White Pass Railway & Yukon Expedition

[cruise*enthusiast]

Our cruise offers 2 different White Pass Railway expeditions.  One that is just the White Pass Railway and another one that is the White Pass Railway & Yukon Expedition.  Has anyone ever been on either one of these?  Is it worth it to include the Yukon Expedition?  Thanks!

[MaggieNY]

We went on this excursion with an outside tour group because the NCL excursion booked pretty fast. The tour took us out to the Yukon Suspension Bridge, which was super-cool. It goes over a river with white water rapids. We did the bus ride up, the bridge & museum, then the train ride down. Someone online said that doing it in this order wasn't as nice because the brakes squeal the whole way down but we didn't find that to be the case.

[destar]

I see 3 different excursions listed for Skagway, if this can help differentiate 

 

1 White pass scenic railway 2 3/4 hrs

2 Best of Skagway & White Pass railway 6 hrs

3 White Pass Railway, Klondike gold fields & Panning 5 hrs

[olemissreb]

We did this independently...train up and van ride back. We went to the Carcross Desert and stopped at a farm with sled dog puppies and you could take a ride on a sled pulled by the dogs. We really enjoyed it.

[Rick&Jeannie]

1 hour ago, cruise*enthusiast said:

Our cruise offers 2 different White Pass Railway expeditions.  One that is just the White Pass Railway and another one that is the White Pass Railway & Yukon Expedition.  Has anyone ever been on either one of these?  Is it worth it to include the Yukon Expedition?  Thanks!

We have done the one that turns around just across the Canadian border.  Since this is what is done, you do NOT have to show passports. (A bit strange since you *are* technically in Canadian territory...but I guess since the train DOES NOT STOP that is how they get around that.)  We've done this twice...GREAT trip. Amazing scenery.

 

 

Edited December 14, 2023 by Rick&Jeannie

[ColdCruise]

We booked the railroad up and back directly with the White Pass & Yukon railway company (Google it). It was almost half the cost of through the 🚢. Same excursion, although I think we were in separate cars. I enjoyed the scenery in both directions. We “stopped” in Canada for about 10 minutes while they swapped the engine. 

[cruise*enthusiast]

51 minutes ago, ColdCruise said:

We booked the railroad up and back directly with the White Pass & Yukon railway company (Google it). It was almost half the cost of through the 🚢. Same excursion, although I think we were in separate cars. I enjoyed the scenery in both directions. We “stopped” in Canada for about 10 minutes while they swapped the engine. 

How did you get to the train?

[Treasure Hunter]

We did this with Princess and the train tracks were right on the pier next to the ship. You just walked over to the train. Sit on the left side going up. The train reverses on the way down but by then everyone was asleep 

[spotfish]

And here I thought I was the only one that fell asleep on the way back down😁

[ColdCruise]

The train station is by the harbor. 
As @Treasure Hunter stated the tracks are right on the pier by the ships, if the ship is docked at that pier. However, only pax that purchased from the cruise ship can board there on the pier.

If you purchased tix from the railroad itself, you have to go to the railroad station to board. It’s a short walk at the head of the piers. 

Search for the railroad on Google maps and it’s easy to see the relationship between piers and the train station. 5-10 min walk maybe, depending on how fast you walk, and where exactly your ship is docked..

 

Of course, if you buy from a third party, they should instruct you where to meet or board.

[cruiser2015]

6 hours ago, MaggieNY said:

We went on this excursion with an outside tour group because the NCL excursion booked pretty fast. The tour took us out to the Yukon Suspension Bridge, which was super-cool. It goes over a river with white water rapids. We did the bus ride up, the bridge & museum, then the train ride down. Someone online said that doing it in this order wasn't as nice because the brakes squeal the whole way down but we didn't find that to be the case.

Sounds just like the tour we took (ship's tour on RCCL).

Loved it!

[PATRLR]

10 hours ago, cruise*enthusiast said:

Our cruise offers 2 different White Pass Railway expeditions.  One that is just the White Pass Railway and another one that is the White Pass Railway & Yukon Expedition.  Has anyone ever been on either one of these?  Is it worth it to include the Yukon Expedition?  Thanks!

There are a few variants, be sure people are reporting to you on the same one you are considering.  

We have done the "WHITE PASS RAILWAY & YUKON EXPEDITION" excursion with NCL.  There are a few components to this excursion:

• The bus ride up gives you a different experience and views than the train does.  Our driver was a great guide/narrator so I found the bus ride interesting and well worth it. 
• The stop at the town of Caribou Crossing (Carcross) was ok, couple neat little shops, small area to explore.  We didn't have a lot of time there.
• The stop at "Caribou Crossing Trading Post" was classic tourist trap.  The "wildlife museum" and "Dog Musher's Village" were built for the tourists, to give them something else to see/do when coming up to that area.  The chicken barbecue was "ok" - pretty much what you might expect for a "BBQ" serving hundreds.
• We made a few other stops for pictures, all beautiful and worthwhile.
• The train ride down is fantastic.  It's the White Pass Railroad, plenty of reviews on what that's all about.
  
