NORTHERN LIGHTS · YELLOWKNIFE NORTHERN LIGHTS TOURS

The 15 Best Yellowknife Northern Lights Tours

23 tours  ·  from $68 a head

Aurora season is short and the good operators are small. Below: the 15 Yellowknife northern lights tours to book early, what each includes and how they differ once the cloud rolls in.

Aurora Hunting Tours - What the four-hour itinerary really involves
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Aurora Hunting Tours

1.Aurora Hunting Tours

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

North Star Adventures takes you aurora hunting from Yellowknife in groups of up to 12. Guides such as Joe and Brendan adjust the route to weather and aurora conditions, rather than sitting at one fixed cabin. Expect a late four-hour outing, hotel pickup, wilderness stops, local Indigenous stories, snacks, and hot drinks. There are no washrooms, tents, or cabins.

“Even with a cloudy night the guide was able to find some breaks in the clouds. We were able to catch some faint glimpses of lights. Unfortunately it was a weak aurora night.”

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Northern Lights Tour Yellowknife - Warm drinks help, but the bus is not a heated lodge
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Northern Lights Tour Yellowknife

2.Northern Lights Tour Yellowknife

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

Join a small Yellowknife aurora tour at about 9:30 p.m. Guides such as Wilson, Rosa, Pei, Teresa, and Kim take you to three viewing sites, explain the lights and local history, photograph you with professional equipment, and serve hot chocolate, tea, coffee, and cookies. Hotel and B&B pickup is included, but airport pickup is not.

“The guide is so helpful. Take a lot of pictures with their professional camera. The guide will take us to few place which can see the aurora. Joined two days of the tour, luckily two days can see the aurora! Thank you so much.”

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Northern Lights Tours - What the five-hour night looks like
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Northern Lights Tours

3.Northern Lights Tours

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

Spend roughly five hours chasing the aurora outside Yellowknife in a heated mini coach with guide-led stops, snacks, hot drinks, and photos taken for you. Guides such as Julian and Sheldon have earned praise for finding clear skies, though pickup communication and guide quality can vary. Dress for extreme cold and expect no dinner or guaranteed lights.

“We booked two nights (1-30-25 & 2-1-25) to improve our odds of seeing the lights. We were fortunate to have clear nights and active auras. Each night, the lights were different and the intensity and “dancing” varied over the course of the evening. Julian did a fine job finding the lights both nights and provided a nice snack of hot chocolate and fresh cookies. He was communicative about pickup time at the hotel and arrived on time. Julian was also pleasant throughout the night as he shepherded the group to two different locations, taking numerous pictures at both sites. I highly recommend Julian and this tour.”

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Intimate Aurora Tours Cozy Cabin Bucket List - Fish chowder, bannock, and a midnight break
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Intimate Aurora Tours Cozy Cabin Bucket List

4.Intimate Aurora Tours Cozy Cabin Bucket List

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

Tracy hosts this four-hour Yellowknife aurora outing at a private cabin in the boreal forest. After hotel pickup, you settle beside a wood stove for fish chowder, fresh bannock, hot drinks, stories about the Northwest Territories, games, s’mores, and possible Northern Lights. Fur coats and hats are available for photos, and the team may take pictures of you outside.

“Tracy and her cozy cabin just oozed a genuine warmth! To start, her tour bus was the most comfortable one I had been in Yellowknife. Her chowder and bannock were delicious and she entertained us throughout the night with stories. She took her time and equally spoke with every individual guest all the while cooking and cleaning all at the same time. She was so organized, set everyone’s expectations on how picture taking was going to be once the aurora came out. She also provided ingredients for s’mores that you could make in the fire pit outside. There were a plethora of fur coats that you could try on and…”

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From Yellowknife: Northern Lights Bus Tour with Photos - The first stop: getting your eyes ready for the sky
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From Yellowknife: Northern Lights Bus Tour with Photos

5.Northern Lights Bus Tour with Photos

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

Set out from your Yellowknife hotel with a driver-guide such as Wilson, Pei, or Kim, then follow the Ingraham Trail to several dark-sky stops. You’ll warm up on the bus with cocoa, tea, coffee, and cookies while a photographer takes free aurora portraits. The lights are never guaranteed, but the team keeps searching and adjusts the route when conditions change.

