The 15 Best Tours in Yellowknife

1.Aurora Hunting Tours

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 374 reviews · 4 hours (approx.) · from $134Our pick

Join North Star Adventures in Yellowknife for a four-hour Aurora hunt with a maximum of 12 people. Your guide follows the weather and Aurora activity rather than a fixed route, driving into the wilderness for clearer skies and darker viewing spots. Pickup is included from many downtown hotels and B&Bs. Expect wilderness conditions, late hours, snacks, and hot drinks, but no cabin, tent, or washroom.

“Komi & Shadow did an awesome job last night & we got to see some excellent Aurora! They are super guides they made the experience very special!”

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2.Northern Lights Tour Yellowknife

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 370 reviews · 4 hours (approx.) · from $74

Leave Yellowknife around 9:30 p.m. with a guide such as Wilson, Rosa, or Pei, then visit three aurora viewpoints outside town. Your guide shares local and aurora stories, serves hot drinks and cookies, and photographs you beneath the lights. Hotel and B&B pickup is included, but airport transfers are not.

“Absolutely recommend it!! It was a cloudy night. Wilson, our guide, was amazing and positive and his constant enthusiam kept us going even when we didn't see anything. His judgement was excellent and he took decisions quickly about how much time to spend at each location. He gave us background about the Dene people, the history of mining. On the shores of Lake Prosperous, he and Rupinder served us hot chocolate and cookies. After we were done, Wilson went out to check and there were 2 brightening bands right above our heads. Then at the last stop we saw parts of the aurora where the cloud cover had slipped, glimpes…”

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3.Northern Lights Tours

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 326 reviews · 4 to 6 hours (approx.) · from $67Best value

You’ll leave Yellowknife by mini coach with guides such as Julian or Sheldon, following cloud breaks and aurora forecasts to several viewing sites. The outing lasts about five hours, with hot drinks, snacks, hotel pickup, and professional photos included. Bring serious winter clothing, since you’ll spend time outside and the tour runs late.

“Wonderful experience, Sheldon the driver and tour guide was excellent. He was funny, educated and enthusiastic throughout. He literally took us hunting for the Aurora on a cloudy night and with his vast knowledge of the area and nature we spent an incredible hour viewing the Aurora. It was a wonderful experience, 10/10 highly recommend”

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4.Guided Snowmobile Adventure

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 296 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $120

Ride a Skidoo Sports Ace 600 across Yellowknife’s frozen lakes and forest trails with guides such as Leon, Gabriel, and Lian. This beginner-friendly tour includes indoor instruction, heated helmets, heated handlebars, winter clothing, hotel pickup, and about 50 to 60 minutes of riding. From January 16, select tours add an Ice Cave visit and longer riding time.

“Rough ride at the beginning, but we managed to get past it. It’s very interesting experience to ride the snowmobile! Highly recommended this activity.”

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5.Intimate Aurora Tours Cozy Cabin Bucket List

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 277 reviews · 4 hours (approx.) · from $107

Tracy and Sim take you from Yellowknife hotels to a private forest cabin for a four-hour Aurora outing. Warm up with fish chowder, fresh bannock, tea, coffee, and hot chocolate, try on fur clothing, hear local stories, and watch the sky from a dark viewing site. Aurora sightings depend on clouds and activity.

“We were very lucky as the night we went we had the best experience with the Aurora. Be prepared, it’s very cold out there but there’s a lovely warm cabin to hide in lol. The organizer was lovely, provided hot soup and bannock and lots of hot drinks as needed. Would highly recommend this tour, well organized and they take lots of photos of you too, which they share before you leave. We loved our time out in the wilds, viewing the aurora. Thank you”

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6.Northern Lights Bus Tour with Photos

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 174 reviews · 4 hours · from $72

Ride from Yellowknife along the Ingraham Trail with a live English or Chinese guide, stopping at dark-sky sites to search for the aurora. Guides such as Wilson, Pei, Kim, and Ahmed help with photos, while the heated bus, hot chocolate, tea, coffee, and cookies give you a welcome break from the cold.

“Sept 28, 2024 we’ve been out for 4+hrs and we’re already loosing hope of seeing Aurora but our tourguide Emit/Emet(not sure with the spelling 😅) he didn’t gave up and so are we.. we drove to 4-5 spots and finally Aurora showed up around 2:30am we were at Prosperous lake. It was so epic because it’s my first time seeing it and a bit dramatic because we are already on the verge of loosing hope 🥺 Thankfully, she showed up with her intense colors and her moves even for just 30-45 mins. Thank you Emit/Emet and yellowknife vacation tours! Chasing Aurora checked off my bucketlist ✅🎉”

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7.Aurora Borealis Tour with Cozy Cabin Base

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 65 reviews · 4 hours · from $103

Tracy and Derrick take you from Yellowknife to a warm bush cabin about 15 minutes away, where you can watch for the Aurora from a large yard, warm up indoors, eat fish chowder and bannock, and use provided parkas and tripods. The small group averages 16 people, with pickup, drop-off, and phone-camera photos included.

