No, the winter rental clothing is an optional paid addition to your package. Please visit our Rental Clothing page for more information.
The minimum age to enter the Eclipse Nordic Hot Springs is 19 years, with no exceptions. They can attend the Wildlife Preserve tour however, they must come back with an adult to the hotel, or if they are older than 16 years, they can come back on the bus to the hotel with their parents’ permission.
Yes, you can book the tour of your interest on site, directly on our website or with one of our tour guides as long as we have availability for the date and tour you are interested in.
The colours of the aurora are determined by the composition of gases in the Earth's atmosphere, the altitude at which the aurora occurs, the density of the atmosphere, and the level of energy involved.
Green, the most common colour seen from the ground, is produced when charged particles collide with oxygen at lower altitudes (around 100-300 km). Occasionally, the lower edge of an aurora will have a pink or crimson fringe, which is produced by nitrogen molecules (around 100 km).
Higher in the atmosphere (300-400 km), collisions with atomic oxygen produce reds instead of greens. Since the atmosphere is less dense at higher altitudes, it takes more energy and more time to produce red light (up to two minutes), whereas green light can be made quickly at lower altitudes (about one second).
Hydrogen and helium can also produce blue and purple, but those colours tend to be difficult for our eyes to see against the night sky.
The minimum age to participate in the Aurora Viewing is 3 years (accompanied by a parent).
While most of our tours have always more participants joining, some tours require a minimum of 2 or more people to run. It’s very unlikely that a tour doesn’t reach the minimum participants, but in case it happens we will let you know in advance and offer an alternative tour if available.
The newest hotel in town is the Hyatt Place Whitehorse, but we can also offer other highly rated options, such as Raven Inn or Edgewater Hotel.
We will drive our bus inside the Wildlife Preserve loop and you will be hoping on and off the bus in each animal's habitats.
Anywhere from 10 minutes to all night long, depending on the magnitude of the incoming solar wind. "Coronal holes" consistently produce nice auroras but big solar flares and CMEs-coronal mass ejections are responsible for global-wide aurora displays…the BIG shows!
The main difference is the temperature they withstand. The Northern Lights Package is suitable for temperatures down to -15°C (5°F), whilst the Arctic Winter Package can support protection to -40°C (40°F). Please note that the winter gear we provide is meant to be worn as the third layer on top of your own base and mid layers.
Basically, it is very difficult to take night photos with a cellphone. To capture the Northern lights you will need to position your camera on a tripod to make sure you don't have any motion while you take a photo. We recommend to bring a camera which has a manual mode, which most medium-priced cameras have nowadays.
No! It is a myth that the northern lights happen only when it's cold. They happen year-round and since there is more darkness to see them in the winter people associate the cold winter with the auroras. August and September is a great time to see the Aurora while wearing a T-shirt and shorts!
We like moonlight because it lights up the foreground and makes the sky a deep blue instead of pitch black like with no moon. We watch the lunar phase very carefully to allow for best light compositions for photography.
Sorry, no pets are allowed on any of our tours.
You can pay directly on our website, or you can contact us via phone or email, so we can complete a payment and confirm your reservation.
Flights are not included in the price of the package. Participants can arrive to Whitehorse on their own. Our services begin with the airport pick-up or orientation the next day if you have a late arrival.
Statistically, springtime (March/April) and autumn (September/October) contain the most "geomagnetically disturbed days" which means more aurora activity...although you're bound to see the lights in October, November, December, January and February if you spend enough time looking up.
In Yukon, it's dark enough to see the northern lights from about August-through-April. During May, June & July it's just too bright in to see them in the "Land of the Midnight Sun."
Yes, the main hotels are located in downtown, with a wide variety of restaurants, cafes and diners close by.
We typically publish our tours 1-1.5 years in advance which makes is convenient for our guest to book well in advance to avoid disappointment. If you can’t find the information you are looking for on our website, please contact us.
Most hotels only allow 4 people in a two-bed room. Special requests must be confirmed with the hotel first.
