5 DAY LATE SUMMER AURORA BOREALIS VIEWING
Yellowknife is a place where traditional indigenous culture blends together with modern amenities, for a truly remarkable experience while discovering the mystery of the Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis). On late summer nights, far from city lights, watch the night sky light up. It’s a marvel that seems to embody the mysteries at the crossroads of Heaven and Earth in all of its elegance and raw beauty.
Availability:
September 22, 2022
For details on pricing or to book, contact your local Maritime Travel Advisor.
LAND ONLY
Start Location: Yellowknife
End Location: Yellowknife
TOUR HIGHLIGHTS & INCLUSIONS:
• Yellowknife City Tour
• Great Slave Lake boat tour
• 3 Nights of private Aurora Borealis viewing
• Indigenous Culture tour
• Wood Bison viewing tour
WHAT'S INCLUDED
• 4 nights of accommodation (3.5–4 star)
• Professional Tour Leader
• Transfers to activities in Yellowknife
• Meals: 4 breakfasts, 2 lunches, 3 dinners
EXCLUSIONS
5% provincial tax on top of tour base rate
Gratuities to driver (Recommend $3-$4 per person per day)
Gratuities to guide (Recommend $5-$7 per person per day)
Meals not listed
Attractions not listed
Credit card payment fees, where applicable
Airfare — domestic and international (Unless Specified)
Travel insurance (Strongly recommended, ask us for a quote!)
Items of a personal nature
Important Note: Aurora Borealis Viewing happens late at night, typically between the hours of 10:00 pm and 2:00 am. While the tour is deliberately planned during a season with the best chance of Aurora viewing, there is no guarantee the Aurora will be visible as it is a natural phenomenon and subject to weather conditions.
ITINERARY
Day 1: Arrive in Yellowknife, NWT
Yellowknife is one of the best places to view one of Earth's greatest natural wonders, the Aurora Borealis, also known as the Northern Lights. This is possible because the area experiences more clear nights than other northern locations - amazing Aurora displays are possible on over 240 nights each year. After arrival and transfer to the hotel, there will be time to relax and explore your immediate neighbourhood before an evening briefing session and welcome dinner.
Overnight: Explorer Hotel Yellowknife
Meals Included: Dinner
Day 2: Yellowknife, NWT
Today we explore Yellowknife on an informative city tour. On the tour we will learn about the rich history of Yellowknife starting with a visit to the Oldtown district where Yellowknife originally started almost 90 years ago. Hear the stories of growing up in Yellowknife and maybe stop from time to time to chat with locals during the tour. In Oldtown we will visit the Indigenous village of N’Dilo (dee-lo) and learn about local Dene Indigenous culture.
From Oldtown we continue to the downtown area, then to the modern southside to see how Yellowknife has grown. At the Visitor Centre you can get your Yellowknife pin and your North of 60 Certificate. We also visit the Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre, a museum that chronicles Aboriginal and European history in the North and features environmental exhibits.
After a break for lunch it’s time to get out onto the water and see Yellowknife and its surrounding scenery just as famous explorers saw it almost 250 years ago! On this relaxing cruise on Great Slave Lake we’ll learn about Yellowknife, the Indigenous people and the history of this area. In the harbor, see the colorful houseboats and learn about these unique houses and lifestyles. See the cool floatplanes or as some call them, seaplanes and if we get lucky, we could see one of these cool planes take off or come in for a landing, on the water! We will head further out to see the Indigenous village of Dettah and then back to Yellowknife.
Later tonight, we will head out of town to spend time in a genuine indigenous tepee and hope to the dancing Aurora in a personal, private setting. We stay warm around a crackling fire while sitting comfortably in the teepees and listening to stories from our Indigenous guides about their ancestors. The guides will also be happy to help you set up your own DSLR camera with the appropriate settings so you can also take amazing photos of the Aurora. You can request one of the tripods for your use or just sit out in the middle of our Aurora teepee camp and enjoy the view of our wonderfully lit teepees in the wilderness of northern Canada!
Overnight: Explorer Hotel Yellowknife
Meals Included: Breakfast
Day 3: Yellowknife, NWT
On today’s trip we will drive the highways of northern Canada and look for North America’s biggest buffalo (Wood Bison) and other wildlife! Our Indigenous guides will talk about the animals, the birds, and share stories about their culture. We will stop at other spots along the tour and take many cool photos.
Back in Yellowknife, we have some time at leisure to explore more of Yellowknife or relax before tonight's dinner. Tonight we head back out for another night of aurora viewing. Enjoy snacks and stories at our cozy camp.
Overnight: Explorer Hotel Yellowknife
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 4: Yellowknife, NWT
After breakfast, we set out to the wilderness away from Yellowknife, enjoy the look of the traditional Indigenous teepees and trapper’s tents. Our Indigenous guide will start by doing a “show and tell” talk about our culture, hear stories about what life was like in the old days, how hard it was to survive in such extreme weather conditions and how they are trying to preserve their traditional ways in today’s new, modern world.
After this we will go into one of the teepees and our Indigenous guide will perform a traditional smudging ceremony for everyone. Then we will sit down for a good exchange of questions and answers with our Indigenous guide. After this we will enjoy a light lunch of traditional foods such as local whitefish, buffalo and delicious traditional bannock. After sampling this delicious fare, we will get the chance to try on some beautiful traditional. To end off the tour, we will do traditional “Feeding the Fire” ceremony.
Tonight we join for a farewell dinner, where we have the opportunity to share our favourite moments of our time in Yellowknife, before departing on our last night of Aurora viewing.
Overnight: Explorer Hotel Yellowknife
Meals Included: Breakfast, Light Lunch, Dinner
Day 5: Depart Yellowknife, NWT
Our northern Canadian Yellowknife experience comes to an end this morning. Following breakfast, we will transfer to the airport for our return journey home.
Meals Included: Breakfast
Note: The tours are planned one year in advance and occasionally the itinerary may need to be adjusted, or schedule changes may occur. Tour management reserves the right to make any adjustments in plans, which may be necessitated due to circumstances beyond our control. The tour organizer reserves the right to make any changes before or during the tour for the comfort and enjoyment of the passengers.