Private jet charter and flights to Yellowknife

Sitting on the northern shore of Great Slave Lake, Yellowknife is a far-flung city that’s surrounded wilderness. The Northwest Territories capital offers a unique mix of First Nations culture, pioneering spirit and Great White North adventures. In the winter you can seek out the northern lights, drive over ice and feel the thrill of whizzing through evergreen forests pulled by a team of sled dogs. Once the summer rolls around it’s all about making the most of the day-long light, exploring the lakeshore by canoe and joining late-night cookouts. Get a fast quote with Air Charter Service and charter a private jet today.

First Nations have called this region home for thousands of years and fur traders have passed through since the 18th Century. However, it wasn’t until gold was found in Yellowstone Bay in the 1930s that the city was permanently settled by prospectors seeking their fortune. The spot they chose to pitch their tents and build their wooden shacks is now known as the Old Town. Amid the more modern houses, cafes and waterfront warehouses, you can still see a handful of the old buildings including 1930s ‘Glamour Alley’ log cabin on Bretzlaff Drive – once a less salubrious part of town.

Just to the south is Ragged Ass Road, the city’s most famous street. This unpaved road got its nickname (now the official name) during a slow year for gold prospecting and the locals were all ‘ragged ass broke’. Another Old Town attraction is the Bush Pilots Monument on top of The Rock, a small hill at the northern end of the peninsula. The simple sculpture commemorates the brave pilots and engineers that lost their lives exploring the wilds of the Northwest Territories.

To the west of the peninsula and the south-east of Frame Lake is New Town – Yellowknife’s modern downtown region. Franklin Avenue – the neighbourhood’s main street – and the streets that lead off it are lined by 1940s and 50s architecture housing banks, shops and drinking and dining venues. By the shore of Frame Lake is the Prince of Whales Northern Heritage Centre which documents the human and natural history and culture of the region.

You can spend a day or two exploring Yellowknife’s urban side, however, a trip here is more about exploring the surrounding natural landscapes. And what activities are on offer depends on when you are visiting. Winter is the seasonal highlight here. Although the temperature rarely rises above freezing between November and March and often dips below -20, it doesn’t mean you have to stay inside.

The main draw during the winter is the Aurora Borealis and this is one of the best places in the world to see this natural phenomenon. When the geomagnetic and weather conditions are right, the skies above the city and the surrounding wilderness light up with swirling green, purple and red curtains of light. There are numerous tour operators that offer trips out into dark sky areas near the city either by bus, snowmobile or dog sled. The city’s ‘northern lighthouses’ will show you the likelihood of seeing the lights on any given night but they are fickle and can appear and disappear at any time and can also not appear at all.

During the short winter daylight hours, you don’t just have to sit around waiting for the lights; you can go dog sledding, cross-country skiing or snowshoeing, ice fishing or even ice road driving. If you visit in March you can visit the annual Snowking Festival which is held in a snow castle on the frozen Great Slave Lake. Throughout the month you can watch concerts, kids’ theatre acts and comedy shows and see the additional snow and ice sculptures.

Summer may not be as popular, however, there’s still plenty to do. An as the sun only dips below the horizon for a few hours a day in June and July, there’s plenty of daylight to do it in. Anglers will be in heaven either out on Great Slave Lake or along the Mackenzie and Yellowknife Rivers while hikers should take to the trails around the city and its nearby lakes. If you’d rather be on the lake than walking by it you can hire paddleboards, boats, canoes and kayaks to take out on any of the many lakes near the city.

Yellowknife is easily reached by air and its airport is located about a 10-minute drive to the west of the city. Simply contact one of our team and we will arrange everything you need to charter a private jet to Yellowknife