Canada is full of remarkable natural wonders and we're not picking favourites or anything, but Yellowknife's magnificent aurora borealis are at the top of our list. With long and clear winter nights, Yellowknife's Northern Lights are hard to miss from mid-November to the beginning of April. It may take more than a day trip to get up there and see this spectacular show, but trust us, it's way better than Netflix.
Slowly dancing across the sky in shades of light green and pink, the aurora borealis is Earth's OG light show. The naturally occurring phenomenon appears when gaseous particles in the Earth's atmosphere collide with charged particles from the sun. The colour is dependent on the type of gas – green is the most common as it comes from oxygen, while nitrogen's purples and blues are rarer.
There's no way to predict when and where the Northern Lights will appear, but the best place to spot them is along the auroral oval, which circles the Earth's magnetic poles. Set right in the middle of the auroral oval is the Indigenous-owned and operated Aurora Village. Located on the Ingraham Trail near Yellowknife, Aurora Village welcomes visitors to experience this one-of-a-kind destination. Stay in their Teepee Village and watch in cozy comfort as the aurora borealis light up the night sky.
During the day, explore Yellowknife on snowshoes, snowmobile or a dog-sled through the wintery wooded trails that surround the village. Deeply rooted in Indigenous culture and home to mostly Dene and Metis people, Aurora Village is the perfect place to explore First Nation's heritage and traditions on the backdrop of a truly magical place.
