Yellowknife is the capital, only city, and largest community in the Northwest Territories. It is on the northern shore of Great Slave Lake, about 400 kilometres south of the Arctic Circle, on the west side of Yellowknife Bay near the outlet of the Yellowknife River.

Day 1

Walk down history lane | 9 a.m.

Strung along the shore of Great Slave Lake — North America’s deepest lake and one of the largest in the world — Yellowknife’s Old Town is a hodgepodge of timber cabins, some of which date back to the time of early white settlers, and newer houses, many with a decidedly eclectic architectural style. A stroll through this part of town is a fun way to pick up nuggets of local character, doled out, for instance, in the form of hardware used as façade decorations. You might even spot an old bombardier or two, the roofed predecessor to the modern snowmobile. On the way to the Old Town from the city’s centre and beyond, you’ll pass murals depicting northern lights, schools of fish and bears among fireweed.

Stock up on essential gear | 12 p.m.

If you forgot to pack warm mitts, thermal underwear, wool socks or a balaclava, Weaver & Devore Trading Ltd. has all that and more. Located in a Quonset hut in the Old Town, the general store has been around for some 80 years, making it a city institution. There’s even a small department selling groceries.

Dig into local fish | 6:30 p.m.

Bullock’s Bistro is as well-known for its fish ’n’ chips as it is for its ambiance. The interior walls and ceiling are plastered with stickers and testimonials scribbled in marker by an international cast of past patrons. It’ll take too long to read through their one-line food reviews to find suggestions for what to order, so grab a menu and ask a waiter what’s the catch of the day (options often include whitefish, pickerel, trout and pike, all from Great Slave Lake). The restaurant opens at noon (except on Sundays, when it opens at 4 p.m.), but you’d be wise to arrive up to an hour before that, as people line-up to get a table at Yellowknife’s most famous eatery.

Day 2

Perk up with a caffeine boost | 9 a.m.

Since the sun doesn’t bother getting up until around 8:30 in the winter months, there’s no reason to rush in the morning. When you do get ready to face the weekday, though, Birchwood Coffee Kǫ̀ makes it easier thanks to its mean yet smooth espresso. Fatten up your coffee fix with a chicken and waffle sandwich, a peanut butter cookie or a vegetarian pizza bagel. 

Tap into a heritage moment | 1 p.m.

The Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre aims to protect, archive and promote the cultural patrimony of the north through museum exhibits, research, storytelling and education. In addition to the centre’s permanent exhibit, which includes dioramas depicting regional fauna, the temporary shows get visitors up close with Dene arts and crafts, Ice Age paleontology and personal explorations of residential-school experiences.

Wait for the northern lights | 10 p.m.

Once you’ve been to Bullock’s, head out with Raven Tours to chase Yellowknife’s other famous attraction: the aurora borealis. Located at 62° north latitude, the city is within in the northern hemisphere’s auroral zone, the range of latitudes (between 60 and 70 degrees) most likely to see northern lights. There are no guarantees, of course, but at Raven Tours’ cabin in the woods, about an hour’s drive away from light pollution, you can tap into Dene storytelling, music and dance and have a cup of tea with bannock and jam while you wait for the aurora to show. Bill Tait, who started aurora tours as a phenomenon in the late 1980s, still works with the company from time to time. If he happens to be on your tour, ask him how he made aurora viewing a thing and about some of the myths around aurora culture.