With fewer than 50,000 people living in these harsh, snowy lands, Canada’s Northwest Territories nevertheless promise immense natural beauty for adventurous travellers looking to explore the Arctic Circle. A landscape dominated by expansive boreal forests and desolate tundra, the Northwest Territories also lay claim to a rich aboriginal cultural heritage and the distinction of being one of the very best locations in the world to observe the ephemeral northern lights.
Begin your Arctic adventure in Yellowknife. Just 250 miles south of the Arctic circle, Yellowknife is the territorial capital and only city in the Northwest Territories. After retrieving your baggage, you will be picked up by your driver and privately transferred to your accommodations at the Chateau Nova. A brand new, full-service hotel, Chateau Nova Yellowknife offers exceptional guest amenities and a convenient downtown location.
Overnight at Chateau Nova Yellowknife
Today, you will rise early for your floatplane transfer to the remote Blachford Lake Lodge. Along the way, your pilot will point out the lakes, rivers rapids and waterfalls that dot this glacier-carved landscape, and with some luck, you may even spot a moose or bear!
Just a 25-minute flight from Yellowknife, the Blachford Lake Lodge feels like another world, removed from even the farthest reaches of civilization. A family-owned business for over thirty years, the lodge offers well-appointed guest rooms and private, lake-view cabins, gourmet meals made from scratch daily, and some of the world’s greatest opportunities for aurora-viewing. Once you have checked into your room, enjoy the rest of your day at leisure; feel free to relax and utilize the lodge’s hot tub and sauna, each with their own aurora viewing decks.
Overnight at Blachford Lake Lodge
Today, you will enjoy a customizable day of outdoor adventure among the incredible wilderness surrounding the lodge! You may elect to strap on some skis or snowshoes and head out onto the lake, or set up camp and try your hand at ice fishing with a local who will teach your traditional Dene techniques. If you prefer to hang out at the lodge, grab some ice skates and get on the rink for a pickup hockey match with fellow guests and staff. If you’re feeling extra adventurous, hop in a snowmobile and explore the icy ridges of the nearby Great Slave Lake, the deepest lake in North America. The lodge and it’s various amenities will be at your disposal, and you may spend as much or as little time on each activity as you wish.
In the evening, enjoying a freshly prepared white fish dinner, then get comfortable for the main event in the lodge’s custom-designed aurora-viewing lounge. Give yourself over to nature’s mesmerizing light show as the ever-shimmering lights of the aurora borealis provide a spectacle you will not soon forget.
Overnight at Blachford Lake Lodge
Today is your last full-day at Blachford Lake Lodge. Enjoy the day at your leisure, making sure to try all of the fun winter activities that you weren’t able to get to the day before. Included with each day at the lodge is a two-hour guided interpretive experience with a local guide. If snow conditions are right, one option can be an igloo-building workshop. Alternatively, you may elect to embark on a guided nature hike, and learn traditional wildlife tracking techniques. Fat tire bikes suited to the snowy terrain, are available for a trek around the lake, or you may opt cozy up in the lodge and spend the afternoon learning how to make traditional local handicrafts. In the evening, gather around the fireplace to spend another evening basking in the breathtaking beauty of the ever-dancing northern lights against the dark arctic sky.
Overnight at Blachford Lake Lodge
After enjoying breakfast at your leisure, you will check out of Blachford Lake Lodge and take the 25-min flight back to Yellowknife airport. The rest of the day will be yours to enjoy in Yellowknife.
Overnight at Chateau Nova Yellowknife
After checking-out of your accommodations, head to Yellowknife Airport to begin your journey home. Safe travels!
