The 10 Best Yellowknife Northern Lights 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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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10.4-Day Aurora Viewing Tour with Hotel Pickup

★★★★★★★★★★4.1 · 3 reviews · 4 days · from $632

You spend four days in Yellowknife with three aurora outings, airport pickup, three hotel nights, and a city tour covering Great Slave Lake, the Old City, and the Pilot Monument. At camp, an Indigenous hunter explains local wildlife and hunting methods. English service is offered, though some departures may use Chinese for much of the commentary.

“Everything is perfect. Beginning from pick up at the Airport. Accommodation has comfortable to anywhere. Tour guide is very smart, able to speak in Chinese and English also. Highly recommend. 👍👍👍”

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