The Yukon1. Dog sledding
The quintessential northern adventure. Meet a team of eager huskies, learn to work the runners, and glide through silent snowy forest, or ride wrapped in blankets while a guide drives. Muktuk Adventures and Sky High Wilderness Ranch, the latter owned by Kwanlin Dün First Nation, both run trips a short drive from town. Half-day trips need no experience, and it's an experience you'll never forget.
2. Snowshoeing
The simplest way into the winter backcountry. Strap on snowshoes and walk across untracked snow through boreal forest and frozen wetlands. It's quiet, meditative, and needs almost no skill, making it perfect for all ages and abilities. Up North Adventures, based downtown, runs guided half-day snowshoe outings into the hills around Whitehorse, less than 20 minutes from town, if you'd rather have a local point out what you're looking at than go it alone.
3. Ice fishing
Drill through a metre of ice on a frozen lake, drop a line, and wait for lake trout or northern pike in the crisp, clear air. North Country Yukon, led by guide Kyle Callbeck, runs beginner-friendly ice fishing trips with hotel pickup, gear, and know-how included, often with a warm hut and hot drinks along the way.
4. Cross-country skiing and fat biking
Mount McIntyre, right in Whitehorse, offers nearly 100 km of groomed trail for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing, and studded-tire fat bikes let you ride packed snow trails year-round. Both are how locals stay active and sane through the cold months, join them.
5. A hot-spring soak
End any winter day at Eclipse Nordic Hot Springs, where you soak in steaming water while the cold nips your face and frost forms in your hair. On a clear night the aurora may appear overhead, the perfect bridge from day to night.
String a few of these together and you'll discover that Yukon winter isn't something to endure between aurora sightings, it's the main event, morning to night.
Questions, answered
What winter activities need no experience?
Snowshoeing, guided ice fishing, and introductory dog-sledding tours all require no prior experience and suit most ages and abilities.
How cold does it get, and can I still go out?
Winter temperatures often sit well below freezing, but with proper layered clothing you can comfortably enjoy full days outdoors. Many operators loan heavy parkas and boots.
Can I combine daytime activities with aurora viewing?
Absolutely. Many visitors spend days dog-sledding or snowshoeing and nights aurora hunting, and some operators combine a hot-spring soak with a chance to see the lights.
Every stay booked through The Yukon funds one verified tonne of carbon removal — same room, same price, the climate action already built into checkout.
You're not charged more and the hotel isn't paid less. It's just what happens when you tap Reserve.