Old Town, Rock Island & Yellowknife Bay
Yellowknife's Old Town on the west shore of Back Bay is unlike any other neighbourhood in Canada — houseboats moored to the rock shore, bush planes tied at the dock, and the floating settlement of Latham Island connected by a causeway. The Bush Pilots' Monument on Pilot's Monument Hill is the city's centrepiece viewpoint — looking over the floatplane base, the diamond mines to the north, and the Precambrian Shield spreading to every horizon. The Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre (free) is an excellent introduction to NWT history and Dene culture.
Aurora Borealis: Viewing & Context
Yellowknife is the Aurora Borealis capital of North America — the Aurora Zone runs directly overhead, and the 300+ nights of clear skies per year make this the most reliable aurora-watching destination on Earth. In season (mid-August through April), aurora tour operators (Aurora Village, Blachford Lake Lodge) run viewing experiences ($100-200) that take you beyond city lights to dedicated platforms with heated tents. The best display months are February and March.
Dettah & Ingraham Trail
Dettah, the Yellowknives Dene First Nation community on the opposite shore of Yellowknife Bay, welcomes visitors to understand Dene culture and history. The Ingraham Trail (Highway 4, east of Yellowknife) leads 70 km through the Shield to a series of lakes with excellent fishing, swimming, and aurora viewing sites. Prelude Lake, Reid Lake, and Tibbitt Lake are all accessible on a half-day trip. Cameron River Falls at the end of the trail is a rewarding objective.
Diamond Mine Tour & Northwest Territories Culture
The NWT produces roughly $1.5 billion worth of diamonds annually — the Diavik and Ekati mines north of the city offer occasional public tours (usually booked through Yellowknife tourism, $400-600 including helicopter transport). The Frame Lake Trail (9.5 km loop, free) circles Frame Lake at the centre of the city and gives access to the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories (free tours).
Great Slave Lake & Departure
Great Slave Lake is the 10th largest lake in the world and the deepest in North America at 614 metres. A charter floatplane to the fishing lodges on the main lake body ($400-600 for a half-day fishing excursion) is the finest way to appreciate the scale. In winter, the ice road across the lake connects Yellowknife to the isolated communities of Dettah and the mine sites. Yellowknife Airport has connections to Edmonton, Calgary, and Winnipeg.