Aurora Village — Local services in Yellowknife

I did the 3 night aurora viewing tour with winter rentals between Feb 28-Mar 1 (leap year). Contacted them directly, and they were able to answer all of my questions. You have to fill out a form with all your details (dates, flight number, hotel, clothing size, etc) to book, but it makes sense when you consider how amazingly organized and punctual they were. I went to the head office to pick up my clothes, and the man who answered the door knew my name. He let me try it on before I headed out.

The first night, my group had Cristiano (Chris) as our tour guide. His enthusiasm and passion about the aurora really lifted up the group. He takes photography very seriously and helped everyone with their settings to ensure they could get their best shot. I ended up hanging around him quite a bit as a solo traveler. He participated in the ice show which is a little experiment to show how quickly everything freezes. They have this in different languages each night. The first night wasn't that great as it was cloudy. The lights were out, but you couldn't really see anything.

Second night, we had Cecile, very sweet lady. The sky was amazingly clear, and we were told it should be a great night because of a sun storm. The lights came in levels. Started with a vague sweep of white. Then a bit later, more visible above the lake, but still, not much. Got much stronger a bit later. But just when we thought we got to see it all, the full show came out later. The whole sky lit up, it was bright and colourful, and it was moving so quickly. It really is a spectacular site that everyone should see. Pictures doesn't do it justice.

Third night, cloudy with lots of snow, so no luck.

If you decide to come, please get at least 3 nights. There are many 1 or 2 day travelers who don't see anything. The more nights, the better chances. They can't control the weather, they can only hope for the best. The tour guides truly want you to see and experience it. Also, if you don't have rentals, please dress as warm as you could. I was wearing gloves and mittens, and my hands still got cold after a few minutes. Also, if you can figure out a way to wear a face mask and avoid your glasses from fogging, please do. You will feel ice crystals forming in your nose after 15 seconds on the coldest days, but if you wear something over your nose, your glasses will fog and freeze. You will not be able to see anything even if you try to wipe it.

Anywho, I would certainly recommend Aurora Village. It's great that they pick you up and take you out of the city. The staff are friendly and passionate, and the teepees are big and warm.

In response to another person's reply, yes there are a lot of up-sales. I was a smidge disappointed as well, as I thought pictures were included. If you want a professional picture, want to stay past 1pm, want heated seats, or want souvenirs, you would have to pay more. I didn't buy anything else during my tour, but still had a great time. I came just to see the lights, and I'm happy I got to see it at least once...

We went to the Aurora Village for a long due family trip and it was a great experience. For a place as unique and niche as Yellowknife, you really do need a knowledgeable guide to make the most of it! The staff at Aurora village were very friendly and approachable - I loved the homey feel of the place! We booked multiple Yellowknife experiences at a variety of companies and I would say that I enjoyed the ones at Aurora village a lot. A nice centralized and organized experience is key to making the most of the short amount of daylight up in the north. In contrast to going Aurora hunting, being able to rest in a heated teepee was as comfortable of an experience as you can get if you want to see this amazing natural phenomenon! Having so many people on the lookout for the lights means you won’t miss a thing. As well, huddling around the fire with snacks and tea always available makes for great family time. In terms of dog sledding, we tried both Beck’s kennels and Aurora village. I found that with Beck’s kennels, we never really were told what we were doing and were just sort of herded from place to place with minimal information and a lot of confusion. At Aurora village, there were more facilities and many things to do aside from the dog sledding experience. Although there was less dog interaction I found, the dog sledding ride was far superior. The scenery was diverse and not just an empty lake! We had half the riders in our sled than we did at Beck’s kennels which meant we didn’t have to get out when going up hills (due to the slide being too heavy). All in all, it is worth it to pay the extra $$ considering that going to Aurora village is an array of activities with a...

I can’t give it a 0 so I’m giving it a 1. It truly is a tourist trap. We booked a 1 night Aurora tour which we had to walk to the pick up point (in -30) as they would not stray from their schedule. We were put onto a freezing cold bus with broken windows and cold floors. Once at the village, the workers insinuated that we wouldnt even see the lights that night after taking our money and taking us out into the middle of nowhere with no way home. We went into our tipi which hosts about 16 people each with a small fire. The door is constantly open and therefore, it was never warm. We went to the dining hall for some warmth and were disappointed with no food or drinks unless paid (excluding maple tea?). Pringles and noodle cups aren’t food and shouldn’t be $5. We then were invited to the ice show which is a “secret”. Let me tell you, if you understand how things freeze when it’s cold, don’t bother. They showed us frozen underwear and ramen? Can’t believe we spend $150 CAN to watch that. We then napped in a room due to the snow storm outside and waited to freeze on the bus home which would not leave earlier than 12:50. A waste of a night, a waste of money and really destroyed our first night in Yellowknife. Hire a car and drive the easily accessible roads yourself that are highly populated. That’s when we finally saw the Aurora. When asked the next day if we could get a discount for an extra night, they said no. It’s a money grab and they are constantly...