Taking your family to the Northwest Territories is the kind of travel decision that earns you major parent points. Trading crowded theme parks for the sweeping, frozen expanse of the Canadian subarctic is a bold move, but the rewards are absolutely unparalleled. When you are standing on a frozen lake watching ribbons of green and purple light dance across the sky while your kids stare upward in total awe, every layer of thermal clothing you wrestled them into feels completely worth it. If you are wondering about the best things to do in yellowknife with kids, you are in the right place. This city offers a unique blend of Indigenous culture, rugged wilderness, and accessible natural wonders that cater perfectly to adventurous families.
Whether you are planning a deep-winter expedition to see the aurora borealis or a summer trip to experience the surreal endless daylight, navigating the North requires some special planning. From knowing which tours offer heated shelters for freezing toddlers to figuring out how to keep camera batteries alive in extreme temperatures, this guide covers everything you need to know to make your subarctic family adventure a massive success.
The Best Things to Do in Yellowknife with Kids Under the Northern Lights
The main draw for most families visiting Yellowknife is, undeniably, the aurora borealis. Because Yellowknife sits directly beneath the auroral oval and boasts incredibly clear, dry winter nights, it is one of the best places on earth to view the Northern Lights. However, sitting outside at 1:00 AM in -30°C (-22°F) requires a strategic approach when you have children in tow.
Aurora Village
If you are traveling with younger children (toddlers through school-aged), Aurora Village is the absolute gold standard for aurora viewing. Instead of sitting in a dark, freezing van waiting for the lights to appear, your family gets access to a traditional, wood-stove-heated teepee. You can sip hot chocolate, play cards, and stay completely toasty while guides keep watch outside. When the lights appear, they simply alert you, and you step out into the crisp night air.
Beyond the viewing itself, the village is designed with families in mind. They have a massive, three-lane ice slide that kids will enthusiastically ride over and over, regardless of the temperature. The pathways are well-lit and groomed, making it manageable to pull a sled or a ski-adapted chariot stroller.
For a completely stress-free evening, book the Northern Lights Viewing Tour (Yellowknife) - Aurora Village (Aurora Viewing). It includes round-trip transportation from your hotel, which is crucial because you do not want to be navigating dark, icy roads with exhausted kids at 2:00 AM.
- Cost: Roughly $120–$150 CAD ($90–$115 USD) per adult, with discounts for children.
- Duration: Typically 4 to 4.5 hours (usually 9:30 PM to 2:00 AM).
- Pro Tip: Rent their extreme winter clothing gear package. It is bulky, but it guarantees your kids will not complain about the cold.
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North Star Adventures Aurora Hunting
Families with teenagers or very hardy tweens might prefer a more active approach. The Northern Lights Viewing Tour (Yellowknife) - North Star Adventures (Aurora Viewing) offers a guided "aurora hunting" experience. Indigenous guides use weather tracking and their deep knowledge of the area to drive away from cloud cover, chasing the clearest skies.
This is a more rugged, on-the-move experience. You will be in and out of a warm vehicle, taking professional photos against various wilderness backdrops. It feels like a true expedition, which older kids tend to love, but the lack of a stationary heated home base (like a teepee) and the frequent movement make it less ideal for toddlers or preschoolers who might just want to sleep.
Daytime Arctic Adventures and Unique Things to Do in Yellowknife with Kids
While the nights belong to the sky, the short winter days (or endlessly long summer days) offer incredible opportunities to explore the culture and landscape of the Northwest Territories.
Great Slave Lake Ice Fishing
You cannot visit the North in winter without stepping onto the ice. Great Slave Lake Ice Fishing is a quintessential Northern experience. Local guides will take you out onto the frozen expanse of North America's deepest lake, where kids can watch—and help—drill through up to four feet of solid ice.
Many tours include a traditional fish fry right on the ice, cooking up the Pike or Whitefish you just pulled from the water. Kids are endlessly fascinated by the sheer thickness of the ice and the mechanics of the augers.
- Cost: Around $100–$130 CAD ($75–$95 USD) per person.
- Best Time: Late morning when the sun is highest (which, in mid-winter, is still quite low on the horizon).
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Old Town Yellowknife and Glassworks
Take an afternoon to wander through the historic heart of the city. The Old Town Yellowknife Houseboats are a vibrant, off-grid community of colorful floating homes frozen into the bay during winter and bobbing on the water in summer. It perfectly captures the quirky, independent spirit of the city.
When you need to warm up, head into Old Town Glassworks. This worker-owned cooperative is a fantastic, hands-on indoor activity. Kids (and parents) can choose recycled wine or liquor bottles and use stencils and sandblasting to create custom northern-themed glassware to take home. It is safe, highly engaging, and provides a much-needed break from the extreme temperatures.