While the hotels do have wheelchair accessible rooms, kindly know that usually our tours and locations visited are not wheelchair accessible. Our vehicles do not have a ramp. The family or couple of the person with low/no mobility must be able to assist the person all the time and carry the device, as well as to help the person go off and on the bus, which has 2-3 steps.
While we do not charge for having the wheelchair in our buses, the participant's companion must be able to carry the device and help the person with limited mobility at all times.
It is not mandatory, but we recommend it. December to April, the temperature drop to around -20 to -25℃, so our winter gear helps you to enjoy any tour comfortably and safe. We strongly recommend to wear our rental winter gear during snow shoeing, ice fishing, and Aurora Viewing tours.
No meals are included on our packages or tours; however, our guides and office staff will always be able to recommend the best options in town for you.
You can check our cancellation policies here .
No, the regular price per person is based on 2 people per snowmobile (guest can take turns driving and both have the right to drive, as long as they have a valid driver license).
Sorry, we do not pick-up from AirBnBs or private houses outside Whitehorse area, we only provide pick-up in select hotels in Downtown Whitehorse (Sternwheeler Hotel, Raven Inn, Hyatt Place, Best Western Gold Rush Inn, Edgewater Hotel, Quality Inn).
It is highly recommended to have the right gear to avoid any cold related discomfort, issues or injuries and to enjoy your tours with enough protection from the cold weather and snow. If you have your own gear, make sure it is suitable for at least -15°C and you have enough layers to protect yourself. If you are not sure, you can contact us and send pictures of your equipment.
Air Canada and Air North have several daily flights to/from Whitehorse. The best is the one that suits to your budget, route and connection time if needed.
The Aurora Viewing tours at the AuroraCentre are shared with other participants. We have the option to personalize your experience with a private yurt available as a upgrade; however, the bus ride and the facilities are shared.
By participating on the tour, you acknowledge that viewing the Aurora Borealis is a natural phenomenon and there is a possibility you do not see the Aurora Borealis. We don’t offer a refund, compensation or re-booking if you do not see them.
Many restaurants serve local food like Arctic Char which comes from the arctic area. Also, meats like bison and reindeer are served as part of traditional meals. In the very far north you can also expect to taste traditional indigenous meals.
Yes, you can book any of our tours or packages as a solo traveler. For multi-day packages, you must cover the solo traveler fee.
For starters set the camera on a tripod, adjust the ISO setting up to 800 or 1600, set the f-stop wide open (lowest number like f2.8) and start bracketing the exposure times. Try 5 seconds, 10 seconds and 20 seconds. If the picture is still black and underexposed then try 30 seconds and keep raising the ISO until something shows up on your LCD monitor.
Yes, if you booked a multi-day package, we can transport you from the Aurora Viewing Centre to the airport directly after the last Aurora Viewing tour. We offer this option on a regular base and none of our guest have missed a flight yet. The Whitehorse airport is small and typically it doesn’t long to check-in and go through security.
The animals have a big enclosure to move freely, and they decide if they approach to the buses and visitors or not. We do not force interactions, taking care of the animal and sticking to the rules of the wildlife preserve. Usually, the animals are close to the feeding stations or the fence, and we can photograph and observe up close, but we respect when they want their space.
No, tips are not mandatory, but the guides will appreciate your support. It tells them they are doing a great job, and you appreciated the tour.
Our package prices already have a bundle price, and it is the best price we offer. Our prices are set and we do not offer additional discounts. We do not offer discounts based on the number of people, but we can offer an discount based on the number of individual tours booked - conditions apply.
Please contact our reservation team about our great pre and post tour accommodation rates – exclusively for our guests. We also offer our Aurora Viewing packages starting from 2 to 7 days and a great selection of addon tours to make your vacation with us even more complete.
No, due to the different dietary restrictions and allergies, we do not offer breakfast on our packages. We invite you to enjoy the variety of restaurants and cafes in downtown, including vegetarian and vegan options.
You can arrange your most convenient flight route, usually having connection in Vancouver or Calgary and from there fly to Whitehorse. The closest airport is Vancouver International Airport, which has connections with major hubs around the world. From Vancouver, you can take a direct fly with Air Canada, AirNorth or WestJet.
No, they cannot stay in any of the Eclipse Nordic Hot Springs facilities.
