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Yukon Quest Trail husky safari, Canada

country:Canada
location:Yukon 
departures:Trips depart Fridays, Dec 09 – Mar 10
price:From £2295 (8 days) excluding flights. Price includes transfers, 8 nights hotel / cabins / tents, most meals, training and assessment runs, equipment and guides. Single snowmobile supplement £50, Single husky sled supplement £50.
vouchers:Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday
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introduction to Yukon Quest Trail husky safari, Canada

Known as 'the wilderness city', Whitehorse is situated within a vast landscape and The Yukon River runs through it. With a world renowned reputation for Aurora sightings and some true adventures on the doorstop it's a very special place.

The Yukon Territory and Whitehorse

The First Nations who inhabited the Yukon were only first disturbed by the Europe in the early 19th century. Fur traders were followed by missionaries and then the Western Union Telegraph Expedition. The Yukon region was only split from the North West Territory when the 1897 Klondike Gold Rush boosted its population. This incredible history combines with some of the truest wilderness areas on earth to create a unique holiday destination. The Yukon is also famed for its adventure activities such as dog sledding and the excellent opportunities for viewing the Northern Lights. This holiday is designed to allow you to experience the Yukon and all it has to offer during the winter months.

The community of Whitehorse has it all, wilderness out the back door as well as modern conveniences and amenities. The capital city of the Yukon Territory has a vibrant culture as it is the traditional territory of two First Nations and was the former terminus of the White Pass and Yukon Route Railway. During the great Klondike Gold Rush the city was an important supply town and this history runs deep. The town is also the destination for the famous Yukon Quest Trail dogsled race each year.

Suitable for anybody aged 18 years or over with a reasonable level of fitness.
day-by-day itinerary
Please note that arrivals and departures are always on Fridays.

Day 1:Flights, arrivals and overnight in Whitehorse. Upon arrival in the town of Whitehorse you will be greeted and transferred to your downtown hotel accommodation for a well deserved rest.
Day 2:Whitehorse city tour and Aurora viewing You may have a lie in this morning before being picked up for your city tour. You will be shown the main highlights of Whitehorse such as the log church and Sternwheeler SS Klondike. In the afternoon you will have the opportunity to explore Whitehorse on your own or alternatively we can arrange for you to see the Yukon from the air in a truly memorable 30 minute scenic flight.At 9.30pm you will be picked up at the hotel for your first Aurora viewing session. You will be driven away from the lights of Whitehorse into the wilderness. A warm heated cabin awaits with hot drinks and snacks on hand through out the evening. You can spend time sitting around a campfire and telling stories while hopefully being entertained by the stunning Aurora Borealis overhead. You will return to the hotel around 1.30am.
Day 3:Yukon Wildlife Preserve and Takhini Hot Springs. This morning you have a free morning and then in the afternoon you will be picked up and driven to one of the highlights of the region. The Yukon Wildlife Preserve allows for great opportunities to view and photograph wildife in its natural habitat such as mountain goats, elk, deer, caribou, wood bison, moose and musk ox may all be seen up close. It is then a short drive to the Takhini Hot Springs. The natural mineral waters flow from deep within the earth and are mineral rich. You can relax in the hot pools and soak up the stunning mountain scenery before heading back to Whitehorse.
Day 4:Snowmobiling and Aurora viewing. Today you will get to experience the Yukon in a truly exhilarating way, on snowmobiles. You will be given full instruction and tuition as you are introduced to your snowmobiles and there will be a trial run before you head off with your guide on prepared trails through the immense Yukon landscape. You will stop for lunch and hot drinks en route. After some time off to relax you will head off for a night of Aurora viewing at the cosy cabin.
Day 5:Free day and Aurora viewing. Today is free for you to relax or choose some additional activities such as ice-fishing and snowshoeing. Tonight you will again head out for and Aurora viewing session.
Day 6:Haines Junction and Kluane National Park. Today you will drive west on the Alaska Highway for about two hours until you reach the town of Haines Junction. The town lies in the Shakwak Valley on the doorstep of one of the most dynamic and spectacular landscapes on the planet. Kluane National Park is one of Canada's national treasures and covers 21,980 square kilometers. It is also part of a wider UNESCO world heritage site. From the community at Haines Junction the mountains rise steeply and form a stunning backdrop; a must see for any visitor to Yukon.
Day 7:Full day husky safari and Aurora viewing. If you haven't read Jack London's 'Call of the Wild' don't panic today you will follow in his footsteps and see the Yukon from a dog sled. Your day will begin with a full safety briefing and instructions on how to handle your team. With your guide you will then head off onto the trails for a day of mushing through the wilderness. You will follow the Takhini River into the Ibex Valley and have a well deserved lunch. Tonight you will head out to the Aurora cabin for the final time and hopefully see the Lights dance.
Day 8:Departure. Today it is time to depart from Whitehorse and fly back to the UK. We can of course arrange for you to extend your stay in Whitehorse or perhaps you may like to choose to stop off in Vancouver, home of the 2010 Winter Olympics.
small group adventure holiday
Typically you will be sharing your experiences with between 4-20 like minded travellers (depending on the trip, operator and how many others are booked on the trip) and you'll have a group leader with you. Whether you are travelling alone or with friends its good value, and a great way to meet new people! While itineraries are pre-planned there is some flexibility and you'll have plenty of privacy. This trip will appeal to travellers of all ages who enjoy meeting new people as well as seeing new places.
how this holiday makes a difference
Northern lights on Canada husky safariTourism in Yukon has become a main source of employment and income, replacing employment in traditional industries such as forestry. Working within this growth industry in rural and remote areas means that we must take a great deal of responsibility; socially, environmentally and economically. We fully appreciate the impact of tourist visits on local communities and their residents and strive to ensure that we are having a positive effect.

We always encourage all of our clients to respect and embrace the lives and culture of local inhabitants by learning a few important words: hello, goodbye, please, thank you etc. In addition, we always encourage our clients to get involved in local events and activities which help to sustain traditional values and customs.

In all of our destinations we ensure that we use local suppliers, enabling locally owned businesses and the economies in which they work to benefit directly. Our suppliers in Yukon provide a vital source of employment throughout the whole region and importantly throughout the summer months as well.

Restaurants and meals during activities combine as much local produce as possible. Through the tourism multiplier effect, this all helps to generate incomes and employment where the drift might otherwise be towards larger employment areas such as towns and cities. In small and remote areas the effects of such a drift could be devastating.

The use of smaller businesses means that the tourism income, generated by our presence, stays where it should, in the local economy. We firmly believe in paying a fair price for all services provided by our suppliers regardless of where they are in the world.

Our holidays rely on visiting beautiful and un-spoilt areas, and they don’t come more un-spoilt than Yukon. Naturally we wish to maintain the natural settings in which we work, not just for the future of our company, but also for future generations. We always insist that our local providers are equally conscious of this need.

All dog sled trails used are well maintained and marked so that any impact on the environment is minimized. Our guides are extremely aware of the environment in which they operate and are very knowledgeable about the flora and fauna.

We always ensure that all litter is removed from any of our activity sites, we strongly encourage group transfers to reduce traffic volumes and we make our clients aware of their obligation to the environment. We always offset our air travel emissions and would encourage you to do the same.

Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people.

We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel.

'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left).

We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays.

We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism.

This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards.

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