Aurora Village
Yellowknife's best-known aurora viewing camp. White teepees are scattered across the lakeside hillside, and you can wait for the aurora on heated seats.
Aurora Village is run by a local Indigenous family. It lies beside the Ingraham Trail east of town, about 25 minutes' drive from the city, far from urban light pollution. The camp has several hilltop viewpoints, rotating heated viewing chairs and more than twenty warm teepees. Inside the teepees, hot drinks and bannock, traditional Indigenous fried bread, are served, and you can warm up whenever you feel cold. Evening tours usually include hotel pickup, leave around 21:00 and return around 1 to 2 a.m. Daytime packages include dog sledding, snowshoe hiking and ice fishing, and in winter you can rent full cold-weather gear. Many Chinese visitors come here, and Chinese-language service is often available. In peak periods (Chinese New Year, December and March), book several weeks ahead. For photography, bring a tripod and a wide-angle lens with a large aperture. Focus manually to infinity, with ISO 1600 to 3200 and a shutter speed of 5 to 15 seconds.
Opening hours
Night observation tours about 9:00 pm–2:00 am (seasonal; check official website)
Nearby sights
- Ingraham Trail
- Giant Mine & Heritage Boat Registry
- Dettah Ice Road
- Old Town & Bush Pilots Monument
- Wildcat Cafe
- Great Slave Lake (Yellowknife Bay)
- Bullocks Bistro
- Ragged Ass Road