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Highlights
Fully escape to a pristine winter playground near Yellowknife
Take a bush plane ride over the tundra and land on frozen Blachford Lake.
Experience the tranquillity of staying at a lodge in the wilderness that is only accessible by plane.
Snowshoeing, xc-skiing, hiking, and skating are just a few of the ways you can enjoy your time in the frozen wilderness.
Get photo tips from your northern lights guide as you wait by the fire for the lights to colour the sky.
Journey to the Northwest Territories for the winter wilderness adventure of a lifetime! The Northern Lights Wilderness Escape takes you from Yellowknife to a wilderness lodge that is only accessible by bush plane for a winter experience unlike any other.
Your trip starts with a scenic flight that’ll land on the frozen lake right in front of your lodge. Then you get to decide how you’ll want to spend each day at beautiful Blachford Lodge. Take advantage of all their winter sports equipment and on-site activities to discover the beautiful northern wilderness that surrounds you. Then each evening you’ll pick your favourite spot to watch the stars and wait for the northern lights to paint the sky. This trip is the ultimate way for you to disconnect and lose yourself in the wild north!
Journey to the Northwest Territories for the winter wilderness adventure of a lifetime! The Northern Lights Wilderness Escape takes you from Yellowknife to a wilderness lodge that is only accessible by bush plane for a winter experience unlike any other.
Your trip starts with a scenic flight that’ll land on the frozen lake right in front of your lodge. Then you get to decide how you’ll want to spend each day at beautiful Blachford Lodge. Take advantage of all their winter sports equipment and on-site activities to discover the beautiful northern wilderness that surrounds you. Then each evening you’ll pick your favourite spot to watch the stars and wait for the northern lights to paint the sky. This trip is the ultimate way for you to disconnect and lose yourself in the wild north!
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Northern Lights Wilderness Escape Itinerary
Day 1 Arrive in the Great White North
When you arrive in Yellowknife, you’ll find your way to the hotel and get settled. Go out and explore the snow-covered streets of this northern city and take a walk to get used to the winter chill.
Overnight Location: Hotel in Yellowknife
Meals: None
Day 2 Bush Plane Flight to the Wilderness
This morning your bush plane awaits to take you on a scenic flight to the shores of Great Slave Lake. You’ll have an exciting landing on the frozen lake in front of your wilderness accommodations and then you can explore and get settled.
Enjoy a hearty dinner and then watch to see if the northern lights appear from the warmth of the cozy lodge.
Overnight Location: Wilderness Lodge
Meals: Lunch, dinner
Day 3-5 Enjoy Winter in the North
Spend your days at Blachford Lake Lodge exploring the great white wilderness. You can use the lodge equipment to go skating, snowshoeing, and cross-country skiing in the beautiful wild surroundings. You can also pre-book optional guided activities likes snowmobiling or ice fishing.
Spend some downtime relaxing indoors curled up by the fire, or take a soak in the outdoor whirlpool. At the end of each day, when night falls you can watch the stars and wait by the campfire for the northern lights to appear.
Overnight Location: Hotel in Blachford Lake
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Day 6 Explore Yellowknife
Take a final stroll along the frozen lakeshore before your bush plane comes to pick you up. Enjoy the view of the tundra from above on your flight back to Yellowknife. You’ll have the whole afternoon to explore Yellowknife. Visit the Old Town to see the historic wooden buildings left from the mining days, or take a hike up “The Rock” for a scenic view of the city.
If you’re looking for a fresh fish dinner, a great way to end your trip is with a stop at the famous Bullock’s Bistro.
Overnight Location: Hotel in Yellowknife
Meals: None
Day 7 Tour Concludes in Yellowknife
After an epic trip full of winter adventures, your tour comes to an end after this morning’s hotel check-out. Return to the airport to catch your flight home.
Overnight Location: None
Meals: None
Northern Lights Wilderness Escape Price and Dates
This partially-guided wilderness tour in the Northwest Territories is run as private tour for your group only, and the price per person depends on how many people are in your group.Prices below are per person:
- Groups of 2+: from CAD3995 per person*
Accommodation on the Northern Lights Wilderness Escape
This tour is based in hotel and lodge accommodations. The hotel in Yellowknife offers standard 3-star accommodations. The lodge offers a rustic wilderness experience where you’ll have a private room with a shared bathroom. You’ll enjoy the full use of lodge activities and delicious meals during your stay.
In some cases, the accommodation listed below may need to be substituted for other comparable accommodations.
Single Rooms and Solo Travellers
Rooms are double occupancy. Single rooms, including those for solo travellers, are by request only and may incur an additional fee.
