Alaska & the Yukon: Self-Launched Version
12 days · Alaska, US & Yukon, Canada
Cosmos charges £3,360
No-markup version: ~£1,285 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A 12-day independent version of Cosmos's coach tour through Alaska and Canada's Yukon, following the same Gold Rush route from Anchorage to Denali. You'll cruise Prince William Sound, drive the Glenn and Alaska Highways, cross into the Yukon at Whitehorse, ride the White Pass & Yukon Railway, dig into Dawson City's Gold Rush history and finish with the Alaska Railroad into Denali National Park. Built for independent travellers hiring a car (or using the Alaska Railroad and coach connections), staying in hostels, cabins and budget motels. Costs are approximate backpacker/budget rates in GBP and exclude international flights.
Day-by-day
Arrive in Anchorage
Anchorage, Alaska
Land at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport and pick up your hire car if you're driving (a compact SUV is ideal for the gravel sections later; book in advance, expect roughly £45-60/day before fuel). Check into a downtown hostel or budget motel. Stretch your legs on the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail, an easy 11-mile paved path with views across Cook Inlet — a good chance of spotting beluga whales and moose. Pick up groceries for the road at a Carrs/Safeway. Note Alaska runs on Alaska Time (GMT-9) and you'll need US dollars here and Canadian dollars from Day 4 onward; both countries use type A/B plugs, so bring an adaptor.
🚌Airport bus or rideshare to downtown (~£2-15); optional hire car pickup
🛏Downtown Anchorage hostel dorm or budget motel (~£30-40pp)
- →Tony Knowles Coastal Trail walk
- →Stock up on road-trip groceries
- →Explore downtown Anchorage shops and restaurants
Prince William Sound glacier cruise
Whittier, Alaska
Drive or take the Alaska Railroad/coach 60 miles south to Whittier, through the Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel (North America's longest combined rail/road tunnel — check the schedule, it's shared one-way at a time and costs about £10 per car). Book a half-day or full-day glacier cruise through Prince William Sound with a local operator such as Major Marine Tours or Phillips Cruises via GetYourGuide. Expect calving tidewater glaciers, plus eagles, sea otters, harbour seals, mountain goats and — if you're lucky — humpbacks and porpoises. Pack a lunch; onboard food is pricey.
🚌Self-drive to Whittier (~£8 fuel) + tunnel toll ~£10/car
🛏Anchorage hostel or motel (~£30-40pp)
- →Prince William Sound glacier & wildlife cruise (self-booked, ~£80-100)
- →Anton Anderson tunnel drive
- →Wildlife spotting: whales, sea otters, mountain goats
Anchorage to Tok via Matanuska Glacier
Tok, Alaska
A long but spectacular driving day north-east on the Glenn Highway. Pass through the Matanuska Valley farmland, climb over Tahneta Pass and pull over at the Matanuska Glacier viewpoint — one of the most accessible large glaciers in Alaska (guided glacier walks are available locally if you want to add on, ~£90). Continue past the Wrangell-St. Elias National Park turn-off (the largest national park in the US) and roll into the small frontier town of Tok for the night. Fill up with fuel whenever you can; services are sparse. A budget cabin or motel in Tok is the simple choice.
🚌Self-drive Anchorage–Tok, ~330 miles (~£35 fuel)
🛏Tok budget cabin or motel (~£35-45pp)
- →Matanuska Glacier viewpoint
- →Tahneta Pass photo stop
- →Wrangell-St. Elias National Park overlook
- →Glenn Highway scenic drive
Tok to Whitehorse via the Alaska Highway and Kluane
Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada
Cross the border into Canada today — bring your passport and be ready for a short CBSA stop. Detour into Tetlin National Wildlife Refuge for a quick boardwalk stop and birdwatching, then join the legendary Alaska Highway. The stretch past Destruction Bay and Kluane Lake is the highlight, with Kluane National Park and snow-capped Mount Logan (Canada's highest peak at 5,959m) dominating the horizon. Arrive in Whitehorse, the Yukon's capital, and settle into a hostel — the town has a friendly, outdoorsy backpacker scene. Swap to Canadian dollars here (ATMs in town).
🚌Self-drive Tok–Whitehorse, ~390 miles (~£42 fuel)
🛏Whitehorse hostel dorm or guesthouse (~£28-38pp)
- →Tetlin National Wildlife Refuge stop
- →Alaska Highway drive
- →Kluane Lake & Destruction Bay viewpoints
- →Kluane National Park & Mount Logan views
Whitehorse to Skagway on the White Pass & Yukon Railway
Skagway, Alaska
Follow the Trail of '98 south towards the coast. The signature experience is the narrow-gauge White Pass & Yukon Route railway — book directly with WP&YR or via GetYourGuide; the Fraser–Skagway section is the classic stretch, with wooden trestles and the infamous 'Dead Horse Trail' carved into the mountainside (~£95). Alternatively drive the same route (South Klondike Highway) and re-enter the US. Skagway is a wonderfully preserved Gold Rush town — wander the wooden sidewalks, false-front buildings and the old saloons (most are free to enter; the National Park Service visitor centre is free).
