Chilkoot Tours Yukon-Rail-Bus

[misslyss1220]

Does someone have a good guess as to how far out to book the excursion through this company? I sail jul 2017; so when should I look to book this excursion? Thanks

 

We're doing the Yukon Bus & Rail w/dogcart excursion in July. We booked exactly 2 months in advance and the 8:30 am tour was already sold out so we had to go with the 10 am tour.

[Cruzin-K]

I booked at least six months out. Whether or not that was necessary is unknown, but I got the tour I wanted. I'll let everyone know in a couple weeks how it went, and which car we had on the train.

 

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[jimsig]

I booked this tour two days ago. I got an email that they received my request and that I would get a confirmation in 24 hours, but it's been 48 hours. I guess I'll contact them again.

 

Jessica

 

Check your spam folder. I booked the other day and was told that it sometimes goes there.

[jimsig]

Does someone have a good guess as to how far out to book the excursion through this company? I sail jul 2017; so when should I look to book this excursion? Thanks

 

I just booked the Bennett Scenic Journey for June 29th and got the 730a train first departure. As of the other day after we booked they had about 14 slots open for both our tour and the Yukon tour. As always the further out you book the best chance of getting what you want.

Edited May 16, 2016 by jimsig

[jimsig]

When I called them for reservations, I asked the woman if they always had the last car. She said that they did not always have the last car but frequently did. So I guess there is no guarantee.

 

Was told the same thing on Sat when I booked the Bennett Scenic.

 

Keeping fingers crossed

[lbfluffy]

Check your spam folder. I booked the other day and was told that it sometimes goes there.

 

Yep that's where the reply was. We leave on June 20th and got the time we wanted when I booked a couple days ago.

 

Jessica

[AF-1]

Thanks for all the answers. I will look to book starting at four months out. I appreciate everyone's help.

Edited May 17, 2016 by AF-1

[tracyktn]

I have only done the train up and bus back, so I don't have comparison of the two. I did really enjoy both parts of the trip and it worked good for us to ride the train first. I like that the bus will stop for photos on the way back. Chilkoot Tours did a good job, I'm sure it will be a great trip either way.

[gottagoacruzn]

We did the Chilkoot Tour August 2015 and took the train up and then got on the bus. The clouds were a little settled in still when we took the train up but it was still beautiful so I'm not sure it matters which you do first. I am on the Crown tomorrow and plan on doing this same excursion through Chilkoot but this time taking the bus up and train down. I don't know if it really matters and I don't think you can go wrong going with Chilkoot.

 

This was our favorite excursion and it was great to have a smaller group, our own car on the train, a smaller 12 person charter bus and an awesome guide that would stop whenever we wanted to stop. Her name was "Stanley" and I hope that she might be up there again this year.

 

Hi Mimi, have a great cruise, will be on the N A next month, an can't hardly wait!!!

[Cruzin-K]

Does anyone know if Chilkoot always has the last car on the train? We have booked a White Pass Summit trip with them in July and are certainly hoping so!

 

So, I'm back from my cruise.

 

We did NOT have the last car on the train with Chilkoot. When we arrived at the station, our tour guide went to speak with the station manager who supposedly told him that we were in the second to last car. So our mini bus load of people got on that car and all piled into the seats on the left side of the train car.

 

A short while later a huge coach pulls up to our car and more people get in our car and sit down. Eventually, the car filled up and half of the coach tour were still standing in the aisle of the train. A lady working for the train company boarded our car and informed our group that we were in the wrong car, that the car we were in was reserved for this other group. Nobody budged so half of the coach tour had to go sit in another car, presumably the car we should have been in, maybe with the other Chilkoot mini bus.

 

The end result was that our group was in a train car with a huge group of tourists from another country. It was difficult to impossible to ever get out on the platforms to take photos because several of them would go out there and then just not move. They also leaned over the people in our group, putting hands on people to steady themselves to get photos out of the windows on the left side, and because the majority of them didn't appear to speak any English, they talked over the narration inside the car. And don't even get me started on the #@$*% selfie sticks.

 

I was glad to get off the train and back onto our little bus for the rest of the trip, which was fabulous.

[AF-1]

Karen. Sad to hear that some tourists don't care about others. What fun is a train tour if you can't hang out the door and take pictures verses looking out the window.

[Mr. Click]

So, I'm back from my cruise.

 

The end result was that our group was in a train car with a huge group of tourists from another country. It was difficult to impossible to ever get out on the platforms to take photos because several of them would go out there and then just not move. They also leaned over the people in our group, putting hands on people to steady themselves to get photos out of the windows on the left side, and because the majority of them didn't appear to speak any English, they talked over the narration inside the car. And don't even get me started on the #@$*% selfie sticks.

.

 

Who ever invented the selfie stick should be beaten with one regularly......the concept is fine, I did for years with a monopod while covering events but you have to be willing to share the space and understand that you are not the only one in the world who wants to get an image....

[cafelovercanada]

So, I'm back from my cruise.

 

We did NOT have the last car on the train with Chilkoot. When we arrived at the station, our tour guide went to speak with the station manager who supposedly told him that we were in the second to last car. So our mini bus load of people got on that car and all piled into the seats on the left side of the train car.

 

A short while later a huge coach pulls up to our car and more people get in our car and sit down. Eventually, the car filled up and half of the coach tour were still standing in the aisle of the train. A lady working for the train company boarded our car and informed our group that we were in the wrong car, that the car we were in was reserved for this other group. Nobody budged so half of the coach tour had to go sit in another car, presumably the car we should have been in, maybe with the other Chilkoot mini bus.

