We have family from Ireland who want to go to Dawson city and see what they can about the “Goldrush.” We will join them. Looking for suggestions on things to see and do.
1) Do we fly to Whitehorse and rent a car and drive to Dawson or fly all the way to Dawson and rent one there to drive around? (Is the drive from Whitehorse to Dawson worth it?)
2) Are there “gold rush” tours available or suggestions to see and do things on our own?
3) suggestions for accommodations.
4) Best time of year to do this? (We’re thinking some time in spring or fall??)
Any help or suggestions would be appreciated! Thanks.

Have you considered Barkerville instead?

Karen part of the attraction for Dawson is that a couple of great-uncle’s (great-great uncle’s??) left Ireland in search of gold and the last anyone heard from them they were heading to Dawson!

Hi I’ve been to Whitehorse many times but not Dawson. May I suggest you look up tours on viator? There should also be a tourism site for Yukon. Those provincial tourism websites always have drives and suggested routes.
I do know there are outfitters that do dog sled tours etc.
Just wondering, are you fans of Jack London books?

Adrienne we went dog sledding near Whitehorse. Peak experience!

Adrienne My husband and I have been dog sledding in Inuvik, NWT a few years ago and it was so worth it for the experience. Our Irish relatives might be interested in having that experience! Thanks for the suggestion.

The Yukon is a huge province . The drive from Whitehorse to dawns city is from 6-8 hours depending on how fast or slow you drive or conditions of the road . There isn't much to see between the two besides mountains and roads and animals . Like for example you might not see another on the road for a few hours . Dawns on city is small but beautiful, look into car rentals in Dawson city but not sure if there is any?? Way more options in the capital city Whitehorse for things as more population

Dawson City is so worth the trip !!! Not another place like Dawson anywhere .

Fly to Whitehorse and rent a car from there. Drive to Dawson and don't forget to stop at Braeburn Lodge for lunch or their famous cinnamon buns. Dawson won't disappoint.

Larri-Ju definitely a stop a Braeburn lodge

You will need to fly into Whitehorse and rent a car - no car rentals in Dawson. It is a long, but beautiful drive. Expect construction, and frost heaves. Depending on how much time you have the Top of the World Highway loop is an option, otherwise its there and back. Alternatively Dawson can be enjoyed without a car, you will just need to areange pick up at the airport and take a guided tour of the gold fields.
Highly recommend flying with Air North, Yukon’s Airline. They will feed you and have generous luggage allowances and great hospitality all around.
There is still a lot of active mining around Dawson and there are tours to see both modern and historic operations. Parks Canada manages much of the historic and offers tours at all the sites, a company like Goldbottom Mine Tour will give you a first hand look at more modern operations. The City also has a free claim people can pan at for fun.
Highly recommend taking some time to look at dawsoncity.ca, Parks Canada Dawson Historical Complex pages and travelyukon.com for information about tours and accommodations, driving guides etc. The town also has a vibrant arts community and a rich Indigenous history, one of Canadas most northernly golf courses and casinos and a host of events through the year.
Time- wise, Dawson is great all year round but you’re limited when it comes to mining tours etc. May to mid-September is really your window, but June until Labour Day is when you’ll get the most things operating.
DAWSONCITY.CA
Dawson City

Krista
Totally agree with Krista.I just came back . ( solo retired female) . So worth it !
Long drive from Whitehorse but I think you get a better sense of the vastness and beauty of the area. But yes, potholes, and frost heaves.

Krista Thanks Krista…you have provided some very useful information.

I went to Dawson Labour Day weekend once and it was the last weekend for the shows. You also have to kiss the toe. The drive from Whitehorse was lovely. It’s a long drive but the scenery was worth it.

Terril did the sour toe

I would recommend going to Barkerville instead. You get much more information on the Goldrush and its a great Historical place to visit!

Agree with Krista. We were there just 2 weeks ago, no bugs a little cool just remember your fleece. We spent 4 days in Whitehorse one of those was a full day trip on the White Pass Yukon railway to Skagway. Beautiful trip. 3 nights in Dawson we booked 3 tours through Parks Canada information centre. Totally worth the drive be sure to stop at the Five Fingers rapids on the way to Dawson City. Our friends that had lived in the Yukon recommended the last 2 weeks in August because the tourist spots start to close up. Enjoy!