For dinner, you absolutely must visit the Wildcat Cafe. Housed in a restored 1937 mining-camp log cabin, it is an iconic spot that serves hearty, comforting food in an atmosphere that feels like stepping back in time. (Note: The Wildcat is seasonal, typically operating only in the summer months).
Narwal Northern Adventures
If you are visiting in the warmer months, Narwal Northern Adventures is an Indigenous-owned family business that offers incredible experiences on the water. Their giant 29-foot voyageur canoes are incredibly stable, making them perfect for families with young children. Paddling through the calm waters while learning about local Indigenous history and wildlife is a peaceful yet deeply educational way to spend an afternoon.
Summer Magic: Midnight Sun and Wilderness Lodges
Yellowknife is entirely different in the summer. The ice melts, the boreal forest turns vibrant green, and the sun simply refuses to set.
Embracing the Midnight Sun
Experiencing the Midnight Sun Viewing (June 21 Summer Solstice) is surreal. The sun dips just near the horizon before rising again, casting a permanent golden-hour glow over the landscape. Kids find it hilarious and magical that they can play outside in broad daylight at midnight.
To really grasp the scale of the landscape, book a Midnight Sun Float Plane Tour. Taking off from the water and soaring over the endless lakes and Canadian Shield terrain is a quintessential northern experience. The noise of the plane can be loud, so bring noise-canceling earmuffs for younger or sensory-sensitive children.
For a closer look at the water, Great Slave Lake Tours offers guided boat excursions that often feature Indigenous storytelling and incredible bird watching.
Wilderness Escapes
If you want to truly disconnect, consider a stay at a wilderness lodge. Enodah Wilderness Travel operates an Indigenous-owned lodge on Great Slave Lake that offers incredible fishing and wildlife viewing.
For a high-end, bucket-list experience, Blachford Lake Lodge is a fly-in only eco-lodge. It offers families a rare gateway to the remote wilderness with all the comforts of home. You can hike, canoe, and forage for berries in the summer, or cross-country ski and view the aurora in the winter.
If you prefer a rugged, budget-friendly alternative that you can drive to, Reid Lake Territorial Park is located 60km down the Ingraham Trail. It is a serene escape for family camping, hiking, and roasting marshmallows under the endless summer sky.
Age-by-Age Guide: Tailoring Your Yellowknife Itinerary
The extreme environment of Yellowknife means you need to tailor your expectations and daily pacing to your children's ages.
Toddlers (2-3 years)
- The Vibe: Keep it short, warm, and highly visual.
- Focus On: Stationary activities with immediate access to warmth. Aurora Village is your best bet for night viewing. During the day, keep outdoor walks brief.
- Logistics: Strollers are useless in deep snow. Bring a baby carrier designed to fit over your parka, or rent a pulk (a small toboggan) to pull them around. Ensure you have high-quality, extreme-weather mittens that actually stay on their hands.
Preschoolers (3-5 years)
- The Vibe: Hands-on and magical.
- Focus On: The ice slide at Aurora Village, watching float planes take off in Old Town, and the novelty of walking on a frozen lake.
- Logistics: This age group gets cold quickly but might not communicate it until they are miserable. Implement a strict "15 minutes out, 15 minutes in" rule during deep winter days. Pack plenty of high-calorie snacks to keep their internal furnaces burning.
School-Age (6-10 years)
- The Vibe: Active exploration and learning.
- Focus On: Ice fishing, sandblasting at Old Town Glassworks, and voyageur canoeing with Narwal Northern Adventures. They are old enough to appreciate the science behind the Northern Lights and the cultural history of the Indigenous peoples.
- Logistics: They can handle longer stretches outside but will need high-quality base layers (merino wool is best) to prevent sweating and freezing.
Tweens and Teens (11-14 years)
- The Vibe: Adventure, photography, and independence.
- Focus On: Mobile aurora hunting with North Star Adventures, float plane tours, and learning to drill their own ice fishing holes. Encourage them to bring a good camera or show them how to adjust the manual settings on their smartphone to capture the aurora.
- Logistics: Let them stay up late. The reversed schedule of winter aurora viewing (sleeping until noon, staying up until 3:00 AM) naturally appeals to the teenage biological clock.
What to Skip: Tourist Traps and Overhyped Spots for Families
Not everything in the Northwest Territories is suited for a family vacation. Here are a few places and experiences you should cross off your family itinerary, and why.
