Yellowknife, Nahanni

thrill of the Unexpected

YELLOWKNIFE / BLACHFORD LAKE / THAIDENE NATIONAL PARK / FORT SIMPSON / NAHANNI NATIONAL PARK

This is a place that lives unapologetically wild and free. Travellers come here to leap outside their comfort zones, to live big and satisfy their thirst for adventure

DAY 1 Yellowknife

Welcome to the north! The Northwest Territories offer a reminder of why we travel: for the thrill of the unexpected, the joy of an epic adventure, and the desire to live in a way we aren’t used to. Upon arrival at Yellowknife Airport, your host, a member of the Dene First Nation, will take you to your host hotel to check-in and relax. The afternoon is spent at leisure, although a highly recommended option is popping in the NWT Brewing Co. for a flight of local craft beer or having dinner at Bullocks Bistro – choose their world-famous fish and chips.

DAYs 2 - 4 blAchforD lAke / thAiDene nene

Today, you’ll take a scenic flight to your choice of Blachford Lake Lodge or Frontier Lodge.

Option 1: Arrive by seaplane to Blachford Lake Lodge, an elegant eco-lodge situated on a rocky knoll overlooking Blachford Lake. Here, two indulgent days stretch before you, with endless opportunities to explore the wilderness.

In summer, take advantage of the midnight sun to canoe, StandUp Paddleboard (SUP) and hike woodland trails long into the night. Summer is also an angler’s dream, as Blachford Lake comes

Fort Simpson

Nahanni National Park Thaidene Nene National Park

Blachford Lake

Yellowknife

YELLOWKNIFE

BOATING IN THAIDENE NENE

Look out! There are two main aurora viewing seasons in Yellowknife – autumn and winter, when the nights last up to 18 hours long

alive with trophy-sized lake trout and northern pike.

In late summer and autumn, the auroras (Northern Lights) take centre stage. You can see the lights from the comfort of your room or the lodge’s rooftop hot tub. Alternatively, head outdoors and build a bonfire under the shimmering sky. Accommodations are at Blachford Lake Lodge in a Private Cabin.

Option 2: Take a wheel plane to the community of Lutselk’e, then a five-minute boat ride to the Indigenous-owned Frontier Lodge at the gateway of Thaidene Nene, a National Park Reserve sprawling 6.5 million acres.

Here, in this global Mecca for trophy lake trout fishing, you’ll embark on guided excursions to Great Slave Lake, where you’ll spend several exhilarating hours reeling in gigantic lake trout, Arctic grayling and northern pike.

When your arms get tired, turn to the lodge’s many other nature-based activities – including hiking, canoeing, wildlife viewing (including muskox, black bears and moose), and scanning the skies for the northern lights.

Accommodations are at Frontier Lodge in a Private Cabin. (Accommodations available starting 2023)

DAY 5 nAhAnni nAtionAl pArk

Today, you’ll head back to Yellowknife Airport for a scenic flight to Fort Simpson, the gateway to Nahanni National Park. The 30,000 sq km park was the world’s first UNESCO Heritage Site and home to the Dehcho First Nation since time immemorial. The park only receives around 1,000 visitors per year – that’s less than what Banff National Park gets in a single day. Spend time exploring the shores of the mighty Mackenzie River. Accommodations are at Lady Slipper Lodge in the best available room.

Top tip: Keep your camera close by! You never know when wildlife will be just around the corner in the NWT.

Look out! The mighty Mackenzie River is the second-longest river in North America – after the Mississippi

MYERS COREY FISCHER g EOR g E

FORT SIMPSON TEEPEE

DAY 6 nAhAnni nAtionAl pArk

Today, you’ll transfer to the local seaplane base for your first attempt to fly into magical Nahanni National Park. If the journey is successful, you’ll soar through vast canyons, look out for wildlife that includes grizzly bears, black bears, timber wolves, moose, minks, beavers, lynx, otters, foxes, wood bison, and snowshoe hares. You will see thundering Virginia Falls – with a total drop of 96 metres, it is about twice the height of Niagara Falls – then land and take a short hike to see the falls up close.

In the evening, take part in a traditional land and fire feeding ceremony with a Dene Elder, complete with stew and bannock (a flat, unsweetened cake made with oatmeal or barley flour) drumming and stories of the Dene way of life. Accommodations are at Lady Slipper Lodge in the best available room.

DAY 7 fort proviDence - Yellowknife

Today, if required you’ll have another attempt at visiting Nahanni National Park, otherwise feel free to roam Fort Simpson.

Then fly to Fort Providence, situated to the west of Great Slave Lake. From here, your guide will drive you along the lake towards Yellowknife, where bison are known to wander with their herd. The rest of the evening is yours to enjoy. Accommodations are at The Explorer Hotel in Yellowknife, in a Deluxe King Room.

DAY 8 Yellowknife - Uk

After breakfast, head straight for the airport to begin your journey home or elsewhere in Canada. The trip might be over, but the people and places of the North will stay with you forever.

Book it with... Entrée Canada

Book your epic Northwest Territories adventure with Entrée Canada entreedestinations.com; +1: 604.408.1099; explore@entreedestinations.com