Frequently Asked Questions

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For your convenience, below are our most frequently asked questions (FAQs). If there is anything else you wish to query, please contact us. Please call OR text on 1-907-921-4344. Alternatively, feel free to email us with your FAQs at info@skagway.tours or fill in the contact form and one of our customer service representatives will aim to respond within 24 hours or less.

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The Cruise Ships Say If We Don’t Book With Them, We Might Get Left Behind. Is It Safe To Book With A Local Company?

Absolutely, it is totally safe. We’ve never left a man behind! Or a woman for that matter. The whole tourism industry here in Skagway is built around the cruise ship schedule, so we know how to get you back in plenty of time.   The team at Skagway Tours has been doing this a long time, and we’ve also been cognizant of the changing tourism environment and take into account things like drive times, stops for unexpected wildlife (don’t touch the bear!), and lines at customs.  Each of our reservations, whether made direct or thru your travel agent or favorite website, is reviewed by our team and we make sure that you have plenty of time to get back to your ship for your all-aboard.

And, if things DO go wrong, most of the time your next stop is Juneau, and that’s just a quick 45 minute free flightseeing ride on us. 

What Should We Wear?

Unpredictably, the weather is changeable and often wet. Bring layered clothing, some warm mid-layers, a water proof jacket and footwear you don’t mind getting wet.  We’re takin ya from sea level to over 3,200 feet in elevation – and once we cross into Canada the weather always changes (mostly better!).   Travelers in April, September & October might even get to experience SNOW!  

Are There Any Other Fees We Need To Know About?

Inclusively, all the travel to and from port is included in the prices. We include all fees with our tour, however things like munches and souvenirs are all on you.  

Are There Restroom Breaks?

Yes: we stop several times along the way. That said, we always recommend making use of the facilities just before coming aboard.  Most of the facilities are primitive, so keep that in mind!  Remote latrines (in Canada) do not have running water or hand sanitizer; Wild Adventure Yukon & Yukon Suspension Bridge have normal bathrooms with running water.

What If The Weather Is Bad, Is The Tour Still On?

Wonderfully, we never cancel due to bad weather. We tough it out! This is Alaska not California..! One area we stop at in the Yukon only gets 6” of rain a year – which is amazing considering we feel like we get 6” a day in Skagway sometimes! 

Do I Need My Passport?

Our tours to the Yukon and British Columbia actually leave the United States and you’ll enter Canada in Fraser, so you will need to bring proof of citizenship for Americans & Canadians (eg: birth certificate/passport, Nexus card, etc).  Everyone else will need a passport, and may wanna make sure you don’t need a visa to enter Canada.  Mexican citizens are NOW required by Canada to have a visa!   US & Canadian permanent residents & citizens may enter with an enhanced drivers license, original birth certificate, or passport.

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US WHTI documents to ENTER the US:
https://www.cbp.gov/travel/us-citizens/western-hemisphere-travel-initiative

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Canada entry requirements:
https://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/travel-voyage/td-dv-eng.html

Not sure, drop us a note via the chat option bottom RIGHT or give us a call!

Failure to bring the correct document could result in our driver-guide not permitting you on the tour, and you won’t be eligible for a refund.

What Is There To Eat?

Fear not, most of our tours stop at attractions with some type of beverage and snack offering.  Yukon Suspension Bridge has killer chili and freshly baked cookies; Wild Adventure Yukon has a kick-a$$ family style Yukon BBQ; and Tutshi Sled Dog Camp offers beverages & prepackaged snacks for purchase. Packing some goodies and a bottle of water is a good idea! Definitely a must for the City and Summit Tour.

Can I Take Pictures From The Bus?

Gloriously, the windows in the majority of our buses are clear and slide down from the top making it easy to snap shots as we drive. We make plenty of stops along the way where you can get out. Photo opportunities abound!

What camera should I bring to capture my wonderful memories?

Excitingly, check out our recent blog post on Photo and Camera Tips for your Skagway / Yukon adventure.

Where do we find you?

