I love being a regular contributor to Los Angeles Times’ travel studios… Enjoy my latest article about my aurora-chasing adventures in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories!

Read my latest article on LA Times Travel ETA here.

Sancho and I found warmth north of 60 in Canada’s friendly aurora borealis capital – did you know it’s one of the world’s best places to see the northern lights?

Read on for our travel guide to Yellowknife, Northwest Territories: Canada’s Aurora Capital.

I had never been up north to any of the three Canadian territories. Sancho and I went in mid-Sept this year, as this is prime time for the aurora to shine (while not being too cold). Behind me is Great Slave Lake, in Yellowknife (NWT’s capital).

I kept warm in my cozy black alpaca coat by Tati Furs, a Greek designer specializing in handmade luxury since 1972. My alpaca fur bomber jacket is beautifully made – the animals are just sheared and their soft wool is traditionally used for winter clothing. (And it’s free of microplastics — as you know, I’m doing my best to focus on plastic-free fashion now.)

When you land at YZF Yellowknife Airport, you’re greeted by a taxidermy polar bear and the aurora borealis in the back… What an adventure! Yellowknife is only a 2.5 hr flight from Vancouver, and a few hours direct from many other Canadian cities.

My outfit is giving Jamiroquai… the rainbow cyber pants and tank are Cyberdog, and the cotton pentagram brim hat is Rick Owens.

Living for my flamoyant black alpaca coat from Tati Furs, a small atelier in Kastoria, Greece — the historic European fur capital — making designs in the traditional way since 1972.

Closeup on my Miffy socks – they’re from the MuseArta art museum collection, inspired by Monet, Mondrian, Hokusai and more! I’ve been living in these Reebok platform Club C sneakers – they give you some height, but are comfortable enough for walking around all day.

We walked up the stairs to the rocky viewpoint at Bush Pilot’s Monument. My Tati Furs alpaca outerwear kept me protected from the wind (find them on @tati.furs IG too.)

Bush Pilots Monument honors the brave early 20th-century pilots who helped settle Canada’s subarctic.

How lovely is this view of the colorful Yellowknife Old Town and Great Slave Lake?

I’d love to come back in snowy weather for activities like dog sledding, snowmobiling, and the March Snowkings Festival with a giant ice castle and snow sculptures!

I’m an ongoing travel writer for LA Times’ travel studios now – see my Yellowknife article here. “Most People Have Never Heard Of Yellowknife. It’s One Of The World’s Best Places To See The Northern Lights.”

And boy, is it ever! Sancho and I joined Bucket List Tour’s nighttime tour to see the dancing northern skies for the first time, from the comfort of their Cozy Cabin.

Tracy and her friendly team picked us up from our hotel and welcomed us to their warm, rustic cabin just outside Yellowknife.

Team member Paras Honii helped us take photos of and with the northern lights – this is one of his shots from another evening.

We ate fresh fish chowder and baked bannock bread (couldn’t resist a second serving), and chatted with other guests as we kept our eyes out for the aurora borealis.

I wrote in LA Times: As soon as Sancho and I saw the northern lights glimmer on AuroraMax’s live feed, we hurried outside to look for ourselves.

The staff helped us take Instagram-worthy photos beneath the glowing green skies dotted with bright stars. (See more on my IG @lacarmina)

Wearing a Uniqlo Canada baseball style shirt, and my big barrel denim from Killer 007 store in Taipei, Taiwan (Y2K style boutique).

Tracy Therrien is the friendly owner of Bucket List Tour who has lived in the Northwest Territories since 1988. She built the rustic cabin as a space for guests to connect and get immersed in local traditions in case the aurora was fickle that night.

But she came out for us! Incredible to see her dancing in the skies – the constellations shone bright, and we also saw shooting stars.

Here’s where Yellowknife is located. The Northwest Territories are above Alberta and Saskatchewan, and YK is around the same latitude as Reykjavik, Iceland.

