Skagway cruise port

Ride the White Pass railway from the ship into the Klondike Gold Rush.

Skagway is the gold rush town at the top of the Inside Passage, a six-block grid of false-front saloons and boardwalks at the foot of the White Pass. Ships tie up at the Railroad, Broadway and Ore docks, all a 10 minute walk from Broadway, and the narrow-gauge train that climbs 3,000 feet to the summit is the most booked excursion in Alaska. SmartCruiser lists every cruise that calls at Skagway from every line, priced with taxes and fees included, with the sailings that carry SmartCruiser bonus onboard credit or instant savings at the top.

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Docked3 docks plus the ferry dock, all walk-off; no tenders
TownBroadway is about 10 minutes on foot, SMART shuttle $3
Jun to Augdriest and warmest, highs in the 60s
All inevery price includes taxes and fees
Start here

Three ways to do Skagway

Take the train, go deep into the Yukon, or walk the gold rush town on your own; the buttons filter the list of sailings below.

The train

White Pass Summit Excursion

  • About 3 hours in vintage parlor cars, 20 miles up to the 2,865 foot summit and back
  • Trestles, tunnels, Bridal Veil Falls and the Dead Horse Gulch trail of 1898
  • About $150 per adult as of 2026; the train often boards right at the Railroad Dock

Best for: everyone on a first Alaska cruise, grandparents, train lovers

Big day out

Into the Yukon by bus or helicopter

  • Train up, bus back through Canada to Carcross or Emerald Lake, 6 to 8 hours, about $230 to $280
  • Helicopter to a glacier dog-sled camp, about 2 hours and about $650 to $700
  • Dyea and the Chilkoot trailhead by van, 3 hours, about $100

Best for: active travelers, photographers, anyone who has done the train before

On your own

Gold rush town on foot, for free

  • Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park visitor center and free ranger walks on Broadway
  • Red Onion Saloon, the Arctic Brotherhood Hall and the Skagway Museum, all within six blocks
  • Gold Rush Cemetery and Reid Falls, 2 miles out, by foot or the $5 all-day SMART shuttle

Best for: budget travelers, walkers, history buffs

Live from the cruise lines

Skagway cruises: SmartCruiser picks first

Every cruise that calls at Skagway from every line, priced live with taxes, fees and port expenses included. The picks at the top are sailings where booking with SmartCruiser gets you something extra: instant savings or bonus onboard credit. Below them, every other sailing that stops here, with full sorting by home port, line, month, length and price.

SmartCruiser picks

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Every cruise that calls at Skagway

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Prices are per person, double occupancy, in US dollars, and include cruise fare, taxes, fees and port expenses as published by the cruise line at the moment you load this page. Fares are capacity controlled and change daily; the fare is confirmed when you book. Flights, hotels and transfers are extra unless the line’s offer says otherwise. SmartCruiser instant savings and bonus onboard credit are provided by SmartCruiser on top of the cruise line’s price and are not available when booking direct; amounts are per stateroom, vary by stateroom category and are shown for the lowest category offered. Special SmartCruiser rates are pricing SmartCruiser holds on that sailing for its clients, with extra onboard credit; you book your own stateroom and travel on your own. Senior fares apply to guests 55 and over; resident fares need proof of residency in a listed state or province at check-in; police and fire fares apply to active or retired police, fire and EMT personnel with ID. Qualifier-fare savings are measured against the best fare the cruise line offers the general public for the same stateroom category on the day the list was pulled, updated weekly.

In port

Things to do in Skagway

The town is tiny and the mountains are right there, so a half day on the train still leaves time to walk Broadway.

White Pass and Yukon Route railroadThe 1898 narrow-gauge railway climbs 2,865 feet in 20 miles to the summit and the Canadian border, about 3 hours round trip in heated vintage cars. About $150 adult as of 2026; sit on the left going up for the views.
Klondike Gold Rush National Historical ParkThe National Park Service owns much of Broadway: a free visitor center, restored 1890s buildings, films and ranger-led walking tours several times a day. Start here, 10 minutes from any dock.
Yukon Discovery and Emerald LakeBus through the White Pass into British Columbia and the Yukon to Carcross, the Carcross Desert and the turquoise Emerald Lake, 6 to 8 hours, about $200 to $280 with the train one way. Bring your passport.
Glacier dog sledding by helicopterFly over the Juneau Icefield to a summer musher camp, meet the dogs and ride a sled on the snow, about 2 hours and about $650 to $700 per person. Weather dependent; it cancels when the clouds are low.
Red Onion SaloonThe 1898 brothel turned bar on Broadway serves pizza and local beer downstairs and runs tongue-in-cheek tours of the upstairs rooms for about $15. A gold rush institution two blocks from the Broadway Dock.
Gold Rush Cemetery and Reid FallsWalk or ride the SMART shuttle 2 miles north to the graves of con man Soapy Smith and the hero who shot him, then a short trail to the falls. Free, about 2 hours round trip on foot.
Dyea and the Chilkoot TrailVan tours to the ghost town of Dyea, where 30,000 stampeders started the Chilkoot Trail in 1898, about 3 hours and about $100; add a guided hike on the first miles of the trail or a Taiya River float.
Yakutania Point and Dewey Lake trailsFree hikes from town: Yakutania Point is an easy 1 mile walk over the footbridge to a rocky point on the inlet, Lower Dewey Lake is a steeper 2.5 mile loop with views over the docks.
Pick your style

Which lines call at Skagway?

