Skip to main content

Find out more about the current wildfire and wildfire-related concerns in the NWT.

Home Story The 5 Most Northern Things To Do On Canada Day
beaver in wood buffalo national park

The 5 Most Northern Things To Do On Canada Day

Do you love your country? Well then act like it, by celebrating Canada Day in the Northwest Territories. We’re the True North Strong and Free – with pretty much everything that’s iconic, wooly and wonderful about this great country.  

Wood Buffalo National Park is where you'll find the world's largest beaver dam

1. Visit the world's biggest beaver dam ...

… in Wood Buffalo National Park. After all, the beaver is Canada’s national animal. What better way to honour our country’s famously industrious wet rodent than by gazing in awe at its greatest-ever accomplishment? 

paddlers in a canoe on Great Slave Lake

2. Go canoeing

Canoeing is the most Canadian way to get around. It’s also the best way to explore the Northwest Territories, since we’re pretty much soaked in awesome rivers and lakes. So be a patriot – grab your paddle and go canoeing!

An Indigenous community celebration in the NWT

3. Celebrate our diversity ...

… and our moose-steaks. Head to a Canada Day feast in one of our many Indigenous communities, where you can honour this country with its original peoples, in the great outdoors, sampling the bounty of the land.

ink sketch of early hockey game

4. Get hyped on hockey 

Make a pilgrimage to the birthplace of our national sport. Nearly 200 years ago, the little Dene community of Deline was the site of the first recorded game of hockey. Since that chilly exhibition of shinny on the shores of Great Bear Lake, hockey has become the ultimate Canadian thing. You’re welcome. 

 

Arctic Circle sign

5. Cross the Arctic Circle

On Canada Day in the Northwest Territories, go all out. Celebrate our most iconic place (the Arctic), and our most famous season (winter – which, even on Canada Day, it may feel like.) Geez, how much more Canadian can you get?  

 

Nahanni, NWT, Canoe, Nahanni Park_2024_Nahanni River Adventures

Nahanni Canyons from Virginia Falls - 12 Day Rafting Trip

Nahanni River Adventures

Activities

Arctic Char Arctic Grayling Aurora Birding Boat Tours Camping Canoeing and Kayaking Experienced Paddling Fall Aurora Fishing Fly Fishing Hiking Tours Inconnu Lake Trout Nahanni to Dehcho Nature and Wildlife Nature Photography Nature Tours Northern Pike Novice Paddling Paddling Rafting Road Trips Tours White Water

This trip takes you through some of the iconic features for which this historic river is renowned, including Canada's deepest canyons and Nailicho / Virginia Falls - twice the height of Niagara! Our Nahanni River 12-day trip covers the same distance as our seven day trip but allows more time for additional hiking and exploring, as well as savouring the beauty of the Nahanni Valley area because… why rush if you don’t have to?...

$10,595

CAD + 5% GST + $220.48 CAD National Park fees.
View this Package
Enoch Pokiak_Region_Western Arctic_Polar Pack Arctic Adventures_Aurora_Witner_2024_2

Winter Package – Northern Lights Tour

Polar Pack Arctic Adventures

Activities

Aurora Aurora Day Trips Dempster Highway to the Arctic Ocean Nature and Wildlife Road Tours Tours Western Arctic Winter Activities Winter Aurora

Experience the Northern Lights on the Inuvik to Tuktoyaktuk Highway Join us for a breathtaking tour along the stunning Mackenzie River, where we embark on an adventure to chase the mesmerizing northern lights. As we traverse the icy landscape, you’ll have the opportunity to spot a variety of wildlife! Tour Details: Time: 9 PM to […]...

Starting at

$500

CAD + 5% GST + Per Person
View this Package
Two people in a boat holding up a huge fish at Blachford Lake Lodge

Summer Fishing Adventure

Blachford Lodge

Activities

All-Inclusive Lodges Canoeing and Kayaking Fishing Housekeeping Lodges Lake Trout Nature and Wildlife Northern Pike Stand up Paddling

Summer Adventure & Relaxation Welcome to your summer getaway, north of 60. Far from the noise and bustle of any city, Blachford Lodge is happy to be your home away from home in the summer months. Bask in the midnight sun (yup, you can read a book outside all night long!), catch a trophy fish, […]...

Starting at

$2,997

CAD + 5% GST + Per Person + $499 Air Charter + Gratuities (10%)

View this Package
Blachford Lake Lodge - Aurora

Autumn Aurora Package

Blachford Lodge

Activities

Aurora Aurora Lodges Canoeing and Kayaking Cultural Demonstrations Fall Aurora Fishing Lake Trout Nature and Wildlife Northern Pike Stand up Paddling Winter Activities Winter Aurora

Welcome to Blachford Lodge. Aurora watchers and stargazers agree there are few better places to see the Aurora than Blachford Lodge. From mid-August, when night skies turn a velvety black to late October when the lake begins to freeze, Blachford guests can be treated to late night shows of the northern lights. On calm nights […]...