- Ice Road (Tibbitt to Contwoyto Winter Road): You might have seen the reality TV shows, but this is a high-stakes industrial supply route for heavy machinery, not a scenic family drive. The environment is incredibly dangerous, there are strict rules for civilian vehicles, and frankly, there is nothing for kids to do but sit in a car for hours. Stick to the designated, safe ice roads near Yellowknife Bay if you want the experience of driving on water.
- Giant Mine Historic Site: While mining is a massive part of Yellowknife's history, this specific site is currently undergoing a multi-decade environmental remediation project to manage highly toxic arsenic trioxide. It is an industrial hazard zone, not a tourist attraction or a place to bring children.
- Nahanni National Park Reserve: The photos of Virginia Falls are breathtaking, but this UNESCO site is not a casual day trip from Yellowknife. Reaching it requires a 500km chartered float plane flight that can cost well over $1,000 per person. Unless you are planning a dedicated, highly expensive backcountry expedition with older teens, save this for another lifetime.
- The Local Dive Bars: Yellowknife has a famous, gritty bar scene. Places like the Gold Range Hotel (The Bar) (often called the Strange Range) or Harley's Hard Rock Saloon are legendary northern cultural institutions, but they are absolutely adult-oriented, rowdy, and sometimes feature adult entertainment. Do not mistake them for quirky, historic family dining spots.
- Yellowknife Dog Sled Mail Run Re-enactment: This niche historical event sounds charming on paper, but it is notoriously unreliable. It frequently gets cancelled or rescheduled due to unpredictable trail conditions or extreme weather, leaving families standing around in the freezing cold with disappointed kids.
- Yellowknife Bay Floating B&B (Houseboat Accommodation): While looking at the houseboats from afar is great, staying in this particular one with kids is tough. It functions more like a budget hostel on the water, featuring steep, dangerous stairs and a lack of soundproofing that makes traveling with crying toddlers or energetic kids very stressful.
Practical Tips for Surviving (and Thriving) in the Subarctic
Planning a trip to the Northwest Territories requires more logistical forethought than a typical beach vacation. Here is how to keep your family safe, warm, and happy.
Rent Your Winter Gear
Do not spend thousands of dollars outfitting your growing kids in extreme-weather parkas they will outgrow in six months. Several companies in Yellowknife rent "Canada Goose" style parkas, heavy-duty insulated snow pants, Baffin boots rated to -50°C, and extreme-weather mittens. They will deliver the gear directly to your hotel upon arrival.
Manage the Daylight
If you visit in December or January, you will only have a few hours of weak daylight (roughly 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM). Maximize this time for outdoor activities like ice fishing or walking around Old Town. If you visit in June or July, the sun barely sets. Bring travel blackout curtains and heavy-duty binder clips, as hotel curtains rarely do enough to trick a toddler's brain into thinking it is bedtime.
Have an Indoor Backup Plan
When the wind chill drops to dangerous levels, you need indoor escapes. The Northern Arts and Cultural Centre is a fantastic, intimate 297-seat theater that often hosts family-friendly performances, Indigenous storytelling, and music. It is a great way to soak in local culture while completely thawing out.
Pro Tips from Parents for a Smooth Yellowknife Trip
- Protect Your Batteries: Extreme cold saps battery life instantly. Keep your phone and camera batteries in an inside pocket close to your body heat. Bring multiple portable power banks, and attach hand warmers to the back of your phone if you are shooting the aurora.
- Hydrate Relentlessly: The subarctic air is desert-dry. Kids will not feel sweaty because the cold wicks moisture away instantly, but they are losing hydration quickly. Force water breaks, and pack heavy-duty lip balm and thick moisturizers to prevent painfully chapped skin.
- The Hand Warmer Trick: Buy a bulk box of disposable hand and toe warmers before you fly up. Do not put them directly against a child's bare skin. Instead, stick them to the top of their socks (above the toes) before sliding their boots on, and tuck them between the layers of their mittens.
- Embrace the Late Schedule: Do not try to force your kids into their normal 8:00 PM bedtime if you are doing winter aurora tours. Let them sleep in until 11:00 AM, have a late "breakfast," and shift your entire family's internal clock. It makes the 2:00 AM tour returns much more bearable.
Taking your family to the Northwest Territories requires effort, layers, and a sense of adventure, but the payoff is a trip your children will talk about for the rest of their lives. From watching the sky erupt in neon colors to drilling through a frozen lake, the memories you build here are profoundly unique. As you plan your itinerary, rely on the resources in our main Yellowknife city guide to build out your perfect days. With the right gear and a flexible attitude, you will find that the best things to do in yellowknife with kids are the moments of rugged, unfiltered awe that you simply cannot experience anywhere else in the world.