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Major city · Canada

Dawson City

Go for 2 nights in Jun–Aug: gold-rush streets on foot, Midnight Dome at midnight, and a 6.5 h drive from Whitehorse. Skip in winter unless you want −30 °C.

Weather
see forecast
Currency
CAD
Best months
Jun–Aug (long days, everything open)
avoid Nov–Mar (deep cold, many services closed)
Airport
YDA
Nights
2
Not field-verifiedbasic guide
Print / PDF guide
3 pages, for the metro and roaming-off days
Map
Google Maps Apple Maps Street View
Rules in force · 6Crossing between the US, Canada and Mexico by land needs …Cannabis is legal in Canada and in many US states, but ta…
  • North America ↗Crossing between the US, Canada and Mexico by land needs your passport even on a day trip; rental cars need the company's written permission to cross, and most US and Canadian rental insurance stops at the Mexican border.
  • North America ↗Cannabis is legal in Canada and in many US states, but taking any amount across the US, Canadian or Mexican border is a federal crime — including edibles and vapes.
  • North America ↗The busiest US and Canadian national parks need timed-entry, campsite or lodge reservations in summer; release dates are months ahead.
  • Canada ↗Visa-exempt travellers flying to or through Canada usually need an eTA; check your passport on the official Government of Canada site (canada.ca) and apply only there.
  • Canada ↗A Parks Canada pass is needed to stop in national parks such as Banff and Jasper; some spots (for example Moraine Lake) are reached only by shuttle or tour, so book ahead.
  • Canada ↗Keep well away from bears, elk and moose; carry bear spray on Rockies trails and follow trail closures.

Dawson City is a gold-rush town of about 1,300 people on the Yukon River, 519 km north of Whitehorse by the Klondike Highway. The historic core is a Parks Canada national historic site you walk in an afternoon; the rest of the trip is the Midnight Dome, Bonanza Creek and the Dempster Highway toward Tombstone. Two nights covers it; three if you add Tombstone or a mine tour.

Essentials

Quick answers and what things cost

Quick answers

The questions people ask first about Dawson City, one line each. Tap a card for the full answer.

Cost cheat-sheet

2026 desk estimate · check

Typical prices for the everyday things, as ranges. Your currency is shown next to the local price.

  • CoffeeC$3–6 (≈ US$3–5)
  • Beerdraught in a saloon / can at the storeC$7–10 (≈ US$6–8)C$3–5 (≈ US$3–4)
  • Taxi, about 5 kmTaxi across townC$10–20 (≈ US$8–15)
  • Budget bedHostel or campground bed, a night, per personC$35 (≈ US$30)
  • Mid-range bedHotel or lodge double room, a night, per roomC$220 (≈ US$160)
  • High-end bedHotel or lodge double room, a night, per roomC$380 (≈ US$300)

A day, not counting the bed: Budget C$90 (≈ US$70) · Mid C$180 (≈ US$140) · High C$320 (≈ US$250)

Local prices, with USD next to them (rates 2026-09 (approximate); change it in the header). Ranges are desk estimates: check locally. Every price and the budget calculator →

Decide

What it is known for, and when the weather works

At a glance

What the city is known for, how you fly in, and where to find the phrases.

Klondike Gold Rush historic townMidnight Dome viewpointDiamond Tooth Gertie's cancan showsDredge No. 4 and Bonanza CreekTr'ondëk-Klondike UNESCO site
Airports
YDA Dawson City Airport (Air North flights from Whitehorse about 1 h 10 min; from Inuvik about 1 h 25 min. Small terminal, no bus into town: taxi or pre-booked shuttle.)

Weather and climate

Forecast from Open-Meteo · averages rounded

Dawson City: next 7 days

Loading forecast…

Forecast: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), model data for this point.

Air quality

Loading…

Model estimate (CAMS via Open-Meteo), not a street-level station; readings near busy roads run higher.

Jan

−22°C

−30°C

17 rd

Feb

−15°C

−26°C

13 rd

Mar

−4°C

−21°C

11 rd

Apr

8°C

−7°C

11 rd

May

16°C

1°C

28 rd

Jun

22°C

7°C

44 rd

Jul

23°C

9°C

48 rd

Aug

20°C

6°C

48 rd

Sep

13°C

0°C

30 rd

Oct

0°C

−8°C

26 rd

Nov

−14°C

−22°C

23 rd

Dec

−19°C

−27°C

20 rd

High / low °C · rd = rain days

Arrive & move

Airports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in

Getting around

The historic core is flat and walkable in 15 minutes end to end. The free ferry crosses the Yukon River to the west bank for the golf course and paddle-boat graveyard. Taxis cover the airport and Bonanza Creek; there is no local bus. A car is needed for Bonanza Creek, Dredge No. 4 and the Dempster Highway.

See & do

Day-trips, door to door

Day-trips

Door-to-door, not ride time

Bonanza Creek and Dredge No. 4

go

Door to door: About 1.5–2 h round trip plus stops

Drive 18 km south on Bonanza Creek Road from the Klondike Highway

Dredge No. 4 is a national historic site; self-guided trails and a viewpoint at Cripple Hill.

Tombstone Territorial Park

go

Door to door: About 1.5 h each way

Dempster Highway north, about 72 km to the interpretive centre

Day trip for the viewpoint and short walks; overnight if you want backcountry. Fuel and food before you leave.