We drove 14,000 km return from Ottawa to Barkerville, Fort St. James, Whitehorse and Dawson City. All these places were excellent. We loved Dawson City but the road there is heavily treed and not scenic. Fort St James was the last HBC fur trade post until 1951!!!
Barkerville is a fully preserved town. It was a much bigger gold rush than the Klondike. It changed the course of history in North America. They have interpreters in costume doing reenactments.
https://terraencounters.wordpress.com/.../barkerville-bc.../
TERRAENCOUNTERS.WORDPRESS.COM
Barkerville BC: the Town that Changed the History of Canada

Atlin is much closer to Whitehorse and has good gold rush history.

Good suggestions by all with some good options. If you do go to Dawson City, fly to Whitehorse but consider a tour because invariably you’ll have a rock hit and crack the windshield or have tire problems ( we had both! ) But totally worth it, exciting and beautiful. Barkerville would be easier, especially weather wise.

I have never travelled further north than just south of Prince Rupert, thought it would be boring, but after reading all the comments,hopefully I can make the trip next fall…sounds beautiful

Long drive = a mere 5hrs... with intriguing stops ...upto 7.
What stops? Along Fox Lake, Braburne, Coal Mine Campground, Pelly Crossing, Five Finger Rapids, Moose Creek ...to name but a few, and then end up alongside the mighty Yukon River.
Barkerville may be a restored town...but Dawson is a restored AND working town where you can rub elbows with the colourful five percent and be steeped in indigenous and historical culture.
Sure... there were 'other' gold rush towns sprinkled around... but none as famous as Dawson and 'The Klondike'. Don't settle for anything less.
Reference Sources:
Klondike Visitor Assoc.
Tourism Yukon

Doug Thanks Doug…great suggestions!

Doug totally agree. Barkerville is great, but Dawson is a real working town.

Doug agree! The drive is so nice. And if you have extra time, take the highway from Whitehorse to Skagway as well. The town is super touristy but the drive is about 2 hours and so so nice and the scenery is different from anywhere else

Jennifer Chicken and AlCan hwy. Top of the World.

Doug you can also go pan at the public claim. It was great. The info. Office there is fantastic. You will need a vehicle to see anything, really. The drive from Whitehorse is beautiful. Lots to see along the way. For me it is half the trip.

The summer solstice is a fun time to go as it doesn’t get dark at all.

We towed a trailer up to Dawson City last June and it was a stunning trip! Really amazing to see the wilderness in its completely untouched state. Literally the only manmade thing you will see for miles is the road you're driving on! I would suggest flying in to Whitehorse and driving to Dawson City. If you can also make the drive from Whitehorse to Fort Nelson the wildlife you will see on that stretch is unparalleled.

We were in Dawson mid Sept & places were closing up for the winter as well as the tours, entertainment!

Go before mid September. Everything shuts down…..sign in the train ticket window…closed..reason freezin!
It’s an awesome trip. More driving, the more animals and things to see.

Cher Thanks for the advice!

I've spent a bunch of time in Dawson (worked there for around 6 months in a few different chunks, plus a trip there from Whitehorse via the Yukon River!). I'd fly to Dawson and drive around. The drive from WH is long and not super scenic. Better bang for your buck to just get there and then drive up the Dempster to Tombstone or take the Top of the World highway over to Chicken for a day trip.
Time of year matters - I've been in all seasons and there's been something to love in all of them, but some of the tourism infrastructure is seasonal so consider that in your travel plans! Not sure if your dates are constrained. If it were me I'd go in May.

Liz Thanks Liz…sounds very helpful although I’m finding out that it might not be possible to rent a car in Dawson. I tried two major travel sites and they both indicated that there wasn’t any rentals available.???

Mary it was a local outfit - I think Klondike car rental? Call the visitors centre in Dawson, they'll be able to point you in the right direction! Local knowledge is for sure the way to go here.

Liz agreed

I highly, highly recommend reading “I Married the Klondike” by Laura Berton, Pierre Berton‘s mother, before you go! It’s a true account of her time as a young woman, working as a schoolteacher in Dawson City. Super interesting! 

Tanya thanks for the suggestion!

Read 'The Cremation of Sam McGee' on the marge of Lake Labarge. By Robert Service. I read it to my kids on the actual marge of Lake Labarge. And read up about Sam Steele of the Northwest Mounted Police.

I see a couple of suggesrions for Barkerville but please check before planning a visit. I thought I read that it had been destroyed by fire a month or so ago.

Frances Just checked and I read that they did have an evacuation order in early August but that very little damage was done before allowing everyone to return. They were lucky!

Mary good to know. Thanks

The Yukon is a territory not a province