Yellowknife: The Northern Lights Capital of the World
About Yellowknife
Yellowknife got its name from when English settlers stumbled across this community and saw they wore copper knives at their side at all times - therefore (rather un-creatively) naming this town the 'Yellow Knife'.
Yellowknife is right on the shore of Great Slave Lake, which during winter months is completely frozen over, and in the summer is a hub for a number of activities - from canoeing and kayaking to water plane rides.
Being in the top 60 degrees of the world, Yellowknife is prone to extreme temperatures. In the winter it has an average of -40°C, and with there being limited mountains around its open to strong winds which add to the chill and make it feel about 10°C colder. In the summer it averages about 20°C, allowing the lakes to freeze and many water activities to commence.
The Airport
One of the first things you see when you google Yellowknife is:
1. Aurora Borealis,
2. The polar bear at the airport (as pictured above).
And honestly, the airport deserves a section for itself because of its unique runway. As there’s so much snow, it looks as if you’re landing on a frozen lake which leads to nowhere as you step off the plane!
One thing to note is that the airport has no public transport going there so you either have to rely on transfers from hotels or taxis. There are a few taxi companies in Yellowknife (listed below) and you don’t need to reserve one as once you leave the airport there are multiple waiting which you can just jump in.
Aurora Taxi - +1 (867) 873-5050
As the town of Yellowknife is fairly small, the trip to downtown is around 15 minutes and will cost between $15-$25 to get from the airport to your accommodation. Most of the cabs take card but it’s worth having cash handy just incase.
Winter Activities
Realistically you're not in Yellowknife for the city sightseeing so there are a couple of options to keep you busy and to ensure you make the most of your trip. I personally booked each activity separately, but there are options for package holidays that are listed below.
Northern Lights
Disclaimer: Obvious but worth saying that none of these can guarantee northern light viewing, but they know where to go to give you the best chance!
- This is the tour I booked (mostly because they provided cookies but they also do photography with the aurora)
Snowmobiling
Dog Sledding
Kicksledding (dog sledding but small)
I CANNOT recommend this and this company enough, family owned and with a great wee cafe for between activities - a must do in Yellowknife!
Snowshoeing
City Tours
Multi-day Trips
If you prefer to book a package deal where you go aurora hunting every night and do fun activities during the day - consider some of these below!
- Have heard super good reviews with the company that operates both tours above.
Summer Activities
The fun doesn't stop once Great Slave Lake defrosts - see below for plenty of options to do whilst enjoying the warmth. Consider going in September for (probably) warm temperatures but much cheaper accommodation options as it's their off-season.
Kayaking
Hiking
Water Plane Tour
Must-see Places
Accommodation
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