Aurora borealis is one of the most spectacular forms of atmospheric actions and scientific performances. And across the planet, Yellowknife in Canada is one of the best places to enjoy such magnificent shows of mother nature. When different compounds including Oxygen and Nitrogen are smushed together, the northern sky is splashed with a mashup of colors. The lights keep dancing all over the horizon, signaling the reaction of the charged particles when hitting the atoms and molecules of Earth’s atmosphere after exiting the sun.
Another reason why I decided to visit Yellowknife in Canada was the flight. I could easily catch a flight from YVR airport in Vancouver where I stayed a week before and land at Yellowknife Airport in less than 5 hours. And over there, you can spend a few days hunting for the northern lights by yourself or with the help of a local expert.
Now here’s the real deal: check the weather, the clouds, the months, and the best time to go if you don’t wanna miss these dramatic shows in regret! Wondering how to do so? Consult this Yellowknife travel guide and find out!
What’s So Special about Yellowknife?
Yellowknife isn’t just about the aurora. But if you ask me what the best place to see the aurora in Canada is, my answer is Yellowknife. Catching the aurora at the right time and the right place is not an easy task. And learning about the KP index predicting the arrival of the lights is also part of the fun.
Well, visiting Yellowknife doesn’t mean you have to be a science geek to be able to appreciate the beauty of the northern lights. Yellowknife is just 512 km south of the arctic circle where the weather is more stable. Plus, the absence of towering mountains and oceans allows you to embrace the beauty of the Borealis even more.
They say the aurora appears in Yellowknife 240 days a year. You can get there by yourself in your own car. But as a tourist, the best way to admire the aurora borealis in Yellowknife is with an organized tour.
How To Maximize Your Chances Of Seeing The Yellowknife Aurora?
The aurora borealis result from a collision between electrically charged gas particles released by the sun as it hits the earth’s atmosphere. Each type of gas will create a different color, creating an amusing, quirky, and mystical canvas splashed all over the high dark sky. Expect to see green and pink as some of the most common colors. If you’re lucky, you’ll have a chance to admire even crazier colors caused by other forms of collisions, especially during the geomagnetic solar storm.
To predict the geomatic activity caused by cloud coverage, scientists have a unique measuring system indicated by a KP index from 1 to 8. A higher number means a higher chance of aurora borealis.
Other than that, the biggest enemy of a beautiful aurora in Yellowknife is the clouds. Therefore, if you sign up for an organized tour, they will let you know which day has the highest success rate of spotting aurora when the sky is clear. On a clear, crisp day, the best time to observe the northern lights is from 10 pm to 2 am. Otherwise, you can check out the official website for the aurora forecast if you decide to venture out by yourself.
What Is the Best Month to See the Aurora in Yellowknife?
Wintertime from mid-November to April next year is an awesome time to spot aurora when the sky is the clearest and the nights are longer.
How to Get to and Around Yellowknife?
To fly into Yellowknife, I took a flight from Vancouver Airport in less than 5 hours. I would then land at Yellowknife Airport which is about 6 kilometers away from the downtown core of Yellowknife.
As mentioned earlier, having your own car is the best way to get around Yellowknife if you don’t want to be part of a tour. Keep following the Ingraham trail road out of the city which takes you to plenty of scenic lakes along the way. You can stop at one of those lakes to spot aurora. In case you don’t have a car, I highly recommend signing up for a tour. There will be different types of tours to choose from.
Aurora Tours in Yellowknife: Which One Is the Best Pick?
The tour I signed up for is a local tour after I landed in Yellowknife from Vancouver. My tour lasted for 3 days and 2 nights while some other packages were shorter.
The best thing about organized tours is that you get picked up and provided accommodation within a certain time frame. For first-time visitors, driving around by yourself in such a wide place as Yellowknife can be a daunting task. Plus, driving at night is not always easy. The best places to spot aurora in Yellowknife usually gather around the dark lakes. If you don’t have the gut to tackle such a mystical journey, opt for the tour and have a group of like-minded travelers hang out with you. Let’s make new friends!
