Canada
Whitehorse is the Yukon's capital and its front door to the north: a small river city of about 28,000 people, set in a valley of the Yukon River beneath spruce-covered hills, where the aurora dances above the rooftops on clear nights from late summer to spring.
This guide books Whitehorse the way the seasons allow it. In winter that means a late-night northern lights tour with a photographer guide, a half-day at the Yukon Wildlife Preserve with its muskox, bison and lynx, a soak at the Eclipse Nordic Hot Springs on the site of the old Takhini Hot Springs, a husky-team dog sledding trip, and day trips to Carcross, Emerald Lake and the edge of Kluane National Park. It pairs them with the free walk to Miles Canyon and its suspension bridge, the S.S. Klondike riverfront, and the Gold Rush and ice-age stories at the MacBride Museum and the Beringia Centre. Many Yukon sights are summer-only, so every page says plainly what changes with the season. Then it matches you with seven hotels, from a modern Main Street base and a small boutique inn to budget stays near the airport.
Northern Lights Viewing from Whitehorse
Whitehorse sits under the auroral oval, and from late summer into spring a guided night out is the reason many visitors come. Tours collect you from a downtown hotel, drive out of the city glow and stay out for hours with warm drinks, a fire and a guide who photographs the sky for you.
Yukon Wildlife Preserve
A large, naturalistic reserve a short drive from town where northern animals such as muskox, bison, lynx, caribou and moose live in big habitats. It is open daily all winter with bus tours at midday and mid-afternoon, and it is one of the best cold-weather family outings in the Yukon.
Eclipse Nordic Hot Springs (Takhini)
A Nordic-style spa built on the site of the historic Takhini Hot Springs, about 25 minutes from downtown. Open daily for adults only, with outdoor pools designed for sub-zero air, saunas and steam rooms, it is the best way to warm up after a winter day.
Carcross and Emerald Lake Day Trip
A scenic day out south of Whitehorse to turquoise Emerald Lake, the sandy dunes of the Carcross Desert and the small lakeside community of Carcross. Come for the landscapes, and know that the village shops and visitor centre are mostly closed for the winter.
Hand-picked: every experience here has strong traveler reviews and a verified booking link.
Whitehorse sits under the auroral oval, and from late summer into spring a guided night out is the reason many visitors come. Tours collect you from a downtown hotel, drive out of the city glow and stay out for hours with warm drinks, a fire and a guide who photographs the sky for you.
A large, naturalistic reserve a short drive from town where northern animals such as muskox, bison, lynx, caribou and moose live in big habitats. It is open daily all winter with bus tours at midday and mid-afternoon, and it is one of the best cold-weather family outings in the Yukon.
A Nordic-style spa built on the site of the historic Takhini Hot Springs, about 25 minutes from downtown. Open daily for adults only, with outdoor pools designed for sub-zero air, saunas and steam rooms, it is the best way to warm up after a winter day.
A scenic day out south of Whitehorse to turquoise Emerald Lake, the sandy dunes of the Carcross Desert and the small lakeside community of Carcross. Come for the landscapes, and know that the village shops and visitor centre are mostly closed for the winter.
A long, rewarding day west along the Alaska Highway to Haines Junction and the edge of Kluane National Park, with Canada's biggest mountains on the horizon. It is a full day with hotel pickup, lunch at the Village Bakery and a short hike, and it runs in the cold season as well as summer.
FreeA basalt gorge on the Yukon River just outside Whitehorse, crossed by an 85-foot suspension bridge and laced with trails. It is free, open in every season, and the easiest way to feel the Gold Rush landscape. In winter the north-side access road is the one to use.
The big white sternwheeler that once carried freight on the Yukon River sits on the Whitehorse waterfront. While a long-term rehabilitation is under way, the boat and its buildings are closed, but the grounds are open, so you can still see the vessel from outside and walk the river.
