The best time to travel to the Northwest Territories

People travel to the Northwest Territories for a true northern Canadian adventure. Unlike most provinces and territories, this means winter is actually a more popular time to visit than the summer. Winter lasts for seven months in the Northwest Territories, so most of the year is a good time to visit for winter sports such as snowmobiling, dog sledding and driving on ice highways. However, January offers the opportunity to experience a unique festival. After a month of Polar Night and no sunrise, locals gather at the Annual Inuvik Sunrise Festival to celebrate the return of the sun. Expect everything from music and cultural performances to snow yoga and a fireworks show.

The Northwest Territories experiences the northern lights more than 200 times a year, making it another great destination in which to chase the aurora borealis. The northern lights appear anywhere between November and April, but March and April are the recommended months if you want crisp photography; the long, dark nights make it easier to see the aurora. March is an especially exciting time to visit the Northwest Territories for its annual Snowkings Festival: a month of ice carving, ice slides, theatre performances, dancing, and more.

The Northwest Territories is home to one of the largest lakes in the world, Great Bear Lake. Award-winning trout have been caught here, but the lake is frozen for most of the year (usually melting around June–July). If you want to guarantee the ice will be melted for your fishing trip, you will need to visit during late July or August. In August, you will find specials like Family Week (discounts if you bring the family!) or Fly Fishing week (the only time of year you can fish for the world’s largest arctic char).