If you come, join one of Bucket List Tour‘s activities, like a city tour, waterfall hike, or nighttime aurora watching from the cozy cabin (around 9:30pm to 2am).

The cabin contains vintage fur coats and hats for guests to wear, but I had my own fab Tati Furs sheared alpaca jacket!

The next night, we joined a viewing with the Indigenous-owned and family-run North of 60 Aurora Adventures.

Their shuttle took us to a space-like Skydome with a wood-burning fireplace, which warmed the room and heated up a kettle for hot chocolate and tea served with trays of snacks.

My feet were toasty thanks to Tati Furs’ leather sheepskin slippers! 100% sheepskin wool moccasins, beautifully made by hand.

Our small group ventured out to the veranda when we heard the resident sled dogs yelp, signaling that the northern lights were about to shimmer. I alternated between snapping photos and tracking the rippling glow with my naked eye, marveling at nature’s ability to put on such a spectacular show. (Shot with Sony A7 iv)

In between, we bundled up and hung out in the intergalactic Skydome.

North of 60 Aurora Adventures takes great care of their sled dogs. They also offer dog sledding, axe throwing, and Dene culture experiences.

And they have three skydomes for viewings and activities.

Please take a moment to read all my LA Times travel studios articles so far, including my Yellowknife guide.

A Jim Jones outfit for exploring Yellowknife… Tracksuit and sneakers Reebok Canada, sunglasses unisex aviators by Uniqlo Canada, and Miffy x Mondrian artist / museum socks by MuseArta.
My Miffy travel backpack is from Miffy Shop / Pelham Luggage (it’s my go-to carryon bag for traveling now).

Most of Yellowknife’s attractions are within a 15 min walk from Old Town, where we stayed.

We joined a free tour of the Legislative Assembly to learn about the Northwest Territories’ consensus-style government.

Our guide took us into a circular Chamber decorated with a growling polar bear rug, where elected representatives meet and debate in English, French and nine Indigenous languages.

Our favorite meal was the pan-fried and grilled fish at Bullocks Bistro – a must visit for a taste of local food. The quirky log building serves the catch of the day from Yellowknife’s Great Slave Lake.

We had lake trout and whitefish, but you might get pickerel, Arctic char or inconnu (coney), depending on the season – with salad, fries, and special sauce.

Left our mark on the wall at Bullocks Bistro! If you come, see if you can find La Carmina.

Yellowknife’s residents are so chill and genuinely friendly. There’s a strong social  / community scene here.

We were also fans of Wildcat Cafe (open from late spring to early fall), which makes homestyle dishes like hunter’s pie with locally sourced bison and trout, paired with cocktails infused with birch.

Didn’t go clubbing in Yellowknife… but behold the hottest nightclub, The Raven!

Sancho and I spent time in the free museum, Prince of Wales Heritage Centre, which has displays about life up north. The Indigenous embroidery and art are magnificent.

How fab are these toasty polar bear pants? The boots, bags and more are all made from animal skins and fur – no microplastics needed to stay warm and dry.

Um… what’s the deal with the Ragged Ass everything here…

Why is the bear holding up “Ragged Ass Road”…

As I explain in my LA Times travel guide, this was a name given in jest to a residential street in the 1970s that turned into a local landmark.

You can find lots of fun souvenirs here marked with it.

Our fav art boutique was Gallery on 47th Street. To commemorate our first time in the Canadian North, Sancho shopped for original, bold Kinngait (Cape Dorset) Inuit prints of animals and daily life.

How innovative is the architecture of this igloo mosque? It is ISNA – Islamic Centre of Yellowknife (ICYK).

A joy to travel to Yellowknife, NWT Canada, and see the aurora borealis for the first time. We were charmed by the culture and great outdoors, and hope to come back soon to discover more of the Northwest Territories!

See my NWT stories highlight on @lacarmina IG for more travel tips, and thanks for reading my LA Times travel journalism about our aurora adventures!