ride along the Parks Highway towards Anchorage. Weather-permitting, we may have an opportunity to view and photograph Mt. McKinley, the highest mountain in North America. A quick and easy ride from the town of Palmer will lead us into Anchorage, where we will enjoy a wonderful final dinner together.
DAY 13: DEPART ANCHORAGE
After a relaxing breakfast, the tour leaders will arrange for your transfer to the airport for your flight home.
Total ~2205 miles
Except for possible sections of roadworks and approximately 100 miles of good, hard-packed gravel on the “Top of the World Highway”, the route is entirely paved and offers a variety of road features. Riders wishing to do an optional trip to the Arctic Circle will ride on some good, hard-packed gravel as well. Expected wildlife sightings include bear, moose, elk, the Bald Eagle, wild sheep, goats and much more.
Please contact us about low frame and/or low seat options for our bikes.
- Deduct $200 for Suzuki V-Strom650
- Includes BMW F750GS
- Additional charge of $200 for a BMW F850GS
- Additional charge of $700 for a BMW R1250GS
- Personal motorcycle: deduct $1,550 from the rider price.
Standard Inclusions
- Late model, low mileage motorcycle
- Upscale accommodations
- A’ la carte dining
- Two Ayres Adventures professional tour leaders
- Airport arrival/departure transfers
- Luggage handling
- Comfortable support vehicle for non-riding companions
- Comprehensive pre-trip planning and assistance
- Customized trip booklet with day-by-day itinerary and attractions
- Commemorative shirt
- Adventurer Club travel award credit
Standard Inclusions
- All breakfasts
- 10 dinners
2024 Schedule
Date | 2024 Adventures | Length | Rider Price (USD) | Co-Rider Price (USD) | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
July 6 - 18 | Alaska/Yukon Adventure | 13 days | $9,400 | $7,500 |
2025 Schedule
Date | 2025 Adventures | Length | Rider Price (USD) | Co-Rider Price (USD) | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
July 5 - 17 | Alaska/Yukon Adventure | 13 days | $9,400 | $7,500 |
2026 Schedule
Date | 2026 Adventures | Length | Rider Price (USD) | Co-Rider Price (USD) | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
July 4 - 16 | Alaska/Yukon Adventure | 13 days | $10,100 | $7,500 |
Cancellation fee and refunds
FROM DATE OF SCHEDULED COMMENCEMENT | AMOUNT FORFEITED |
---|---|
More than 60 days | 50% of deposit |
60 days or fewer but more than 45 days | 100% of deposit |
45 days or fewer but more than 30 days | 50% of full tour payment |
30 days or fewer | 100% of full tour payment |
This is my third tour with different tour operators and yours is the best so far!
Hi Ron,
Just a short note to say thanks for a great tour this month of Alaska and the Yukon. I would especially like to thank your tour guides Ed and Juergen who conducted themselves in a highly professional manner where nothing was a problem which greatly contributed to the tour.
The food and accommodations were excellent. I especially liked the gravel roads from Chicken to Dawson City and parts of the Dalton highway.
Thanks,
Mike
Mike's Adventures include:
Alaska and Yukon Adventure
Sydney, Australia
Words cannot express what an absolutely wonderful time I had
Ron, words cannot express what an absolutely wonderful time I had on this trip, for me the trip of a lifetime. John and Ed deserve an A+ for their professional, complete and friendly leadership of this motorcycle tour, as do you for hiring them in the first place.Again, many thanks.
Bob's Adventures include:
Alaska & Yukon Adventure
Menlo Park, California
Exceptional Road Support and Tour Leadership
While searching on-line for motorcycle travel I came across the Ayres Adventures website. The site was far and away better than any other so I called Ron, took a chance, signed up for the South America 5 Flags Tour and never looked back. The trip was well run and well planned, offered reliable road support, experienced tour leaders and attracted fun, adventurous people.The next trip I took was an Ayres Adventure to Africa and this past summer I rode with Ayres in Alaska and Yukon Territory. By now I knew I could count on Ayres for exceptional road support and tour leadership and I was not disappointed. The Alaska challenge for me was riding the Dalton Highway to Prudhoe Bay and our leaders, John and Ed, aside from the expected road support, offered moral support and encouragement. I couldn't have done that ride without them.My challenge now will be deciding which Ayres Adventure to sign up for next.
Marilyn's Adventures include:
Prudhoe Bay Excursion
Alaska/Yukon Adventure
Southern Cross
Call of the Wild
South America 5 Flags
The Epic Journey - Moscow to Hong Kong
Antarctica Adventure
Santa Barbara, California
START CITY: Anchorage
- Nearest international airport: Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport
- Airport code: ANC
- Approximate distance from city centre: 4 miles/7 kms
END CITY: Anchorage
- Nearest international airport: Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport
- Airport code: ANC
- Approximate distance from city centre: 4 miles/7 kms
Private Tour Inquiry
We are happy to book any of our motorcycle tour as a private tour. For most tours, we require a minimum of 8 bikes, or 12 participants (riders plus co-riders). We can provide a private motorcycle tour for smaller groups, but a surcharge may apply. We can also customize any of our regular tours for a private group.