No, for safety reasons, we are not able to pair individual travellers on the same room. If you are a solo traveler, you need to book an individual hotel room and you must cover the solo fee.
In northern regions like the Yukon, the best time to view the aurora is from late August to mid-April. During the summer months the night skies are not dark enough to see the aurora borealis even at times when the solar wind activity is strong. In midwinter the temperatures may fall to the minus 40 degree range and it is important to wear appropriate winter clothing (please see “winter clothing packages”) to enjoy the displays.
To see aurora you need clear and dark sky. During very large auroral events, the aurora may be seen throughout the US and Europe, but these events are rare. During an extreme event in 1958, aurora was reported to be seen from Mexico City. During average activity levels, auroral displays will be overhead at high northern or southern latitudes. Places like Whitehorse, Yukon; Yellowknife, NWT; Gillam, Manitoba; the southern tip of Greenland; Reykjavik, Iceland; Tromsø, Norway; and the northern coast of Siberia all offer a good chance to view the aurora overhead. In North Dakota, Michigan, Quebec, and central Scandinavia, you might be able to see aurora on the northern horizon when activity picks up a little. In the southern hemisphere the aurora has to be fairly active before it can be seen from places other than Antarctica. Hobart, Tasmania, and the southern tip of New Zealand have about the same chance of seeing aurora as Vancouver, BC, South Dakota, Michigan, Scotland, or St. Petersburg. Fairly strong auroral activity is required for aurora viewing in those locations.
The best time to watch for aurora is around midnight, but aurora occurs throughout the night. There are very few places on Earth where one can see aurora during the day.
Since clear sky and darkness are essential to see aurora, the best time is dictated by the weather, and by the sunrise and sunset times. The moon is also very bright, and should be taken into account when deciding on a period to travel for the purpose of auroral observation. You might see aurora from dusk to dawn throughout the night. The chances are higher for the three or four hours around midnight.
If you are planing to join the Aurora Viewing Tour, we recommend to arrive at the Whitehorse Airport before 8pm, then you have enough time to prepare for the tour.
Aurora is a luminous glow of the upper atmosphere caused by energetic particles entering the atmosphere from above.
This definition differentiates aurora from other forms of airglow, and from sky brightness that is due to reflected or scattered sunlight. Airglow features that have "internal" energy sources are more common than aurora. For example, lightening and all associated optical emissions like sprites should not be considered aurora.
On Earth, the energetic particles that make aurora come from the geospace environment, the magnetosphere. These energetic particles are mostly electrons, but protons also make aurora. The electrons travel along magnetic field lines. The Earth's magnetic field looks like that of a dipole magnet where the field lines are coming out and going into the Earth near the poles. The auroral electrons are thus guided to the high latitude atmosphere near each pole. As the electrons penetrate into the upper atmosphere, the chance of colliding with an atom or molecule increases the deeper they go. Once a collision takes place, the atom or molecule takes some of the energy of the energetic particle and stores it as internal energy while the electron goes on at a reduced speed. The process of storing energy in a molecule or atom is called "exciting" the atom. An excited atom or molecule can return to the non-excited state (ground state) by sending off or emitting a photon, i.e. by making light.
Typically, the included hotel in the package price is the Sternwheeler Hotel. However, you can personalize your stay on the hotel of your preference. We offer stays at Hyatt Place Whitehorse, Raven Inn, Edgewater Hotel, Best Western Gold Rush Inn, Quality Inn.
For security reasons, the guide must have their own snowmobiling and cannot take any passenger with them. We do not have assigned guides/drivers for the participants. If you can't or do not want to drive a snowmobile, other member of the group must be the driver for you.
It’s possible to see the Northern Lights through a few scattered clouds, but if there are too many, the view might be blocked completely.
The AuroraCentre is located perfectly in the most 'dry' region of the Yukon which results in less cloud coverage then any other location. Typically we only see 1-3% completely cloudy night sky at the AuroraCentre throughout the year.
Even if the sky is cloudy, rainy or if snow is falling during the day we will always start our Aurora Viewing tour as scheduled to ensure our guest don't miss an opportunity to see the Aurora Borealis when the clouds break (which they most often do!). Typically the weather changes around midnight in the Yukon and even a cloudy evening can turn into a clear night.
