Port Guide: Skagway, United States

Bordellos, bars and bad behaviour: one of Alaska’s most popular and atmospheric ports has quite the tale to tell.

Who goes there Alaska is one of cruising’s big staples and Skagway is one of Alaska’s most charming little towns, so you’ll have an abundant choice of cruise lines, from all the big budget and luxury names down to smaller expedition companies. Most ships are sailing Alaska cruises from Seattle, Vancouver, Whittier (near Anchorage) or Seward. A few have trekked across the North Pacific from Japan on long repositioning cruises.

Sail on in You’ll be leaning on the railings no matter where you are in Alaska, and this approach is no exception. Skagway sits right at the northern end of the Inside Passage. Your ship sails up a long and ever-narrowing inlet, past the agreeable clapboard town of Haines on the port side. Skagway is backed by foreboding hills.

Berth rites Whether your ship ties up at Railroad Dock (more likely if it’s big) or Broadway Dock (smaller expedition ships) or in another couple of spots doesn’t really matter because not much will detain you – there are barely any facilities, not even free Wi-Fi – and the town is a short walk away, although some passengers choose to get a shuttle from Railroad Dock. You’ll likely be sharing space with a container ship that supplies the town or the nearby Canadian interior.

Going ashore Skagway erupted in 1897 when the Klondike goldfields were discovered but was almost abandoned just two years later. Main street Broadway maintains its wooden sidewalks and most of its buildings, though they’re now painted in agreeable colours. A walking tour with the National Park Service takes you to some of the most notable historic buildings, including Moore House and an early brothel and saloon. Meanwhile at the Red Onion Saloon, faux brothel madams in historical garb will show you around and entertain you with improbable stories of bad behaviour.

Don’t miss There are several small museums in town, but if you visit only one make it the child-friendly Skagway Museum and Archives, which explains indigenous and gold rush history and much more besides in a jumble of artefacts ranging from Tlingit totems and a war canoe to gold-prospecting equipment and old trucks.

Get active The superb landscapes around Skagway should tempt you to hike to places such as Upper Reid Falls (a short and easily accessible walk) or along the Chilkoot Trail, which is more challenging since it follows the old goldminers’ route into the mountains. You can also cycle through temperate rainforest, rock climb and rappel on the sheer granite cliffs of White Pass, raft on the Skagway River or zip line at Grizzly Falls.

Retail therapy Most of the historical buildings are now taken up by shops, and although some sell the usual fudge and cheap trinkets, many offer fine quality handicrafts, ceramics and knitwear. Alaskan artworks, jewellery and jade are the best buys. Kirmses Antiques has good regional crafts, Russian nesting dolls and historical memorabilia, and Alaska Artworks has silver jewellery, watercolours and more handicrafts. Skagway News Depot will replenish your reading; it has a good selection of books about or set in Alaska.

Further afield By far the most popular excursion is the ride on the historic White Pass & Yukon Route Railroad. Its steam trains depart a station close to the cruise terminal. The former gold-rush train takes you through a landscape of shark-tooth mountains and gushing waterfalls. You can also take scenic flights over glaciers, go whale watching on the bay, or visit a musher’s camp for a ride in a dog sled.