 

The end result was that our group was in a train car with a huge group of tourists from another country. It was difficult to impossible to ever get out on the platforms to take photos because several of them would go out there and then just not move. They also leaned over the people in our group, putting hands on people to steady themselves to get photos out of the windows on the left side, and because the majority of them didn't appear to speak any English, they talked over the narration inside the car. And don't even get me started on the #@$*% selfie sticks.

 

I was glad to get off the train and back onto our little bus for the rest of the trip, which was fabulous.

 

Sorry to hear that your train experience wasn't the best. We are thinking of booking this excursion through Chilkoot and not through the cruise ship. Any chance you could scan and upload your Patters from your trip? We are cruising the Coral June 11 and can hardly wait!

[Cruzin-K]

Sorry to hear that your train experience wasn't the best. We are thinking of booking this excursion through Chilkoot and not through the cruise ship. Any chance you could scan and upload your Patters from your trip? We are cruising the Coral June 11 and can hardly wait!

Based on everything I've read on Cruise Critic and on TripAdvisor, I think my experience with Chilkoot was an anomaly. I wouldn't hesitate to book with them again. Something just got mixed up with the stationmaster at the beginning of the trip.

 

I might find a little bit of time to scan the patters this weekend , but I am in the middle of a move so I might not have time to get them all scanned in. I will try

 

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[3Fluffies]

I was with Chilkoot on June 3, train out-bus back with lunch and sled dog cart ride in Caribou Crossing. It was fantastic.

 

We were indeed in the last car, and things were very quiet that day - there were only about a dozen of us in the entire car, so we had plenty of room to roam from side to side for the best views and share the open air platforms in front and back.

 

It was difficult to take some pictures from the train, so one advantage to taking the bus back is that we had general ideas of what photo ops we wanted, and a very knowledgeable driver. Emerald Lake wasn't on our itinerary, but we made good time and after lunch/dogcart ride in Caribou Crossing, he detoured a little further to take us to see it and make a brief photo stop for pictures. Predicting (accurately) that some passengers would fall asleep on the return trip, for about an hour he played a CD of colorful stories from the gold rush (which I wish I'd thought to ask him the name of, because I'd love to buy it!) so we could choose to relax and listen or snooze as we wished. We saw black bears (including a mom and two cubs) and a moose, and he alerted us to good photo scenes coming up on either side.

 

It was my favorite excursion and I would gladly use them again.

[southerngirloutwest]

I was with Chilkoot on June 3, train out-bus back with lunch and sled dog cart ride in Caribou Crossing. It was fantastic.

 

...

 

It was my favorite excursion and I would gladly use them again.

 

Yay! I'm so happy to hear good reviews. We're booked with Chilkoot next week for the Yukon Rail Bus tour. I can hardly wait! :)

[lbfluffy]

We booked with them too! Can't wait.

[sherryf]

I was with Chilkoot on June 3, train out-bus back with lunch and sled dog cart ride in Caribou Crossing. It was fantastic.

 

We were indeed in the last car, and things were very quiet that day - there were only about a dozen of us in the entire car, so we had plenty of room to roam from side to side for the best views and share the open air platforms in front and back.

 

It was difficult to take some pictures from the train, so one advantage to taking the bus back is that we had general ideas of what photo ops we wanted, and a very knowledgeable driver. Emerald Lake wasn't on our itinerary, but we made good time and after lunch/dogcart ride in Caribou Crossing, he detoured a little further to take us to see it and make a brief photo stop for pictures.

 

I'm pretty sure these tours always go to Emerald Lake. We went there on both our Yukon/Dog Cart tour and Lake Bennett tour with Chilkoot, and they do list in on their web site as one of the sites you will see.

 

Although Chilkoot does often get the last car and have fewer people on it, that is not always the case. When we did the Lake Bennett tour, half of our car was reserved for hikers that we picked up at Bennett Station... and then we had to share the car with dirty hikers the rest of the way back. I don't even recall if we had the last car since we were in the front half of the car and went out to the platform at the front of the car. Our car was packed, and we had several "platform hogs" who stood out there chatting, not even looking at the scenery, most of the time. :(

[maggieworkman]

I'm worried that we won't make the early train. The Pearl docks at 7 am (according to the Itinerary) and we are supposed to meet Chilkoot at the end of the Pier at 7:20. Does that seem possible? Do they allow NCL excursions to exit the ship first and then outside vendor tours?

 

What time should I tell the family we need to be ready and waiting near the exit (or as close as possible. I know people line up, etc.) I was thinking of telling everyone 6:30 am.

 

Maggie

[3Fluffies]

I'm worried that we won't make the early train. The Pearl docks at 7 am (according to the Itinerary) and we are supposed to meet Chilkoot at the end of the Pier at 7:20. Does that seem possible? Do they allow NCL excursions to exit the ship first and then outside vendor tours?

 

What time should I tell the family we need to be ready and waiting near the exit (or as close as possible. I know people line up, etc.) I was thinking of telling everyone 6:30 am.

 

Maggie

 

 

I had that problem on the Sun on June 3 - the meeting time was 7:20 but debarkation was delayed. I called Chilkoot and they reassured me that the train departure times were not until 8 am, and the operators would even delay departure if it looked like a whole shipload of passengers was being held up. Very reassuring and helpful.

 

Your best bet for pre-planning would be to call Chilkoot and confirm when the train leaves and what to do if debarkation is delayed.