Even if trains, history and nature aren’t your cup of tea on their own, something absurdly special happens when the three combine for an Alaska cruise and train experience in Skagway.
The White Pass and Yukon Route Railway is a staple of any visit to Skagway, Alaska, particularly if you arrive by ship during an Alaska cruise. The town’s success is closely linked to the development of the railroad infrastructure, as the train line has carried passengers and cargo between Alaska and Canada for 125 years.
When I rode the Skagway train’s White Pass Summit route, the experience was fascinating and exhilarating. It offered a narrated history lesson and views that are still absolutely unrivaled by those on any other train journey I’ve experienced.
From how it started to where the route will take you and how much you’ll pay for tickets, here’s what you can expect from a ride on the White Pass Railway, Skagway’s most scenic route to Canada.
White Pass and Yukon Route history
Construction on the White Pass train, Skagway’s easiest way in and out during the gold rush days of the early 1900s, began in 1898. Investors from the U.S., Canada and England — along with more than 35,000 workers — came together to complete the $10 million project in just two years.
Until the tracks were laid, the two main routes over the mountain were the shorter but steeper Chilkoot Trail and the longer but flatter White Pass. Both presented rough terrain and brutal conditions for anyone who made the trek.
Each person who ventured out in search of gold to see them through their trip, making the hike even more treacherous. After the railroad’s completion, the expedition was far less arduous, and it took much less time for stampeders to reach the Klondike region
After more than 80 consecutive years of operation, including during the winter months, the railroad halted service from 1982 to 1988. This was because the cost of metal fell, and the mines that produced most of the train’s cargo closed.
In 1988, the route reopened to carry tourists and now operates from late April to mid-October, aligning with the Alaska cruise season. In 1994, the White Pass and Yukon Route was designated a Historic Civil Engineering Landmark, among the likes of the Eiffel Tower and the Statue of Liberty.
White Pass train price
Like the mountain over which the locomotives run, the cost to ride the Skagway train along the most popular White Pass Summit route is steep. Tickets purchased online at least 24 hours in advance are $155 per adult and $77.50 per child for the two- to three-hour trip. It takes passengers 20 miles from Skagway to an elevation of nearly 3,000 feet, then turns around at the Canadian border and heads back.
A version of this tour, on more limited-capacity vintage parlor cars pulled by a steam engine dating to 1947, costs $249 per adult and $180 per child.
For cruise passengers with extra time in Skagway, the longer Bennett Scenic Journey route travels about 68 miles to Carcross in Canada’s Yukon Territory, with a return along the Klondike Highway by bus (or vice versa). The cost for this eight-hour journey is $289 per adult and $144.50 per child and includes a 45-minute stop in Bennett, British Columbia, as well as a boxed lunch served on the train.
Passengers on this route will need to bring a passport as the train will pass into Canada from the U.S. You do not need a passport on the White Pass Summit route.
The White Pass and Yukon Route Railway also sells two hiker service excursions from Skagway, one to the Denver Glacier trailhead and the other to the Laughton Glacier trail. These include round-trip rail transportation with time built in for self-guided hiking. Tickets cost $60 per adult ($30 per child) for the shorter Denver trip and $106 per adult ($53 per child) for the longer Laughton journey. These also require passports
Non-cruise passengers can also purchase tickets for options such as one-way train rides, camping and bus-train combos.
If you do the Skagway train tour from your cruise ship, you’re almost guaranteed to pay more. I bought my White Pass Summit adult ticket through Norwegian Cruise Line as a shore excursion, and it had a hefty markup. Norwegian’s current online prices are $229 for adults and $149 for kids — a difference of nearly $80 for adults.
Longer and more expensive variations of the train trip, when booked as cruise shore excursions, include visits to local attractions before or after the train ride, as well as hybrid train and motorcoach rides that venture as far north as Carcross in Canada’s Yukon Territory. Choose from tours that combine the White Pass and Yukon Route with a visit to a musher’s camp to see sled dogs, a salmon bake at a gold rush trail camp, a glacier hike or a bike ride down the Klondike Highway.
Prices vary by cruise line and specific tour inclusions.
How to purchase tickets for the White Pass and Yukon Route Railway
You can purchase tickets online on the White Pass and Yukon Route Railway website, over the phone at 800-343-7373 or through your cruise line’s app, website or shore excursion desk. You might be able to buy day-of tickets at the ticket office on Second Avenue in Skagway, but the popular train rides usually sell out in advance — especially during peak cruise season. You might want to visit the office anyway, as it’s also the location of The Train Shoppe, which sells all sorts of memorabilia and apparel.
