5 spectacular ways to see the northern lights in Canada

20.12.2023 - 19:03 / nationalgeographic.com

If you’ve been clamoring to see the ethereal northern lights, consider heading to Canada, where they ribbon through the sky 300 days a year in certain regions. Northern Canada in particular offers the best chance to see aurora borealis because much of the region lies beneath the auroral oval, the area around Earth’s magnetic poles that are a hot spot for activity.

Auroras occur when the sun’s electrically charged particles enter the atmosphere on a solar wind, colliding with gases and producing tiny flashes that fill the sky with neon light. The best time to spot them in Canada is from December to March, when there are more hours of darkness and cold, clear nights, or between August and October, when the midnight sun begins to dim but the weather allows for outdoor activities, like hiking and paddling.

For a richer experience, travelers can pair northern lights viewing with cultural and adventure activities in many destinations. Here are five unique ways to catch one of nature’s most breathtaking phenomena.

The Northwest Territories sit above Canada’s three western provinces and is home to the region’s Indigenous Dene peoples. In Yellowknife, North Star Adventures offers a safari-style aurora “hunting” experience with cultural immersion. Travelers ride in an SUV, making multiple stops as tour founder Joe Bailey reads the sky in pursuit of the lights.

“The reason I called it ‘aurora hunting’ is because of the Dene cultural connection to my grandfather, who would take me hunting for caribou, moose, and buffalo,” he says. “I wanted to incorporate that traditional activity into the name of the tour.”

“In the Denesuline language, we call the lights ya’ke ngas, which means ‘the sky is stirring,’” Bailey continues. “We believe the lights are the spirits of our ancestors and loved ones telling us everything is OK.”

For more Indigenous insights, cozy up in an aurora-viewing dome with North of 60 Adventures or inside a tipi warmed by a wood-burning fire at Aurora Village. Both Dene-owned operators also offer dogsled outings, where you can explore snow-cloaked forest trails and frozen lakes.

(These Indigenous women are reshaping Canada’s tourism industry.)

With its sweeping landscapes and dramatic mountain vistas (Mount Logan is the highest peak in Canada), the Yukon is an outdoor lover’s dream. Come fall, when skies darken earlier and the aspen forest turns golden, the province beckons northern lights seekers too.

Local operators take advantage of the brief window between summer and first snowfall to combine outdoor activities like paddling with aurora watching. With Up North Adventures, travelers canoe or kayak the storied Yukon River from the capital city of Whitehorse to the confluence of the Takhini River.