A local expert will know exactly which spot of the day to catch the best northern lights. They will also learn the right shutter speed to snap the most fantastic landscape shots when the night approaches, not to mention they are kind enough to help you switch to the right settings for your camera.
Now, how many types of aurora tours are there in Yellowknife? I would say they have 2 major tours: one is a hunting tour which also covers other attractions in Yellowknife while the other one focuses on aurora watching from one specific place.
The hunting tour takes you to multiple spots throughout Yellowknife looking for the lights, meandering along the best lakes in town before waking you out to the museums, welcome sign, and Jewellery Center. And this is also the tour I signed up for.
What I don’t like about the other tour is that you may be missing out on the highest chance to see the lights. If the aurora doesn’t come through over your location, then you’ll miss it. If you’re wondering what else you can see other than the aurora borealis, stay tuned to the next part!
What Else Can You See in Yellowknife? My City Tour Sample to Give You a Heads-Up
Yellowknife Sign
The welcoming sign to Yellowknife is one of the signature attractions in town that I first visited. Here you’ll see a big, stretching stone wall for some photo-ops.
Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Center
This heritage center is more like a museum with a range of curated artifacts and exhibits laid out. This will be a big hook for history buffs who wish to dig some insights into the local history and culture of the Yellowknife region.
Get your mind hungry for knowledge because it has lots of informative stuff to walk around. I specifically love the illustration of the indigenous peoples, their languages, travel routes, as well as the abundant wildlife in the area.
Visitors Center
What’s so special about the visitor’s center you ask? Well, unlike some other boring tourist centers out there, this one in Yellowknife is run by helpful and friendly staff. Whenever you’re in doubt, come here and talk to the ladies who will be advising you about the best tours curated just for you. Plus, you can see the taxidermy of the huge polar bear as well. Selfie’s time!
Legislative Assembly
The best thing about the assembly is the architecture. I’m not really into politics stuff and that’s why I didn’t set my bar very high for this place. It turned out I was wrong. The tour guide was excellent in showing me everything about the design and how its meaning is mounted into the life of the indigenous peoples.
NWT Diamond and Jewellery Center
Who’s here for the diamonds? Well, this is not the place chock full of shiny diamond stores beckoning tourists’ attention, alright? The main thrill here concentrates on the informative tour about the diamond mines. Then they will show you how to identify different types of diamonds by looking at the colors, clarity, and cut of the diamonds.
Yellowknife Old Town
Quirky colorful buildings, wooden log cabins, kayak rental shops, and scenic restaurants wrap around the deep blue lake of the Great Slave down the hill of downtown Yellowknife. This is the Old Town of Yellowknife! Without a guide, it’s nothing but a normal, lakeside village.
But with a guide, you’ll learn so much about this zig-zag path of history blended with the charm of the local life. I love gazing at the waterfront mansions nestled beside the galleries filled with First Nations arts. Somewhere down the streets, some bobbing houseboats pop out from the shore, injecting the visit with a fresh, authentic vibe.
Bush Pilots Monument
Bush Pilots Monument marked the end of my city tour. As the name suggests, this is a monument on top of a hill that you can reach after climbing a short flight of steps. The monument pays tribute to the lost bush pilots who lost their lives for the expansion opening up the north to the rest of Canada.
Other than the history, you can also enjoy the breezy view of Old Town Yellowknife and the lakes around.
A 4-Day Aurora Tour in Yellowknife: A Quick Look into the Itinerary
- Day 1: Land at Yellowknife Airport and arrive at the hotel for check-in. Take a rest before the aurora hunting tour at 10 pm. The tour ends at 2 am when the guide takes you back to your hotel.
- Day 2: Enjoy the city tour at 10 am. Spend the afternoon with your own schedule before getting ready for dinner at Aurora Village. The northern light watching session starts at 10 pm in a tent until 2 am the next morning.
- Day 3: take on a hike to Cameron Falls at 10 am. At 10 pm on the same day, prepare for aurora watching again until 2 am the next morning.
- Day 4: pack your bags and return to the airport.
Are you ready to embrace some of the most brilliant light shows of your life? Bookmark this guidebook right now, share it with your friends, and don’t forget to review the best tours that increase your chance of spotting aurora borealis!