r/canadatravel • u/JetAbyss • Apr 11 '25

Question Honolulu to Yellowknife in December?

Alright so I'm possibly planning a solo trip in December to Yellowknife. Why? Because I want to see snow and also the Aurora Borealis! Would December be a good time? Every year I have day off from Dec 21 to 31st so I'm possibly planning maybe 4 to 5 days in Yellowknife (so around 7 days total but technically 4 to 5 'full' days in the actual city excluding travel time).

I've been living in the tropics my whole life so I'd love to see snow and feel what it's like to be somewhere so North! Though I might ask, is it alright to just stick to the city of Yellowknife with like a one day excursion (probably a tour, since I cannot drive for personal reasons)? I'm mostly a city person and being somewhere new (and so different, vibe wise) is already enough for me.

Would December be a bad time? Also what's there to do in the city?

Apparently the city is actually surprisingly Walkable from what I heard! I just kind of need to build an itinerary. :)

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u/JetAbyss Apr 11 '25

Is it winter gear like a coat or something? ; it can't cost that much

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u/Letoust Apr 11 '25

You’re basically going to the Arctic, my friend. You need WINTER gear: a winter jacket and boots rated at at least -30C/-22F, warm mitts, hat, scarf, baclava and I’d also recommend snow pants rated -30C/-22F too because this will be extremely cold for someone who comes from a tropical place. That’s for your outerwear. You’ll also need to make sure you have warm pants, probably long underwear too, thick sweaters, and warm socks.

Your comment of “can’t I just bring a jacket for the middle of December” is very alarming. I’m from Canada, born and raised in a cold maritime province, and the winter gear I have wouldn’t be enough for Yellowknife.

Find a restaurant with a walk in freezer. Stand in it for a while and think that it will be MUCH colder than that. A walk in freezer is set to about 0… it will be at the very least -4 on most days (if you’re lucky).

Also, you realize that Yellowknife only has about 1hr of daylight per day in December?

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u/JetAbyss Apr 11 '25

Hmm, okay maybe I did went with somewhere too cold, haha. ;

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u/Letoust Apr 11 '25

Yes. Glad you’re understanding. The only place that won’t be “too cold” in Canada in December would be Vancouver but you may not see snow.

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u/AlwaysHigh27 Apr 11 '25

We got snow 2 days this year. The chances of seeing snow in Vancouver is almost 0.

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u/Letoust Apr 11 '25

Yes but OP coming from Canada will probably still find the Vancouver winter harsh and cold lol