Tour Type

Canadian Tours

DEPARTURE INFORMATION

Lower Mainland

July 25, 2025 – 18 Days

Vancouver Island

July 25, 2025 – 18 Days

BC Interior

July 25, 2025 – 18 Days

Activity Level 2

Activity Level 2

GROUP SIZE

Group Size 30

TOUR SUMMARY

Road to the Arctic

This epic journey to the Arctic Ocean has only been possible since the road to Tuktoyaktuk opened in 2017. Come and enjoy a great variety of sights and experiences in the Northwest Territories and the Yukon. Some of the many highlights are: Yellowknife, the capital of the Northwest Territories; a boat trip on Great Slave Lake with a fish fry lunch served on an island, a scenic flight to Nahanni National Park landing at Virginia Falls, a swim at Liard Hot Springs and Eclipse Nordic Hot Springs, S.S. Klondike National Historic Site, Dawson City with a show at Diamond Tooth Gerties, the storied Dempster Highway across the Arctic Circle, the new Tuktoyaktuk road, and a locally-guided tour of Tuktoyaktuk with a visit to an Inuit home and a presentation on Inuit fashions and lifestyles.

What an incredible journey through the North!

WHAT’S INCLUDED

  • Meals

    • I
      25 meals

      7 breakfasts, 10 lunches, 8 dinners

    • V
      L
      24 meals

      7 breakfasts, 9 lunches, 8 dinners

  • Transportation

    • Transportation to Kelowna, Victoria, or Vancouver Airport from the BC Interior, Greater Victoria, & Greater Vancouver Areas
    • Flights to Yellowknife
    • Transfer from Yellowknife Airport to hotel
    • Coach transportation for 17 days
    • 1 checked bag per person
    • Deh Cho Mackenzie River bridge toll
    • Liard River ferry twice
    • Flight from Inuvik to Dawson City
    • Transfer from Dawson Airport to hotel
    • Flight from Dawson City via Whitehorse to Vancouver
    • Transportation from Vancouver Airport to the BC Interior, Greater Victoria, & Greater Vancouver Areas
    • Current air taxes, fees, & fuel surcharges
  • Accommodation

    • I
      V
      17 nights accommodation & hotel taxes
    • L
      16 nights accommodation & hotel taxes
    • Luggage handling at most hotels
  • Guides & Gratuities

    • Gratuities for local guides & boat crew
  • Knowledgeable Wells Gray tour director

  • Tour Highlights (Included)

    • Locally-guided tour of Yellowknife
    • Great Slave Lake boat trip with fish fry lunch
    • Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre
    • Scenic flight to Nahanni National Park with landing at Virginia Falls
    • Nahanni National Park fee
    • Swim at Liard Hot Springs
    • Yukon Beringia Centre
    • Yukon Museum of Transportation
    • S.S. Klondike National Historic Site with guide
    • Yukon Wildlife Preserve
    • Eclipse Nordic Hot Springs with towel rental
    • Diamond Tooth Gerties with show
    • Locally-guided tour of Dawson City
    • Dredge #4 National Historic Site
    • Local guide to Tombstone on Dempster Hwy
    • Locally-guided tour of Tuktoyaktuk
    • Visit to an Inuit home in Tuktoyaktuk with traditional lunch & presentation on Inuit fashions & lifestyles
    • Locally-guided tour of Inuvik
    • Igloo Church
    • Inuvik community greenhouse
    • S.S. Keno National Historic Site with guide
    • Palace Grand Theatre with guide

TOUR FARES

Departure Point Fares per Person
I
BC Interior
$9,615

double/twin

$11,295

single

V
Vancouver Island
$9,765

double/twin

$11,445

single

L
Lower Mainland
$9,510

double/twin

$11,070

single

  • Please add 5% GST.
  • There is an additional cost to fly to Nanaimo or Comox Airport at the end of this tour

DEPARTURE POINTS & DATES

I

BC Interior

July 25 – August 11, 2025 (18 Days)

We depart on Friday, July 25 and fly from Kelowna to Yellowknife. We fly back from Dawson City to Vancouver on Sunday, August 10 and overnight at the Inn at the Quay. We drive home on Monday, August 11. Transportation is provided from your pickup point on the day of departure and back when we return.


V

Vancouver Island

July 25 – August 11, 2025 (18 Days)

We depart on Friday, July 25 and fly from Victoria, Nanaimo, or Comox to Yellowknife. We fly back from Dawson City to Vancouver on Sunday, August 10 and overnight at the Inn at the Quay. We will travel home on Monday, August 11. 

Departure from Victoria: For passengers in the Greater Victoria Area, transportation is provided from your pickup point on the day of departure and back when we return. Home pickup may be offered in the Greater Victoria Area depending on the number of people booked and coach size. The decision is made about 2 weeks before departure and you will be contacted about your pickup point and time. 

Departure from Up-island: There is an additional cost for clients who wish to fly from/to Nanaimo or Comox Airport on this tour. No transportation to/from these airports is provided. The overnight on Sunday, August 10 may not be needed depending on flight schedules. Please note that while we always prioritize convenient connections for our clients, sometimes it is not possible given the airline schedule and availability. You will be contacted regarding your schedule after final payment. Please request Nanaimo or Comox departure when booking.


L

Lower Mainland

July 25 – August 11, 2025 (18 Days)

We depart on Friday, July 25 and fly from Vancouver to Yellowknife. We fly back from Dawson City to Vancouver on Sunday, August 10. Home pickup for clients in the Greater Vancouver Area may be arranged at the time of booking. 

Departure from Abbotsford or Chilliwack: Depart from Abbotsford Airport on Friday, July 25 (no transportation provided). On return, overnight at the Inn at the Quay on Sunday, August 10. Return to Abbotsford or Chilliwack by the main coach on Monday, August 11.

