Canada's North

Overview

Canada's three territories cover about 40 percent of the country and hold roughly 130,000 people, about as many as a mid-size US city. Yukon, in the northwest beside Alaska, is the most accessible, with paved highways, a lively capital and the gold rush town of Dawson City. The Northwest Territories (NWT) has Yellowknife, one of the best places on Earth to see the northern lights, and Nahanni, a canyon-and-waterfall park reached almost entirely by air. Nunavut, the newest and largest territory, is the Inuit homeland of the eastern Arctic, with no roads between its communities.

The North rewards people who plan. Distances are huge, services thin, prices high, and weather sets the schedule. In return you get the midnight sun, aurora overhead on calm winter nights, a gravel road to the Arctic Ocean, and Indigenous cultures that remain the majority in much of the region.

Yukon

Yukon has about 45,000 people, and roughly three-quarters live in Whitehorse. Most visitors come in summer, when the highways are open and the days never seem to end. The territory runs on UTC−7 all year, which matches Pacific Daylight Time in summer. Yukon is an hour ahead of Alaska in summer and two hours ahead in winter.

Whitehorse

The capital sits on the Yukon River and is your base for flights, car rentals, groceries and gear. Give it one or two days.

Dawson City and the Klondike

Dawson City is about 333 miles (536 km) north of Whitehorse on the paved North Klondike Highway, a drive of 6 to 7 hours, or a short flight on Air North. In 1896, gold was found on a creek nearby, and within two years tens of thousands of people had stampeded north. Today about 1,500 to 2,000 people live here year-round, on dirt streets with wooden boardwalks and false-front buildings.

• Dawson Historical Complex: Parks Canada walking tours of restored buildings.
• Dredge No. 4: a gigantic wooden gold dredge on Bonanza Creek, and Discovery Claim, where the rush began.
• Diamond Tooth Gerties: a gambling hall with cancan shows, open in summer.
• The Sourtoe Cocktail: a shot of whisky with a real preserved human toe in it, served at the Downtown Hotel.
• Dänojà Zho Cultural Centre: run by the Tr'ondëk Hwëch'in, whose homeland this is. The Tr'ondëk-Klondike area was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2023.
• Midnight Dome: a summit view over town and the Yukon River, the classic solstice spot.

A free government ferry, the George Black, crosses the Yukon River from Dawson to the Top of the World Highway in summer.

The Top of the World Highway to Alaska

This summer-only road climbs west from Dawson along ridgelines to the Little Gold Creek border crossing, about 65 miles (105 km) from town, and continues into Alaska toward Chicken and the Taylor Highway. In 2026 the Canadian port opened May 22 and was scheduled to close September 15, open 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Yukon time daily. Arrive after closing and you wait until morning. Much of the road is gravel; check current conditions and your rental contract before you go.

The Dempster Highway

The Dempster is Canada's road to the Arctic. It starts about 25 miles (40 km) east of Dawson City and runs 457 miles (736 km), almost all gravel, to Inuvik in the NWT, crossing the Arctic Circle along the way. Since 2017 an all-weather road continues another 86 miles (138 km) to Tuktoyaktuk on the Arctic Ocean.

• Tombstone Territorial Park, about 45 miles (71 km) up the road, has jagged peaks, fall tundra color in late August, an interpretive center and a campground.
• Services are few: fuel at the start of the road, at Eagle Plains roughly halfway, at Fort McPherson and at Inuvik. Fill up at every chance.
• River crossings on the Peel and Mackenzie rivers use free ferries in summer and ice bridges in winter. During fall freeze-up and spring break-up, the road is cut for weeks.
• Tires are the classic problem. Carry two full-size spares if you can, drive slowly on fresh gravel, and expect flying rocks and windshield chips.

Kluane National Park and Reserve

About 100 miles (158 km) west of Whitehorse, near Haines Junction, Kluane protects Canada's highest peak, Mount Logan at 19,551 feet (5,959 m), and the largest icefields outside the polar regions. The park is co-managed with the Champagne and Aishihik and Kluane First Nations, and together with neighboring parks in Alaska and BC it forms one of the world's largest protected areas, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Most of the park is roadless. From the highway you can hike the King's Throne trail above Kathleen Lake and watch for Dall sheep near Kluane Lake. To see the icefields, take a flightseeing trip from Haines Junction or Kluane Lake, weather permitting.

