9 Northern Lights Tours in Yellowknife That Live Up to the Photos

1.Aurora Hunting Tours

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 374 reviews · 4 hours (approx.) · from $134Our pick

North Star Adventures takes you from your Yellowknife hotel into the wilderness for about four hours of active aurora hunting. Guide Joe and other local guides adjust the route for clouds and aurora conditions rather than using one fixed viewing site. Expect a maximum of 12 people, hotel pickup, snacks, hot drinks, and no cabin, tent, or washroom.

“We could see Aurora!! I enjoyed the tour. He took pictures for us and I'm waiting for them! Please send me the pictures you took (September 18) I can't wait!”

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2.Northern Lights Tour Yellowknife

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 370 reviews · 4 hours (approx.) · from $74

Travel by coach from your Yellowknife hotel to three aurora-viewing sites, with guides such as Wilson, Rosa, Pei, Teresa, or Kim sharing local stories and watching the sky. You’ll receive hot chocolate, tea, coffee, cookies, and free professional photos. Airport pickup is not available.

“It was a great tour. Very well organized. Both our tour girl Pei and the driver (sorry I forgot his name) were so nice to all of us, very considerate for our convenience and safety. Pick ups was prompt and accurate. We were treated nicely and warmly even the weather was terribly cold. We had 3 stops, all with good timing. We saw wonderful aurora shows. Pei took many wonderful pictures for everyone. She's very knowledgeable, informative and professional. She even taught us how to use a tool to monit aurora at home. So appreciate their hard works. Strongly recommend this company!”

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3.Northern Lights Tours

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 326 reviews · 4 to 6 hours (approx.) · from $67Best value

Spend about five hours hunting the aurora around Yellowknife with a guide such as Julian or Sheldon. Hotel pickup, a heated mini coach, hot drinks, snacks, and professional photos are included. The route may change with cloud cover, and several stops give you more chances to see the lights.

“I couldn't see the aurora very well because of the bad weather, but the guide worked hard to find the aurora view. And they took great pictures and the hot chocolate was really delicious.”

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4.Intimate Aurora Tours Cozy Cabin Bucket List

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 277 reviews · 4 hours (approx.) · from $107

Tracy hosts this small-group Yellowknife aurora outing at a rustic cabin in the boreal forest. Expect hotel pickup, a warm wood-heated shelter, local fish chowder, fresh bannock, hot drinks, Indigenous clothing for photos, fireside treats, and help with aurora pictures. The lights are never guaranteed, but the cabin gives you a comfortable place to wait.

“I couldn’t see the aurora on the day I attended due to bad weather, but this tour is highly recommended for days like that. There are plenty of card games and Jenga to enjoy, and you can even try on indigenous fur coats and hats. The lovely owner’s storytelling, along with homemade soup and scones, adds a warm touch, and you can make s’mores over a campfire outside. Time flew by as I enjoyed chatting with other participants.”

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5.Northern Lights Bus Tour with Photos

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 174 reviews · 4 hours · from $72

Ride from Yellowknife along the Ingraham Trail with a live English or Chinese guide, stopping at several dark locations to search for the aurora. Guides such as Wilson, Pei, Kim, and Ahmed help with photos, while the warm bus, hot cocoa, tea, coffee, and cookies provide a welcome break in the cold. Northern Lights sightings are not guaranteed.

“The bus was on time. It was a cloudy and rainy night. We did not see the aurora. We drove around and stopped at several locations to try to see it. They were very accommodating that way. They were hopeful and tried to keep things positive for all of us. Wewereserved hot chocolate and cookies.”

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6.Yellowknife Tours – Aurora by bus

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 141 reviews · 4 hours (approx.) · from $102

Ride from Yellowknife to Prelude Lake, Prosperous Lake, and Yellowknife River in search of the aurora. Guides such as Janet, Angus, Floris, and Iris help with cameras, take photos, serve snacks and hot drinks, and adjust the route when the lights move. The tour lasts about four hours and costs $102.89 per person.

“Guide Iris and driver Ben were so accommodating and enthusiastic. We had an awesome time and saw a lot. They also helped us with the photos. We were very happy to have booked this tour!!”

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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 the northern lights and warming up indoors with hot drinks, snacks, games, Wi-Fi, and viewing decks. Guides such as Tina, Mo, Peter, and Leon help with timing, photos, and science. If clouds roll in, the group may chase clearer skies by bus.

“The house was really cold. The room temperature must be below freezing point because the snow we brought in from outside by shoes didn’t melt. It appears that the tour operators were unprepared and didn’t pre-heat the place and the heating system didn’t work well.”

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8.Aurora Borealis Tour with Cozy Cabin Base

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 65 reviews · 4 hours · from $103

Tracy and her team take you from Yellowknife to a warm bush cabin about 15 to 20 minutes away. You wait for the aurora indoors with fish chowder, fresh bannock, tea, and hot chocolate, then step outside for wide-open views and free photos. Parkas, fur coats, and tripods are provided.

“It was a beautiful experience, our guide Tracy was very friendly the entire time, thanks to her the experience was unforgettable”

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9.Madeline Lake: Aurora Lodge and Aurora Chasing Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 34 reviews · 4 hours · from $100

Spend four hours near Madeline Lake combining a warm aurora lodge with flexible aurora chasing. Guide Mo and the team use forecasts and other guides to choose better viewing spots. You get hot drinks, snacks, WiFi, games, proper washrooms, hotel pickup, and original digital photos at no extra charge.

“Me gustó todo, para hacer la primera vez incluye todo lo de la descripción me gustó que nos esperaron como nos explicaron cada detalle. Cuando íbamos la cabaña como estaba decorada nomás tenía calientes los snacks chocolate calientes la fotografías.”

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