Join us as we travel overland from Whitehorse to the Arctic along snow covered highways and roadways built of ice along ancient wildlife corridors and traditional trading routes of First Nations traders, later used by Klondike Gold Rush prospectors. The route offers some of the greatest geographic diversity in the country; the Tombstone Mountains in the central Yukon are among the youngest mountain ranges in North America, while the low rolling Ogilvie’s with their naked spines were not glaciated during the last Ice Age, and are therefore among the oldest. North of the Ogilvie Mountains the landscape gradually flattens to low tundra and just after crossing the Arctic Circle the Richardson Mountains, the Northern-most extension of the Rocky Mountains, come into view. From there, the roadway will begin it’s descent into the impressive Mackenzie River Delta; 12th largest in the world, to arrive at Inuvik, known as the Place of Man. The tour finishes with a thrilling excursions to the Inuvialuit village of Tuktoyaktuk, on the Arctic coast, accessible only by a winter “ice-road” constructed out of the frozen ice of the Mackenzie River and the Arctic Ocean. We then fly back to Whitehorse where the tour ends.

Whitehorse - Transfer included from airport to hotel. En route, your guide will offer a city highlight tour that includes SS Klondike National Historic Site, the Old Log Church and the Log Cabin Skyscraper.

The pre-departure meeting will be held at 6.00pm at the hotel.  You’ll meet your fellow travellers and your guide will review the itinerary. The remainder of the evening is free to explore the city and do any last minute shopping. Accommodation: Whitehorse

Dawson - Eagle Plains - We’ll get an early start today. Before departing, we’ll tour this wonderfully well preserved Gold Rush Town. Parks Canada has restored many of the original buildings including the Palace Grand Theatre, the Commissioner’s Residence and the cabins of Jack London and Robert Service’s cabin, among many others. Then we’ll travel up Bonanza Creek road to the actual claim where gold was discovered in 1896. Discovery Claim is located near the impressive Dredge #4 National Historic Site and we’ll stop for a photo here as well before we leave town and travel to the Dempster Highway. The Dempster is one of the truly great Canadian roadways. Completed only in the late 1970’s, the Dempster is still the only fully public road in North America to cross the Arctic Circle. Today’s drive is considered most scenic; Tombstone Territorial Park encompasses the jagged peaks to the West that give the park its name and further along, the Ogilvie Mountains offer superb scenery and stunning vistas. Wildlife is often spotted along the roadsides, so keep a good watch for foxes, the occasional wolf and caribou. We’ll stop for a picnic lunch at a creek-side campground, where gray-jay’s, or ‘camp-robbers’ as they’re known locally will keep us company always happy to help with leftovers. As we arrive at Eagle Plains in the late afternoon/early evening, the modest hotel, fuel station, and highway maintenance station – the only civilization for approximately 300km in either direction - feels like an oasis! Accommodation: Eagle Plains

Inuvik - Tuktoyaktuk - We travel by ice-road across the expansive Mackenzie River delta towards the Arctic coast. At the rivers entrance into the Arctic Ocean, the road turns northeast and travels along the coastline of Arctic Ocean toward the village of “Tuk” as it is known by residents. Not far from town you’ll see the first of several ‘pingos’. These are mountains literally made of ice; heaved-up season after season with the annual freeze and thaw. The tallest is over 100m! Accommodation: Tuktoyaktuk

Tuktoyaktuk - Inuvik - Return to Inuvik via the ice road. Afternoon and evening free for optional sightseeing and tours. Accommodation: Inuvik

Tour finishes at Whitehorse Airport.  Please speak to your agent or to a Kumuka representative if you wish to spend extra nights in Whitehorse at the same hotel where the tour started.

This tour is operated in conjunction with our local partners in Canada.  You will be joined by other Kumuka passengers as well as travellers who have booked through other agencies.

The itinerary will be followed as closely as possible. However, this tour visits areas that can be unpredictable and there may be times when it is necessary to change the route according to abnormal weather patterns, the presence of wild animals, or any unforeseen local conditions that are out of our control. Please be flexible and respect the changes that your Tour Leader may have to make during the tour.

Travel insurance is compulsory for all tours. All clients MUST be insured to cover personal accident, medical expenses, cancellation, curtailment, repatriation, etc. Also, be aware that many activities such as trekking, bungy jumping or white water rafting may not be covered on your insurance policy. If you plan on doing any of these activities please purchase additional insurance. We recommend that you have a photocopy of this document, which you keep separate from the original. If you have not already arranged your own travel insurance then Kumuka can do this for you. Please visit http://www.kumuka.com/Travel-Insurance.aspx for more details or contact your nearest Kumuka office.

Please Note: You will not be permitted to join a Kumuka Tour without travel insurance.

It is important that you obtain the appropriate visas before you embark on your tour to Canada. The Kumuka website www.kumuka.com provides visa information, yet entry regulations can change without notice. Further consultation with your Travel Agent or nearest Embassy is recommended. Each client is solely responsible for obtaining all necessary visas and entry requirements before joining a tour. Kumuka does not accept responsibility for changes in regulations or requirements for visas. The information provided is given in good faith.

In North America tipping is a way of life and very much expected, as well as appreciated. For many, receiving tips is a means of supplementing their salary which is usually based on minimum wage. The standard amount in restaurants and bars is 15% of the total bill (please note that sales and service taxes are automatically imposed in some restaurants and bars).  Chambermaids usually receive $1 or $2 per night in a hotel, simply left on the bedside table.

It is also customary in North America to show appreciation of your Tour Leader by tipping him/her at the end of the tour.

Whilst on tour you will probably want to stay in touch with family and friends. There are several ways of doing this:

Mobile Phone – Before departing your home country check with your phone supplier to see if it compatible with the mobile phone networks in the countries that you are traveling to, and how much will it cost to use abroad.

Email – Internet Cafes are very cheap and popular, and you are sure to come across several during your tour. If you haven’t done so already, set up a free Google Mail, Hotmail, or Yahoo email account which you can then access from any computer. Internet Cafes will charge a nominal fee for using their computers. Within Europe some hotels charge a wifi connection fee and we cannot guarantee a wifi connection at all hotels we use.

Twitter – A method of communication that is rapidly gaining in popularity on the Internet especially amongst travelers. Twitter allows you to send short messages and update your friends and family with where you are on tour and what you are doing. Create your free account at http://twitter.com. Visit Kumuka’s page on Twitter at http://twitter.com/kumuka

Facebook – Very popular website that allows you to upload stories, get in touch with fellow travellers before and after your Kumuka tour, upload photos and videos to share with other travellers, your family and friends. To create a free account, go to www.facebook.com and then become a fan of Kumuka’s Facebook Page at www.facebook.com/pages/Kumuka-Worldwide/26617121087?ref=ts

Postcards – The good ol’ fashioned postcard. But you will probably get home before the postcard does!

Under no circumstances are any illegal drugs allowed on any part of the trip. Anyone discovered in possession of any such drugs, will be asked to leave the tour immediately without question or refund.