Whitehorse

Capital of the Yukon and Canada's most westerly city, Whitehorse offers all the amenities of a major city but retains a small-town personality. Situated on the banks of the Yukon River, it was established as a handy trans-shipment point during the Klondike Gold Rush in 1898 when gold prospectors arriving from Skagway would board riverboats bound for the goldfields.

Today, its central position on the historic Alaskan Highway is convenient for visitors exploring the region, sitting halfway between Dawson Creek, British Columbia, and Fairbanks, Alaska. The Yukon Visitor Reception Centre is a good place to start exploring the province, with handy tips, maps, and suggestions for tours and activities all available.

The main attraction in Whitehorse is the restored SS Klondike, a river steamer that ferried passengers north to Dawson City. Moored on the Yukon River, tours of the steamer inform visitors about the history of the gold rush, the river, and the First Nations people.

The MacBride Museum houses exhibits on a range of local topics, including a Klondike gold exhibition in a complex of log buildings. Other attractions include the four-story log skyscraper, one of the most photographed buildings in Whitehorse; and Miles Canyon, from where the city's name originated. Its rapids were likened to the manes of charging white horses.

Another popular Whitehorse attraction is the lively vaudeville show, the Frantic Follies, which takes to the stage every night in summer with music, can-can, skits, and songs reminiscent of the Klondike days.