Getting to and Around the Yukon at Christmas and New Year 2026

What actually runs over the holidays, which roads stay plowed, and how far apart everything really is.

Starting in Whitehorse

Most winter trips start at Whitehorse's airport, and the territory's distances shape everything after. This guide covers flights, roads and what to expect from services over the holidays.

Reaching Whitehorse in late December

Almost every winter trip starts at Erik Nielsen Whitehorse International Airport, about ten minutes by road from the city centre. Air North, Yukon's Airline, is the main carrier, flying Whitehorse to Vancouver, Calgary and Edmonton, with seasonal links to Toronto and Ottawa, some of them through Yellowknife. Air Canada also flies to Vancouver. Schedules change, and cold weather can delay or cancel flights on any airline, so check each airline's site for the holiday week and leave a buffer day on either end.

Air North also flies north from Whitehorse to Dawson City, Old Crow and Inuvik. If a 5.5-hour drive through lightly inhabited subarctic country sounds daunting, flying is a way to get farther north without it.

Book your rental car when you book the flight. Ask about winter tires when you reserve, and get the answer in writing. Several taxi companies serve Whitehorse and the surrounding area, and some hotels run a shared shuttle between several properties, so ask your hotel what it offers.

Whitehorse is a geographically spread-out city. The main downtown grid is walkable, and sidewalks are typically cleared of snow, but cold weather can make walking hard without the proper outdoor clothing. Beyond downtown, a car or taxi makes getting around easier. Holiday weeks are popular travel times, so book flights and lodging together.

Roads, distances and what to expect

The Alaska Highway is the winter spine of the territory. Whitehorse to Haines Junction is roughly 155 km, about two hours in good conditions and longer when the road is slick. Whitehorse to Carcross is about 75 km on the South Klondike Highway. Both routes are maintained through the holidays, but plowing and sanding follow the weather, so build daylight into every drive. In late December the sun sits low and daylight runs short, so plan arrivals before dark where you can. Check 511yukon.ca before setting out, and DriveBC if you are driving in through British Columbia.

Beyond those two highways, the picture changes. The North Klondike Highway to Dawson City is about 530 km, roughly six hours, and winter services thin out past Carmacks, with fuel and food stops limited and some seasonal businesses closed. Watson Lake on the Alaska Highway is about 450 km away and a similar proposition. If your trip is built around Christmas and New Year, a hotel base in Whitehorse with day drives avoids long highway legs in the dark. Yukon highways have long stretches with little traffic, so tell someone where you are going and when to expect you, and carry warm clothes, food and water. Vehicle breakdown cover is worth arranging before you go.

How the holidays affect services

Christmas Day and New Year's Day, 25 December 2026 and 1 January 2027, are public holidays across Canada. Expect some Whitehorse restaurants, shops and attractions to run reduced hours or close on those two dates. Several hotel restaurants stay open when others take the day off. Grocery stores usually operate with shorter hours, so check ahead. Ask your hotel directly what food service it runs over the holidays, since a kitchen open on Christmas Day is not universal. Reserve any holiday meals well ahead.

Tours need the same treatment. Aurora viewing operators run through the winter, but their schedules over the holidays change, and weather can cancel a night with little notice. Book for your first or second night rather than your last, then rebook if the sky does not cooperate. The Yukon Wildlife Preserve and hot springs operators set their own holiday hours, so check their official sites before you drive out. The Canada Games Centre and city pools publish holiday schedules too, which matters if you want an indoor afternoon.

Where to base yourself

Downtown Whitehorse, around Main Street and the waterfront, puts you within walking distance of the MacBride Museum, the S.S. Klondike grounds (the interior is closed) and many restaurants, and it is the most practical base without a car.

Outside Whitehorse, Haines Junction gives you access to Kluane National Park with a small choice of accommodation, and Carcross has a handful of rooms near the lake. Both are quiet in late December, and some lodgings close for the season, so confirm before booking. One way to put a trip together is a downtown Whitehorse hotel for the holiday dates themselves, with Haines Junction as a one or two night add-on if roads are clear.

Dawson City is fun in winter, and an experience for sure. It is typically colder and darker than Whitehorse, which is an experience in itself. The drive is long, services are limited and many businesses close for the season, so check ahead, or fly with Air North.

Questions, answered

Do I need a car in Whitehorse over Christmas?

It helps. Downtown Whitehorse is walkable, but the city is spread out, and the airport, larger stores and many trailheads sit outside the main downtown grid. Ask about winter tires when you book a rental.

Is it safe to drive between Whitehorse and Haines Junction in late December?

The Alaska Highway is maintained year-round, but conditions change fast. Check 511yukon.ca the morning you travel, carry an emergency kit and keep to daylight. It is about 155 km, longer than it looks in winter.

What is open on Christmas Day and New Year's Day?

Both are public holidays across Canada, so expect reduced hours at some restaurants, shops and attractions in Whitehorse, and closures at some independents. Several hotel restaurants stay open. Grocery stores usually run shorter hours. Ask your hotel about holiday food service and confirm any tour with the operator's official site.

Can I fly farther north from Whitehorse?

Air North flies from Whitehorse to Dawson City, Old Crow and Inuvik. Check schedules for the holiday week.

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