Starting at

$3,597

CAD + 5% GST + Per Person + $499 Air Charter + Gratuities (10%)

View this Package
Jad Davenport _Western Arctic_Winter_2024_5

Okpik Arctic Village Day Stay - Winter

Tundra North Travel

Activities

Arts and Culture Cultural Demonstrations Dogsledding Nature and Wildlife On the Land Road Tours Tours Western Arctic Winter Activities

We will pick you up in Inuvik and take you for a drive along the Inuvik-Aklavik ice road to the Okpik Arctic Village about 16 km north of town where you will spend the day with us to reconnect to nature. Together with your local guide you will learn how to build an igloo, check […]...

$925

CAD + 5% GST + Per Person
View this Package
Okpik Arctic Village_Western Arctic_Winter_2024_1

Great Northern Adventure Signature Package

Tundra North Travel

Activities

Arts and Crafts Tours Arts and Culture City Tours Cultural Demonstrations Dempster Highway to the Arctic Ocean Dogsledding On the Land Road Tours Road Trips Tours Western Arctic Winter Activities

Day 1 Catch your morning flight from Dawson City to Inuvik crossing the Arctic Circle and enjoying the amazing Arctic scenery. Meet your guide at the airport in Inuvik, collect your bags and start your adventure. You will experience a town tour of Inuvik, learning about the Northern community before we take you on a […]...

Starting at

$6,000

CAD + 5% GST + Per Person
View this Package
My Backyard Tours - Whati

My Backyard Tours - WHATÌ

My Backyard Tours

Activities

Arts and Culture Cultural Demonstrations Ice Fishing Road Tours Snowmobiling Snowshoeing Winter Activities

Whati is situated on the third largest lake, Lac La Martre, in the NWT and the location offers guests a pristine and untouched environment to view the Aurora Borealis, while you can also enjoy an uninterrupted view of the beautiful scenery of the Lac La Martre lake. Guests can sit back and relax in a […]...

Starting at

$490

CAD + 5% GST + Double Occupancy
View this Package
paddling the Nahanni River canyons in NWT with Black Feather

Nahanni River 14 Day "Classic"

Black Feather – The Wilderness Adventure Company

Activities

Canoeing and Kayaking Experienced Paddling White Water

The two week Nahanni River (Nahʔą Dehé) trip is the most popular canoe expedition on the Nahanni River. It offers the perfect opportunity to paddle the highlights of the Nahanni (Nahʔą Dehé). You may get to hike to the rare Tufa Mounds - the largest "warm-spring" tufa formation in the north, and will definitely reach the awe-inspiring Virginia Falls (Náįlįcho), and paddle through four canyons that are, in places, deeper than the Grand Canyon!...

$9,495

CAD + 5% GST + Per Person + National Park Fee
View this Package
A person photograph a muskox in the Northwest territories

Guided Canoe Trip in Thaidene Nene National Park (12 days)

Jackpine Paddle

Activities

Birding Canoeing and Kayaking Experienced Paddling Lake Trout Nature Photography Nature Tours Novice Paddling On the Land White Water

This is our top trip for spectacular campsites and world-class hiking opportunities in a very remote tundra wilderness. Our guided Eileen River/Sled Creek canoe adventure offers exclusive access to one of the best wilderness wildlife trips in the Northwest Territories!...

$12,275

CAD + 5% GST + Per Person
View this Package
Nahanni River Adventures a big group of hikers in the Nahanni National Park in the Dehcho region

member icon Member
Nahanni River Adventures

Multi-day Trips Summer

Spectacular river journeys on Canada’s most iconic rivers. Travel with expert guides by raft or canoe and immerse yourself in......

Trail Blazer Tours aurora trip with the purple and green aurora in the sky over the lake and trees in Yellowknife NWT.

member icon Member
Blachford Lodge

Summer Winter

What began as a “part time fishing lodge” has now become a “full time Aurora Wilderness Lodge” open year round......

3rd Canyon on the Mountain River in the Northwest Territories

member icon Member
Canoe North Adventures

Multi-day Trips

For over 30 years, Canoe North Adventures has made it our mission to create spectacular memories for life, and to show......

Arctic Chalet Tours dog sledding with man on skidoo snowmobile transporting supplies in winter in Inuvik Northwest Territories.

member icon Member
Arctic Chalet Tours

Best Northern Road Trip! Now you can drive all the way to the Arctic ocean linking Canada from coast to......

Culinary Festival Logo

member icon Member
Territorial Agrifood Association

Agritourism is where agriculture and tourism meet to provide you with an amazing educational experience, whether it be a tour......

