Yukon River Canoe Expedition

The Ultimate wilderness canoe expedition following the gold rush from Whitehorse to Dawson City. The Yukon River is a major watercourse of Northern Canada and one of the last great wilderness areas.

Level: Grade 1-2 fourteen day wilderness paddle

4th - 21st June 2027
10 to 12 customers
£2350

4th June to 21st June 2027 in the Yukon (excludes travel to the destination)
Duration: 20 days

The Ultimate wilderness canoe expedition following the gold rush from Whitehorse to Dawson City. We have paddled the Yukon and led Canadian wilderness expeditions for over 14 years. Join us for this trip of a lifetime.

Options: A canoeing journey par excellance

What's Included

Craft
Buoyancy Aid
Basic Map
Paddles
Professional Coaches
Cooking Kit
Your Campsite
Guiding
Food and Meals
Activity Equipment

What else we can provide on request

Great food, good company and wild camping will make this a memorable experience. We work alongside our partners and friends Woodland Ways, Bushcraft experts, to make this trip a true journey of discovery.

Dates & Requirements

Arrive on 4th June and get home on 22nd June 2027 (allowing for time differences), contact us for our early bird 2029 dates.

We welcome all abilities, however, you need to have some experience of paddling a canoe and a moderate level of endurance and determination (compare it to hill walking for 6-7 hours with a light bag!). Feel free to contact us to discuss further as we can help bring your skills up to speed.

Please contact us if you would like to be added to the waiting list. We are back running this trip for 2029, to infinity and beyond.

Trip Description

The Canoe Trail team has raced and paddled the Yukon River on numerous occasions and is offering the ultimate wilderness paddling experience. Rich and Rob have raced the Yukon River Quest Race - 444 miles of wilderness racing. Rich has led 4 expeditions to this part of the world including sea kayaking from Vancouver Island to Glacier Bay, canoeing from Whitehorse to Dawson City, and sea kayaking, hiking and pack rafting from Juneau down to Whitehorse via the Chilkoot Trail.

The Yukon is the home of the 1898 Gold Rush and this 2 week trip will journey along this historic route from Whitehorse to Dawson City. Over 30,000 ‘stampeders’ headed to this remote frontier to stake claims for gold. Many didn’t make it and many more didn’t find gold. There is plenty of living history still around with the Interpretive Centre at Fort Selkirk, the SS Evelyn Norcom at Hootalinqa, and Dawson City itself. The trip will include time to visit the Robin McBride Museum, Diamond Tooth Gerties, and Jack London’s Cabin

You will have plenty of opportunity to improve your paddling skills with our qualified and experienced coaches eager to share their knowledge on this fast-moving water.

A mixture of camping grounds and wild camping will make this a memorable experience. Wildlife on the river includes bears, moose, and wolves.

Included

Professional instructors and coaching
Accommodation on arrival and departure in the Yukon (3 nights)
Breakfast, light lunch and evening meals on the river only (excludes meals in town locations and snacks)
Wild camping on the Yukon River and campgrounds
Transport and shuttle service back (excludes flights)
Canoes, BA’s, barrels, paddles, and safety equipment

What you will need to bring

Tent and dry bags (for personal kit and small items)
Sleeping bag & roll mat
Water filter / bottle
Cutlery, cup, bowl, knife & fork
Personal kit
A Sense of Humour!

Trip Itinerary

Customers to arrive at Whitehorse, Yukon on 4th June
Starting in Iconic Whitehorse following the route of the Stampeders
Paddling down to 32 mile long Lake Labarge
Camping at the bottom of Lake Labarge entrance to 30 mile River
30 mile River
Showers and a short break at Carmacks campground
Hootalinqua shipyard and the SS Everlyn Norcom Sternwheeler
Five finger rapids and Rink rapids
White River and plenty of roadhouse wilderness locations
Stewart Island (last time we saw a Lynx)
Fort Selkirk Interpretive Centre
Dawson City and tales of daring do
Diamond Tooth Gerties, Jack London's cabin and Robert Service
Customers shuttled back from Dawson City to Whitehorse
Customers depart Whitehorse on 21st June

Note: Itinerary subject to change at any time if deemed necessary by Canoe Trail such as high flows or late ice break up on Lake Labarge

Frequently Asked Questions

How does the booking process work?

During the season our hire of canoes, kayaks, and SUPs, and paddle and camp trips are scheduled for customers to book via an automated schedule. Typically Kempston base is open throughout the season 7 days a week whereas Bedford is usually weekends or holidays. At the time of booking you will need to enter medical information, any special requirements and sizes into the booking forms. You will also need to provide contact details and emergency contact details as a contingency. Depending on what you are doing (e.g. camping, expeds, etc), you can book optional extras such as wood (you need to bring your own otherwise), water, grills, tipis and luggage service, or if you're on an exped you can hire hire drysuits. Once you have booked and your information is captured by the system, you will receive an automated email including a QR code and parking information to help you arrive in good time for your booking and get checked in. See our Terms & Conditions - www.canoetrail.co.uk/terms-and-conditions

Are estimated durations for the trips accurate?

