Bennett Scenic Journey - Tours other than Chilkoot?

Hello! Does anyone know if any other tour companies offer the Bennett Scenic Journey in Skagway other than Chilkoot? They are booked up for our day in port. It looks like we can take a similar trip through the White Pass rail line directly but we would have to get to the train station ourselves. Has anyone done this? Or can anyone recommend another tour company? We are not interested in renting a car.

Thank you in advance!

Did you look on the town web site? There's a list of vendors for various activities.

http://www.skagway.com

Did you look on the town web site? There's a list of vendors for various activities.

http://www.skagway.com

I did, and I don't seem to see anything exactly like what Chilkoot offers but thank you for sharing the link!

I can't remember if Dyea Dave does a similar Bennett Scenic Adventure or not. You might check them out. I remember comparing them to Chilkoot and pretty much the only difference (at least for our excursion) was that Dyea Dave didn't include the price of the train ticket in their excursion price. You had to purchase that at the train station.

I can't remember if Dyea Dave does a similar Bennett Scenic Adventure or not. You might check them out. I remember comparing them to Chilkoot and pretty much the only difference (at least for our excursion) was that Dyea Dave didn't include the price of the train ticket in their excursion price. You had to purchase that at the train station.

It doesn't seem like Dyea Dave has the exact same offering (with lunch at the Bennett station house) but thank you for the suggestion!

If there's a cancellation list, go for it. People's plans change ... they might cancel the cruise, take a different excursion. Even the morning of, someone could change their plans.

I think I found a similar tour with Skagway Shore Tours (via the Skagway website, thank you Mapleleaves!), but I can't seem to find ANY reviews about this company here or on other travel sites, which makes me a little nervous. Has anyone used them?

http://skagwayshoretours.com/tour/bennett-lake-scenic-journey/

If there's a cancellation list, go for it. People's plans change ... they might cancel the cruise, take a different excursion. Even the morning of, someone could change their plans.

We would much rather nail down our itinerary before we sail, but thank you for the tip! :)

Some facts that are missing. ALL Lake Bennett train trips, INCLUDE the meal. The train stops at Lake Bennett, everyone gets off the train, go eat and have some time for a walk around. You can NOT book this train trip, with the White Pass, UNLESS, you also have the road trip lined up. This train is ONE way, so you have to have another vendor for the road.

I used Dyea Dave for a southbound train trip a few weeks ago.

I think I found a similar tour with Skagway Shore Tours (via the Skagway website, thank you Mapleleaves!), but I can't seem to find ANY reviews about this company here or on other travel sites, which makes me a little nervous. Has anyone used them?

 

http://skagwayshoretours.com/tour/bennett-lake-scenic-journey/

This is a booking agent and not any vendor running the tour.

When I was on this tour in 12 with Chilkoot there were three train cars - two were for Princess tour pax, the third was for the independent tours like Chilkoot. That day Chilkoot had 5 of us and there were another 4 from another company and 2 that should have been on the Princess cars.

Chilkoot can handle about 12-14 pax depending on how full they want to make the bus.

I believe that the trip when booked with the RR will also include transport back - I am not sure who they use. I know that Princess has the large busses.

This is a booking agent and not any vendor running the tour.

What does that mean? Is it a bad thing?

When I was on this tour in 12 with Chilkoot there were three train cars - two were for Princess tour pax, the third was for the independent tours like Chilkoot. That day Chilkoot had 5 of us and there were another 4 from another company and 2 that should have been on the Princess cars.

 

Chilkoot can handle about 12-14 pax depending on how full they want to make the bus.

 

I believe that the trip when booked with the RR will also include transport back - I am not sure who they use. I know that Princess has the large busses.

Thanks! Do you know who the other company was?

Some facts that are missing. ALL Lake Bennett train trips, INCLUDE the meal. The train stops at Lake Bennett, everyone gets off the train, go eat and have some time for a walk around. You can NOT book this train trip, with the White Pass, UNLESS, you also have the road trip lined up. This train is ONE way, so you have to have another vendor for the road.

 

I used Dyea Dave for a southbound train trip a few weeks ago.

It seems like some tours have a BBQ lunch at Carcross, and others have lunch at the Bennett Station House. We are looking for a tour that has the lunch at Bennett Station House. Thanks!

It seems like some tours have a BBQ lunch at Carcross, and others have lunch at the Bennett Station House. We are looking for a tour that has the lunch at Bennett Station House. Thanks!

We did Bennett Scenic Journey on 7/16 through Chilkoot. Less than 20 of us in our train car and the drive back down to Skagway. Wonderful day! The lunch at Bennett Station House was beef stew...delicious! I don't think anyone offers BBQ.

Regardless of vendor, if you can do the Bennett Scenic Journey, do so!

It seems like some tours have a BBQ lunch at Carcross, and others have lunch at the Bennett Station House. We are looking for a tour that has the lunch at Bennett Station House. Thanks!

