Beyond the Arctic Circle

2023 – Contact us

Duration

6 days
ico-difficulty-2

Difficulty

Easy

Group size

2 to 6

Trip cost

Starting at $3200 + 5% GST
Discover the real meaning of “north” and “winter” through five days on the northernmost highway in Canada, beyond the Arctic Circle! On our way, we will drive through the beautiful Ogilvie Mountains in central Yukon and will have a spectacular view over the Mackenzie River delta, in the Northwest Territories. Every night, your guide, passionate about astronomy, makes sure to give you the best opportunities to see the northern lights!
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  • Winter

Itinerary

Upon arrival in Whitehorse, you take the free shuttle to get to your hotel (right there when you exit the terminal). Note that we always try and book hotels which offers the free shuttle but in case there is no more availability, there are always taxis available to drive you downtown (count approximately $25 for a ride from the airport to your hotel). Depending on your arrival time, you will have time to explore Whitehorse and take a stroll on the Millennium Trail or check out the MacBride Museum.

A pre-trip meeting takes place in the lobby of your hotel at 5pm today with your guides. This is the perfect opportunity to ask any last-minute questions, do a gear check and meet your fellow adventurers!

Check our FAQ to know what date day 0 corresponds to.

Night in a hotel in Whitehorse

We meet you at your accommodation and drive north on the Klondike Highway towards Dawson City. We stop at different vista points along the way, like the one overlooking the Five Fingers Rapids and the Yukon River. We arrive in Dawson in the early evening. After dinner, we drive a few kilometers up to the Midnight Dome to try to see our first northern lights! If the show is taking some time to get started (or doesn’t start at all…) your guide will be happy to share his knowledge about stars and constellations while you wait..

Lunch and Dinner

Night in a hotel in Dawson City

Tombstone-mountain-Yukon-winter
We start the day by driving through Tombstone Territorial Park. The Dempster Highway offers splendid views of the 2200km2 of subarctic tundra, lakes, rivers and high rugged peaks of the park. Tombstone is just the first section of road going through the Ogilvie Mountains. After the park, the Dempster Highway continues its way through the mountains before crossing the Ogilvie River and climbing onto another ridge. From there, we discover a spectacular view of the Ogilvie Mountains and the Peel River Valley. Throughout the day we stop along the road to admire and take photos of the beauty of the north. It’s a photograph’s paradise!
After a total of 410 km for the day, we stop for the night in Eagle Plains, the only gas station/motel on the Yukon side of the Dempster Highway!

Breakfast, lunch and dinner

Nights in a hotel in Eagle Plains

From Eagle Plains, we drive north for another 40km, until we reach the Arctic Circle. The Dempster Highway is the northernmost highway in Canada, and the only one to cross the Arctic Circle. We then push a little further and to climb a bit more on the western slopes of the Richardson Mountains to reach the border between the Northwest Territories and the Yukon. There, we really grasp the vastness and beauty of the arctic tundra! Tonight again, we sleep at Eagle plains.

Breakfast, lunch and dinner

Night in a hotel in Eagle Plains

We keep driving south, enjoying once again the landscapes of the Ogilvie Mountains and Tombstone Territorial Park. In the heart of winter, you’ll be amazed by the ever-changing lights and the beauty of this frozen dirt road!

Breakfast, lunch and dinner

Night in a hotel in Dawson City

fog-winter-dempster-highway

Five-Finger-Rapids-Yukon-River-Winter
This morning you can enjoy a walk-through Dawson, its shifting and colourful houses, historical buildings, and the wooden sidewalks get you immerse in a western ambiance. You picture yourself walking in the streets at the time of the 1898 Klondike Gold Rush when the stampeders were sleeping in their prospector tents without the equipment we now have… what a life! We then head back to Whitehorse where we arrive in the early evening.

Breakfast and lunch

Night in a hotel in Whitehorse

We drive you to the airport for your return flight or you’re onto your next Yukon adventure.

Terre Boréale respectfully acknowledges that this adventure takes place on the traditional territories of the Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation, Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in, First Nation of Na-Cho Nyäk Dun, Selkirk First Nation, Tetlit Gwich’in Band Council, Kwanlin Dün First Nation, Little Salmon/Carmacks First Nation and Ta’an Kwäch’än Council.

  • Meals as indicated in itinerary above
  • Accommodations as indicated in itinerary above, based on double occupancy (+ $750 for single occupancy)
  • Experienced bilingual guide
  • Van transportation all along the trip
  • Winter (-40°c) clothing rental: winter boots, snow pants, parka, mitts, toque
  • Satellite communication device for emergencies
  • Single occupancy supplement of $750
  • Airport transfers
  • Alcoholic beverages
  • Domestic & International flights
  • Gratuities

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