What’s Included in the Northern Lights Wilderness Escape?
Meals
4 breakfasts, 2 lunches, and 4 dinners are included in this tour. Snacks, coffee, tee, and juice are also included during your stay at Blachford Lodge. Alcoholic beverages and soft drinks are not included.
Accommodations
Accommodations for 6 nights are included. Accommodations before and after the tour in Yellowknife are not included but can be added as a supplement.
Transportation during the Tour
Your roundtrip bush plane flights between Yellowknife and the wilderness lodge are included. Airport transfers in Yellowknife are not included.
Also Included
- The following is included during your stay at Blachford Lake Lodge:
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- Guided northern lights observation and interpretation for 2 hours each day
- Access to library, lounge, fireplace, sauna, and outdoor jacuzzi
- Craft workshops at the lodge
- Introduction to photographing the aurora borealis
- Use of lodge equipment, cross-country skis, snowshoes, hiking trails, fat bike, outdoor fire pit, skates, and yoga equipment
- 250 MB wifi per day during lodge stay
- Canadian taxes
- 24/7 access to helpline
Not included
- Flights
- Travel insurance
- Visas if required
- Entrance fees to national parks
- Airport transfers
- Meals, drinks, or snacks not previously mentioned
- Gratuities for tour guides or other staff if desired
- Personal expenses
- Optional activities
Optional Extras
- Additional nights before or after the tour
- Single occupancy upgrades
- Optional activities or excursions that require advanced booking:
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- Guided snowmobile trip
- Ice fishing Trip
- How hard is the Northern Lights Wilderness Escape?
- Do I need a visa to travel to Canada?
- Are meals included on the Northern Lights Wilderness Escape?
- Do I need insurance?
- How do I get to Yellowknife to start this tour?
- Is the Northern Lights Wilderness Escape in English?
- Where does the Northern Lights Wilderness Escape end?
- Can I bring my own winter sports equipment?
- Am I guaranteed to see the northern lights on the Northern Lights and Wilderness Escape?
- Do I need special vaccines to travel to Canada?
- Are there any travel restrictions for Canada?
- When is the best time to travel to Canada for this tour?
We rate this tour as a 2/5. You get to choose your activities during your lodge stay, so you choose the difficulty, from a leisurely winter stroll to an epic all-day adventure. You should be reasonably fit and comfortable in rugged, cold weather to get the most out of this tour.
Check with your local country about visa requirements. You could also try this website, though you should verify with your government.
4 breakfasts, 2 lunches, and 4 dinners are included in this tour. Snacks, coffee, tee, and juice are also included during your stay at Blachford Lodge. Alcoholic beverages and soft drinks are not included.
Yes, it is mandatory to have health and medical insurance to join this trip, and your insurance should cover all included activities. Get your Travel Insurance.
Fly into Yellowknife Airport (YZF). Your transportation from the airport to your hotel is not included, but you can take a taxi.
This is a self-guided tour, and the route guide, maps, and programs will be supplied in English.
This tour ends in Yellowknife, and you will fly out of Yellowknife Airport (YZF). You can take a taxi to the airport.
Everything from skates to snowshoes and cross-country skis will be available for you to use at the lodge. You are welcome to bring your own equipment, but please confirm at the time of booking so that we can ensure there will be adequate space in the bush plane to transport your equipment.
The northern lights are active in the fall and are more visible as the nights grow longer. You are very likely to see them during the fall and winter months. Unfortunately, it is not possible to predict their presence with one complete accuracy so there are no guarantees.
Check with your family doctor.
Please check with your local government about travel restrictions before you book your tour. This map from the US Department of State provides an overview of the current status in countries around the globe. The UK‘s Foreign Office and Government of Canada also provide advice on foreign travel. Note that the travel advice may change depending on your nationality.
The best time to travel to the Northwest Territories to see the northern lights is between December and April when your chances of seeing the lights are the best.
Customer Ratings
In the two decades since Toundra Voyages Inc. was founded in 1998, the company has become North America’s go-to travel agency in customized independent and group tourism.
Tounda takes a flexible, responsive approach to developing adventure travel tours. By listening to the wants and wishes of travellers, they’ve been able to create memorable, affordable tours complemented by impeccable service.
Toundra’s mission is to create and organize tailor-made travel. They select, adapt, and personalize travel experiences in North America for each and every guest, ensuring your adventure is one you’ll never forget.
Meeting your expectations is just the beginning of what Toundra aims to accomplish. Exceeding them by providing exceptional experiences in beautiful North America is their standard, and their track record of knockout customer service and customized tour planning speaks for itself.