The Aurora Borealis is a natural phenomenon and relies on the level of aurora activity and weather conditions. We provide one of the best locations to enjoy the Aurora Borealis with the comfort of heated a cabin, yurts and teepees, with the company of knowledgeable tour guides.
Since the level of aurora activity and weather conditions is out of our control, unfortunately, we can't offer refunds or re-bookings.
The pictures our tour guides take during each tour are available for purchase on our Online Shop. Please sign up on our Online Shop to view and purchase those photos - https://shop.arcticrange.com
We do not offer any rental cameras, but we offer a photo service and rental tripod. If you do not want to bring big camera, our Aurora guides will take your photo with northern lights and you can choose to purchase it if you like it.
Yes, we have a multi-lingual team and we offer tours in different languages, including English, Japanese and Spanish. Other languages are available upon request and confirmation.
During the tour, our guides will take photos using professional cameras. These photos will be available for purchase in our online shop shortly after the tour and will remain available for four weeks following the tour.
In the past, when our clients manifest having mobility issues, they are usually able to walk the required distances from the bus to the locations with the help of their family or companion.
Yes, if you booked a complete package, we are able to transport you from the Aurora Viewing Centre to the airport directly after the last Aurora Viewing tour. If you only booked a single night tour, you must cover a transportation fee.
Our regular pick-up services are only available until 9:00 pm. We offer a late pick-up service for an additional fee depending on availability. Please, ask us for the late-pick up options and prices.
To answer this, we start with the sun whose energy production is far from even and fluctuates on an 11 year cycle. Maximum production coincides with high sunspot activity when processes on the sun’s surface throw particles far out in space. These particles are called the solar wind and cause the northern lights.
The sun’s surface temperature is approximately 6,000°C, much cooler than the interior which is several million degrees. In the sun’s atmosphere or corona, the temperature rises again to several million degrees. At such temperatures, collisions between gas particles can be so violent that atoms disintegrate into electrons and nuclei. What was once hydrogen becomes a gas of free electrons and protons called plasma. This plasma escapes from the sun’s corona through a hole in the sun’s magnetic field. As they escape, they are thrown out by the rotation of the sun in an ever widening spiral – the so-called garden-hose effect.
After 2-5 days’ travel trough space, the plasma reaches the earth’s magnetic field compressing it on the daylight side of the earth, and stretches it into a “tail” on the night side. A few of the particles penetrate down to the earth along the lines of magnetic field in the polar areas. Most, however, are forced around the earth by the magnetic field and enter the “tail” which stretches out into a long cylinder. Its diameter is equivalent to 30-60 times the earth’s radius, and its length up to 1000 times the same radius. It is, in effect, as if the earth’s magnetic field creates a tunnel in the plasma current from the solar wind. Inside one end is the earth, and around its surface the earth’s magnetism and the solar wind interact. The magnetic tail is divided into two by a sheet of plasma. The magnetic field lines from the earth’s north and south pole stretch out in their respective halves such that the fields are in opposition. The electrons and protons in each half of the plasma rotate in opposite direction forming a huge “dynamo” with the positive pole on the side of the plasma sheet facing dawn and the negative pole facing evening. The “dynamo” is driven by the current of charged particles between the two poles.
When the northern lights break out the following happens. The solar wind strengthens and the magnetic tail becomes unstable. Charged particles dive inwards towards the center of the tail and cause it to increase in length and to taper. The particles draw the magnetic field lines toward the center where they meet causing a magnetic “short-circuit” approximately 15 times the earth’s radius above the earth on the night side. This occurs especially at the “dynamo’s” two poles where a large amount of energy becomes stored. The magnetic field lines from both sides of the plasma layer now act as conductors in the “dynamo’s” outer circuit.
Sorry, we do not pick-up from AirBnBs or private houses. We only provide pick-up in select hotels in Downtown Whitehorse (Sternwheeler Hotel, Raven Inn, Hyatt Place, Best Western Gold Rush Inn, Edgewater Hotel, Quality Inn).