🚌Whitehorse–Fraser coach or self-drive, then White Pass & Yukon Route train to Skagway (~£95)
🛏Skagway hostel or budget guesthouse (~£35-45pp)
- →White Pass & Yukon Railway scenic train
- →Skagway historic district walk
- →Gold Rush-era buildings & saloons
- →Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park (free)
Skagway back to Whitehorse, then on to Dawson City
Dawson City, Yukon
Retrace the South Klondike Highway to Whitehorse, then drive north on the Klondike Highway. Stop at Five Finger Rapids near Carmacks — a short stair descent to a viewpoint over the Yukon River rapids that nearly defeated the gold rushers. Arrive in Dawson City in the evening and catch the show at Diamond Tooth Gertie's Saloon, Canada's oldest gambling hall: ragtime piano, can-can dancers and a small casino (~£8-12 entry). Be warned, this is a big driving day — alternatively break it up with a night in Carmacks or Whitehorse if you prefer a slower pace.
🚌Self-drive Skagway–Dawson City, ~370 miles (~£40 fuel)
🛏Dawson City hostel, cabin or budget hotel (~£35-45pp)
- →Five Finger Rapids viewpoint
- →Dawson City arrival stroll
- →Diamond Tooth Gertie's Saloon show (~£10)
Dawson City Gold Rush day
Dawson City, Yukon
A full day in Dawson. Head out to Bonanza Creek and Claim #1, where the Klondike Gold Rush began in 1896, and try your own hand at gold panning with a local outfit (short self-bookable sessions from around £25). Join a free or low-cost Parks Canada interpretive walk on the Gold Rush era (they run daily in summer), then photograph the SS Keno sternwheeler on the riverbank. Wander the dirt streets and clapboard buildings in the afternoon — Dawson is a UNESCO-recognised site and wonderfully walkable. Book a rental cabin with a kitchen if you want to keep food costs down.
🚌Walking / short self-drive to Bonanza Creek
🛏Dawson City hostel, cabin or budget hotel (~£35-45pp)
- →Bonanza Creek & Claim #1
- →Gold panning session (~£25)
- →Parks Canada Gold Rush presentation
- →SS Keno sternwheeler
- →Dawson City historic streets
Dawson City to Fairbanks via the Top of the World Highway
Fairbanks, Alaska
Cross the Yukon River on the free ferry at Dawson and take the Top of the World Highway west — a stunning ridge-top gravel road with panoramic views (check it's open; in shoulder seasons it can be rough or closed). Pause at the Dawson overlook for a last look back. Cross back into the US near Poker Creek–Boundary, the most northerly land border crossing in the US, and pass through the small gold rush town of Chicken, Alaska (a fun, dusty photo stop). Continue on to Fairbanks for the night. Gravel driving — take it slowly and carry a spare tyre.
🚌Self-drive Dawson–Fairbanks, ~260 miles + free river ferry (~£32 fuel)
🛏Fairbanks hostel or budget motel (~£30-40pp)
- →Dawson City overlook
- →Top of the World Highway drive
- →Chicken, Alaska gold rush town stop
- →Alaska Highway west to Fairbanks
Fairbanks: pipeline, gold panning and riverboats
Fairbanks, Alaska
A lazy-ish day in Fairbanks. See the Trans-Alaska Pipeline viewpoint (a free roadside stop just north of town) and try a gold panning session at a local attraction such as Gold Dredge 8 or a smaller independent outfit (~£30-45). In the afternoon, options include the Riverboat Discovery III sternwheeler cruise on the Chena River (~£60), watching bush floatplanes take off from the Chena River, or a sled-dog kennel visit with a demo (many operators offer these, ~£30-45, some run summer wheeled-cart rides). A salmon bake dinner is a classic Alaska treat if you want to splash out.
🚌Local driving / bus in Fairbanks (~£5)
🛏Fairbanks hostel or budget motel (~£30-40pp)
- →Trans-Alaska Pipeline viewpoint (free)
- →Gold panning experience (~£35)
- →Optional Riverboat Discovery III cruise (~£60)
- →Optional sled dog kennel tour (~£35)
- →Chena River floatplane watching
Alaska Railroad to Denali National Park
Denali National Park, Alaska
Ditch the car for the day and ride the Alaska Railroad from Fairbanks to Denali — the Adventure Class or the historic GoldStar dome car offer fabulous views (book well in advance directly with Alaska Railroad; roughly £70-90 one-way, ~4 hours). Alternatively self-drive if you've kept the car. Arrive in the Denali park entrance area, do a quick orientation and check the park's free shuttle and trail maps. Book your accommodation early — Denali lodgings fill up fast in summer. Evening is perfect for a short walk on the McKinley Station or Horseshoe Lake trails.
