Dawson City, and the surrounding area, will keep you going day and night. Whether you’re looking for action or looking to relax, there’s something for everyone.
Activities
1. Watch the can-can in a casino (Diamond Tooth Gerties).
2. Play a round at the northernmost golf course with natural greens (Dawson City Golf Course).
3. Try your hand at blackjack in Canada’s first and friendliest gambling hall (Diamond Tooth Gerties).
4. In the winter, drop in to throw some stones at the Dawson City Curling Club.
5. Mountain bike down gnarly trails of the Midnight Dome.
6. Pan for gold and keep what you find (Free Claim #6).
7. Tour a family owned active gold mine (Goldbottom Mine).
8. Take a flight in a plane with windows designed for photographing the incredible scenery.
9. Raft down the Klondike River with a local tour operator.
10. Take a guided canoe trip down the Yukon River.
11. Bike the Ridge Road Heritage Trail.
12. Play an escape room as a Mountie from 1903 (Dawson City Escape).
13. Go on a scavenger hunt (geocaching).
14. Come November, you can play a little pick-up hockey at the Art and Margaret Fry Arena.
15. Hit the groomed cross-country ski trails of the Dome this winter.
16. Go camping or glamping at an R.V. Park.
17. Have your picture taken dressed in gold rush themed costumes (Peabody’s Photo Parlour).
18. Celebrate a break-up (Yukon River breakup early May).
19. Cool off and swim with the locals at Dawson City’s indoor pool.
20. Sing 240 songs along the 740km of the Dempster Highway.
21. Catch your fair share of pike, trout and whitefish (Yukon River or Klondike River).
22. In winter, rent a pair of snowshoes and take to the trails.
23. Let your four-legged friend run free in the off-leash dog park.
24. Stay at a variety of unique, Gold Rush era inspired accommodations.
25. Wear sunglasses at midnight, from mid-May to mid-July.
26. Pull up a basket and picnic on the lawns of the Commissioner’s Residence.
27. Tour town in a different way by walking the Waterfront Trail (Dawson City) along the dike.
28. Take a tour in a power boat and motor up the Yukon River.
29. Play some billiards while you enjoy refreshments at one of the many Gold Rush era inspired bars and pubs.
30. Complete five tasks from the Sourdough Challenge checklist (get your copy at the Visitor Information Centre).
31. Read a book by a Yukon author amongst the landscapes that inspired them.
32. Take a helicopter tour of Tombstone Territorial Park.
33. Check out the displays, library and programs at Tombstone Interpretive Centre.
Culture
34. See the original claim where gold was discovered (Discovery Claim).
35. Walk down a street fit for a storybook (Front Street).
36. Discover the history and culture of the first people at the Dänojà Zho Cultural Centre.
37. Visit the ghost of a knight (Dawson City Cemeteries). Walk amongst the dead.
38. Find out what on earth a paddlewheeler is (S.S. Keno National Historic Site).
39. See original gold mining equipment at Claim 33 Goldpanning and Jerry Bryde Klondyke Mining Museum (Claim 33 reopening for summer 2022).
40. Learn the truth about colonizing the north (Red Serge, Red Tape tour from Parks Canada at the Commissioner’s Residence).
41. Request a visit to Moosehide Village to learn about this traditional village that was once inhabited by the Tr’öndëk Hwëch’in peoples, following their displacement from Tr’ochëk at the turn of the century.
42. Take a guided tour through the interior of a massive mining machine (Dredge No. 4 National Historic Site).
43. Learn how a salmon wheel works, with Fishwheel Charter Tours.
44. Get the 411 at the Visitor Information Centre.
45. Learn about the life of author Jack London at a museum dedicated to him.
46. Find out how Dawson got its quirky personality on the Strange Things Done Under the Midnight Sun guided walking tour.
