Aurora Watch

When the nights are dark in autumn and winter, the northern lights come out in Canada's Northwest Territories. The Aurora dances and swirls, slower and then faster, mingling with the stars in the night sky. Visitors on Aurora tours come half way around the world to see these dancing lights.

The curtain rises on cloudless northern nights from late August to April. That's when the heavens fill with ethereal waves of glowing lights in colors ranging from yellow and green to lavender and red.

Aurora packages from several communities and backcountry lodges typically include airport transfers, accommodations, meals, cold-weather gear, and excursions far out of town, where light pollution is low and the majestic display is brightest. Experienced guides are available to interpret the science and lore of the mesmerizing lights – and to provide expert tips on taking photographs.

Bundled into Arctic-grade parkas, visitors travel into the wilderness by minibus, dogsled, or snowmobile. On a frozen lake surface, sipping hot cocoa and sheltering in heated tents, visitors can expect hours of enchantment. While they wait for nightfall, during our short winter days, visitors try dog-mushing, snowshoeing and snowmobiling until the Aurora again comes out to play.