Canada · Yukon
Whitehorse
A frontier capital on the Yukon River, with midnight-sun summers and northern lights winters.
Whitehorse is the capital of Yukon and home to most of the territory's people, a small city on the Yukon River ringed by boreal forest and mountains. It grew up where Klondike stampeders braved Miles Canyon and the rapids on their way to Dawson, and the sternwheeler SS Klondike still sits on the riverbank. Today it is the base for Yukon adventures: long summer days of paddling and hiking, and dark winter nights under the northern lights.
Suggested stay
3–6 days
Language
English, French
Currency
CAD
Timezone
UTC-7
Why you'll love Whitehorse
Northern lights The city sits under the auroral oval, and lodges just out of town run aurora nights through the dark season
The Yukon River Paddle out of downtown on the gold-rush route, or hike the rim of Miles Canyon a short drive south
Gold rush story The SS Klondike and the riverfront recall the stampede to Dawson and the sternwheeler era
Wild on the doorstep Kluane's icefields, Emerald Lake and the White Pass are all within a day's drive
Best time to visit
May-Aug
14-20° days
60.722° N, 135.055° W
UTC-7 · America/Whitehorse
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Weather & when to go to Whitehorse
Month by month: typical highs and lows, rainfall and rain days.
✓ Best May-Aug
Hiking prime Jun-Aug
Northern lights prime Nov-Mar
Activity seasons none fair good prime
Watch for Dec-Feb extreme cold risk
Cards tinted by calculated verdict · big number = typical daily high, small = low · hover for conditions
When to avoid Whitehorse
October to March is long, dark and bitterly cold, yet it is exactly when the northern lights and the dog-sledding season are at their best. May to August is mild with near-endless daylight for paddling and hiking, but the sky never gets dark enough for the aurora. Late August and September are when the two overlap.
Top things to do in Whitehorse
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Northern lights - aurora nights outside the city
aurora nature wildlife ⭐ Highly recommendedWhitehorse sits beneath the auroral oval, and through the dark months tour operators run night trips to heated cabins and cleared viewing sites away from the city lights. Clear, dark nights from late August to April can bring green curtains across the whole sky.
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SS Klondike - the sternwheeler on the riverbank
history 👍 PopularOne of the largest sternwheelers to work the Yukon River, the Klondike carried ore and passengers between Whitehorse and Dawson until road trucks replaced the boats. Now dry-docked downtown as a national historic site, she shows how the river ran the territory.
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Miles Canyon - the basalt gorge on the Yukon River
scenic history hiking 👍 PopularJust south of town the river squeezes through a narrow canyon of columnar basalt that wrecked many gold-rush boats. A suspension footbridge crosses it, and trails run along the rim towards the old Canyon City site.
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Yukon River - paddle out of downtown
adventure nature wildlife ⭐ Highly recommendedCanoe and kayak outfitters in town rent boats and run guided trips, from a gentle afternoon float to the classic multi-week descent to Dawson City along the stampeders' route, camping on gravel bars under the midnight sun.
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Takhini hot springs - soaking under the northern sky
wellness 👍 PopularOutdoor mineral pools in the forest northwest of the city, open through the year. In winter the steam freezes into frost on your hair, and on a lucky night the aurora appears overhead.
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Yukon Beringia Interpretive Centre - the Ice Age north
historyThe story of the unglaciated land bridge between Asia and North America, with skeletons and casts of woolly mammoth, giant beaver and scimitar cat, and the early people who hunted them.
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Yukon Wildlife Preserve - northern animals in open range
nature wildlifeA large preserve near the hot springs where wood bison, muskox, moose, caribou, Dall sheep and lynx live in big natural enclosures, seen on foot or by guided bus.
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Kwanlin Dun Cultural Centre - First Nations on the waterfront
culture arts historyA riverfront cultural centre of the Kwanlin Dun First Nation, with exhibits, carving and events that tell the story of the people who lived at this bend of the river long before the gold rush.
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Whitehorse Fishway - salmon at the end of the run
nature wildlifeA fish ladder beside the hydro dam lets chinook salmon past on one of the longest salmon migrations in the world, nearly the full length of the Yukon River from the Bering Sea. Late summer is when they arrive.
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Dog sledding - mushing through the winter forest
adventureKennels around Whitehorse take visitors out behind teams of huskies on frozen trails and lakes, from short rides to multi-day trips where you drive your own team. The city has deep roots in long-distance sled racing.
Best areas to stay in Whitehorse
$ Budget $$ Mid-range $$$ Premium
Downtown Whitehorse
Most visitors $$Compact riverfront grid, everything walkable
Explore hotels in Downtown Whitehorse →
Riverdale
Quiet stays $$Quiet residential streets across the river
Explore hotels in Riverdale →
Wilderness lodges outside the city
Aurora seekers $$$Cabins in the forest, dark skies
Explore hotels in Wilderness lodges outside the city →
Live nightly prices from Booking.com, Agoda and others, centred on Whitehorse
Getting to & around Whitehorse
Getting there
Fly into Whitehorse from Vancouver or another Canadian hub, or drive the Alaska Highway
Flight
Erik Nielsen Whitehorse International Airport (YXY)
The airport sits on the escarpment above downtown, a few minutes' drive down the hill by taxi, hotel shuttle or rental car.