We have operated on this river for many years and have built up experience of how long it takes people to paddle each route. Our times allow the average time and we have graded all of our trips to further help you choose the right one for you (Slow, Medium, or Hard). Even our Hard trips will be easily achievable for those who are relatively fit and paddle at a steady rate. Please note if you think that you will not make the pick-up time, please call us immediately as you may have to be picked up at a later time.

How fit do I need to be?

You don’t need to be super fit to paddle, but a bit of stamina helps, especially around locks. Our 1-hour and half-day hires don’t include any locks, so there’s very little lifting. Full-day hires usually involve at least one, where you’ll need to move your craft a short distance on land (they do make great picnic spots though!). All of our routes for hire are considered 'Grade 0' meaning they're a great choice for beginners and we’ll give you plenty of tips before you head out. If you’re unsure, just give us a call. For expeditions then we often use the analogy of walking in the hills for a day with a light rucksack, its not lung busting effort but it does require up to 6-7 hours paddling in the great outdoors. We can provide guidance for customers on building Paddlefit endurance ahead of bigger trips.

Is there a weight limit for paddlers and equipment?

Generally there is a craft for everyone whatever their weight. Our instructors will try and match you to the best craft for you. Kayaks have a closed cockpit where your legs sit inside the kayak so the cockpit size is the critical element. We have several cockpits on certain craft that are larger and some craft are more stable than offers. Sit on Tops, double and single are more stable than conventional sit in kayaks. In some instances for taller and larger humans we have also provided one of our double kayaks for them to paddle solo to feel more comfortable. Similarly we have a range of canoe sizes from 15ft with 2 seats to 16ft with 2 or 3 seats and 17ft with 2 or 3 seats. The longer canoes are wider and more stable. With stand up paddle boards we have a range of boards that are thicker and wider which will be easier for bigger people. If you are unsure about the best craft for you then please do ask.

Do you take photographs?

We aim to take pictures at the start of your trip and post these to our social media for your ease of access. If you take pictures of your paddling trip please tag them with #canoetrail, @canoetrails (Twitter/Instagram/TikTok), Canoe Trail on Facebook/Trip Adviser.

Do I need to be able to swim?

Participants should be confident in and around water although they do not need to be swimmers. We will provide all safety briefings and equipment for the day, including a buoyancy aid for all paddlers.

What are the best canoe and kayak expeditions for a beginner?

The best expeditions for canoe and kayak are ones that allow you to safely develop white water skills and progress without jumping in at the deep end. For example if you have been paddling on flat water then try paddling something at the lower grades such as Grade 1 and Grade 2 as opposed to something more technical. It is often hard to learn new skills when completing longer journeys and or wild camping. Tackling trips and expeditions with professional guides and coaches helps speed up the learning process (learning curve) and achieve the journey safely, learning in bite sized chunks. Canoe Trail selects a range of expeditions to help paddlers progress from novice to more intermediate skills where our canoe and kayak coaches provide white water coaching, campcraft and support to act as the 'hand rail' for our customers. Examples of great intro trips for beginners are the Norfolk Broads and Stour Paddling Trips, The Jurassic Sea Kayak Expedition and the River Tweed Canoe Expedition. Intermediate trips include the River Spey and River Tay and Best of Wales Paddling Trips.

What level of experience do I need for a canoe or kayak expedition?

The majority of our expeditions require no experience of paddling white water and training is provided on and during the course, trip or expedition. Our professional white water coaches and guides have led novice paddlers down many big rivers and wilderness areas in canoe or kayak. Customers with limited experience have joined us for bucket list trips such as canoeing the Yukon River, our Jurassic Sea Kayak Expedition, Algonquin Canoe Expedition, Best of Wales canoe and kayak expedition and many more. Learning new skills such as reading the rapids, breaking in and breaking out and hitting eddies is taught on the expeditions. You can always give us a call to discuss fitness, any concerns and paddling skills before or after you have booked. We provide a zoom or whats app call ahead of our expeditions to familiarize yourselves with the team, logistcis and plans. Many customers jump on one of our intro to white water courses in canoe or kayak at Bedford or Matlock to learn how to paddle rapids before their trips but this is not mandatory.

What sort of food do we eat on expedition?

At heart the Canoe Trail team are foodies and we are used to providing high quality cordon blu cooking on the trail and in the wilderness. We are also used to dealing with food intolerances and allergies but obviously need to know in advance of any special requirements. Depending on the expedition (UK or overseas, wilderness or easy access) will depend on the level of catering provided. From experience on some trips we know that customers prefer to self cater whereas on our Canadian and Finland Trips for example we provide breakfasts and evening meals. Our food for these expeditions is aimed at powering the team for the day of paddling ahead with snacks and nibbles, and often a sweet treat. We pride ourselves on our menus often conjuring up recipes that you would cook at home. For example

Can I do a SUP expedition?

Yes we do offer SUP trips and expeditions. You can paddle without guides (free range) down to our woodland campsite for a paddle and camp trip (This trip was voted top 52 things to do in the world by Lonely Plane and voted Top 3 destinations for a SUP micro adventure by Red Bull Magazine). We can also organise many of our current trips and expeditions as SUP trips for private groups including the Jurassic Coadt, Norfolk Broads, River Stour and even the Great Glen Canoe Trail. We would need to discuss