Camping at Kathleen Lake costs C$30 (about $21) a night including firewood. Backcountry camping is C$15 (about $11) per person per night. There is no entry gate on the highway.

Skagway and the White Pass railroad

Skagway, Alaska, is the gold rush port where most stampeders started, and today it is a major cruise stop. The White Pass & Yukon Route, a narrow-gauge railroad begun in 1898, climbs from sea level to the White Pass summit at the Canadian border. In 2026 the White Pass Summit Excursion takes about 2.5 hours round trip and costs US$155 for adults and US$77.50 for children. Longer trips continue to Fraser and Bennett in British Columbia and to Carcross in Yukon, and a one-day combination links Whitehorse and Skagway by train and bus.

Any trip that crosses into Canada requires border documents, so carry your passport. Book on the White Pass & Yukon Route site; cruise-day departures sell out.

By road, Skagway is about 110 miles (177 km) and 2.5 to 3 hours from Whitehorse on the South Klondike Highway, past Emerald Lake and the Carcross Desert. Haines, Alaska, is about 150 miles (246 km) from Haines Junction on the Haines Highway. Both towns are served by Alaska Marine Highway ferries.

Northwest Territories

The NWT has about 45,000 people and 11 official languages, reflecting its Dene, Métis, Inuvialuit and Gwich'in communities. Visitors mostly come for Yellowknife's aurora, fly-in wilderness such as Nahanni, or the Dempster drive to Inuvik and Tuktoyaktuk.

Yellowknife

Yellowknife, on the north shore of Great Slave Lake, has about 20,000 people and sits under the auroral oval, the band where the northern lights appear most often. Clear, dry winter skies and a flat landscape make it one of the most reliable aurora destinations in the world.

• Aurora seasons: roughly mid-August to early October, when you can watch reflections on unfrozen lakes in milder weather, and mid-November to early April, the classic winter season. The midnight-sun months are too bright.
• How many nights: plan at least three, ideally four, to ride out cloudy nights.
• Tours: operators drive you out of town to heated cabins or teepees and lakeside viewing spots. Aurora Village on the Ingraham Trail runs 4.5-hour night sessions and hotel packages that include airport transfers and rental winter clothing. Book well ahead for January to March.
• In town: Old Town and the Bush Pilot's Monument, the Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre, and in winter the ice road across Yellowknife Bay to Dettah. The Snowking Winter Festival builds a snow castle on the frozen bay in March.

See northern lights for forecasts, camera settings and how Yellowknife compares with Whitehorse and Churchill.

Nahanni National Park Reserve

Nahanni, in the southwest NWT, protects the South Nahanni River, deep canyons, hot springs and Virginia Falls, which drops about 315 feet (96 m), roughly twice the height of Niagara. It was among the first sites on UNESCO's World Heritage List in 1978 and is co-managed with the Dehcho First Nations.

There are no roads in. Almost everyone arrives by chartered floatplane, from Fort Simpson or Yellowknife in the NWT, Watson Lake in Yukon, or Muncho Lake in BC. Day flightseeing trips to Virginia Falls are the easy option; multi-week canoe and raft trips with licensed outfitters are the classic one. Northern backcountry fees are C$37 (about $26) per person per day or C$259 (about $185) for an annual permit. Check Parks Canada's reservation page for registration requirements before you go.

Inuvik, Tuktoyaktuk and Wood Buffalo

Inuvik, at the end of the Dempster, has the igloo-shaped Our Lady of Victory church and continuous daylight from late May to late July. Tuktoyaktuk, the Inuvialuit community at the end of the road, is where road-trippers dip a hand or toe into the Arctic Ocean. In the far south of the NWT, Wood Buffalo National Park, Canada's largest national park, is home to free-roaming wood bison and is a designated dark-sky preserve.

By road, Yellowknife is about 930 miles (1,500 km) from Edmonton on the Mackenzie Highway, a long two-day drive with bison on the road near Fort Providence.

Nunavut

Nunavut became a territory on April 1, 1999, created through the Nunavut land claims agreement. It covers about a fifth of Canada, has about 40,000 people in 25 communities, and its population is roughly 85 percent Inuit. No roads connect the communities to each other or to the south. Everything arrives by plane or by the summer sealift.

Iqaluit

The capital, on Frobisher Bay on Baffin Island, has around 7,500 people and is the usual entry point. Canadian North flies to Iqaluit from Ottawa in about 3 hours. Western and central Nunavut are reached via Yellowknife, Edmonton or Winnipeg instead.