Drive
The Alaska Highway runs through Whitehorse on its long way from northern British Columbia to Alaska, a classic multi-day road trip
Ferry
The Alaska ferry and cruise ships reach Skagway on the coast, from where the Klondike Highway climbs over the White Pass to Whitehorse in a few hours
Getting around
Walking
Downtown is small and flat, and the riverside path links the main sights
Free
City bus
Whitehorse Transit links downtown with the suburbs, but it does not reach Miles Canyon, the hot springs or anything beyond the city
TBC
Rental car
The best way to see the Yukon; almost every day trip needs one, and winter driving calls for care and proper tyres
TBC
Taxi
Useful for the airport and short hops around town
TBC
Day trips from Whitehorse
Carcross and Emerald Lake
Full dayLakes and gold-rush village
Stop at the startlingly green Emerald Lake and the small sand dunes of the Carcross Desert, then wander the old railway village at the end of Bennett Lake, with its Tagish First Nation carving house and mountain-bike trails.
Getting there
car | tour
About an hour south by car on the Klondike Highway
Kluane National Park
1-2 daysIcefield mountain park
Home to Canada's highest mountains and one of the largest non-polar icefields on earth. Hike the trails around Kathleen Lake and Kluane Lake, or take a flightseeing trip over the glaciers from Haines Junction.
Getting there
car | flight | tour
About two hours west by car on the Alaska Highway to Haines Junction
Skagway and the White Pass
Full dayMountain pass to the coast
Drive the Klondike Highway over the White Pass through Tormented Valley's lakes and bare rock to the gold-rush boomtown of Skagway, and ride the narrow-gauge White Pass and Yukon Route railway. Bring your passport.
Getting there
car | tour
About two and a half to three hours by car over the pass, crossing the border into Alaska
Atlin
1-2 daysRemote lakeside town
A tiny gold-rush town on huge Atlin Lake, with glacier views across the water, old buildings and a real end-of-the-road feel.
Getting there
car
About two and a half hours south by car, into northern British Columbia
A little history of Whitehorse
The Southern Tutchone and Tagish peoples, ancestors of today's Kwanlin Dun and Ta'an Kwach'an, fished and camped along this stretch of the Yukon River for thousands of years. The town's name comes from the Whitehorse Rapids, whose foaming water reminded gold-rush travellers of the manes of white horses.
During the Klondike stampede of 1897-98, tens of thousands of prospectors built boats and ran Miles Canyon and the rapids on their way to Dawson City. When the White Pass and Yukon Route railway reached here from Skagway, Whitehorse became the point where rail met river and sternwheelers carried on north. Building the Alaska Highway in 1942 brought thousands of soldiers and made the town the Yukon's hub, and in 1953 the territorial capital moved here from Dawson.
Klondike gold rush; stampeders run Miles Canyon and the Whitehorse Rapids
White Pass and Yukon Route railway from Skagway reaches Whitehorse
The second SS Klondike is launched after the first is wrecked
US Army builds the Alaska Highway through Whitehorse
Whitehorse incorporated as a city
Yukon's capital moves from Dawson City to Whitehorse
SS Klondike makes her last commercial run as roads take over
Hydro dam tames the Whitehorse Rapids and creates Schwatka Lake
Know before you go
Payment
Cards everywhere
English
Everywhere
Wifi
Reliable
Power
Type A / B
120 V, 60 Hz
Dialing
+1
Extreme cold risk in this window; check current conditions before you go.
The months our climate read flags to avoid: the wettest, lowest-rated weather of the year.
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FAQs about Whitehorse
▸ When is the best time to visit Whitehorse?
It depends what you come for. May to August is mild, with long light days for paddling, hiking and road trips to Kluane and Skagway. October to March is very cold and dark, but it is the season for the northern lights, dog sledding and hot springs in the snow. Late August and September bridge the two.
▸ Can you see the northern lights in summer?
No. From roughly May to early August the sky never gets properly dark this far north, so the aurora is washed out. The season runs from late August to April, and you need a clear night away from the city lights.
▸ How many days do you need in Whitehorse?
Three days covers the town, Miles Canyon and a day trip to Carcross or Skagway. Aurora trips need extra nights to allow for cloud, and Kluane or a river trip easily adds several days more.
▸ Do you need a car in Whitehorse?
Downtown is walkable, but nearly everything worth seeing beyond it, from Miles Canyon to Kluane, needs a car or a tour. In winter, aurora and sledding operators usually include pickups from downtown hotels.
▸ How cold does Whitehorse get in winter?
Very cold, with deep cold snaps that can last for days and short daylight around the solstice. Operators supply or rent heavy winter gear for aurora nights, and it is worth taking them up on it.
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