Canada's Arctic, the Yukon and Prairie Provinces cover vast tracts of remote and untouched wilderness. The Yukon gives a glimpse of a time immortalised by the famous Klondike gold rush whilst the vast Northwest Territories is the perfect place to see the Aurora Borealis or Northern Lights. The Prairie Provinces - Saskatchewan and Manitoba - are full of big open skies and rolling fields. In northern Manitoba the little town of Churchill is the world's best place to see polar bears close-up.
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Canada, Alaska & The Arctic
Polar bear in Churchill, next to Hudson Bay in Canada's Manitoba.
Canada's northernmost territory - Nunavut - is the ancestral homeland of the Inuit people. This is where you will find the fabled Northwest Passage, a sea route sought by generations of explorers.
Baffin and Ellesmere Islands, Lancaster Sound, Bylot Island, the Boothia Peninsula and King William Island are just some of the geographical highlights of this remote and starkly beautiful landscape. Stay in a lodge or take an expedition cruise to see the wildlife and explore the highlights of this spectacular wilderness.
The Yukon is a magical land which captivates and charms every sense. Predominantly mountain wilderness, the landscape also features turquoise lakes and, in the north, almost never-ending tundra. The capital, Whitehorse, is a busy small town but elsewhere the population is hugely outnumbered by the wildlife. Small, character gold rush towns charm visitors with a tangible sense of times gone by and from late August onwards the Aurora Borealis is often visible, casting its magical spell over this unspoilt land.
The vast untouched expanses of wilderness in the Northwest Territories have excellent wildlife viewing, including herds of wild bison in Wood Buffalo National Park and caribou, moose and bears in huge numbers. Nahanni National Park comprises canyons deeper than the Grand Canyon and waterfalls twice as high as Niagara Falls. The capital city, Yellowknife, is situated on the Great Slave Lake, at the heart of Canada’s diamond mines. To the north, across a landscape of lakes and stunted forests, lies the Great Bear Lake whilst westwards the Mackenzie Mountains form a natural border with the Yukon. Stretching from the 60th parallel up to the Beaufort Sea, the Northwest Territories offer the adventurous traveller a deeply rewarding experience.
Saskatchewan offers a wealth of experiences for those who wish to scratch beneath the surface and discover the heartbeat of western Canada. The town of Moose Jaw was nicknamed 'Little Chicago' from the days of Al Capone’s booze running but the largest city is Saskatoon, known for its summer festivals. Regina is the provincial capital, home to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police whilst to the south lie the immense skies and rolling fields of Grasslands National Park. In the west, Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park holds some of Canada’s highest elevations east of the Rockies. In the north of the province the waves of wheat fields meet boreal forest in Prince Albert National Park, home to a herd of wild bison.
Lying at the heart of Canada, Manitoba has an abundance of wildlife: moose, wolves, black bears, beavers and herds of caribou can all be seen. Wildlife lovers are particularly drawn to Churchill, where tundra, taiga, and boreal forest meet on the shores of Hudson Bay, and in the summer months beluga whales and migratory birds gather in their thousands. Polar bears converge here in the autumn as the seas freeze over whilst black bears are most easily seen in Riding Mountain National Park, also one of the best places to learn about First Nations culture. The provincial capital, Winnipeg, is the biggest city, with the Royal Winnipeg Ballet and the Manitoba Opera among its attractions.