  All things considered, I'd recommend this excursion.  It seems to me that riding the train up and down (if that is what the other excursion does) would be a waste of half the excursion.
  
  If you haven't already done so, I recommend spending time in the Alaska port forum here on CC.

[laudergayle]

10 hours ago, Treasure Hunter said:

We did this with Princess and the train tracks were right on the pier next to the ship. You just walked over to the train. Sit on the left side going up. The train reverses on the way down but by then everyone was asleep 

Left side…is this left as you’re facing the train from the outside, or left as you’re facing forward from the inside?  

[cruise*enthusiast]

3 hours ago, PATRLR said:

There are a few variants, be sure people are reporting to you on the same one you are considering.  

We have done the "WHITE PASS RAILWAY & YUKON EXPEDITION" excursion with NCL.  There are a few components to this excursion:

• The bus ride up gives you a different experience and views than the train does.  Our driver was a great guide/narrator so I found the bus ride interesting and well worth it. 
• The stop at the town of Caribou Crossing (Carcross) was ok, couple neat little shops, small area to explore.  We didn't have a lot of time there.
• The stop at "Caribou Crossing Trading Post" was classic tourist trap.  The "wildlife museum" and "Dog Musher's Village" were built for the tourists, to give them something else to see/do when coming up to that area.  The chicken barbecue was "ok" - pretty much what you might expect for a "BBQ" serving hundreds.
• We made a few other stops for pictures, all beautiful and worthwhile.
• The train ride down is fantastic.  It's the White Pass Railroad, plenty of reviews on what that's all about.
  
  All things considered, I'd recommend this excursion.  It seems to me that riding the train up and down (if that is what the other excursion does) would be a waste of half the excursion.
  
  If you haven't already done so, I recommend spending time in the Alaska port forum here on CC.

TY for the wealth of information!  Do you happen to recall about how long you spent on the bus?

[Monica887]

4 hours ago, PATRLR said:

There are a few variants, be sure people are reporting to you on the same one you are considering.  

We have done the "WHITE PASS RAILWAY & YUKON EXPEDITION" excursion with NCL.  There are a few components to this excursion:

• The bus ride up gives you a different experience and views than the train does.  Our driver was a great guide/narrator so I found the bus ride interesting and well worth it. 
• The stop at the town of Caribou Crossing (Carcross) was ok, couple neat little shops, small area to explore.  We didn't have a lot of time there.
• The stop at "Caribou Crossing Trading Post" was classic tourist trap.  The "wildlife museum" and "Dog Musher's Village" were built for the tourists, to give them something else to see/do when coming up to that area.  The chicken barbecue was "ok" - pretty much what you might expect for a "BBQ" serving hundreds.
• We made a few other stops for pictures, all beautiful and worthwhile.
• The train ride down is fantastic.  It's the White Pass Railroad, plenty of reviews on what that's all about.
  
  All things considered, I'd recommend this excursion.  It seems to me that riding the train up and down (if that is what the other excursion does) would be a waste of half the excursion.
  
  If you haven't already done so, I recommend spending time in the Alaska port forum here on CC.

Thank you for this. Last time I was there we rented a car and drove to Emerald lake and back, making some of the stops you mention here. This time we are thinking about just taking the train - seems like the bus part already covers what we have done. Do you know how far up the bus went? 

 

For others, I highly recommend renting a car if you're up for it. The car rental place that I found on the Alaska forum made it easy. We even pre ordered sandwiches with them so that we didn't have to worry about finding something on the way - we just picked a pretty place to picnic. There were 5 of us including one little one so going at our own pace was important, and it was way cheaper than the excursion would have been for 5 people. The drive was easy, and I'm a nervous Nellie about taking non ship excursions that aren't super close to the pier. 

[RocketMan275]

15 hours ago, cruise*enthusiast said:

Our cruise offers 2 different White Pass Railway expeditions.  One that is just the White Pass Railway and another one that is the White Pass Railway & Yukon Expedition.  Has anyone ever been on either one of these?  Is it worth it to include the Yukon Expedition?  Thanks!

VIP White Pass Scenic Railway.  We did this excurion.  Sure, it's more expensive but we think it's worth it. 

First, you're in a dedicated passenger car with a dedicated tour guide.  You can ask him questions at any time.  Not like the other cars sharing a guide who is probably in another car and your dependent upon the speaker system to hear him.

Second, the seating is much better.  Cushioned revolving arm chairs instead of bench seats. 

