9 Top Tips For A Yukon Northern Lights Tour

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When planning any trip to somewhere within the reaches of the Arctic Circle, one of the most sought after experiences has to be seeing the Northern Lights. The Aurora Borealis appear to be so mystical and other-worldly that they really do need to be seen to be believed. I was lucky enough to take a Yukon Northern Lights tour from Whitehorse on a recent northern Canada trip, and it didn’t disappoint.

What are the Northern Lights?

Before even booking our Yukon Northern Lights tour we’d had our first lesson. The tour operator helped explain what they were and exactly how they are seen in the night sky.

The northern lights appear as electrons from the sun’s atmosphere are blown towards Earth where they meet with our atmosphere’s own particles. The collision of which causes the shimmering glowing lights visible in the night sky.

The lights are seen in the north due to the magnetic pole. That means there are lights in the southern hemisphere too by the South Pole, called Aurora Australis. The northern lights are more widely talked about as the lights there are apparently stronger than in the south.

Where in the world can you see the Aurora Borealis?

As you might expect, the northern lights are more prevalent in the northern part of the northern hemisphere. The reason, as explained above, is to do with proximity to the North Pole. Meaning the closer you get to the Arctic circle, the stronger the lights are and they are better seen.

Canada is one of the top places to see the northern lights, as well as Iceland, Greenland and Scandinavia. In Canada, given that the country reaches the Arctic Circle there are a number of really good places to see the lights.

While they can often be seen in the northern part of some of Canada’s provinces like British Columbia or Alberta, it’s the territories that have the best viewing. The territories are further north, and also have smaller populations so there is less light pollution. Nunavut, the Northwest Territories and Yukon are therefore the best places in Canada to see the Aurora Borealis.

9 Things to know before your Northern Lights tour

While it’s easy to assume that by booking a tour you won’t really have to plan for too much, there are still things you should know. All Yukon northern lights tours will be at night, in winter, and usually in the middle of nowhere. Comfort is only half the planning though, here’s all you need to know:

You get what you pay for

A tour might not be the cheapest way to see the northern lights, but it sure is the easiest (and most comfortable). If you have access to a car, you can drive yourself out there to see the lights. However, you’ll be driving in the snow, at night in a place you don’t really know.

For me, getting someone else to do the driving was worth it. Especially by the end when I was so tired I could barely keep my eyes open. I also feel that if I was driving I would likely have let the cold make me want to leave earlier. That would have meant potentially missing some of the better displays around 2am-3am.

Check in advance the facilities on your tour

Many of the tours will tell you the area they go to see the lights, but not all tours are created equal. The one I opted for, Arctic Range Adventure, took us to their own private spot. There were two large yurts, complete with fireplaces which kept us warm on a -25 degree night.

One of the yurts came with a bathroom, and there was even a tepee outside with a campfire and marshmallows to toast. You could be outside for 3+ hours waiting for the lights, so having these amenities was well worth booking that tour.

Check the weather forecast and aurora forecast

Just because you’re in the north of Canada doesn’t mean you’re guaranteed to see the aurora borealis. There are a number of factors which determine whether they’ll appear, or that you’ll be able to see them.

The first thing to check is the aurora forecast. Much like the weather there’s a forecast of the solar activity which predicts how likely a light display will be. Also like a weather forecast this can change, so keep your eye on it leading up to your trip.

The lights are looking promising – great! But you still need to check the weather forecast. Just because there’s solar activity doesn’t mean the clouds aren’t going to cover it. So you’re likely looking for a cold and clear night for your best opportunity to see the Yukon northern lights.

Have a back up plan

As much as it sucks to go all that way and not see the northern lights, you might be even more disheartened if you paid for a tour and still didn’t see the lights. Booking a Yukon northern lights tour is a fine line between being flexible enough to change plans if the forecast doesn’t align, and planning enough to make sure you get a spot on the tour.

