Essentials

Getting around Yukon

6 min read

A pickup truck on the Alaska Highway in the Yukon

Rental cars: the default

You will need a car for 90% of trip types. Whitehorse airport has 6 rental agencies: National, Budget, Driving Force, Whitehorse Subaru, Fraserway, and Klondike Recreational Rentals. Compact cars run $75 to $95 per day summer, SUVs $110 to $145. Book 3 months ahead for July — fleets are small and sell out. RV rentals from Fraserway or CanaDream start at $265 per day for a small camper van, $395 for a class C with kitchen. Check gravel-road policies for the Dempster.

Whitehorse Transit and taxis

Whitehorse Transit runs 6 routes with a flat $2.50 fare, exact change or day pass ($6). Useful routes for visitors: Route 1 and 2 to Riverdale, Route 5 to Copper Ridge for Miles Canyon access. Service ends 10pm and is sparse on weekends. Taxis: Yellow Cab (867-668-4811) and 5th Avenue Taxi (867-667-4111), meter starts $4.50 with $2.30 per km. Airport to downtown runs $22. Uber and Lyft do not operate anywhere in Yukon.

Flights within Yukon

Air North is the local airline. Whitehorse to Dawson runs 3 to 5 flights weekly, $250 to $330 one way, 1 hour. Whitehorse to Old Crow serves the far north. Fares go up sharply within 2 weeks of travel. Charter float planes (Alkan Air, Alpine Aviation) reach remote lodges from $650 per hour. Skip flying between Whitehorse and Haines Junction — the drive is faster with airport time factored in.

Buses and shuttles

Husky Bus runs Whitehorse to Dawson 3 days weekly in summer, $199 one way, 7 hours with meal stop. Same operator runs Whitehorse to Haines Junction, $75. Yukon Alpine Adventures runs targeted day-trip shuttles to Takhini Hot Springs and Miles Canyon. Greyhound stopped serving Yukon in 2018 and never came back. Do not count on hitchhiking — locals do it but wait times can be 4-plus hours on quiet highways.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a car in Whitehorse?

Not for downtown itself — walkable in 15 minutes end to end. Yes for any trip to Miles Canyon, Takhini Hot Springs, Wildlife Preserve, or Carcross.

Can I drive to Dawson City from Whitehorse in a day?

Yes — 533 km on paved highway, 6.5 hours with 2 stops. Leave by 9am and you arrive for dinner. Not recommended in winter darkness.

Are Yukon highways paved?

Alaska Highway, Klondike Highway, Haines Road, and South Klondike Highway are fully paved. The Dempster, Nahanni Range, and Canol are gravel. Silver Trail is partly paved to Mayo.

Is there a rideshare in Whitehorse?

No Uber or Lyft. Taxi is the only on-demand option. Local carshare Ivy operates in downtown with hourly rentals if you have their app set up in advance.