🚌Alaska Railroad Fairbanks–Denali (~£70-90)
🛏Denali hostel/cabin or budget lodge near park entrance (~£40-55pp)
- →Alaska Railroad scenic ride
- →Denali National Park orientation
- →Short evening trail walk
Denali National Park: wildlife, rafting or flightseeing
Denali National Park, Alaska
A full day in the park. The best-value option is the park's own transit bus into the wilderness — the East Fork Transit or the Toklat River shuttle (book on Recreation.gov, ~£25-40) gives you the best chance of seeing grizzly bears, caribou, moose and Dall sheep along the single 92-mile park road. Alternatively join a guided wildlife tour, hike the marked wilderness trails (free), raft the Nenana River (~£70-95), visit a sled-dog kennel (~£35) or take a flightseeing trip over the Alaska Range and Denali's peak (~£250+). Pace yourself — this is the big wildlife day.
🚌Park transit bus (~£25-40) / on foot
🛏Denali hostel/cabin or budget lodge near park entrance (~£40-55pp)
- →Park transit bus wildlife safari (~£35)
- →Wilderness trail hiking (free)
- →Optional Nenana River rafting (~£80)
- →Optional flightseeing over Denali (~£250+)
- →Sled-dog kennel tour
Denali to Anchorage and fly home
Anchorage, Alaska
Return to Anchorage — either on the Alaska Railroad (the southbound run through Hurricane Gulch is arguably the prettiest rail journey in Alaska, ~£70-90) or by self-drive (about 4 hours, ~240 miles). If you have time before your flight, grab a final coffee downtown or catch the sunset from the Cook Inlet shoreline. Return the hire car at the airport. Pre-book your flight out — international connections usually require an overnight in Seattle or a red-eye from Anchorage.
🚌Alaska Railroad Denali–Anchorage (~£70-90) or self-drive (~£28 fuel)
🛏—
- →Alaska Railroad southbound scenic ride
- →Last downtown Anchorage stop
- →Return hire car
Self-launched vs. Cosmos
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Cosmos | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£1,285 | £3,360 |
| Duration | 12 days | 12 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £2,075 per person (62%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Cosmos-style trips? Check them out here.~£1,285
estimated per person
You never pay Travel Crew for this — you pay hostels, transport, and activity providers directly, the same as if you'd booked it all yourself.
This publishes your dates so other travellers can find and join you — no tour operator needed.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does Alaska & the Yukon: Self-Launched Version cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £1,285 per person for 12 days in Alaska, US & Yukon, Canada. This is an AI-generated estimate based on typical budget-traveller prices — actual costs will vary by season and how you book.
Is this cheaper than booking with Cosmos?+
Yes — Cosmos charges around £3,360 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £1,285 — a saving of roughly £2,075 (62%) per person.
How long is the Alaska, US & Yukon, Canada trip?+
This itinerary runs 12 days, covering 12 day-by-day stops through Alaska, US & Yukon, Canada.
How do I join this trip?+
You can join an existing open departure using this itinerary if one is scheduled, or launch your own departure with your own dates and invite other travellers to join you — no tour operator required.
Isn't it easier to just use a tour operator?+
Well, yes, a tour operator will book all the individual parts of your travel for you and provide a guide. That's obvious, but doing this has the potential to save the group thousands, which can in turn improve your itinerary substantially or save you huge amounts of money. Also, when you launch a departure, Travel Crew has tools in place to help you book the individual sections of the trip or make it easier for you to do this as a group. Really, you do not need a middle man. If you are more comfortable paying more and using a middle man, then you should certainly do this.
Is it safer to book through a tour operator?+
Arguably, there isn't much difference. A self-launched trip runs on the same principle as a group travel crew: collective responsibility, everyone looking out for each other, the same way it would if a group of friends organised the trip themselves — because that's exactly what's happening. You should always take out travel insurance before you go, self-launched or not; that doesn't change either way. Every open departure is published publicly with real dates and a real trip organiser, so it's never an anonymous arrangement, and our support team is reachable any time you need help, including in an emergency while you're away. Longer-term, we're building direct relationships with ground DMCs in popular destinations, offered as an optional paid add-on for extra on-the-ground support. Ultimately, though, the group is responsible for its own conduct and safety on a self-launched trip, same as on any trip you plan yourself.
What kind of trip is this?+
This is a adventure, wildlife, road-trip trip through Alaska, US & Yukon, Canada, self-launched rather than run by a tour operator — you organise it with a group you find or bring yourself.
Would you like to name the operator, name the trip, or have any suggestions about how to improve this itinerary?
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