This story is part of our guide to traveling in Canada, created with support from Canada.

Canada winters exceptionally well. Ahead of the holidays, and sometimes straight into spring, much of the country becomes a real-life wonderland – there’s scenic slopes to ski, frozen lakes to glide across, and warming beverages to sip after a day embracing the elements. Beyond this standard seasonal fare, though, some Canadian pastimes parallel their extreme settings more than others. To wit: After a day searching for Arctic wildlife, travelers welcome middle-of-the-night wake-up calls from a celestial watch team to bundle up and step outside under the aurora borealis. From these predawn northern lights to powderhound snow chariots and ice-skating as commuter transportation, winter hits different up north. Here, four only-in-Canada activities to put on your list.

Dogsled in the Yukon

Larger in area than California, the Yukon territory’s population of around 40,000 makes it a small town in spirit, albeit with plenty of room to roam. Break tracks in snowshoes, returning to home base in the pink alpenglow, or spend an afternoon zooming across the frozen tundra on a snowmobile during Entrée Canada’s seven-day Yukon winter trek. Learn to dogsled with professional musher Michelle Phillips on a four-hour outing that includes a meet and greet with the huskies, who leap and howl as “go time” approaches. Later, helicopter into Tombstone Territorial Park, and spend a day in historic Dawson City, site of the late 1890s Klondike Gold Rush. Departures: Multiple dates, December through March 2024.

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