Oct 5, 2024
Out of This World - From the first second, I knew Arctic Range was going to help me customize my journey, a bucket list trip to see and photograph the Northern Lights from their remote site about an hour from Whitehorse. While other companies were quick to ask exactly when I would be going, what package I chose and... "credit card please, number", the staff at Arctic Range started asking me more individual questions: What do you hope to see, how much time did I have, were their any physical limitations, what kind of travel do you REALLY enjoy." From my first contact until the last day when we said goodbye in their downtown office, I knew their goal was me having the time of my life. At the site one night, I was having trouble with focus and technical issues. A staff member who photographs bears in Canada took the time to explain to me things about my camera I didn't even know, and it's my CAMERA! I booked for 4 nights viewing, knowing cloudy skies stop all, and got two out of 4. It was worth it. When I booked a full day hike to Kluane NP, the guide customized the tour to only the Two of us, giving a maximum nature experience. Thanks to Eli, Jess, Akino, Reena, Horatio, Mariko, Chisato and Kei, all of who are bi-lingual.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sep 24, 2024
Nice to be able to enjoy the Northern Lights in company - Really pleasant company of the tour guides during this tour, quite knowledgeable and interesting to talk with. The lights showed up during the one night I booked, soooo lucky.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Apr 24, 2024
The Quintessential Yukon Experience - We were in town for a few days taking in the Yukon Rendezvous Festival. While checking out the pubs and dodging the Keystone Kops is always fun, no visit to Whitehorse is complete without an aurora viewing tour. Not wanting to miss out during our limited time, we booked two nights with Arctic Range Adventures. At $149 per person, the rate is more than reasonable and the team @ Arctic Range makes sure guests get their money’s worth!
The overall experience is quite fun: You are picked up at the Sternwheeler Hotel at approximately 11:20PM (a piece of cake for us since we were staying there) and driven 45 minutes outside Whitehorse, via a comfortable shuttle bus, to the Aurora Centre (used exclusively by Arctic Range Adventures). The Centre is nicely laid out: There are two heated outhouses (so you don’t have to freeze!); a comfortable yurt with seating, stove, light snacks and drinks; two teepees where you can sit, dialogue with the group and roast marshmallows; and an expansive aurora viewing area complete with tripods bolted into place for your use and enjoyment. You spend about 3 hours at the site before being bussed back to your accommodation, arriving back to Whitehorse at around 4AM.
On both nights our primary guide was Pascal. He was informative and gave everybody the “lay of the land” each time. On night one, we spent most of our time in the teepee because it was mostly cloudy skies. I thought we were going to strike out but, just as everyone was getting ready to board the shuttle back to Whitehorse, the aurora made a brief – and very faint – appearance! While the green hues were subtle, we were thankful to see them! On night two, we had far better luck. Upon arrival to the Aurora Centre just after 12AM, the aurora made an appearance and stuck around for nearly an hour! It was bright and a majestic sight as it wove through the night sky! One could almost hear the ghost of Robert Service reciting his poem, “Ballad of the Northern Lights:”
They rolled around with a soundless sound
Like softly bruised silk;
They poured into the bowl of the sky
With the gentle flow of milk.
Indeed, if you want a quality aurora tour, I can’t recommend Arctic Range Adventures enough. The team is professional; the Aurora Centre is comfortable; the site for viewing the Northern Lights is large enough so as to avoid the feeling of being crowded; and, if you don’t have sufficient winter gear, they have some for rent! In short, Arctic Range offers the complete package at a reasonable cost! Highly recommended!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Apr 4, 2024
Must-go tour in Whitehorse!! - This is a must-go tour when visiting Whitehorse for watching aurora! The guides are very nice, esp. Eli :) She is very professional & fun & helpful! Worth the price & I’m so lucky to have seen the aurora clearly!
Review provided by Viator
Mar 31, 2024
Aurora borealis - The best experience of my life!! The staff was super helpful, especially the guides Horacio and Bere, excellent attention, explanation and transfer, all super organized and punctual.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Mar 25, 2024
First viewing tour - We saw at our first tour. Very lucky. The tour guide is nice. All went well. Came back hotel at 4am.
Review provided by Viator
Mar 21, 2024
Amazing experience well coordinated and great service to enjoy the aurora’s dazzling show - We book the tour for 2 different days, expanding our chances to view the auroras
In both occasions the service was really good, all the staff well prepared to assure we had a comfortable stay and dedicate the time to wonder at the sky, whenever the auroras could happen.
They are very professional and offer a quality service, with coffee and cookies, and marshmallows to burn at the fire in the tipi tent.
They also offer the rental of clothes and boots if required, at an extra charge.
The service was efficient and everything at time as scheduled.
We had a magnificent aurora show, awesome, all the late stay and the cold outside was definitely worth it.
I recommend the company and will consider another of the tours they offer for another visit ocassion.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Feb 28, 2024
Recommended tour! - They provided everything we need to wait the aurora. Service was great! They also took some good pictures in their camera. Very recommended!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Mar 31, 2024
Disorganised - The tour, as nice as the guides were, felt unprofessional, rushed and disorganised.
There was very little communication and it just was assumed that we knew where to go on a big property with no lit areas when no instructions were given. We booked for an English guide however the whole slideshow presentation was in Japanese with no translations.
Also was little to no guidance setting up cameras to take your own photos like the description mentioned. There’s an option to purchase photos from a QR code that we scanned, however, no one can buy them as there’s a regristration code that you need to access the online shop. I’ve reached out for it too and not heard back so now we’re left with no footage of this experience.
Especially since the aurora activity was relatively low, it was disappointing to see that there wasn’t much else to offer on this tour.
All in all, it was too expensive for the service provided and staff need to be more diligent in catering to all paying guests.
Review provided by Viator
Sep 21, 2024
Poor experience - The weather forecast in the morning was for rain that evening.
They took us out there,gave us some powdered hot chocolate to mix ourselves and some store bought cookies.
Both the driver and lady at the site had English as their second language.
They did take us to the tent and started a fire..after approximately 2 hours they told us it was going to rain all night so we’re taking us back to Whitehorse..no money returned and no promise to view the lights the next night. This was a total cash grab and a waste of our time and money
Review provided by Tripadvisor