Whether you purchase your tickets online or in person, through your cruise line or directly from White Pass and Yukon Route, you can choose from several departure times. Select one that fits your schedule. If you book independently (not through your cruise line), double-check that the time you choose coincides with when your ship will be in port.
Where does Skagway’s White Pass train go?
The train ride for visitors to Skagway begins at the train tracks, about halfway between the cruise ship docks and downtown.
Without stopping, the train travels from there to one of several points: White Pass Summit at the U.S.-Canada border, where the train will turn around and travel back down the mountain to Skagway (most excursions); Fraser, British Columbia, where passengers can transfer to motorcoaches that travel the Klondike Highway (also an outpost for Canadian customs); and Carcross in Canada’s Yukon Territory, where passengers can explore the historic town, including a gold rush general store. Again, you will need a passport on routes to Fraser and Carcross.
Along the way, riders can follow the provided maps to track their route past several points of interest, including the rail line’s maintenance shops, a donated caboose now rented out as an Airbnb, gravesites, waterfalls, steel bridges, two tunnels and lookout points that make for fantastic photo opportunities.
What it’s like to ride the White Pass and Yukon Route train
When you book (or when you receive your ticket, in the case of a cruise line booking), you are assigned a meeting place and a specified meeting time. If you’re coming from a cruise ship and plan to spend time in town before your ride, take note of your meeting place well beforehand to ensure you know how to get there. My travel companion and I took a wrong turn on our way to the meeting spot and would have missed our excursion had it not been for a kind rail worker who saw us running with our tickets and gave us a ride.
Apart from the railroad’s six brand-new engines (soon to be eight by the end of 2026), its fleet is impressively vintage. It consists of two steam engines from the first half of the 20th century, 17 vintage locomotives, and 85 restored and replica passenger coaches, including one that’s more than 140 years old. As such, there is no air conditioning in the coaches, so passengers can expect the interior to feel a bit stuffy on hot days. On my journey, it was chilly, making the ride pleasant.
Guests with limited mobility should note that only 10 coaches have been upgraded with wheelchair lifts and larger, accessible restrooms. These are mainly deployed on the Summit Excursion and Fraser Service routes. Many cruise lines, such as Holland America and Princess, offer wheelchair-accessible versions of their White Pass excursions to ensure guests are accommodated in appropriate coaches. If booking independently, request the lift car with the reservations department when buying tickets. The Depot, as well as stations in Skagway and Fraser, are also wheelchair accessible.
Although travelers are prohibited from moving between coaches while the train is in motion, they are permitted to stand on the exterior terraces on either side of each car for fresh air and unimpeded views. Be warned that, during foggy weather, visibility can be poor and the vibe can be spooky; I experienced that the first time I rode the train back in 2013. Ten years later, I caught a break and happened to visit on a clear, sunny day when I enjoyed phenomenal views.
Guides (and eventually the conductor) will come through to say hello, check tickets and sell souvenirs, such as DVDs, hats and photo books. They can also answer any questions you may have. Guides narrate the trip, providing valuable tidbits of information about each point of interest the train passes on the mountain. If you enjoy the experience, it’s appropriate to tip a few dollars to your car guide or a larger amount to the conductor, who will distribute it among the staff.
Each passenger receives a free booklet about the train route’s history. It includes safety rules, a map with a blurb about each point of interest, information about the fleet, a preview of items available to purchase at The Train Shoppe in town and a couple of puzzles to pass the time. (Some passengers report being bored during their rides. If you’re worried, bring a pen for the puzzles.)
Bottom line
I don’t recommend this train ride if you can’t sit still for long or are afraid of heights, but otherwise, I do think the train excursion is one of the best activities a visitor to Alaska can do.
If you’re looking for a way to grasp the history and sheer vastness of the Alaskan wilderness, a ride on the White Pass and Yukon Route train is something you don’t want to miss.
Have more cruise questions? TPG has answers:
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- What is baked Alaska, and why is it paraded around cruise ships?
- What are the largest cruise ships in the world?
- What is a gentleman host on a cruise?
- What is the Jones Act, and how does it affect cruise ships?
- What is a lido deck on a cruise ship?
- What’s a cruise cabin guarantee, and will it save you money?
- What’s the difference between a cruise concierge and a butler?
Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.
Source: thepointsguy.com