Cruise guests will meet your awesome guide at the end of the dock/parking lot from your ship, look for the red bus and/or red Skagway Tours sign.  Sometimes Barley may even make an appearance.  Guests who are already in Skagway can be picked up at a variety of spots around town.

What's your cancellation policy?

All tours with us are nonrefundable within 14 days of travel, sadly we are holding a spot for you that someone may want.  If your ship happens to not make it to Skagway, we will give ya your money back!  You can also buy our Klondike Prospector Protection option – which allows you to cancel/refund for ANY reason almost right up to departure (6 hours prior).

Do you price match?

Sadly no – there’s a reason other operators or websites may have a different price than what you find here.  We believe in our awesome trips, but with the huge price increases we’re getting in Skagway, we really can’t offer discounts on our tours (we seriously have to wait nearly a week for groceries to get to Skagway from Seattle by barge!).  We want to keep offering a high quality, amazing vacation for you – and that means having the best guides, the best mechanics, the best busses.  We can’t do that by being cheap.

Do you have group rates?

We offer private charter options along with group discounts on our regular tours.  Parties of 9 or more can select the “Friends & Family” rate and receive a discount on our pre-scheduled tours.  Private charters are available for groups in our 14, 26, and 42 passenger busses.

Are those real pics of puppies that I’ll get to see?

We promise you we aren’t photoshopping cuteness in the pics!  We take you to a remote sled dog camp up the road, one that isn’t flooded with hundreds of other tourists, to experience a true Canadian sled dog musher camp.  The puppies and dogs you’ll get to meet are real life athletes and compete in the famous Iditarod and Yukon Quest mushing competitions.  And you’ll get to meet the trainers and maybe even the musher herself!

Do we get to go to a real working sled dog camp?

At Skagway Tours, we’re proud of our network of friends, and why we support Michelle Phillips & Ed Hopkins private business.  Ed & Michelle operate Tagish Lake Kennel, which is where she works & trains her dogs year round outside of Carcross, Yukon.   The drive time from Skagway to her sled dog home is pretty far, so she operates Tutshi Sled Dog Camp in the summer for her dogs – which is much much closer to Skagway and along the Klondike Highway.

Michelle & Ed both rotate their days at the camp, but you’ll get to meet one of them, along with their dog handlers and the stars of the show:  their canine athletes.

The Alaskan huskies you meet are born and raised to run, and these are their own dogs (note there may be times they are asked to train other racer’s dogs!).  

Our guests will get to play with the puppies and a few select dogs in at the sled dog camp, and those going on mushing will be working with an actual sled dog team.  These are the same dogs that have propelled Michelle & Ed to win the Yukon Quest and also race in the Iditarod.

Juneau Tours & Whale Watch Add - On Basics

Skagway Tours offers our fellow cousin-company Juneau Tours whale watch as an add-on for most of our tours.

The add-on is for their award winning 4 hour trip in Juneau, which includes:

  • 2.5 hours on the water, whale watching for Humpback whales, sea lions, bald eagles, and other wildlife.
  • Meet the stars of Auke Bay in their summer feeding grounds – the whales Sacha, Flame and many others.
  • FREE tour-transit from the cruise ship docks to Auke Bay, with narration along the way about Juneau’s history and sights.
  • All of Juneau Tours vessels have comfortable indoor seating with outdoor areas for better viewing of whales & other marine life.
  • The onboard naturalist will provide an eductional talk on your way out to Favorite Channel in Lynn Canal, where you’ll be doing the whale watch.
  • Each boat is equipped with a naturalist & US Coast Guard certified Captain.
  • All boats offer light snacks & beverages upon request, as well as an onboard lavatory

Please let us know when booking if you have any special needs requests.  Juneau Tours may not be able to accommodate all mobility-impaired guests.

Juneau Tours & Whale Watch Add-On Booking Information

When booking your whale watch add-on, you will be able to select your preferred time from the drop down menu.

Using the latest cruise ship schedules by Cruise Line Agencies of Alaska, we will handle the booking on your behalf based on your cruise ship schedule.

Once we have your booking confirmed, you will receive it as an email from Juneau Tours (direct) or from Skagway Tours.

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