Almost every Inside Passage and Glacier itinerary stops here; the biggest ships use the Railroad Dock, the rest the Broadway and Ore docks.

PrincessSeveral ships a week from Seattle, Vancouver, Whittier and San Francisco; Princess tours own the White Pass dock and train excursions board dockside.SmartCruiser bonus onboard credit Holland AmericaZaandam, Eurodam, Koningsdam, Nieuw Amsterdam and Westerdam from Seattle, Vancouver and Seward, usually at the Broadway Dock.SmartCruiser bonus onboard credit Royal CaribbeanOvation, Quantum and Anthem of the Seas from Seattle and Vancouver on the Railroad Dock with long days in port.SmartCruiser bonus onboard credit NorwegianBliss, Encore and Joy from Seattle; Norwegian stays in Alaska later than anyone, with Skagway calls into October.SmartCruiser bonus onboard credit CelebrityCelebrity Edge and Solstice from Seattle, Vancouver and Seward on 7 night Inside Passage and Glacier sailings.SmartCruiser bonus onboard credit Carnival7 night Alaska round trips from Seattle with a full Skagway day.SmartCruiser bonus onboard credit DisneyDisney Wonder from Vancouver, usually docking at the Ore Dock at the end of Main Street.SmartCruiser bonus onboard credit CunardQueen Elizabeth’s Alaska season from Vancouver includes Skagway on 10 night Glacier sailings.SmartCruiser bonus onboard credit VikingViking Orion and Viking Venus on 10 night Alaska and Inside Passage sailings between Vancouver and Seward.Live prices
Timing

When to go

Skagway sits in a rain shadow and is far drier than Juneau or Ketchikan (about 27 inches a year); June through August is warm and dry, and the shoulders are quieter but cooler.

MaySeason opens; highs in the 50s, long daylight, snow still on the pass so the train views are at their most dramatic, fewer ships.
June to JulyThe best weather of the year: highs in the 60s, sometimes 70s, the driest stretch and nearly 18 hours of daylight; every dock full, book the train early.
AugustStill warm, a little more rain, salmon in Pullen Creek by the docks and the summer crowds easing after mid month.
September to early OctoberCooler, 40s and 50s, the rainiest weeks and fall color on the pass; prices drop and some shops close after the last ships.
Good to know

Skagway questions we answer every day

Where do cruise ships dock in Skagway and how far is town?

Three docks on the waterfront: the Railroad Dock on the east side (two berths, the only one that takes the biggest ships, with train tracks running onto the pier), the Broadway Dock at the foot of Broadway, and the Ore Dock at the end of Main Street with its floating pier. Small ships use the ferry dock between them. Everything is walk-off; Broadway is about 10 minutes on foot from any of them, and the SMART shuttle runs a loop for about $3 each way or $5 all day. Rockslides closed part of the Railroad Dock in 2022; after mitigation work it reopened, and the 2026 port schedule assigns ships to all three docks as normal, though you can still see the slide scar on the hillside above it.

How do I get around Skagway?

On foot; the historic district is six blocks by four. For Gold Rush Cemetery, Jewell Gardens or the Dyea road, use the SMART shuttle, a local tour van, or a rental bike. Taxis are few, so book anything time-sensitive ahead.

What currency, language and time zone?

US dollars and English. Skagway is on Alaska Time, one hour behind Seattle and Vancouver; your ship may stay on Pacific time, so confirm before you go ashore. US phones work normally in town but there is no signal on the train once it climbs out of the valley, and no free Wi-Fi at the docks.

Is Skagway safe?

Yes. It is a small, friendly town of about 1,000 year-round residents that swells to four ships a day in summer. Dress for sudden weather on the pass, carry bear spray or hike in groups on the outlying trails, and keep an eye on the time; the train and Yukon tours are reliable but long.

Should I book the White Pass train through the ship?

Yes, and early. Ship-booked trains board right at the Railroad Dock or a few minutes’ walk away, the price is about the same as buying at the depot, and the ship waits for its own excursions. The summit trip sells out weeks ahead in July and August. Any tour that crosses into Canada, by train or bus, needs a passport.

Do I need a passport for an Alaska cruise?

Round trips from Seattle, San Francisco or Los Angeles are closed-loop sailings, so US citizens may sail with a government photo ID plus an original or certified birth certificate, but we recommend a passport, and you will need one for any Yukon excursion. Cruises that start or end in Vancouver, Seward or Whittier require a valid passport.

Are taxes and fees included in the prices here?

Yes. Every price on this page includes the cruise fare, taxes, fees and port expenses. Flights, hotels, shore excursions and gratuities are extra.

Talk to a Skagway cruise specialist

We know which ships get the long Skagway days and which sailings carry SmartCruiser bonus onboard credit, so call to check availability and book. Monday to Thursday 9 to 6, Friday 9 to 5, Saturday 10 to 6 ET.

1-800-444-1560