Preparing for your Skagway tour

You just purchased your Skagway tour and you’re already excited about your day in Skagway. The purpose of this blog is to help you get the most out of your tour by preparing you for what to expect when your cruise ship docks in Skagway.

Hey, look at that! It’s Skagway! You’re going on a tour there.

Make sure you have the essentials

Many Skagway tours require a passport. Your M&M Tours confirmation will tell you if you need a passport, so be sure to read it thoroughly. If you’re crossing the border into Canada, you need your passport. Some tours that do not cross the border still require a passport, like the Sawtooth Mountain Hiking Tour.

If you need certain prescription medications, you need to make sure you bring them along. Many tours are in remote areas, far away from the nearest pharmacist. If you discover halfway during the tour that you forgot something you need, you may be hours away from a solution.

If you wear prescription glasses or contact lenses, be sure you have them before you leave your cruise ship. Once you’re in the staging area for your tour, there probably won’t be enough time to go back onboard to retrieve them.

Prepare for Southeast Alaska weather

Skagway has the driest climate of any Southeast Alaska destination, but that doesn’t mean it never rains. The weather in Skagway is entirely unpredictable, which means it could snow in July or be 90 degrees in September.

Even on a warm, sunny day, the temperature next to a glacier may be 10 degrees cooler. Bring layers.

To prepare for the weather, check out a reliable weather app before disembarking your cruise ship. Most of them are relatively accurate. Temperatures can fluctuate wildly throughout the day, and you may even find that it’s a lot cooler in the shade than in direct sunlight.

The key to staying warm throughout the day is layering. For best results, start with a light layer and then add a fleece layer followed by a coat or windbreaker. If you’re too warm, you can always remove a layer. If you’re too cold, you can add a layer, but only if you brought enough of them. If you’re going out on the water, you may even want a hat and gloves. Also remember to wear sunglasses, especially if you’re going to be on a glacier where reflected sunlight can be blinding.

Cameras and binoculars

Most everyone wants to capture the best moments from their Skagway tour, but this means different things to different people. If you just want a few snapshots of your family with some mountains in the background, your cell phone camera is probably good enough. If you want to get a close-up shot of a bear, you probably want to bring along a quality SLR camera with a powerful zoom lens.

You won’t capture this photo without a zoom lens. You have to decide if it’s worth the hassle.

We can’t stress this enough: Sometimes it’s better to forget your camera and enjoy the experience. Seeing a bear, a moose or a lynx on your Skagway tour may be one of the highlights of your vacation, but if you’re fiddling with a camera you may miss out on the experience. Instead of a camera, consider bringing along some compact binoculars. You will be able to get a far better view of any wildlife you encounter, especially goats that live high up in the Yukon mountains.

Remember that the best camera is the one you know how to use. Some of the best photos are taken with inexpensive point-and-shoot cameras. You’re ability to use your camera is far more important than owning a fancy camera.

Snacks and drinks for your Skagway tour

Most longer tours include a snack or a meal, but you may want to bring something along just in case you’re feeling a little hungry. You may be from a time zone on the east coast that’s 4 hours ahead of Skagway, which means your eating schedule may be entirely off. You should also bring water or a beverage of your choice if you think you may need it.

If you’re going on an active tour, you will likely need to bring along some extra calories. We recommend fruit, chocolate, or a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Heavier proteins may not sit well in your stomach if you’re going on a hiking tour, so be sure to carefully consider what you’re eating.

Put it all in a comfortable backpack

Take a lesson from Skagway locals and carry all of your essentials in a comfortable backpack. You can easily carry extra clothing, snacks, bottled water, your camera, binoculars, your passport, and any other things you may think you’ll need during the day.

Remember, if you have any questions about your Skagway tour, be sure to call or email us and we will be happy to answer your questions.

This could be you. Join us on an amazing Skagway tour.