Third, the car has sandwiches and other treats. It has wine, beer, and liquor included in the price.   

Fourth, dedicated, in car, rest rooms.

[cruiser2015]

1 hour ago, laudergayle said:

Left side…is this left as you’re facing the train from the outside, or left as you’re facing forward from the inside?  

Left while facing forward inside.

Or, left side of train, not the rear nor front.

[cruise*enthusiast]

2 hours ago, laudergayle said:

Left side…is this left as you’re facing the train from the outside, or left as you’re facing forward from the inside?  

Do you suggest left side on the way back as well?  Can you change sides if there are seats available or are they assigned seats?  I know the right side would be somewhat the same view as going up, but not sure if the left side going down has great views as well.

[RocketMan275]

3 minutes ago, cruise*enthusiast said:

Do you suggest left side on the way back as well?  Can you change sides if there are seats available or are they assigned seats?  I know the right side would be somewhat the same view as going up, but not sure if the left side going down has great views as well.

The VIP train excursion has seats that revolve. IOW, sit one way going up and rotate the seat for going down.  Or, you can switch orientation going up and down as the need arises.  BTW, the view is never blocked by  your fellow passengers.

[Treasure Hunter]

Inside the train facing the engine sit on the left for best views. The other side is against the mountain. We took the excursion thru the cruise line and I spent half the ride straddling between cars getting the best photos( no glass in the way). Great day. 

[Laszlo]

1 hour ago, Treasure Hunter said:

Inside the train facing the engine sit on the left for best views. The other side is against the mountain. We took the excursion thru the cruise line and I spent half the ride straddling between cars getting the best photos( no glass in the way). Great day. 

So did I, at times you need to bounce back and forth to get the best views

 

 

 

[RocketMan275]

The stunning thing about the White Pass railroad is it follows the path taken by the miners going to the Yukon.  If you look outside the train, you can see a narrow footpath some distance below the tracks.  This pathway was worn by the miners as they assended the pass.  Canadian mounties would meet them at the top of the pass to ensure they had sufficient food and material to survive in the Yukon.  IIRC correctly, it was a couple of tons of supplies.  The miners either made multiple trips or paid others to help them carry their provisions to the top.  And, yes, you can still see the path formed by their foot steps.

 

I asked our tour guide if they miners weren't afraid of having their goods stolen when they left them at the top to go back for more.  He said the miners looked out for their fellows and if a thief stole these provisions, then Yukon justice was swift and sure and usually involved a rope or firearms.

[LatinaInTexas]

11 hours ago, PATRLR said:

There are a few variants, be sure people are reporting to you on the same one you are considering.  

We have done the "WHITE PASS RAILWAY & YUKON EXPEDITION" excursion with NCL.  There are a few components to this excursion:

• The bus ride up gives you a different experience and views than the train does.  Our driver was a great guide/narrator so I found the bus ride interesting and well worth it. 
• The stop at the town of Caribou Crossing (Carcross) was ok, couple neat little shops, small area to explore.  We didn't have a lot of time there.
• The stop at "Caribou Crossing Trading Post" was classic tourist trap.  The "wildlife museum" and "Dog Musher's Village" were built for the tourists, to give them something else to see/do when coming up to that area.  The chicken barbecue was "ok" - pretty much what you might expect for a "BBQ" serving hundreds.
• We made a few other stops for pictures, all beautiful and worthwhile.
• The train ride down is fantastic.  It's the White Pass Railroad, plenty of reviews on what that's all about.
  
  All things considered, I'd recommend this excursion.  It seems to me that riding the train up and down (if that is what the other excursion does) would be a waste of half the excursion.
  
  If you haven't already done so, I recommend spending time in the Alaska port forum here on CC.

I have this excursion booked, I picked it because it was the longest excursion at over 8 hours. Quick question for the BBQ meal do you eat outside or indoors?

[phillygwm]

22 hours ago, cruise*enthusiast said:

Our cruise offers 2 different White Pass Railway expeditions.  One that is just the White Pass Railway and another one that is the White Pass Railway & Yukon Expedition.  Has anyone ever been on either one of these?  Is it worth it to include the Yukon Expedition?  Thanks!

I went on the shorter version in 2016.  At the time, it may have been the only option offered by NCL.  It was very picturesque.  I'm considering going on the longer version on my Alaska cruise next year.

[cruiser2015]

6 hours ago, cruise*enthusiast said:

Do you suggest left side on the way back as well?  Can you change sides if there are seats available or are they assigned seats?  I know the right side would be somewhat the same view as going up, but not sure if the left side going down has great views as well.

The view, of course, is reversed on the return trip.

Best view overall is on the left going up, on the right going back.

You can move around at will; obviously depending on space available.

As i recall, we spent some time outside of the car (between cars). Unobstructed for photos.