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If stunning scenery and history is on your train travel wish-list for 2026, then you’re in luck as North America’s iconic White Pass & Yukon Route has now reopened for the summer season.
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Regarded as one of the world’s most scenic rail journeys, the White Pass & Yukon Route was built in 1898 during the Klondike Gold Rush. It took the labour of 35,000 men to hew out this 177-kilometre narrow-gauge route.
Today, the railway is recognised as an International Historic Civil Engineering Landmark, a designation shared with the likes of the Panama Canal, Eiffel Tower and Statue of Liberty.
Departing from Skagway in Alaska, the train travels through stunning mountain scenery to Fraser and Bennett in British Columbia before arriving in Carcross in Canada’s Yukon Territory.
Along the route, passengers are treated to dramatic views of mountains, glaciers, gorges, waterfalls, tunnels, trestles and historic sites, all from the comfort of beautifully restored vintage rail cars.
The journey ends in Carcross, a community nestled within the Traditional Territory of the Carcross/Tagish First Nation.
Originally known as “Caribou Crossing” due to the vast herds of woodland caribou that once migrated through the area, Carcross is now celebrated for its vibrant Indigenous culture, thriving arts scene and dramatic natural surroundings.
Why visit the Yukon?
Located in Canada’s far north-west beside Alaska, the Yukon is home to Mount Logan, Canada’s highest peak, and the world’s largest non polar icefields in Kluane National Park and Reserve.
Visitors can explore unique local attractions including the Yukon’s only one-way street, the territory’s oldest hotel, the world’s smallest desert and the Yukon’s strongest bridge, all set against a backdrop of glacier-fed lakes and soaring mountain peaks.
Nearly 80% of the territory remains wilderness, the Yukon covers an area roughly the size of Spain yet has only 46,000 residents. There are also 220,000 caribou, 70,000 moose and thousands of bears and mountain sheep.
Experience the route
The White Pass & Yukon Route offers a range of journeys, from the classic White Pass Summit Excursion, which lasts around two-and-a-half to nearly three hours, to full-day experiences continuing into Canada’s Yukon Territory.
The flagship summit journey climbs nearly 900 metres from sea level through dramatic mountain scenery before returning to Skagway, while longer itineraries to Carcross take around five hours one way.
Advance fares for the popular Summit Excursion start from US$155 (around €132) for adults, while the Carcross one-way journey costs US$210 (around €179).
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