Simpson Air Float Plane at Glacier Lake in the Nahanni National Park in the NWT

member icon Member
Simpson Air

Simpson Air (and its predecessor) is the oldest continuously-operated flying service in the Mackenzie Valley, established in the early 1960s.......

Canoe North Adventures paddler on a serene lake with the sunset in the horizon in Hay River Northwest Territories.

member icon Member
Canoe North

Canoe North, located in Hay River, Northwest Territories offers kayak and canoe rentals and sales. We can set you up for a......

View of Little Doctor Lake and Nahanni Mountain Lodge in Nahanni National Park in the NWT.

member icon Member
Nahanni Mountain Lodge

Remote private wilderness paradise on Little Doctor Lake, 100 km west of Fort Simpson. Accommodates 20 in cabins. Fishing, swimming,......

Guided Canoe trip on the Keele River

member icon Member
Jackpine Paddle

Day Trips Multi-day Trips

Unplug from the commonplace with our Northwest Territories canoe and kayak expeditions. We specialize in true wilderness adventures to the......

Huge Lake Trout caught by fisherman holding it up with a friend next to him on a boat and on sunny day in Kasba lake in the Northwest Territories.

member icon Member
Kasba Lake Lodge

Multi-day Trips Summer

World Class Fishing Within Reach Yet Beyond Belief For 3 generations we have been honing the Kasba experience to be like no-other. Our level of hospitality, dedication to the fishery, and a legendary passion for the experience that permeates through our entire team is undeniably contagious. No matter what you’re looking for in your fishing […]...

Black Feather - the wilderness adventure company logo with picture of a yellow canoe and a paddler in the Nahanni National Park.

member icon Member
Black Feather - The Wilderness Adventure Company

Multi-day Trips

For over 50 years, Black Feather has had the opportunity to operate canoe, hiking and sea kayaking expeditions throughout the......

Narwal Northern Adventures voyageur canoe on Great Slave Lake

member icon Member
NARWAL Northern Adventures

Northern and Remote Wilderness Adventures Ltd. (NARWAL) is a small, friendly, majority Aboriginal owned and operated family business. Our reputation......

Yellow Dog Lodge aerial view among trees on a bright sunny day along the Duncan and Graham lakes in the Northwest Territories.

member icon Member
Yellow Dog Lodge, Inc.

Multi-day Trips Northern Lights Summer

Yellow Dog Lodge is a comfortable lodge with 3 private cabins for our guests. The lodge is a short (15 minute) floatplane ride from Yellowknife. Located on Duncan and Graham Lakes, the lodge is your hub for adventure. Choose from an additional 5 lakes for guided day trip excursions. Each lake is unique and offers unspoiled first class fishing. We are the only lodge that operates guided trips on each of these remote lakes located in the NWT taiga wilderness. Packaged trips feature superb sport fishing and safe outdoor adventure. The lakes and streams offer the finest Lake Trout, Northern Pike, Walleye and Arctic Grayling in the region. As an added bonus, our guests will enjoy the midnight sun and may even catch the northern lights later in the fall or early spring....

Arctic Motorcycle Adventures with a motorcycle parked at sunset in the Western Arctic Region of the NWT.

Arctic Motorcycle Adventures

Our vision is to see the Beaufort-Delta Region of Canada’s western arctic become the dream destination for motorcycle adventure enthusiasts from......

Image related to Northwest Territories Parks

Northwest Territories Parks

To truly experience the Northwest Territories, take your camping gear for a highway driving adventure! Long ribbons of road without......

Image related to Town of Inuvik

member icon Member
Town of Inuvik

Inuvik is located 200km North of the Arctic Circle, on the East Cannel of the incredible ecosystem that is the Mackenzie Delta. We are located within the Taiga Forest just south of the treeline and Arctic Tundra. Inuvik acts as the gateway to the Western Arctic as the Mackenzie River, Dempster Highway and Inuvik-Tuktoyaktuk Highway […]...

Spectacular NWT </div> </div> </div> <!-- end .endo --> </div> <script> jQuery(document).ready(function(){ getReadingTime(); if($('.story-fullwidth section:first').hasClass('mediastack--hero') || $('.story-fullwidth section:first').hasClass('mediastack--video')) { $('#social01').css('display', 'none'); $('#social02').css('display', 'block'); }else{ $('#social01').css('display', 'block'); $('#social02').css('display', 'none'); } }); </script> </main><!-- /#main --> <section id=

© Northwest Territories Tourism 2024

Land Acknowledgement

Northwest Territories Tourism acknowledges that we are located in Chief Drygeese territory. From time immemorial, it has been the traditional land of the Yellowknives Dene First Nation, and more recently, the homeland of the North Slave Métis Alliance. We respect the histories, languages, and cultures of Inuit, First Nations, Metis, and all First Peoples of the NWT and Canada, whose presence and cultures continue to enrich our vibrant communities.

Best places to go 2024 - Condé Nast Traveler