Planning a Trip

The Arctic isn't like any other place. That observation may seem elementary, but even a well-prepared first-timer will experience many things here to startle -- and perhaps offend -- the senses.

No matter where you start from, the Arctic is a long way away. By far the easiest way to get there is by plane. Whitehorse, Yellowknife, and Iqaluit all have airports with daily service from major Canadian cities. Each of these towns is a center for a network of smaller airlines with regularly scheduled flights to yet smaller communities; here you'll also find charter services to take you to incredibly out-of-the-way destinations.

Tucked inland just east of Alaska, the Yukon is home to one of the most notable fortune hunts of all times: the Klondike Gold Rush. From 1898 to 1920, Dawson City was the destination of tens of thousands of prospectors -- and other types of gold-diggers -- who were lured north by the dream of easy wealth. Today, Dawson City and territorial capital Whitehorse are still very lively and filled with history, though many of today's travelers are drawn as much to recreation on the Yukon's rivers, lakes, and mountains as to the trail of bonanza gold.

Until 1999, the Northwest Territories designated the entire northern tier of Canada (except the Yukon). Then Nunavut, comprising the eastern mainland and many of the Arctic islands, split away to form a separate territory and a de facto homeland for the Inuit peoples. Centered on Baffin Island and the capital Iqualuit, Nunavut is an extremely far-flung territory made of up remote native villages, expanses of tundra, and craggy, glacier-crowned islands.

The remaining Northwest Territories is sometimes referred to as the western Arctic. Mining is the prime economic driver, with everything from gold to silver to diamonds extracted from the tundra. The capital of Yellowknife is a hells-a-poppin' kind of city, born of a gold rush and sustained by high-paying government and mining industry jobs. Vast glacial-dug lakes provide lakefront for rustic to ritzy fishing lodges.

Visitor Information

For information, write Tourism Yukon, P.O. Box 2703, Whitehorse, YT Y1A 2C6 (tel. 867/667-5340; fax 867/667-3546; www.touryukon.com). Be sure to ask for a copy of the official vacation guide Yukon: Canada's True North.

For the Northwest Territories, contact NWT Arctic Tourism, P.O. Box 610, Yellowknife, NT X1A 2N5 (tel. 800/661-0788 or 867/873-7200; fax 867/873-4059; www.nwttravel.nt.ca). Ask for the free map of the province (it's almost impossible to find a map of the Territories elsewhere) and The Explorers' Guide, with full listings of accommodations and outfitters.

Information on Nunavut is at www.nunavuttourism.com, where you can download a copy of the Nunavut Travel Planner. You can also call tel. 866/686-2888 or e-mail info@NunavutTourism.com to make inquiries or request the travel planner.

Climate & Seasons

During summer, the farther north you travel, the more daylight you get. Yellowknife and Whitehorse, in the south, bask under 20 hours of sunshine a day, followed by 4 hours of milky twilight bright enough to read a newspaper by. In northern Inuvik, Northwest Territories, the summer sun shines around the clock. In midwinter, however, these towns don't see the northern sun rise at all.

The North is divided into two climatic zones: subarctic and arctic, but the division doesn't follow the Arctic Circle. And while there are permanent ice caps in the far-northern islands, summer in the rest of the land gets considerably hotter than you might think. The average high temperatures in July and August for many subarctic regions can be in the 70s and 80s F (20s Celsius), and the mercury has been known to climb into the 90s F (30s Celsius). However, even in summer you should bring a warm sweater or ski jacket -- and don't forget a pair of really sturdy shoes or boots.

In winter, weather conditions are truly arctic. The mercury may dip as low as -60°F (-51°C) for short periods. You'll need heavily insulated clothing and footwear to travel during this time of year. Spring is an increasingly popular time to visit, with clear sunny skies, highs around 20°F (-7°C), and days already longer than seems reasonable.