“Very friendly and knowledgable guide. We were able to see the lights even on a fully moonlit night. Great to have a warm van to retreat to when it got a little too cold. I really like how the photos are included - I’ve been on other tours where they try and upsell these for an extortionate price. Would recommend this tour to anyone visiting Yellowknife in the hope of seeing the lights. As long as the skies are clear, you should have a decent chance.”

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Yellowknife Tours - Aurora by bus - Prelude Lake Territorial Park: the first serious look
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Yellowknife Tours – Aurora by bus

6.Yellowknife Tours – Aurora by bus

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 141 reviews · 4 hours (approx.) · from $102

You’ll spend about four hours hunting the northern lights around Prelude, Prosperous, and Yellowknife River lakes. Guides such as Janet, Angus, Floris, Iris, and Renee help with cameras, photos, and timing, while the bus offers warmth, snacks, and hot drinks between stops. Expect an English tour, with some departures also offering Mandarin support.

“Our guide {Renee}and driver{Ben} did an amazing job! They were both pleasant and extremely knowledgeable. A Great experience!”

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Aurora Chasing + Aurora Lodge - Prelude Lake and the backup chase plan
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Aurora Chasing + Aurora Lodge

7.Aurora Chasing + Aurora Lodge

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 112 reviews · 4 hours (approx.) · from $102

Spend about four hours at Madeline Lake Lodge near Yellowknife, stepping outside for aurora views and returning indoors for heat, snacks, games, and hot drinks. Guides such as Mo, Tina, Peter, and Leon have helped with photography and sky watching. If clouds settle in, a warm bus heads to another territorial park.

“Mo is so professional for making good images for the aurora. He shared lots of photos for that night. Even if you don’t have good equipments for taking aurora photos, don’t worry. He’ll make photos and videos to share to make sure catch the moment.”

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From Yellowknife: Aurora Borealis Tour with Cozy Cabin Base - The ride from Yellowknife to the bush
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From Yellowknife: Aurora Borealis Tour with Cozy Cabin Base

8.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 to 20 minutes away. You can step outside for Aurora photos, warm up by the stove, enjoy fish chowder and bannock, and borrow northern parkas and fur coats. Small groups, guide-taken photos, and flexible viewing time make this a relaxed choice.

“This tour is an absolute must. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect, but we were beyond thrilled with the overall experience. Our tour guide/Owner, was such an absolute gem, and her cooking skills are par none. From stories of growing up around Canada, to having the northern lights show her Herself, it was more than we could’ve expected. We will absolutely be back. if I could give more than five stars, I would.”

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Madeline Lake: Aurora Lodge and Aurora Chasing Tour - Photographing your aurora evening
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Madeline Lake: Aurora Lodge and Aurora Chasing Tour

9.Madeline Lake: Aurora Lodge and Aurora Chasing Tour

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

This four-hour Madeline Lake tour combines a warm lodge with flexible aurora chasing. You can play games, use Wi-Fi, drink hot chocolate, and walk to the lake when the lights appear. Guides such as Mo use forecasts and updates from other guides to choose better viewing spots. Roundtrip hotel transport and digital photos are included.

“Guide crew were great lodge was warm and cozy. Great trip jan 26 2026”

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Yellowknife Aurora Hunting Tours by Bus - From Yellowknife pickup to the first dark road
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Yellowknife Aurora Hunting Tours by Bus

10.Yellowknife Aurora Hunting Tours by Bus

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 34 reviews · 4 to 5 hours (approx.) · from $81

Start at 9 pm and spend four to five hours riding between Yellowknife-area lakes and parks with guides such as Luke or Tina. The shared bus holds up to 24 people, and the team may adjust stops for clouds and clear skies. Snacks, hotel pickup, and photos of you under the aurora are included.

“Luke was a great guide and was very enthusiastic and welcoming. He picked us up right from our hotel and we drove for 4 hours trying to find a clear view of the lights. Although we were not successful in seeing the lights on the night we went, we did see some stars and still had a fun time. Luke even made everyone hot chocolate and brought cookies which we appreciated because it was very cold. We hope to come back to Yellowknife one day and do another tour.”

