The Inuvik airport is 14km (8 3/4 miles) from town. The two cab companies are Delta Cabs (tel. 867/777-5100) and United Taxi (tel. 867/777-5050). Fares are regulated by the town government and are based on the number of people in the cab, starting at C$25 for one person, C$14 each for two people, and C$10 per person for three. There is no public bus service.
If you've flown in, you will want to rent a vehicle, even if just for 1 day. There are no car rental kiosks at the airport, but you can prearrange a vehicle drop-off for a fee. Otherwise, it will cost you C$25 to cab it to one of two car rental locations. The closest one is National Car Rentals (170 Airport Rd.; tel. 877-881-5398 or 867/777-2346; www.nationalcar.ca), which is about 10km (6 1/4 miles) from the airport and operates out of Norcan Leasing. The other is Arctic Chalet Car Rentals (25 Carn St., part of Arctic Chalet cabins; tel. 800/685-9417 or 867/777-3535; www.arcticchalet.com), which rents 4*4 trucks and SUVs. Rates range from C$75 to C$150 per day.
For more information about Inuvik and the surrounding area, go to the town's website at www.inuvik.ca, which includes a link to the Midnight Sun Recreation Complex (tel. 867/777-8600). The complex is a modern multi-use recreation center with an indoor swimming pool, hockey arena, curling rink, and fitness center.
CBC North (www.cbc.ca/north) or News/North and the Inuvik (www.nnsl.com) provides the best online news, weather, and road reports. Bulletin boards at the Post Office on the corner of Mackenzie Road and Veteran's Way, and the Rexall Drug Store (125 Mackenzie Rd.), are also great sources for what's happening in town.
A Trip for Every Season -- Kyle Kisoun-Taylor, owner of Up North Tours, is part of a family that has hunted caribou and boated in the Beaufort Delta region for generations. His advice? Winter is ideal for northern-lights viewing, dog sledding, and driving the Mackenzie Ice Highway to Tuktoyaktuk. June and July are when the midnight sun, fishing, boating, flights to Herschel Island, Tuktoyaktuk, wild flowers -- and yes mosquitoes -- are at their peak. But if your mission is to see wildlife, the best time to come is August and September, when caribou, wolves, and bears migrate across the Dempster Highway.
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.
