Skagway Sled Dog and Musher's Camp

One of our favorite Skagway tours explores Alaska's state sport, dog mushing! Ride with Alaskan huskies on this highly acclaimed Skagway shore excursion for an authentic taste of Alaskan culture and heritage. This adventure includes a direct, firsthand husky experience by hopping in a custom, wheeled dog cart pulled by a team of 16 Alaskan huskies! Your guide, who is also a year-round musher, tells you all about the dogs, their training, their unbelievable conditioning, and what it takes to race the 1,000 mile races such as the Iditarod and Yukon Quest. After the ride, visit with the husky puppies and talk more with local mushers during a question and answer session. You'll leave with a surprising knowledge of this subculture and a rich experience from meeting some truly Alaskan characters on the Skagway Sled Dog & Musher Camp Tour.

Starting with a shuttle from your cruise ship to the scenic basic camp in Dyea, a pleasant 11-mile ride is marked by great scenery and a surprising amount of information. As you arrive, the tour begins with a ride in the Unimog up to the husky teams. Even this ride is worth the price of admission, as you climb up about 800 feet through temperature rainforest with rushing glacial streams on either side. Arrive as your furry, four-legged guides are ready to get going for a 1-mile ride!

Mushers begin issuing commands and instantly you're being pulled by a team of 14 huskies. As you're seated between the musher and his team, you can feel the bond and the relationship they share which is cemented as the musher may recount stories of their training or racing efforts. It quickly sets in that this just isn't a staged tour, but a way of life for these mushers. The 'kennel talk' after the ride answers any lingering questions before you have time to visit with the husky puppies. You can hold them if you're feeling up for it!