Your driver-guide will collect you from your selected Yellowknife accommodation and welcome you into the new white Jeep Wagoneer. Settle into the heated seats beneath the panoramic sunroofs as you leave the city lights behind. Your guide checks aurora forecasts, weather reports and cloud-cover maps before departure, but northern conditions can change quickly. The evening’s route remains flexible so you can follow the sky and make the most of the night.

The Yellowknife River is one of our possible viewing stops along the Ingraham Trail. Its dark surroundings and open views across the water—or frozen landscape during winter—make it a beautiful place to watch the northern sky. Step outside to look for the aurora, admire the stars and listen to the surrounding wilderness. Your guide may share stories about the river, the landscape, northern wildlife and life in the Northwest Territories. Photography assistance and hot chocolate are available during the stop.

Surrounded by boreal forest, Madeline Lake offers a quiet and peaceful setting away from Yellowknife’s city lights. Depending on conditions, your guide may stop here to check the sky, look for breaks in the clouds and give the group time to enjoy the northern wilderness. While waiting, learn about the Northern Lights, the animals that inhabit the area and the ways people experience life on the land. Wildlife sightings are never guaranteed, but foxes and lynx may occasionally be seen, and wolves can sometimes be heard in the distance.

Pontoon Lake offers broad views of the night sky and space for stargazing and photography. If the conditions are promising, your guide will find a safe place to stop and give everyone time to step outside and watch the sky. Your guide can help with basic phone or camera settings, provide a tripod upon advance request and take photographs using your device or the tour’s Sony camera. Warm up afterward in the Wagoneer with hot chocolate, maple cookies and chips.

Prelude Lake is one of the most scenic possible destinations along the Ingraham Trail. Its expansive landscape and distance from city light pollution can provide clear, unobstructed views of the stars and aurora. Even when the Northern Lights are quiet, Prelude Lake offers a memorable nighttime excursion into the northern wilderness. Enjoy stories and interpretation about the land, aurora, wildlife and local culture before continuing the hunt beneath the Wagoneer’s panoramic sunroofs.

When the officially maintained Dettah Ice Road is open and conditions are suitable, the tour may travel onto Great Slave Lake. The frozen lake offers an extraordinary winter landscape with expansive views of the sky and very little surrounding light. Step outside for stargazing, aurora viewing and photographs on one of the world’s largest lakes. Your guide will share information about the ice road, Great Slave Lake and winter life in Yellowknife. The Dettah Ice Road is a seasonal alternative route and is not guaranteed on every departure.

After the evening’s adventure, relax in the heated Wagoneer as your guide returns you to your Yellowknife accommodation. Enjoy music through the vehicle’s sound system, continue watching the sky through the panoramic roof and talk about the night’s experience.