Skagway White Pass Tour: Summit, Scenic Rail & the Yukon

Guided White Pass tours from Skagway start around $60 per person for the classic summit bus tour and rise to about $194 for the premium Yukon sled-dog combo. Our featured White Pass & Yukon Suspension Bridge Tour is $132 and includes cruise-dock pickup, photo stops along the Klondike Highway, the border crossing into Canada, and entry to the suspension bridge grounds. All prices include free cancellation up to 24 hours before.

The White Pass & Yukon Route railway is a round-trip train ride that climbs to the summit at the border and turns back, so it needs no passport. The guided bus and van tours follow the Klondike Highway alongside the same rail line — with the same waterfalls, glaciers, and summit scenery — and then keep going across the border into the Yukon to reach places the train can't, like the Yukon Suspension Bridge and dog-sledding camps. Choose the train for the classic locomotive ride; choose a bus tour to actually set foot in the Yukon and see more country. Many visitors do both.

The classic White Pass Summit railway excursion is a round trip of roughly 2.75 to 3 hours from Skagway to the summit and back. The guided bus and van tours on this page run about 3 to 4 hours because they continue past the summit and across the border into British Columbia and the Yukon, with stops for photos, customs, and attractions like the suspension bridge.

It depends on the tour. Any tour that crosses into Canada — including our featured suspension bridge tour, the Yukon combos, and the sled-dog camps — requires every guest, including children, to carry a valid passport, because you clear Canadian customs. Photocopies are not accepted. The round-trip White Pass Summit railway excursion, which reaches the border and turns around without disembarking, does not require a passport. When in doubt, bring your passport — it's the most common reason guests are turned away.

The railway and highway climb nearly 3,000 feet from sea level at Skagway to the White Pass Summit in just about 20 miles, on grades approaching 3.9%. The summit sits right at the Alaska–British Columbia border. You'll feel the change: the harbor can be mild while the alpine tundra at the top is cool and windswept, so bring a layer even in summer.

For most cruise visitors, yes. The White Pass is a National Historic Landmark corridor and the railway is one of only a few dozen International Historic Civil Engineering Landmarks worldwide, alongside the Eiffel Tower and the Panama Canal. Between the Gold Rush history, the glacier-fed waterfalls, and the chance to stand in the Yukon, guests consistently rate these tours among the highlights of their Alaska cruise — our featured tour holds a 4.6/5 rating from 250 reviews.

The Yukon Suspension Bridge is a pedestrian cable bridge strung about 57 feet above the Tutshi River canyon in northern British Columbia, near the Yukon border, at Mile 46.5 of the South Klondike Highway. It's a modern attraction, built in 2006, with interpretive grounds covering the Gold Rush and First Nations history. It's the turnaround highlight of our featured White Pass & Yukon tour — a chance to get out of the van and take in the canyon on foot.

You're met right at the end of your cruise ship dock — Railroad, Broadway, or Ore Dock — about 15 minutes before departure. Look for a representative holding a red sign that reads 'Skagway Tours.' There's no separate shuttle to track down. Because the tours depart on time, plan to be at the meeting point promptly after you clear the ship.

White Pass tours run during the Alaska cruise season, roughly May through late September, when ships call at Skagway. Peak months are June, July, and August. Tours run rain or shine, and mountain weather can shift quickly, so pack a rain layer and dress in layers regardless of the forecast at the dock.

The route passes glacier-fed waterfalls, the historic White Pass & Yukon Route rail line, and landmarks with real Gold Rush stories: Dead Horse Gulch, named for the pack animals lost on the 1898 trail; the retired steel cantilever bridge, once the tallest of its kind in the world; Inspiration Point; and the worn scar of the original Trail of '98. Beyond the summit you enter the subarctic tundra of Tormented Valley and pass Summit Lake.

Wildlife is possible but never guaranteed. Along the Klondike Highway and in the Yukon backcountry, guests sometimes spot black bears, mountain goats, marmots, bald eagles, and the occasional moose. Guides watch for animals and stop when it's safe, but the scenery, waterfalls, and history are the reliable draws — treat any wildlife as a bonus.

Yes. These are the classic Skagway shore excursions, timed to fit a cruise day in port with dock pickup and drop-off. Families often choose the husky sled-dog combos, where kids can meet puppies at the camp. The tours involve mostly seated travel with short, easy walks at photo stops, so they suit a wide range of ages and mobility levels.

Booking ahead is strongly recommended. Skagway sees over a million cruise passengers a summer and the best-rated White Pass tours sell out on busy port days. Reserving online locks in your spot and price, and free cancellation up to 24 hours before means you can adjust if your ship's schedule changes.