“This is the best tour of the northern lights in Yellowknife. We saw the Aurora’s dancing and it was totally magical. What a great experience. Tracy made us wear the intuit fur clothes that kept us warm all night. The cabin is cozy and warm. Tracy is awesome. She is one of the nicest person ever. It’s a pleasure to have met her. My son loved her bannock bread and her fish chowder is so good. We will definitely come back again. I highly recommend this tour when in Yellowknife!!!”

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8.Yellowknife Bucket List City Tours

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 53 reviews · 4 hours (approx.) · from $111

Spend about four hours seeing Yellowknife with local guide Tracy and driver Barat. Visit key city spots, hear stories about life in the Northwest Territories, and shape the outing around your group’s interests. Pickup is available from selected downtown and Old Town accommodations, with bottled water and GST included.

“It was interesting to see the town and listen to the history. Tracy is very knowledgeable. We had a wonderful time.”

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9.Ultimate Ice Fishing with Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 46 reviews · 3 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $112

Join Destination NWT for a 3.5-hour Yellowknife ice-fishing outing with hotel pickup, warm tent or cabin fishing, rods, bait, and a fresh wild-fish lunch cooked on the ice. Guides such as Willie share Inuit fishing stories and practical tips. You can also try net pull fishing, snowshoeing, or the hot-water snow trick.

“Thank You for an Unforgettable Ice Fishing Experience Dear Leon, I had the wonderful opportunity to go ice fishing with you and your team, and I must say it was an absolutely incredible experience. You have an excellent group of people working with you—everyone is so kind, gentle, and genuinely dedicated to making sure the experience is as enjoyable as possible. Their hospitality and commitment to ensuring comfort are truly remarkable. The food we enjoyed, especially the fish, was absolutely delicious. I spent two hours fishing, and it was such a pleasant and memorable experience. I nearly caught a big fish! The team mentioned it might have been one with…”

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10.1 Hour Snowmobile Adventure in Yellowknife

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 37 reviews · from $84

Spend about an hour driving a new 2024 snowmobile across a frozen lake and through wild forest near Yellowknife. Your guide, often Julian, Sheldon, Mark, Steve, or another member of the small team, adjusts the pace to your skill. Heated helmets and controls help, but dress warmly and watch weather updates closely.

“Great experience, the guide helps varying the routes and discover new sensations. Nice setting on a lake with some forest as well.”

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11.Dog Sledding

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 36 reviews · 1 hour (approx.) · from $119

Meet a friendly dog team, ride winter trails, and learn about northern mushing from a family-run kennel near Yellowknife. Pickup and drop-off are included, groups are limited to four, and the visit ends with hot drinks, homemade bannock, stories, and time with the dogs. Bring serious winter clothing.

“A must do when in Yellowknife. This family run business is very welcoming and it is very clear that their pups are loved and happy animals!”

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12.Dog Sledding Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 36 reviews · 1 hour · from $106

You’ll ride with a small group of up to six through Yellowknife’s snowy backcountry, guided in English or Chinese. Expect a safety briefing, friendly sled dogs, Indigenous dog-sledding history, a warm cabin stop with tea and bannock, plus pickup and drop-off from your accommodation.

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13.Madeline Lake: Aurora Lodge and Aurora Chasing Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 34 reviews · 4 hours · from $100

Spend four hours near Madeline Lake combining a warm aurora lodge with mobile northern lights chasing. Guides Mo and the crew use forecasts and several viewing spots to improve your chances. You get hot drinks, snacks, games, WiFi, modern washrooms, hotel pickup, and original digital photos at no extra charge.

“I liked that we waited for the northern lights in the lodge where there was a a fireplace, washroom and kitchen with coffee, tea, hot chocolate and snacks. We also walked down to the lake from the lodge where we saw the northern lights again. The pictures Mo took of us were nice!”

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14.Yellowknife City Tour + Nature’s North Wildlife Gallery

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 27 reviews · 1 to 4 hours (approx.) · from $108

Explore Yellowknife by air-conditioned vehicle with stops at the Legislative Assembly, Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre, Visitor Centre, Bush Pilots Monument, Old Town, and Nature’s North Wildlife Gallery. Guides including Felix, Angus, Verda, and Angela have led informative visits, with pickup available from city hotels and downtown B&Bs.

“Tour is half in Mandarin Chinese, half in English, got to see some of the really cool highlights of yellowknife, the Pilots monument and old town and ice road were really neat. The wildlife gallery exhibited the local animals and gave a glimpse of the world of Taxonomy. Felix was a great guide! Definitely recommend this tour !”

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15.Sightseeing City Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 20 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $81

See Yellowknife by air-conditioned vehicle on a small-group tour capped at 10 people. Visit City Hall for a certificate and city pin, climb to the Bush Pilot’s Monument for views over Yellowknife Bay, browse local shops, and receive free photos afterward. Guide Joe is known for friendly commentary and humor.

“Joe was our guide. He did a great job. The weather was prefect. We learned some the history of Yellowknife. And visited interesting stops.”

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