Whitehorse's main museum covers the Klondike Gold Rush, First Nations history, the North-West Mounted Police and Yukon wildlife. It is open all year and, in winter, Tuesday to Saturday, which makes it the best rainy- or freezing-day anchor downtown.
A small, engrossing museum about the ice-age landscape of Beringia, where mammoths and giant beavers roamed and people first crossed into North America. It has winter hours on Saturday, Sunday and Monday afternoons only, so plan the day carefully.
Winter in the Yukon is dog sledding country, and a half-day trip with Sky High Wilderness Ranch, about 30 minutes from downtown, puts you behind your own husky team for around two hours on the trail. It runs with snow, so confirm the season start.
A long, scenic day south over the mountains and across the border to Skagway, Alaska, the Gold Rush port where thousands of stampeders landed on their way to the Klondike. A guide handles the driving and the commentary, and you bring a passport.
A two-day Yukon winter experience that combines time with a team of sled dogs and nights under the aurora. It is the longest and most immersive way to pair the two big winter themes, and its 5.0 rating from 29 reviews is the strongest among the multi-day options.
Hotels we would book ourselves, from splurges to good-value bases.
Downtown Main Street
A modern big-brand hotel on Main Street, with contemporary rooms, local Indigenous art, on-site dining and a complimentary airport shuttle. The top pick for travellers who want contemporary comfort in the middle of downtown and an easy base for aurora and winter tours.
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$$$Downtown Waterfront
A 33-room boutique hotel at the corner of Main Street and the Yukon River, with roots going back to the Klondike Gold Rush and consistently superb guest scores. Walk to the museum, the riverfront and the visitor centre in minutes.
Check rates →Downtown (Wood Street)
A large downtown hotel one block from the Yukon River, long known as the Westmark, with 181 rooms, studio suites with kitchenettes, a free airport shuttle and an on-site restaurant. Several winter tours collect guests from its lobby, which makes it a handy base.
Check rates →Downtown Main Street
A familiar, good-value downtown hotel at 411 Main Street with 99 rooms, a free airport shuttle, free parking and the Gold Pan Saloon on site. Rooms range from standard queens to kitchenette suites, and the museum is a five-minute walk.
Check rates →Second Avenue near the airport
The budget pick, a 99-room hotel on Second Avenue near the airport and the Shipyards Park riverfront, with free parking including RV and bus spaces, a restaurant and a gym. Downtown is a short drive or walk, and rates are usually the lowest of the five.
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$$Business district, 4th Avenue
A 99-room, three-star inn on 4th Avenue with an on-site smokehouse restaurant, free parking for cars, RVs and buses, a guest airport shuttle and a short walk to the Kwanlin Dun Cultural Centre. A practical, well-equipped base about five minutes from the airport.
Check rates →Alaska Highway near the airport
A two-star hotel on the Alaska Highway beside the airport, with mountain views, free parking, free Wi-Fi and free toiletries. It is a convenient and budget-minded base for early flights, late arrivals and drivers, and it sits near the Beringia Centre.
Check rates →Plan your first trip to Whitehorse: which tours to book ahead, how to get around, how many days you need and which sights are closed or on winter hours in the cold months.
Choose the right Whitehorse base: downtown Main Street and Wood Street hotels for walking, the airport side for budget and parking, with tips on shuttles, tour pickups and winter nights.
A three-day Whitehorse itinerary with a winter version built around the aurora, wildlife and hot springs and a summer version built around the river, trails and day trips.
When to visit Whitehorse for the northern lights, the midnight-sun summer, fall colour or quiet shoulder months, with plain notes on what is open and what is closed in each season.
The best day trips from Whitehorse compared: Carcross and Emerald Lake, Kluane National Park, Skagway in Alaska, the Wildlife Preserve and hot springs, and nearby options such as Mount Sima.
How to enjoy Whitehorse without overspending: free trails, viewpoints and sights, low-fee museums and tastings, and where to splurge on the one or two experiences that matter.
