Discover Canada’s hidden gem for unforgettable winter adventures in Yukon Territory. Situated in Canada’s north-west, above British Columbia and next to Alaska, the Yukon’s long, snowy winters span November to March, making it one of the best winter destinations on the planet.

Read on for six irresistible experiences to include in your Yukon winter itinerary.

Chase the aurora borealis

The current solar cycle (a periodic 11-year change in the sun’s activity) is set to reach its peak between 2023 and 2026. This increase in solar activity results in more aurora activity here on Earth, making it an outstanding time for aurora viewing. The pitch black, star-filled skies of the Yukon provide the perfect backdrop for this mystical, enchanting natural phenomenon.

When it comes time to plan your northern lights experience, there are two basic options: You could choose to stay in a downtown hotel in Whitehorse and book with a northern lights tour operator, such as Arctic Range, who will pick you up each evening and take you to custom-built viewing sites outside the city. Enjoy a cosy evening sipping hot chocolate around the campfire, swapping stories with your group while you wait for the lights to appear.

The second option is to choose a wilderness lodge stay, such as Northern Lights Resort and Spa, where you can take in the views from your glass-fronted chalet, or soak in an outdoor hot tub while the lightshow streaks across the night sky. 

Small group dog sledding

Experience the thrill of driving a team of huskies across a glittering frozen lake and through snow-drenched forest trails, like a magical tour of Narnia. Muktuk Adventures offer this authentic northern experience for small groups of four to eight guests. Follow the Takhini River to the Dawson Overland Trail, made famous during the Klondike Gold Rush. Your special dog sledding adventure can be tailored to suit individual needs and includes winter gear, a delicious lunch cooked on an open fire on the trail, and transfers to and from Whitehorse.

Alternatively, Sky High Wilderness Lodge offers full and half-day adventures, or even multi-day excursions, where you’ll be assigned your own team of friendly huskies. An experienced musher will teach you about harnesses, tug-lines and brakes, as well as the all-important commands that your trusty dogs will listen for.

Soak in a natural hot spring

Newly refurbished  Eclipse Nordic Hot Springs is heated by natural geothermal activity, featuring multiple outdoor soaking pools, framed by large boulders, nestled within an enchanting snowy forest, 20 minutes from Whitehorse. Make use of the saunas, steam rooms and fire pits, and enjoy lunch in the new restaurant featuring spa-fusion food, including home-made soups and sandwiches.

The famous Yukon Hair Freezing Contest is back on this winter with patrons invited to soak their hair, allow it to freeze in weird and wacky positions and then pose for an entry photograph. To enter, participants need to visit the Eclipse Nordic Hot Springs when the temperature falls below -20°C.

Catch an icy one

Ice fishing is a quintessential must-do Yukon tradition, best carried out with a thick parka and sturdy snow boots, available for rent in Whitehorse. It won’t be long before lake trout, northern pike, Arctic grayling, rainbow trout and Arctic char are tugging on your line, as you sip on hot coffee or cocoa and take in the glittering surrounds as the winter sun hits the snow-drenched trees framing the frozen lake. If you’re lucky, your guide will fillet your catch and grill it right there on the ice for a lunch you’ll never forget.

Explore on two wheels

Named for their thick, oversized tires, “fat bikes” are designed for easy traction on snow. It’s an exciting way to explore the wilderness and access some areas more easily than you would during summer. Winter’s iced-over lakes mean you can bike straight across rather than hike around. Once you’re back in the treed trails, keep an eye out for wildlife tracks, like foxes and snowshoe hares.

Head out to Bennett Lake near Carcross, grab a hot coffee and enjoy the view of snow-covered mountains rising from the shoreline. In Whitehorse, the multi-use Millennium Trail is also easy to access with a large stretch running alongside the Yukon River that flows right through town.

For something extra special, book a fat biking tour with Terra Riders for a night cruise under the shimmering northern lights.

Winter wildlife viewing

The whole of Yukon is a wildlife sanctuary; a place where the moose outnumber the humans two to one. Head to the  Yukon Wildlife Preserve, where 700 acres of snowy hills, marshes, steep cliffs and flat lands are the perfect ecosystem for 11 species of northern Canadian mammals. We’re talking bison, moose, mule, deer, woodland caribou, elk, mountain goats, Canada lynx, and foxes, to name a few.

Just 25 minutes from downtown Whitehorse, you can walk, ski, snowshoe or fat-bike the five-kilometre viewing loop, or jump on a bus tour with a knowledgeable interpreter. However you choose to experience it, be prepared for magical encounters of the four-legged kind as the Yukon’s wild creatures show off their incredible northern adaptations. 

GETTING THERE

Air Canada offers daily direct flights to Vancouver from Sydney and direct flights between Brisbane and Vancouver four times per week. Direct flights from Sydney to Vancouver are also available on Qantas. Internal flights to Whitehorse and Dawson City are available on Air North and Air Canada.

For more information about Yukon visit www.travelyukon.com