Routes at a glance
| From | How | Time | Good to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ottawa (YOW) | Flight to Iqaluit | About 3 hours | Daily; onward flights to Baffin communities |
| Yellowknife or Whitehorse | Flight to Inuvik | 2–3 hours with stops | Several a week |
| Dawson City, Yukon | Car on the Dempster Highway to Inuvik | 2 days (740 km) | Gravel; closed during river freeze-up and break-up |
| Inuvik | Car to Tuktoyaktuk | About 2.5 hours (138 km) | All-season gravel highway |
| Winnipeg (YWG) | Flight or train to Churchill | About 2.5 hours by air; about 2 days by rail | No road access |
| Greenland or Alaska | Expedition ship through the Northwest Passage | 2 weeks or more | August–September |
Flying north
Northern Canada is served by a small number of airlines flying jets to hubs such as Iqaluit, Yellowknife, Inuvik and Rankin Inlet, and turboprops beyond. Fares are high, baggage allowances matter and weather delays of a day or more are routine. Book flexible tickets where you can and never plan a same-day international connection on the way home.
Driving to the Arctic Ocean
The Dempster Highway is open in summer and, on ice bridges, in winter, but closes for several weeks in spring and autumn when the Peel and Mackenzie rivers are neither frozen nor clear. It is gravel throughout, with fuel only at Eagle Plains, Fort McPherson and Inuvik. Carry two full-size spare tyres, extra fuel and food, and tell your rental company where you are going — many forbid gravel highways. The Inuvik–Tuktoyaktuk section is soft and slow after rain.
Entry rules
Most visa-exempt visitors arriving by air need an electronic travel authorisation for Canada; others need a visa. Northwest Passage cruises usually start or end in Greenland or Alaska, so check the rules for those as well. National parks in the Arctic require visitors to register and attend an orientation.
Getting around locally
- No Nunavut community is connected to another by road. Within towns, shared taxis charge a flat fare per person.
- Outside communities you need a guide or outfitter, both for navigation and for polar bear safety.
- Inuvik and Tuktoyaktuk are small enough to walk; a car is useful for the pingos and viewpoints.
- Mobile coverage exists in communities and vanishes outside them. Carry a satellite communicator on the highways.
- Cards are widely accepted, but bring some Canadian cash for crafts and community tours.