Moosehide Village

caution

Door to door: Under 30 min

Boat or a short drive downstream on the north bank

Heritage site of the Tr'ondëk Hwëch'in; access and events are seasonal, so check before going.

Whitehorse

overnight

Door to door: 6.5 h by car, about 3 h door to door by air

Drive the Klondike Highway (519 km) or fly Air North about 1 h 10 min

Too far for a day return by road; the seasonal Husky Bus takes about 7 h each way.

Eat & sleep

Which area to sleep in

Where to sleep

Areas, not hotels: pick the one that fits your arrival time and plans.

Front Street and the historic core

Boardwalks, saloons, the S.S. Keno and the visitor centre within a 10-minute walk. Best for a first visit with no car.

Second and Third Avenue

Hotels, cafés and shops one block back from the river; quieter at night, still walkable to everything.

Highway-side and campgrounds

Government campground and RV sites near the ferry landing; cheapest beds, but you need a car or a 15–20 min walk.

Practical

What a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card

Cost per day

2026 estimate, excluding the bed unless stated
Budget
C$90–150 (≈ US$70–110) excl. bed
Mid
C$150–260 (≈ US$110–190) excl. bed
High
C$260 (≈ US$190)+ excl. bed

Trip budget

2026 estimate · converts to your currency
Hotel or lodge double room1 × 2 nights × C$220C$440
Food, local transport, entries2 × 2 days × C$180C$720
Parks Canada guided walking tour2 × C$7C$14
Gold Bottom Mine Tour2 × C$40C$80
Diamond Tooth Gertie's summer season pass2 × C$30C$60
eSIM, about a week of data2 × C$25C$50
Buffer 10%Price creep, a taxi you did not plan, one splurgeC$136
Trip total≈ C$375 per person per day, bed includedC$1,500≈ US$1,100

2026 estimate in Canadian dollars; flights and car rental excluded. Your choices stay in this browser.

Prices of common things

CoffeeC$3–6 (≈ US$3–5)
Pub meal (burger or fish and chips)C$18–30 (≈ US$14–25)
Beer: draught in a saloon / can at the storeC$7–10 (≈ US$6–8) / C$3–5 (≈ US$3–4)
Grocery run for a self-catered dayC$25–40 (≈ US$19–30)
Taxi across townC$10–20 (≈ US$8–15)
Fuel, per litreHigher in remote stretches.C$1.60–2.00 (≈ US$2)

2026 estimate; check locally.

Watch out

Safety

Dawson City is small and safe by Canadian standards; the real risks are the drive (long, remote highway), summer mosquitoes, and winter cold below −40 °C. Tell someone your route if you head up the Dempster.
  • Summer mosquitoes are heavy near the river: repellent and a head net help.
  • The Klondike Highway from Whitehorse is 519 km with long gaps between fuel stops: fill up at Carmacks and Stewart Crossing.
  • The Top of the World Highway to Alaska is seasonal and partly gravel: check border hours and road status before crossing.
  • Winter temperatures fall below −40 °C: only travel with proper gear and a plan.
  • Many businesses close from September to May: check opening dates before booking a shoulder-season trip.

Emergency numbers

Police, fire, ambulance
911

Pocket card

One page · print or save as PDF

Fill in, then print or save as PDF

Stays in this browser only; nothing is sent anywhere.

Dawson CityDawson City

Pocket card · Voykit

My bed tonight

—

—

—

To this address, pleaseTo this address, please

Emergency

  • Police, fire, ambulance911

Embassy

No embassies in Dawson City; the nearest consulates are in Whitehorse, and embassies are in Ottawa.

My embassy: —

Fare anchors (2026 estimate)

  • Air North Whitehorse → Dawson City: about 1 h 10 min
  • Husky Bus Whitehorse → Dawson City: about 7 h, June–September
  • Free ferry across the Yukon River: no fare, runs through the day

Say or show

  • Thank you — Thank you (English is the main language)
  • How much is it? — How much is it?
  • Can I pay by card? — Can I pay by card?
  • Where is the ferry? — Where is the ferry?
  • Is the road open? — Is the road open?
  • Mähsi — Mähsi (thank you, Hän) (mah-see)

Tipping: 15–20% at restaurants and bars, 10–15% for taxis.

Deep dive

What this guide covers so far, and its sources

Not a trip line yet

This is a basic guide: no airport-to-bed contract, walking clusters or day plans are published for Dawson City. Airport, fare and schedule details are unverified; check the operators before you fly.

What we know, and what is coming

On this page

  1. Best months: Jun–Aug (long days, everything open) · avoid Nov–Mar (deep cold, many services closed) · month by month →
  2. 1 airport and 3 areas to sleep in
  3. Weather: a 7-day forecast and monthly averages
  4. Cost per day in 3 bands
  5. 4 day-trips, door to door
  6. 5 things to watch out for, with emergency numbers

Coming as the guide grows

  1. Airport-to-bed contract for YDA: Air North arrival times, taxi fallback, first-night check-in rung.
  2. Four walking clusters with rescue anchors: Front Street, Second Avenue, the ferry landing and the Dome Road trailhead.
  3. Place pages with verified cutoffs (Dänojà Zho, Dredge No. 4, S.S. Keno, Diamond Tooth Gertie's) and eat pages with last orders.
  4. Summer and hostile-arrival fixtures so gates A–D can go green.

Meanwhile

Back to Canada

Sources