Yellowknife is built on permafrost, but there is
nothing cold about the welcome awaiting visitors who come to enjoy
log buildings, luxury hotels, caribou steaks, caviar, and dog sled
teams. This small but thriving city is the gateway used by those
planning to explore other points in the Northwest Territories and
the adjacent territory of Nunavut.
It serves as the kick off point for a variety of
extreme adventure tours and unique vacations in the heart of the
northern wilderness. The city is on the north shore of Great Slave
Lake and offers its own attractions, like boating, fishing, hiking,
birdwatching, canoeing, and walking tours. A popular attraction is
the quaint Old Town section with its views, historic buildings, and
the Wildcat Cafe where local and visiting musicians entertain with
jam sessions.
In winter (September to April), the sky remains dark
most of the day and the spectacular Northern Lights (Aurora
Borealis) appear. A good vantage point to view them is from the top
of the Bush Pilot's Monument in Old Town, six storeys high with a
360 degree view. Located within what is known as the Aurora Oval,
Yellowknife is one of the three best places in the world to view
the Northern Lights. Fairbanks in Alaska and Lapland in Norway are
the other two.
Located just 30 minutes from downtown Yellowknife,
Aurora Village is fast becoming a major tourist attraction and
offers visitors from all over the world a rare opportunity to see
the luminous lightshow in a geographically perfect setting.
Consisting largely of tepees (heated for your comfort), Aurora
Village is a traditional-feeling, suitably ambient place to spend a
cold winter's evening, spellbound by the incredible, colourful
patterns that grace the night sky overhead.