Last updated on April 13th, 2024 at 10:26 pm

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This blog post goes over the best day trips from Whitehorse to take in the winter. All of them are available as group tours!

I recently took a trip to Whitehorse, Yukon. My goal was to do winter activities, and see beautiful winter landscapes. While the city itself is lovely, my favourite parts of my trip were definitely the day trips I did outside of the city. During the winter months, Whitehorse and the surrounding area turns into a winter wonderland, and there are many amazing activities to partake in. I did not want to rent a car while I was there, so I only did activities that were available as group tours. Read on to see the list I’ve compiled of the best day trips from Whitehorse in the winter!

1. Dog sledding day tour from Whitehorse

Dog sledding is a very popular activity in the Yukon. There are options for half day, full day, or even multi day dog sledding tours from Whitehorse. Some tours allow you to run your own team of sled dogs (no experience necessary!), while some let you ride on a sled with an experienced musher. The tour I did was called the Husky Rush Superlative, and it included a dog sledding tour with a professional musher. The guide also gave us a ton of information about the history of dog sledding, as well as the Yukon Quest. The tour finished with us getting to play with the husky puppies, and roast bison hot dogs on a campfire.

• This tour cost $209, and included pick up from any hotel in downtown Whitehorse. A bit pricey, but in my opinion, completely worth it; it was such a unique and magical winter experience. One of the best day trips from Whitehorse!

2. A day trip to Yukon Wildlife Preserve

Yukon Wildlife Preserve is a must see for animal lovers. This preserve focuses on education and conservation, and is home to many species, including bison, mountain goats, and lynx. Seeing these animals in the snow is truly an enchanting experience. You can walk through the preserve, but in the winter, I would recommend taking the bus tour that runs throughout the day, as it might be a bit cold for walking.

If you have a car, the preserve is a short drive away from Whitehorse.

• They day tour I took to the preserve was operated by Northern Tales, and cost $79, including entrance to the preserve and hotel pickup. There is also an option offered to visit Eclipse Hot Springs after the wildlife preserve. There is also another tour to the wildlife preserve offered by Arctic Range Adventure.

Unfortunately, the hot springs were closed when I visited Whitehorse, so I did not get a chance to visit them. They look lovely though, so you should consider this option if you have time.

3. A guided northern lights viewing tour

The aurora borealis viewing tour I did in Whitehorse was truly a bucket list experience for me. If you have never seen the northern lights, you absolutely must make time to see them while you are in Whitehorse. Although they can sometimes be seen from the city, you have a better chance of spotting them if you go a bit outside of the city, away from the light. I did a nighttime viewing tour, that took us out to a heated cabin a little outside of the city, where we waited for the lights to make an appearance. The tour guide also made us a campfire and some hot chocolate to keep warm while we waited.

• This tour costs $135, and begins around 10 PM. It is also run by Northern Tales. Of course, you aren’t guaranteed to see the lights, but the chances of seeing them in the winter months are pretty high. Another popular tour is this one, offered by Arctic Range Adventures, which will also pick you up in the evening for aurora viewing.

Other Popular Tours

Unfortunately, I didn’t have time to do every day tour from Whitehorse that I wanted to try. Another popular one operated by Northern Tales is an ice fishing and snowshoeing tour. I did not get a chance to try this one, so I can’t speak from experience how it is, but definitely something to consider if you are taking a trip to Whitehorse. Other ones I would love to try is a snowmobiling day tour operated by Yukon Wild, and a half-day snowshoeing tour offered by Arctic Range Adventure.

There are many unique winter activities available as day trips from Whitehorse! I’m already day dreaming about my next trip there so I can try more of them. If you’re planning a trip to Whitehorse, check out my post here, where I outline some tips and recommendations.