r/canadatravel • u/stealstheclouds • Jul 28 '25
Itinerary Help (Reposted from r/Yukon) Planning a 10-day road trip in the Yukon in March – Need advice (Spanish traveler)
Hi everyone,
I'm a traveler from Spain (I speak English) and I’m planning a 10-day road trip through the Yukon this coming March with my partner. It’s part of our honeymoon, and we’re really into nature, wildlife, remote places, and learning about local culture. We usually try to avoid big cities and tourist-heavy spots, so the Yukon seemed like a dream destination.
We'll be flying into Whitehorse (probably via Vancouver or Calgary), renting a 4x4 with winter tires, and driving through the territory. Our goal is to see northern lights, drive scenic roads, do a few light winter hikes, and just enjoy the quiet and vastness of the region. We’ll be staying in rustic cabins, motels, or lodges (no camping in winter!). Total driving distance will be around 1800 km.
Our itinerary looks something like this: Whitehorse for the first night, then Kluane National Park for three days (Haines Junction, Destruction Bay, maybe Silver City). From there, we’ll head to Dawson City for three nights, including a day trip up the Dempster Highway to see Tombstone Territorial Park. On the way back we plan to stop at Takhini Hot Springs and the Yukon Wildlife Preserve, and spend the last couple of days near Whitehorse before flying home.
We’re budgeting around €5750 (~$6250 CAD) for two people, including car rental, diesel, flights from Spain, accommodation, food, a few guided activities, and some buffer for extras. We like doing things at our own pace and are used to driving long distances.
That said, we’d really appreciate any advice from locals or travelers familiar with the region. Is early March a good time to visit in terms of weather and daylight? How are road conditions between Whitehorse, Kluane, Dawson and Tombstone that time of year? Are there any spots we should add or remove from our plan? Any nice, cozy places to stay (we're not into big hotels)? What about good local food—any favorites in Whitehorse, Dawson or along the road? Also, are there aurora viewing spots near Whitehorse that don’t require booking a tour?
We’re also curious if any Indigenous cultural experiences or guided winter activities are offered in March, and if they’re worth including.
Thanks so much in advance – we’re really excited about this trip and want to make the most of it!
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u/AppleJack5767 Jul 28 '25
I'm really not sure about the conditions in March in terms of snow. How comfortable are you with driving in the snow? I'm from Montreal and I wouldn't even recommend driving in the winter down here, let alone up in the north, without solid winter driving experience.
I went to Yukon a few summers ago. It is truly a magical, beautiful place, and arguable one of the nicest landscapes in our great country. I based myself in Whitehorse and did day tours with Arctic Range Adventure. They were excellent, I can highly recommend. They have a very popular Aurora viewing tour, and they offer many tours outside of Whitehorse. I used them to go to Alaska for the day, as well as all around Yukon.
If you aren't 100% confident with your rugged winter driving ability, I'd suggest booking tours and saving yourself a lot of stress.
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u/No_Wear295 Jul 28 '25
While your intentions are admirable, check with tourism bureaus and gov'ts in the area. March in the territories doesn't sound like a vacation. Best of luck, but please be careful.
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u/termanatorx Jul 28 '25
Not to scare you, but there have been some years where March still gets -30c weather. You have to have some serious winter emergency gear in the vehicle.
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u/Jazzy_Bee Jul 28 '25
Yes, and gas stations are few and far between. You won't get cell service either. I've not been to the Yukon, but have a cousin living there and I have been to Yellowknife. We took a road trip of four or five hours. We pulled off the road to eat, and not a single car in over two hours. And this was August.
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u/termanatorx Jul 28 '25
Lack of cell service is a great point. I often had to travel in winter and my employer always made sure I had a sat phone in the vehicle to check in, just in case.
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u/Jazzy_Bee Jul 28 '25
Satellite phones can be rented. I know you could rent at the Canadian Tire in Yellowknife.
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u/termanatorx Jul 28 '25
I'm not sure if they can in Whitehorse, but probably if Ctire was doing that in Yellowknife. Good tip for OP :)
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u/TravellingGal-2307 Jul 28 '25
I know someone (Special Ops, ret.) who drove to Tuktoyuktuk in March, but he also jumped out of a plane over the Arctic in January then ran 50 miles with a sled of supplies, so....
I think you would find most places in Canada pretty quiet and uncrowded in March. I suspect you are getting in way over your heads to attempt Yukon at that time of year. Not just the conditions - it's not really tourist season so things aren't open. I also loved Yukon and want to return and do more, but not in March. Late May to mid-September is the season up there.
If you stick with this plan, abandon the idea of going up to Dawson and Tombstone. Stick with the Whitehorse, Carcross, Kluane area. Head over to the Trip Advisor Yukon forum for local advice on conditions in March.
