The local currency is the American dollar and money exchange is mostly done by withdrawing cash from ATMs. The local bank would only exchange your British pounds to US dollars if you open an account with them. There is only one currency exchange place with a poor rate, the same as the local bank. Getting cash from ATMs would be no problem, just make sure you are aware of any fees your bank may charge you and make sure you have notified them you would be spending time abroad.Opening hours in Skagway are quite standard, the museums and other tourist attractions are open Monday – Friday 8.30 am to 5.30 pm in summer and 8 am – 5 pm in winter. Some are closed during the winter months. Do familiarise yourself with the working times if you are visiting in winter and don’t assume everything would be working, as the weather conditions are quite harsh. There are also some public American holidays, as well as local ones.Tipping in Skagway would be the same as in any other American city - as a rule, you should tip any service staff. Many of them are paid low hourly rates and rely heavily on tips. Between 15 and 20% of the bill at a restaurant is considered normal but beware that some establishments include it in your bill, especially for larger groups. Hotel staff should also be tipped about a dollar per bag for the bellboy and about 2 USD per day for the housekeeper. Taxi drivers and spa saloon staff expects between 10% and 20% of the bill, if the service has been exceptional, feel free to leave more. Bartenders expect about a dollar per drink, more if the place is more upscale, and tour guides anything from 15 to 20%, depending on the length and the size of the group.The local time in Juneau is GMT – 8 and the international dialling code is 00 1 907.

The little town of Skagway (only 1000 people live there permanently) has been established because of the Klondike Gold Rush in Canada’s Yukon Territory in 1897. Today, the town has remained its 19th century charm and welcomes about half a million tourists a year, most of them cruise passengers. There are a lot of activities in the city for the ones, wanting to learn more about the Gold Rush.The Gold Rush Cemetery in Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park will give you an insight of the lives of many local characters of Skagway, including the local kingpin Jefferson “Soapy” Smith and early tourism entrepreneur Martin Itjen and his “world’s largest gold nugget”. The cemetery is a short walk from town, or you can take the SMART shuttle bus and can combined with the scenic Lower Reid Falls. There are over 20 preserved historical building at the park. Some of the must -see ones there are the four museums, free to the public – the Visitor Centre Museum, the Moore House Museum, Jefferson Smiths Parlor Museum, Mascot Saloon Museum. All of them give a different insight to the Gold Rush days. The Klondike Gold Fields is a Gold Rush – themed park that boasts an actual 350-ton Gold Dredge from 1937 – a gold sifting machine, reconstructed piece by piece. You can see a gold-panning demonstration, experience what minus 40 degrees feels like, take a sled dog ride, try the Gold rush beer from the micro-brewery and buy an authentic golden nugget. The Skagway Museum tells the story of Skagway as a vital transportation corridor to interior Alaska and the Yukon, displayed through the artefacts, photographs and historical records of the past century. The Sculpture and flower garden next-door consist of 57 historical photographs and 28 bronze sculptures by nationally noted American sculptors in a lovely garden setting. The Skagway Visitor Centre (The Arctic Brotherhood Hall 1899) is allegedly the most photographed building in Alaska, with its facade, made entirely of driftwood sticks all 8883 pieces of them, collected and nailed to the front wall by the Brotherhood.Ride the White Pass and Yukon Route train. One of the last remaining narrow-gauge trains will take you through the days of the Gold Rush (there is hardly anything in Skagway that’s not Gold Rush related), but mostly enjoy the unparalelled views of showy peaks, crystal lakes, blue glaciers and alpine flowers.