Use the forecast to guide you. And be prepared to switch other plans if the forecast changes enough that it means the stars (or lights) might align for you. People we were with booked a 3 night/4 day tour – overall cheaper per night with more included, and more chances of seeing the lights. But most people don’t want to commit this much money (or time) to see the lights.

We didn’t do much planning, incorrectly assuming it would be easy to just jump on a tour. We ended up getting lucky and finding 2 spots the day of. In reality, we should perhaps have planned at least the week before.

Don’t plan much for the next day

Because the northern lights can only be seen at night you will be up late waiting for them. In fact, the best lights activity usually happens between 1-3am. Therefore, the tours usually pick up around 11pm and drop you back at your hotel around 3am.

If you’re staying up that late, the last thing you want is to be on another tour, or have firm plans the next morning. We made sure our other tour plans, such as this wildlife preserve experience, were on different days. The most we had to get up for after our aurora tour was breakfast (or lunch).

Take plenty of clothing layers

Winter in the Yukon is no joke. The night we decided to take our Yukon northern lights tour, the temperature was -25 degrees C. That’s -13 Fahrenheit for my American friends! Make sure you dress for the occasion.

I’m talking multiple layers – thermals, extra thick wool socks, thick winter jacket, warm hat. You get the idea. Being cold is no fun, but even less so when you’re not really moving around. Think about the fact you’ll be spending about 3 hours just waiting and watching the night sky.

Top Tip: Bring hand and feet warmers. You can usually buy these at the dollar store. Simply activate them and shove them into your gloves or shoes for extra warmth.

Bring a hot drink and snacks

Warm clothes can only get you so far. I fully recommend packing a thermos of hot chocolate, tea (or coffee if you really need help staying awake). What was great about this tour was that the yurts had a hot drink station set up. You could help yourself to as many beverages as you wanted.

This is definitely another reason to check the amenities on your tour. But if you do bring your own thermos, you might be able to add a little extra to help keep you even warmer. Maybe a little shot of Baileys in your hot chocolate.

Get your camera settings ready in advance

Trying to find the right settings on your camera for a night shot is not always easy. Especially in the dark when it’s beyond freezing cold. Save yourself the hassle and search the necessary settings before you leave the comfort of your hotel room. Your fingers will definitely thank you.

One of the benefits of a Yukon northern lights tour is that they know people will want to take epic photos. On our tour the staff even offered to help show anyone the camera settings they would require if they needed help. I thought that was a nice added touch.

Worth noting: I didn’t realize this, but most cameras (and phones) pick up the lights much clearer and brighter than you see them with the naked eye. When the lights first started it looked like a bit of a green cloud that might be rolling in – until you looked through the camera.

Remember to enjoy the show

Despite the fact that you’ve not really got anywhere else to be at midnight in the middle of nowhere it can be easy to get distracted. Running inside to keep warm, making hot drinks, roasting marshmallows on the fire. And the biggest distraction of all – your camera/phone.

Everyone can be so desperate to get the perfect shot, that they often forget to look up and just appreciate the light show. Make sure you take some time and put down the devices. Remember to enjoy the northern lights in all their magnificent natural glory. It’s an experience you won’t forget, even more so if you pay more attention to it at the time.

Booking a northern lights tour in Whitehorse

Even with the freezing cold temperatures and the inconvenient timing of the tour, this is still one of the best experiences I’ve ever done. From the pickup at the hotel, to the services offered at the viewing site, and just the opportunity to see the lights without the hassle of driving myself, this was well worth booking a tour.

Arctic Range Adventure did a great job of hosting us, and I would love to do another Yukon northern lights tour on my next visit. In the end it’s about weighing up what doing a tour vs. going it alone means to you. For me, I know I would likely have given up a lot earlier had I driven myself. I also would have frozen in a car – instead I had a toasty warm fire to keep myself from freezing.

If you’re visiting Whitehorse, I seriously recommend a Yukon northern lights tour. With any luck you’ll get the kind of phenomenal show we got, something I’ll remember for a very long time.

If you’ve enjoyed this post leave a comment or share using the social media buttons below. Have you seen the northern lights in real life? Where did you go to see them?