Yellowknife is the capital city of the Northwest Territories, on the North Arm of Great Slave Lake, on Yellowknife Bay. Yellowknife is the main entry point for visitors to NWT. Many tourists come to experience the Northern climate and traditional lifestyle, and to see the Northern Lights. It is home to about 20,000 people (census, 2021)
Photos: Wikimedia Commons contributors.
You don't have to fly to Yellowknife, but it's the way most people get there. And if you do, your appreciation of the city will begin even before you reach the ground, as you look down after the long approach over the deep lake and see how it looks as if the city has been clawed out of the taiga. Nature does not give Yellowknife anything more than what humanity has made it.
Yellowknife is quite compact, and the main areas of interest can be easily reached on foot. "New Town" is the current downtown core. It is bordered by 47th street to the north, 53rd street to the south, 52nd avenue to the east, and Veteran's Memorial Way (49th Avenue) to the west. Franklin Avenue (50th Avenue) is the main thoroughfare. The corner of Franklin Avenue and 50th Street is considered to be the city's centre. "Old town", where the city of Yellowknife was founded, is at the base of the hill on Franklin Avenue, on a peninsula that juts into Yellowknife Bay, and on Latham Island.
Aurora Borealis (northern lights) - This is the one thing that you must see (however, it is best seen in wintertime, when the nights are long, and they cannot be seen at all during the short "white nights" around the summer solstice when the sun never dips far enough below the horizon for long enough for it to get darker than twilight). There are many tour companies that offer different ways of seeing the Aurora Borealis, such as by snowmobile, sled dog expedition, photography workshops and tractor rides to various lodges. In or near downtown: 1 Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre, 4750 48th Street, ☏ +1 867-767-9347 x71202, pwnhc@gov.nt.ca.
Yellowknife is an outdoor enthusiast's dream. There are several scenic walking and hiking trails within the city boundaries. The Ingraham Trail (Highway 4) connects Yellowknife to many lakes, rivers, and hiking routes that draw campers, hikers, paddlers, fishermen and women, and hunters. The winter months are dominated by winter sports: hockey, curling, skating, cross-country skiing, broomball, volleyball, and indoor soccer. A small but active amateur arts community brings theatre, dance, and choral works to the community.
1 Gold Range Bistro, 50th Street, ☏ +1 867-873-4567. Local café with great ordinary food and lots of good people where the locals eat. Famous for their plate-sized eggroll. 2 Wildcat Café, 3904 Wiley Road, ☏ +1 867-873-8850. Features a different menu every year, depending on which local restaurant wins the contract to run it. Relaxed dining with shared tables in a Gold Rush atmosphere. It was built in 1937. It is a popular eatery and tourist attraction, operating in the summer only, in one of the city's oldest buildings. 3 Bullock's Bistro, 3534 Weaver Dr, ☏ +1 867-873-3474, info@bullocksbistro.ca. Mon-Sat 11:30AM-8PM, closed Sun.
1 Barren Ground Coffee, 5103 52 St, ☏ +1 867-873-3030. Mon-Fri 8AM-3PM, Sat Sun 10AM-3PM. Cafe with locally roasted coffee. Hot chocolate $3.50, coffee $5+, BLT $11, breakfast sandwich $9. (updated Nov 2023) 2 Birchwood Coffee Kǫ̀, 5021 49 St, ☏ +1 867-873-5466. Mon-Fri 8AM-4PM. Good lunch menu with a variety of drink options. (updated Feb 2025) 3 Gold Range Hotel, 5010 50 St, ☏ +1 867-873-4441. Best-known drinking establishment in Yellowknife. Weekends feature country-and-western music in an atmosphere that can only be experienced, not described. (updated Nov 2023) 4 The Black Knight Pub, 4910 49th Street, ☏ +1 867-920-4041, gm@blackknightpub.com.
Driving, particularly away from the main highway, may involve long distances without seeing much traffic. Be sure to check the usual summer driving requirements: spare tire, water, etc. In winter, temperatures can drop to -40 °C/°F and colder. Be prepared! Bring a candle lantern for heat, a thermos of hot water, foods such as chocolate or nuts and a heavy blanket, and mitts (not gloves). If stranded, do not leave your vehicle unless forced to. See our page on winter driving for more tips. Bison are prevalent between the Mackenzie River at Fort Providence and Behchoko. They like to amble on the highway.
Guide content from Wikivoyage contributors (CC BY-SA) — abridged; the full article has much more.
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