The difference is not just the lunch; they are completely different tours. As BQ states, all of the Lake Bennett tours, which go by train all the way to Carcross, have lunch at the Bennett Station. The tours with the shorter train ride to Fraser and bus to the Yukon from there do lunch at Caribou Crossing, which is BBQ chicken.

We did Bennett Scenic Journey on 7/16 through Chilkoot. Less than 20 of us in our train car and the drive back down to Skagway. Wonderful day! The lunch at Bennett Station House was beef stew...delicious! I don't think anyone offers BBQ.

 

Regardless of vendor, if you can do the Bennett Scenic Journey, do so!

We would like to! Trying to find another reputable tour company who does it since Chilkoot is sold out.

The difference is not just the lunch; they are completely different tours. As BQ states, all of the Lake Bennett tours, which go by train all the way to Carcross, have lunch at the Bennett Station. The tours with the shorter train ride to Fraser and bus to the Yukon from there do lunch at Caribou Crossing, which is BBQ chicken.

Yes, we want to do the longer train ride with lunch at the Bennett Station. That's what I was trying to say. :)

I think I found a similar tour with Skagway Shore Tours (via the Skagway website, thank you Mapleleaves!), but I can't seem to find ANY reviews about this company here or on other travel sites, which makes me a little nervous. Has anyone used them?

 

http://skagwayshoretours.com/tour/bennett-lake-scenic-journey/

Well I got an answer by flat out asking the company! :p Here was their email response:

"We are a centralized reservation center that compiles what we deem to be the best and most credible tours in Skagway based on customer feedback and first-hand experience. We are a bit selective in this process and do not work with everyone in Skagway. We help market these tours for the tour companies and try our best to come in with prices better than the cruise lines."

As for the Bennett journey, they coordinate the train part directly with the railroad and our tour guide and the bus part is actually with Chilkoot. So it seems like we will be getting the Chilkoot tour but through a third party service verses going through Chilkoot directly.

Just wanted to share for anyone who may come across this company in the future. I'll try to remember to update this thread with a review after our trip.

If it is indeed through Chilkoot, you should be in good hands. We did Bennett Scenic Journey with Chilkoot two weeks ago (7/16) and are more than happy with them AND the WPYR staff on the train. I booked and paid for this last fall. I wouldn't hesitate to deal with them again.

As for the Bennett journey, they coordinate the train part directly with the railroad and our tour guide and the bus part is actually with Chilkoot. So it seems like we will be getting the Chilkoot tour but through a third party service verses going through Chilkoot directly.

How can they get you on the Chilkoot tour if Chilkoot told you that they don't have any availability? Sounds a bit fishy to me... :confused:

It seems like some tours have a BBQ lunch at Carcross, and others have lunch at the Bennett Station House. We are looking for a tour that has the lunch at Bennett Station House. Thanks!

The Carcross run is, AFAIK, one way per day. Therefore, if it went out to Carcross yesterday, it'll return to Skagway today (or tomorrow, if today is an off-day). It's possible, depending on ship times in port, that WPYR might do the inbound run on a later schedule such that they do lunch in Carcross and then make a quicker stop in Bennett.

Remember that WPYR is a single-line railroad with few (if any) passing sidings. The planners have to send the longest-run train first, followed by the second-longest, etc. Any round-trip trains have to either run "last" or sequential (RT1, then RT2) or stacked (30-mile RT leaves before but returns after a 20-mile RT which leaves before but returns after a 15-mile RT) etc. The Carcross run outbound has to go first, or shorter trains will block it in. The Carcross inbound train either has to come in last or at least at a time when everything ahead of it is inbound too.

I should also add that I did a time-lapse from our balcony in Skagway two years ago. It was neat to see the logistics: train gets staged next to the ship, and departs. A while later, a train returns, drops a car, and departs. A train returns, ignoring said car, and departs. Another train returns, picks up the car, and departs. Another train comes back, empties out, and finishes its run. The time-lapse runs too fast to identify which of these were the same actual cars and which ones were different, but I bet there's a pattern to it all.

How can they get you on the Chilkoot tour if Chilkoot told you that they don't have any availability? Sounds a bit fishy to me... :confused:

since skagwaytours is a booking company, perhaps they buy blocks of seats from Chilkoot, then sell them at a higher price ????

They should buy from WPYR. ..that's probably what Chilkoot does. Why would Skagway Tours buy from Chilkoot and not from WPYR directly? BTW...Our Chilkoot Bennett Scenic Adventure was the same price that WPYR charges.

They should buy from WPYR. ..that's probably what Chilkoot does. Why would Skagway Tours buy from Chilkoot and not from WPYR directly? BTW...Our Chilkoot Bennett Scenic Adventure was the same price that WPYR charges.

The train portion is through WPYR, the bus portion is through Chilkoot. At least that's what they told me! ;)