47. See historical photos of Dawson City (Harrington’s Store).
48. Visit the home of a world famous poet (Robert Service Cabin).
49. Discover local artists at the Klondike Institute of Art and Culture.
50. Learn to say hello in Hän, a Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in First Nation language.
51. Shop for unique jewelry and gifts made by local artisans.
52. Enjoy all the interesting architecture and handmade signs.
Events
53. Watch a live concert with local musicians at the gazebo on Front Street at lunch hour (June to August). 54. Run the Great Klondike International Outhouse Race. 55. Join local artists at an arts festival (Yukon Riverside Arts Festival). 56. Browse the seasonal arts market for unique pieces made by local artists. 57. Tap your toes to local musicians at the Dawson City Music Festival. 58. Cheer on the paddlers in the Yukon River Quest, the world’s longest canoe and kayak race. 59. Watch a parade on Discovery Days long weekend. 60. Cheer on teams from all over the north in the Labour Day Slo-Pitch tournament. 61. See what local green thumbs have grown at the annual horticultural exhibition. 62. Watch monster trucks race at the Dawson City Mud Bog.
Food & Drink
63. Down a Sourtoe Cocktail as a rite of passage.
64. Enjoy a variety of cuisines all in one spot (Top 10 Restaurants on TripAdvisor).
65. Indulge in the Snake Pit or the Arm Pit, two legendary bars at the Westminster Hotel.
Natural Experiences
66. Camp overnight in 2,200 sq.km of rugged peaks and lakes at Tombstone Territorial Park.
67. Watch an epic sunset over the Yukon River (Midnight Dome).
68. Go rock climbing in Crocus Bluff.
69. If rock climbing isn't your thing, play disk golf in Crocus Bluff.
70. Take a selfie atop the Midnight Dome.
71. Hike the trails up to the Midnight Dome.
72. View the Northern Lights in all their glory (Mid-August through to mid-April).
73. Drive across the Arctic Circle (Dempster Highway).
74. Step into nature on the 9th Avenue Trail.
75. Go birding to spot the 154 bird species common to Dawson City.
76. See the Klondike valley foliage in dramatic fall colours of reds, golds and browns. Fall colours are best spotted starting late August.
77. Pitch a tent at one of the many campgrounds.
Sightseeing
78. Take a ferry and drive to the Top of the World (Top of the World Highway).
79. Take a hot minute at a museum dedicated to firefighters (Dawson City Firefighter Museum).
80. Explore the galleries and exhibits of the Dawson City Museum.
81. Explore Tombstone Territorial Park on horseback.
82. Go for a river cruise (Klondike Spirit - reopening summer 2022).
83. See where boats go to die (Paddlewheeler Graveyard).
84. Explore a ghost town, abandoned over 60 years ago (Bear Creek).
85. Visit a vintage post office.
86. Tour the fully restored Palace Grand Theatre.
87. Imagine living way off the grid during a visit to West Dawson (West Dawson gets isolated by the frozen river in the winter. Residents have to stock up).
88. Climb aboard the S.S. Keno and experience life on a 1922 paddlewheeler.
89. Strike a pose with our kissing buildings (part of Klondike National Historic Sites).
90. Capture incredible photos at Tombstone Territorial Park.
91. Try to fall asleep without the sun going down (summer, midnight sun).
92. Tour the town with people dressed in petticoats and parasols (Parks Canada guided tours).
93. Marvel at wildlife from a safe distance.
94. Look for Spotted Orchids on the Orchid Acres Trail (June).
95. Take a stroll down Writer’s Row and learn about Dawson City’s literary legends (Writer’s Row on 8th Street).
96. Join the masses and snap a photo of one of the most-photographed buildings in the Yukon, Strait’s Auction House.
97. In the summer, photograph wildlife from the Dempster Highway. You might snap moose, bears or even wolves.
98. Marvel at an authentic mammoth tusk on display at the Trading Post.
99. Take a picture with the Dawson City welcome sign, fit for a movie set.
100. Visit the National Historic Sites around Dawson.
