Yellowknife Northern Lights, 3 Nights

Yellowknife is usually reached by connecting flights through Calgary, Edmonton or Vancouver. You are met at the small airport and taken to the hotel, or, if you land late, straight out on the first aurora evening. When darkness falls the coach leaves the town lights behind for a camp by the lakes, with heated tents, hot drinks and snacks. When the lights come, the guides help you photograph them.

Sleep late, then join the city tour. It stops at the Welcome to Yellowknife sign near the airport, at the visitor centre, and in Old Town, a jumble of shacks and houseboats on the shore of Great Slave Lake, then climbs to the Bush Pilots Monument for the view over the town and the lake, frozen solid in winter. At night the guides move between camp and lakeside spots, going farther out when cloud rolls in.

The day is yours. In winter the popular choices are dog sledding or snowshoeing on the lake, both bookable locally; year-round, the Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre tells the story of the Dene and Inuit peoples, and the Frame Lake trail loops through the town. Rest in the afternoon, because the final aurora night runs past midnight. You may bring your luggage on this outing if you have an early flight.

After the late night, a slow morning. The departure transfer is arranged around your flight time; for very early flights we plan either the hotel shuttle or a direct run from the last aurora outing. Most journeys back to India connect through Calgary, Edmonton or Vancouver, so this is a good day to add a night in one of those cities.