Chilkoot Charters - Best option

[SirTomster]

My wife and I are going on a cruise to Alaska in June of next year.

 

We will be visiting Skagway and I plan on booking the Bennett Scenic Journey option which is half train and half bus.

 

I am leaning towards the bus option going up and taking the train down and wanted anyone's thoughts on this option.

 

My reasoning is that by taking the bus up first, we might see more wildlife and be able to stop the bus to take pictures. Then, take the train back down and enjoy the views and relax since this is an 8 hour excursion.

 

Thoughts?  Any pros/cons to the reverse?

[Ashland]

We also did the Chilkoot tour bus up train down. Worked out great for us.

[wolfie11]

I’ve done it both ways.  I prefer train up, bus down.  This is more of a classic train and history excursion than a wildlife excursion. Wildlife is a bonus.  I saw a moose wading in Bennett Lake once and black bears on the highway are a possibility but I love being the first train out in the morning and watching the later trains chugging up the pass behind us.  This is one of my favorite Alaska excursions and Chilkoot is the best.  Ask your driver if they know the “Bruce the Moose” story.

[GTJ]

23 hours ago, SirTomster said:

I am leaning towards the bus option going up and taking the train down and wanted anyone's thoughts on this option.

I don't think that there's any substantial and objective advantage of the order in which the train and the bus are used, and that it is guided more by personal preference, or perhaps the departure and return timings in Skagway, than anything else. You've enumerated good personal reasons for bus first, while others will have their own personal reasons for train first.

[SirTomster]

Well they opened up 2024 bookings today and I am booked.  Ended up doing the Bus first then the train.

 

Train first was at 7:30 AM.  Bus first is 9:30 AM.   We are in port for 14 hours so I was good with starting a little later.