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Yellowknife Winter 5 Days 4 Nights: Aurora and Day Activities - Ice fishing with a fish-fry lunch
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Yellowknife Winter 5 Days 4 Nights: Aurora and Day Activities

11.Yellowknife Winter 5 Days 4 Nights: Aurora and Day Activities

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 33 reviews · 5 days (approx.) · from $960

Spend five winter days in Yellowknife with three planned aurora outings, ice fishing with a fish-fry lunch, snowmobiling, dog sledding, and a short city tour. Guides such as Leon, Mimi, Mo, and Peter may be part of your team. Airport transfers and select winter clothing are included, but hotels and most meals are not.

“This was a really fun and diverse trip. We saw the Aurora all 3 nights. We went to the cabin to watch the first night. The second and third night we watched from the lodge and the popular Ice Road. Hot chocolate and snacks were served each night. The tour guides took pictures for us all. The guides were professional, knowledgeable and very friendly and helpful. In addition to the Aurora viewing late at night, we did dog sled, snow mobile, ice fishing and the city tour. Having the provided mits, boots, pants and parka was great. Shout out to Leon, Mimi, Mo, and Peter. Thanks for a memorable trip…”

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The Best Aurora Tour - Photography Help and Downloadable Photos
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The Best Aurora Tour

12.The Best Aurora Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 27 reviews · 4 hours (approx.) · from $93

Spend about four hours tracking the northern lights around Yellowknife with a local guide. You may stay at a heated campsite with snacks, hot drinks, a washroom, firepit, and teepee, or move between viewing spots when conditions call for it. Guides such as Jimmy, Momo, Wendy, and Jim have helped with photos and aurora timing. Pickup is offered from an Airbnb, hotel, or airport.

“They hosts were very nice, the place was good. Unfortunately it was too cloudy so we weren’t able to see the aurora but they tried their best to show us.”

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4D3N Aurora Package –Mandarin Tour (Chateau/Explorer Stay) - The aurora lodge is the package’s best comfort feature
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4D3N Aurora Package –Mandarin Tour (Chateau/Explorer Stay)

13.4D3N Aurora Package –Mandarin Tour (Chateau/Explorer Stay)

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 22 reviews · 4 days (approx.)

This four-day Yellowknife package combines three nights at Chateau Nova or Explorer Hotel with nightly aurora viewing at a warm lodge and changing lake locations. You receive airport pickup, city sightseeing, hot drinks, snacks, and complimentary aurora photos. Guides such as Penny, Cindi, Amanda, and Robin have earned praise, but English communication can be uneven because this is primarily a Mandarin tour.

“Throughout the 4D3N tour, everything was well organized. The tour guides were professional and friendly. They helped guests taking many nice pictures. The vehicles were clean and comfortable. Value for money and highly recommended.”

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Yellowknife Aurora Hunting Tour - What the 4.5-hour evening looks like
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Yellowknife Aurora Hunting Tour

14.Yellowknife Aurora Hunting Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 9 reviews · 4 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $72

Join a private Yellowknife aurora hunt at 9 pm with guides such as Lovingson or Mr. Robinson. You will ride in an air-conditioned vehicle to several dark-sky locations, following weather and aurora activity. Hot drinks, snacks, water, photo time, and local stories are included, but sightings are never guaranteed.

“The guide was friendly and nice. Driving smoothly. He gave me snacks and hot chocolate. The guide was friendly and nice. Driving smoothly. He gave me snacks and hot chocolate. The guide was friendly and nice. Driving smoothly. He gave me snacks and hot chocolate.Auto-translated”

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Private Aurora Viewing Experience - What the private island cabin adds
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Private Aurora Viewing Experience

15.Private Aurora Viewing Experience

★★★★★★★★★★3.5 · 7 reviews · from $96

Kevin Fowler’s four-hour Yellowknife aurora outing takes you by private transport to a remote island cabin or Prosperous Lake. If the lights do not appear, the group can change sites halfway through the evening. Pickup is generally between 9 and 10 pm, with snacks, bottled water, coffee, tea, and hot chocolate provided for groups of up to 12.

“I have liked the tour with Kewin. He showed me yesterday the best spots to observe Aurora and I experienced it. The atmosphere was magical”

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New in Yellowknife Northern Lights Tours

★ 5.0Yellowknife 4D3N Aurora package– Chinese Tour (No Hotel)From $3672 reviews
★ 5.02 – Night Aurora Quest with Glass Tipi ExperienceFrom $2412 reviews

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