• Nunatta Sunakkutaangit Museum: Inuit art and artifacts.
• Legislative Assembly of Nunavut: public tours explain the territory's consensus government, which has no political parties.
• St. Jude's Cathedral: an Anglican cathedral shaped like an igloo, rebuilt after a fire.
• Sylvia Grinnell Territorial Park: tundra walks and a char river a short drive from town.
• Qaummaarviit Territorial Park: the remains of a centuries-old Thule settlement, reached by boat in summer or snowmobile in spring with a local outfitter.
• Festivals: Toonik Tyme in April celebrates spring with traditional games and a return of light; the Alianait Arts Festival is held in summer.

Beyond Iqaluit

Many of Nunavut's best experiences require flights to smaller communities and a licensed local outfitter. Auyuittuq National Park, reached from Pangnirtung or Qikiqtarjuaq, has the Akshayuk Pass, a serious backcountry route with glaciers and polar bears; Parks Canada requires registration and an orientation. Pond Inlet is the base for Sirmilik National Park and for floe-edge trips in late May and June, when narwhals, seals and polar bears gather at the edge of the sea ice. Expedition cruises through the eastern Arctic and the Northwest Passage visit communities from July to September.

Traveling respectfully

Most of the North is Indigenous land under modern treaties and self-government agreements. Yukon has 14 First Nations, 11 of them self-governing. Visitors are welcome, and the guidelines are mostly common courtesy. See Indigenous Canada and etiquette for more.

• Ask before you photograph people, homes, hunting or the butchering of an animal. Some people will say no; respect that.
• Hunting and fishing are central to life and food security, and country food such as seal, caribou and Arctic char is shared and valued. If someone offers you some, accept or decline politely. Do not lecture anyone about hunting.
• Leave archaeological sites, bones and stone structures exactly as you find them. Do not build or knock down inuksuit, the stone figures used as markers.
• Hire licensed local outfitters and guides. They keep you safe from polar bears, ice and weather.
• Alcohol rules vary by community in Nunavut and parts of the NWT, and some communities prohibit it entirely. Check before you pack any.
• Learn a word or two. In Iqaluit, "qujannamiik" (koo-yah-NAH-meek) means thank you in Inuktitut.
• Buy art directly from artists, co-ops and reputable galleries. The Igloo Tag label certifies authentic Inuit art.

Getting there

Flights

There are no scheduled nonstops from the Lower 48 to the territories, so you connect in Canada. You need a US passport book to fly. See flights.

On the way home, US preclearance at Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton or Ottawa handles US customs and immigration before you board, so leave at least 2 hours to connect. Watch baggage limits on northern carriers, and note that bear spray is banned on airline flights in both carry-on and checked bags. Buy it in Whitehorse or Yellowknife.

The Alaska Highway

The Alaska Highway, built by the US Army in 1942, runs about 1,390 miles (2,237 km) from Dawson Creek, BC, through Whitehorse to Delta Junction, Alaska. It is paved, though frost heaves and construction are normal. From Seattle, Whitehorse is roughly 1,450 to 1,650 miles (2,350 to 2,650 km) depending on your route, or four or five long driving days. Stops along the way include Liard River Hot Springs in BC and the Sign Post Forest at Watson Lake, started by a homesick US soldier in 1942. The Beaver Creek crossing in western Yukon is the main road border into Alaska.

• Gas stations can be 100 miles (160 km) or more apart. Fill up whenever you drop to half a tank.
• Speed limits are mostly 90 to 100 km/h (56 to 62 mph), lower in towns and work zones. Bison, moose and bears are common on the road.
• Carry a spare tire, water, food, warm clothing, a first-aid kit and offline maps.
• Check road conditions and closures on 511 Yukon before each driving day.
• Driving with firearms through Canada means declaring them at the border; handguns and many other firearms are prohibited. See entry requirements well before you go.

What it costs

Expect northern prices to run well above what you would pay in southern Canada, and far higher in Nunavut. The one break: the territories charge only the 5% federal GST, with no provincial or territorial sales tax on top. Prices are still shown before tax, and tipping works as it does at home. See money.

Flightseeing, fly-in trips, guided Arctic travel and expedition cruises are where budgets go; check operators for current prices.

Seasons: midnight sun and deep cold

Two seasons matter for visitors. See when to go for month-by-month planning.