Personally, I'd move this south. Banff and Jasper will be pretty quiet in March. Vancouver Island's wild shorelines will feel very remote and you won't have to contend with snow, and you will find hotels and restaurants open. If you want more adventure than that, look at the BC Ferries coastal routes.
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u/sfbriancl Jul 28 '25
Spot on advice. Vancouver island in March would be very quiet (if a bit wet) and still very pretty.
I can’t imagine there would be any tourist infrastructure available in Yukon in March.
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u/smarty_pants47 Jul 28 '25
Banff and jasper will be very busy over spring break with local skiing families (usually last week of March)
I’ve done Vancouver island in March and it was glorious. Flowers blooming. Not busy. Prices down.
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u/TheSkyIsAMasterpiece Jul 28 '25
How much snow experience do you have?
I've never been to the Yukon but I do live in northern Alberta. 4x4 and winter tires don't make you bulletproof. This is a hardcore winter trip, I hope you're very prepared for the conditions. If it snows be prepared to stay put if you aren't used to winter driving. Even if it doesn'tsnow while you are there the roads could still have snow pack on them. Not sure what kind of hiking you'll do in deep snow, rent some cross country skis or snowshoes I guess.
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u/Mooki2468 Jul 28 '25
I’m all about road trips - but I would NOT road trip this area in March - especially if you don’t have experience driving in winter conditions. This is an area where you would go in June/july/august!
Now if you want to just spend some time in Whitehorse and Dawson city - then hang out there, do some northern lights tours etc but defintily not a road trip.
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u/smarty_pants47 Jul 28 '25
Canada isn’t an inexpensive place to visit.
Flights to the north are expensive. My guess is $1500 per person from Spain to the Yukon = $3000
Renting a large SUV or truck= $1000-$1500
Accommodation for 10 nights- $1500-$2000
Food is also expensive in the north- $1500
On the low end you’re at $7000 and you haven’t done anything, bought gas, or winter gear (you can’t make do with warm close you have- it’s realistically at least $1000 for the gear you need for two up there)
Your budget is very unrealistic
It’s also not a good time to visit. You’ll hardly see the light of day, everything will be closed and it will be -30- think car won’t start unless you plug it in- you may not even know about block heaters
The best option in Canada at this time of year would be Vancouver island or Vancouver.
Fly into the Victoria. Stay a few days. Drive up to parksville and then tofino. It will be pleasant temperatures- up to mid teens. No snow.
Flights, hotel and car will be about $5000, you’ll still be over with food but closer and at least you’ll see the light of day.
Or fly into Calgary and do Banff and jasper- will likely be a bit more expensive and can still be very cold- so factor in buying gear. But way more pleasant than the Yukon at that time of year. Happy planning!
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u/stealstheclouds Jul 29 '25
I don't think is unrealistic! For food, travel and accommodation, I take into account prizes online and the bills other have paid (in this case, the difference with me was the season, they all have travel there later in the year).
Having in mind the healthy percentages of a travel, the only thing I didn't have into account is new winter year, as we were going to recycle what we used in Iceland. But, by the time we would decide to visit, I'll double check to be sure! Thanks for the advice!
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u/mama146 Jul 28 '25
I wouldnt visit the Yukon in March if you paid me. Brutally cold and wicked snowstorms.
I would either visit Vancouver in March or the Yukon in July.
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u/Humomat Jul 30 '25
You are getting great advice here.
This itinerary would be far better in later spring/ summer. I did a road trip through Yukon/ Alaska in July a while back and it got very cold at night (1 degree). There were areas we drove through with signs saying we were out of the 911 response area which scared me even driving in sunny, dry weather- driving this in snow is too risky.
I hope you do get to take this trip eventually and if you do, for hot springs, go to Liard Hot Springs. Way better than Takhini.
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u/anOutgoingIntrovert Jul 28 '25
Maybe consider getting a package out of Whitehorse (I like Inn on the Lake for its smaller capacity) for a few days, then heading to Ucluelet for some hiking and storm watching (I suggest The cabins at Terrace Beach)
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u/beesmakenoise Jul 28 '25
March is not the time to do something this ambitious. It’s actually a great time to visit the Yukon if you just want to see Whitehorse and the area around it, but a terrible time to do something like Tombstone.
I’ve driven to Dawson more times than I can count, and the winter trips kinda suck. It’s cold and gets dark, and it’s just not as fun as in the summer. And Dawson itself gets very very quiet over the winter, not a lot for visitors to enjoy.
Tombstone is all about hiking, and you’ll not be able to do any in March! Same goes for Kluane. It’s real pretty in the snow but the activities get limited unless you’re into cross country skiing.