Winter is the best time to visit the Yukon territory. Follow one writer as she travels by dog sled and snowmobile, dons snowshoes for a hike through Tombstone Territorial Park and witnesses the beauty of the northern lights and communal reclamation alongside locals. In this episode of Unpacked by Afar, we follow the infamous “call of the wild” into the Canadian Yukon. 

How To Plan a Winter Trip to the Yukon Territory

In this episode you’ll learn: 

• How to travel in Yukon Territory during the winter, from snowmobiles to dogsleds. 


• The tour groups that give you insider experiences of the Yukon’s winter wonders. 


• Local landmarks that you have to visit in the winter. 

See the Northern Lights with Local Guides

Don’t miss these memorable moments: 

[04:35 ] Mushing: Crossing Tagish Lake on a dog sled.  

[09:46 ] Seeing the aurora borealis from a local’s backyard in West Dawson. 

[18:25 ] “I’m reclaiming my land because of the gold rush…” 

“Sourdoughs” and “Cheechakos”: Winter Life in the Yukon

Writer, Debbie Olson, is a Métis Canadian local who has explored and visited every Canadian province and territory, including the Yukon. But the Yukon in winter? That’s a legendary experience that deserves its own category. 

Follow along as she is guided into the wonders of the Yukon in the winter through the wonder of winter by locals who call the Yukon home, including a professional dog sled driver (musher) and a member of the Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in First Nation who is reclaiming her land. 

Resources: 

Read Debbie’s print story that inspired this episode. 

Read the transcript of this episode. 

Explore the tour operators that Debbie traveled with: the Klondike Experience, Tagish Lake Kennel Tours and Entreé Destinations. 

Listen to this Travel Tales episode about polar bears in Canada and this episode about a tour guide’s efforts to preserve a part of the Canadian coastline. 

Check out Debbie’s other work at Wander Woman Travel Magazine. 

Be sure to subscribe to the show and to sign up for our podcast newsletter, Behind the Mic, where we share upcoming news and behind-the-scenes details of each episode. And explore our second podcast, Travel Tales, which celebrates first-person narratives about the way travel changes us.