Aurora & Wilderness Loop
7 daysWhitehorse to Dawson with aurora nights and hot springs.
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Yukon Travel Guide
Larger than life. Smaller than imagination.
Gold-rush ghost towns, Canada's highest peaks, and a sky that dances all winter.
44K
Population
482,443 km²
Area
MT (PT in part)
Time zone
4 NPs
National parks
Overview
Gold-rush ghost towns, Canada's highest peaks, and a sky that dances all winter.
- Aurora
- Wildlife
- Road Trip
- Mountains
01 — Key attractions
What you came for.
No. 01
Kluane National Park
Canada's highest mountain and the world's largest non-polar icefield.
No. 02
Dawson City
A Klondike Gold Rush town frozen in time.
No. 03
Tombstone Territorial Park
Jagged granite spires along the Dempster Highway.
02 — Suggested itineraries
Routes that flow.
Drive times
Whitehorse → Takhini Hot Springs
30m
Whitehorse → Dawson City
6h
Dawson City → Tombstone
1h
Whitehorse → Haines Junction (Kluane)
2h
03 — Signature experiences
Only here.
Night
Northern lights from a hot spring
Soak under the aurora at Takhini.
Winter
Dog sledding the Yukon Quest trail
Mush a team through silent boreal forest.
04 — When to go
Month-by-month.
Jan
Aurora peak; Yukon Quest sled-dog race.
Feb
Aurora peak; -30°C nights are normal.
Mar
Aurora peak with longer daylight.
Apr
Shoulder — snow patchy, mud roads.
May
Light returns; snowmelt in valleys.
Jun
Midnight sun — paddle the Yukon.
Jul
Peak summer — Discovery Days, hikes open.
Aug
Best hiking month before snow returns.
Sep
Tundra turns red & gold along the Dempster.
Oct
Aurora returning; first snows.
Nov
Aurora season properly back.
Dec
Aurora + ice festivals begin.
PeakGoodShoulderOff / closed
05 — Editor's picks
Operators, lodges & hotels we trust.
Editorially curated — we don't accept payment for placement.
Operator
Northern Tales
Whitehorse
Long-running aurora-viewing operator with heated yurts.
Springs
Eclipse Nordic Hot Springs
Takhini
Aurora-over-hot-springs nights on a clear winter evening.
Outfitter
Yukon Wild Operators
Territory-wide
Collective of small wilderness outfitters running canoe, raft, and dog-team trips.
Museum
Beringia Centre
Whitehorse
Ice-age mammal exhibits and First Nations interpretation.
Hotel
Westmark Whitehorse
Whitehorse
Base hotel for Yukon Quest and aurora chasers.
06 — Budget
What it costs.
Smart
$230–350 / day pp
Self-drive in a campervan; aurora-watching without a guide.
- Campervan rental (summer)
- Free aurora drives
- Self-guided Yukon Quest viewing
Most popular
Mid
$350–800 / day pp
Hotel + small-group aurora nights + day on the Yukon River.
- Aurora package (3 nights)
- Yukon River canoe day
- Takhini Hot Springs
Premium
$800+ / day pp
Wilderness lodge fly-ins, private heli day, full-service Quest viewing.
- Inn on the Lake
- Private heli to Kluane
- Quest start-line VIP
07 — Prep & logistics
Before you go.
What to pack (winter)
- -40°C-rated parka & boots (rentable)
- Glove liners + heavy mitts
- Hand warmers (cases of them)
- Camera batteries you can keep warm
- Sleep mask for summer's 22-hour days
Permits & passes
- Parks Canada Discovery Pass for Kluane, Ivvavik, Vuntut
- Tombstone backcountry permits via Yukon Parks
Getting around
- Fly Whitehorse (YXY) — Air Canada & WestJet daily from Vancouver
- Self-drive — no public transit between communities
- Charter flights from Whitehorse to Old Crow & Dawson
Insider tips
- 01Aurora needs 3 clear nights to be near-guaranteed — book at least 4.
- 02Drive the Dempster Highway in late August for tundra colour.
- 03Dawson City in summer = Klondike-era saloons, midnight baseball.
- 04Kluane has the world's largest non-polar icefield — pay for the flightseeing.
Travel styles
Related experiences
Drive it
Related road trips
Yukon & NWT · 740 km
Dempster Highway
Dawson City to Inuvik — a wilderness drive through the Tombstone Range and across the Arctic Circle.
Explore →Yukon & Alaska · 127 km
Top of the World Highway
The Yukon River ferry, the highest border crossing in Canada, and one of the most photographed drives in the North.
Explore →British Columbia & Yukon · 1,900 km (Dawson Creek → Whitehorse continuing to border)
Alaska Highway (Canadian section)
Dawson Creek to the Alaska border via Fort Nelson, Muncho Lake, Liard Hot Springs, and Whitehorse — bison, hot springs, and the Signpost Forest.
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Read guide →Good to know
Frequently
asked.
Practical answers for planning a Yukon trip.
When is the best time to visit Yukon?
June–August for summer; February–March for aurora.
How long should I spend in Yukon?
Most travellers spend 7 days in Yukon on a focused trip. Combine with a neighbouring province for 10–14 days.
When can I see the aurora?
Mid-August through mid-April. Best months are January–March for darkness and longest viewing, but late August has aurora + green tundra together.
Is the Yukon expensive?
Yes — flights, fuel, food and lodging all skew high. Budget at least 30–40% above southern Canada.
Continue exploring
Other provinces & territories
Live · Aurora forecast
Tonight's northern lights over Yukon.
Three-day geomagnetic activity (Kp index) from NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center. Higher Kp = brighter, more visible aurora.
Source: NOAA SWPC
Best viewing: clear skies, away from city lights, late evening to pre-dawn. Cross-reference local cloud cover for tonight's odds.
Live · Parks Canada
National park status in Yukon.
Trail closures, fire bans, wildlife sightings, and access advisories — pulled from Parks Canada's official alerts feed. Check before you head out.
Time it right
Nearby events & festivals
Signature events happening across Yukon.
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