Summer (June to August)

Long, bright days and open roads. Whitehorse gets about 19 hours of daylight at the June solstice, Dawson City never gets truly dark, and Inuvik has round-the-clock sun for about two months. July highs are commonly around 70°F (21°C) in Whitehorse and Yellowknife, though Iqaluit stays in the 50s°F (around 12°C). Mosquitoes and blackflies can be ferocious in June and July; bring repellent and a head net.

Late August and September bring tundra color, the first aurora and fewer people, though many businesses close in mid-September.

Winter (November to March)

Short days, deep cold and the best aurora, in Whitehorse and Dawson as well as Yellowknife. January averages are around 5°F (-15°C) in Whitehorse and around -13°F (-25°C) in Yellowknife, and cold snaps can reach -40°F (-40°C). Inuvik gets several weeks of polar night in December and early January. Dog sledding, snowshoeing and the Yukon Sourdough Rendezvous festival in Whitehorse in February fill the days. See winter travel.

Safety and preparedness

The US State Department rates Canada at Level 1, "exercise normal precautions," in its advisory issued June 5, 2026. Crime is not the main risk in the North. Distance, weather and wildlife are. See safety and health for the full picture.

• No signal: cell service covers towns but disappears on most highways and all backcountry. A satellite messenger, a written trip plan left with someone, and offline maps are standard practice.
• Wildlife: grizzly and black bears live throughout Yukon and the NWT, and polar bears in Nunavut and along the Arctic coast. Carry bear spray in bear country, know how to use it, and store food properly. In polar bear country, travel with a qualified guide.
• Wildfires: summer fires are common. In August 2023, all of Yellowknife was evacuated. Check territorial fire updates and road reports daily in July and August, and keep a flexible plan.
• Cold: frostbite can set in on exposed skin within minutes at -40°F (-40°C). Cover your face, keep your gloves on, and never leave a winter road without warm gear in the car.
• Medical care: northern hospitals are small, and serious cases are flown south. Canadian health plans do not cover Americans, care is billed at non-resident rates, and air evacuation can cost tens of thousands of dollars. Buy travel insurance that includes medical evacuation.

Sample itineraries

Ten days: Yukon gold rush and Kluane loop (summer)

1. Day 1

   Whitehorse

   Fly in via Vancouver, pick up a car, visit the SS Klondike.

2. Day 2

   Whitehorse

   Miles Canyon, the Beringia Centre, the wildlife preserve and the hot springs.

3. Days 3–4

   Kluane

   Drive 2 hours to Haines Junction. Hike above Kathleen Lake and fly over the icefields if the weather clears.

4. Day 5

   North to Carmacks

   Back through Whitehorse and up the Klondike Highway, stopping at Five Finger Rapids.

5. Days 6–8

   Dawson City

   Walking tours, Dredge No. 4, Diamond Tooth Gerties, the Midnight Dome, and a day trip up the Dempster to Tombstone.

6. Days 9–10

   Return or continue

   Drive back to Whitehorse (6 to 7 hours) for your flight home. If your rental allows it, cross into Alaska on the Top of the World Highway instead.

Four nights: Yellowknife aurora (winter)

1. Day 1

   Arrive

   Fly in via Calgary or Edmonton; first aurora tour that night.

2. Day 2

   Old Town

   Sleep late, then Old Town, the Bush Pilot's Monument and the Heritage Centre. Second night out.

3. Day 3

   On the land

   Dog sledding or snowshoeing, then a third aurora night.

4. Day 4

   Spare night

   Drive the ice road to Dettah if it is open, and keep the night as a backup for clouds.

Two weeks: the Dempster to the Arctic Ocean

Spend two days in Whitehorse and three in Dawson City, then three or four days driving the Dempster to Inuvik via Tombstone and Eagle Plains. Continue to Tuktoyaktuk, then drive back or fly out of Inuvik if your rental company permits a drop there. Late August is ideal: fewer bugs, fall color and the first dark nights.

Five days: Iqaluit

Fly from Ottawa. Spend a day on the museum, the Legislative Assembly and St. Jude's, a day in Sylvia Grinnell park, and the rest with a local outfitter: a boat to Qaummaarviit in summer or a sea-ice trip by dog sled or snowmobile in spring. Build in a spare day for weather delays.

To combine the North with the rest of Canada, see planning your trip and road trips.