ACTIVITY LEVEL

Level

Level

Moderate Activity: As a traveler you like a variety of activities and walking up to 2 km with breaks such as a guided walking tour is very doable for you without assistance. You can stand for prolonged periods and can climb two flights of stairs without assistance. Some travelling days are long as hotels and towns are far apart in the north. Some communities do not have paved streets and sidewalks, so the walking surface may be uneven. There are stairs on and off the Nahanni plane, Inuvik to Dawson plane, and the lake cruise. Please be aware that on tours with flights you must handle your own luggage and walk longer distances in airports. You may need to handle your own luggage at the hotels if luggage service is not available. This tour is not appropriate if you depend upon a walker, but you may bring a cane or walking poles if needed. The coach cannot carry a scooter or motorized wheelchair. The tour director and driver have many responsibilities, so please do not expect them, or your fellow travelers, to provide ongoing assistance. If you are not capable of keeping up with the group or require frequent assistance, the tour director may stop you from participating in some activities or some days of the tour. In extreme situations, you may be required to leave the tour and travel home at your own expense; travel insurance will probably not cover you.

Tour Size

Group Size 30

This tour is limited to 30 participants, making it a more intimate travel experience.

TOUR NOTES & POLICIES

  • Accommodation : Accommodation in the North is the best available, but it may not be up to the standard you expect in the rest of Canada. In places such as Fort Simpson and Eagle Plains, there is only one place to stay. Since hotels in the North have a limited season and enormous operating expenses, room rates are very high, so that is why this tour costs more per day than most Wells Gray tours.

  • Tour dates: This tour is scheduled for late July to mid August, so you can enjoy pleasantly warm days and cool nights, possibly the aurora borealis, and a minimum of mosquitoes or other insects. Some customers ask for a June tour to the North, but that is the height of bug season and some people have difficulty sleeping with nearly 24 hours of daylight.

  • Passport: A passport is not required as this tour does not enter Alaska.

  • Please book early!: This tour is limited to 30 travelers because of aircraft capacity.

  • Food Allergies: You must notify us no later than at final payment if you have a food allergy. This tour goes to some remote places where restaurants probably cannot satisfy all food allergies. An allergy causes medical distress, a preference does not. For some allergies, please consider bringing your own snacks or food items so you are not dependent on what restaurants are able to serve.

  • Flight seating: We are unable to take requests for window or aisle seating on the planes to Yellowknife or back from Inuvik. The airlines will not accept them, as group seating is assigned as a block. If this is important to you, we suggest you take the “No Flight” option with a fare reduction to be advised in fall 2024 and book your own flights which allow seat selection.

  • Flight Changes: We visit some remote locations on this tour. Flights can be delayed, postponed, cancelled, or rescheduled for a variety of reasons that are beyond our control which could alter the itinerary.

  • Payments: A deposit of $600 per person is requested at the time of booking and balance is due April 22, 2025. By paying the deposit, you agree to the Terms & Conditions, Activity Level and Cancellation Policy outlined. Payments can be made by online banking or cheque (1.5% discount on tour fare), or by Visa or Mastercard ($5,000 limit per person on credit cards).

  • Cancellation Policy: Up to March 21, 2025, your tour payments will be refunded less an administrative charge of $100 per person. From March 22 to April 22, the cancellation charge is $300 per person. From April 23 to May 22, the cancellation charge is 40% of the tour fare. From May 23 to June 20, the cancellation charge is 80% of the tour fare. After June 20, there is no refund.

  • Itinerary and Fare Changes: Due to continuing after effects of the pandemic, sometimes we are notified about changes to the itinerary prior to departure and sometimes during the tour. We do our best to substitute a similar service if something cancels, but occasionally the only alternative is to provide a refund for the missed activity. Please note that if we are forced to cancel a tour component due to an issue beyond our control, the current penalties still apply if you choose to cancel the entire tour. Fuel surcharges and changes to taxes or other tour costs can occur at any time, therefore Wells Gray Tours reserves the right to increase fares due to such changes up to departure. Hotels named in the itinerary could change. Inclement weather could cancel the Nahanni flight, but a refund of that cost will be provided.

  • Flight delays due to weather: In the event flights are delayed or cancelled by airlines due to weather, there may be additional costs to you. Wells Gray Tours Ltd. will not pay for hotel rooms and meals during the delay. Most travel insurance policies cover expenses incurred for weather delays.

  • Travel Insurance: A Comprehensive Insurance policy is available through Wells Gray Tours and coverage is provided by Travel Guard. Policies purchased at deposit include a waiver of the pre-existing condition clause for medical and cancellation claims, otherwise policies can be purchased no later than at final payment. This tour stays in Canada, but medical costs can vary wildly from BC to the territories. Remember that travel insurance typically provides cancellation coverage if you get sick the day before at home or you are in an accident or your flight is cancelled due to weather. Medical questionnaire is not needed. Please contact us for details. If you have your own travel insurance, please read the policy carefully to be sure that you are adequately covered for medical, cancellation, interruption, and luggage.

  • Photo Credits: Adobe Stock (Dempster Highway), Eclipse Nordic Hot Springs, Roland Neave (Nahanni Plane at Virginia Falls), and Wikimedia (Yellowknife, Arctic Ocean at Tuktoyaktuk).

  • Experience Points: This tour earns 207 e-points. Each time you travel on a Wells Gray tour, you earn Experience Points, or e-points. One e-point equals $1. Redeem your points on select tours or accumulate enough points to earn a free tour! Redemptions offered until April 22, 2025.

  • Consumer Protection BC Licences: Kamloops 178, Vernon 655, Kelowna 588, Penticton 924, Victoria 65842

TESTIMONIALS & STORIES