Up North Adventures
Up North Adventures
4.5
Fishing Charters & Tours • Self-Guided Tours & Rentals • Kayaking & Canoeing • Day Trips
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Monday
8:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
8:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
8:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
8:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
8:30 AM - 5:00 PM
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About
Up North Adventures is an award winning adventure travel outfitter based in downtown Whitehorse, Yukon. We have been helping people from all over the world experience one of the most unique places on Earth since 1991! Our complete selection of trips and tours are designed to help you experience and enjoy the Yukon year round.
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
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4.5
158 reviews
Excellent
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5
Terrible
4
mickhemel
Southampton, UK43 contributions
Sep. 2023 • Friends
A Yukon canoe trip was booked via our travel agent in the UK. It was advertised as suitable for beginners/novices so we all felt in good hands.
Pickup from the hotel was on time and we headed for the shop/office. We signed the waiver forms and got fitted with paddles and life vests. Then we walked the 100m to the Yukon river bank. The river was flowing pretty fast with lots of visible eddies but we were told this is normal and the wind was quite gusty. Our guide had his dog with him and it was verging on manic! It was large and very excitable keep running off causing the guide to keep chasing to get it back and under control. The instruction briefing was limited to how to manage/steer the canoe but did NOT include and safety points; ie. what to do if we get into trouble or out of control, what if we capsize and are in the cold water etc. The group was 6 people, our party was 4 plus a Japanese couple who didnot really understand what was being said. One couple per canoe plus the guide and his dog in the 4th boat. Once in the canoe it very quickly became apparant how fast he river was moving. Within less than 5 mins our canoe was out front and several hundred metres downstream. It was hard work to stop the canoe from bering spun around by the eddies and the gusty wind. We decided to try and stop on the bank and wait for the other 3 canoes. During this process we were spun around and hit by a strong gust which started to tilt the canoe. Despite trying to overt disaster the canoe started to take on water and rapidly capsized leave use both in the cold fast moving Yukon! After the initial shock of the cold water we eventually managed to swim to a shallower part of the river closer to the bank and waited for help. The guide in his canoe appeared after a few minutes. His main concern seemed to be the safety and retrieval of the now submerged canoe close to the bank. We spent the next 10 mins getting the canoe emptied and hoisted up a steep bank to safety. While we were both now safe but still ankle deep in water the guide called the office to arrange support pickup for us. He then took-off to regroup with the other 2 canoes further downstream. The Japanse canoe then had problems and another 10 mins later the complete tour was cancelled. The response from the team in the office was an attitude of "you signed the waiver and i've got your money, so tough!" There was no apology or any sign of concern for our well being. Not a company I would recommend as they do not take their clients safety very seriously.
Pickup from the hotel was on time and we headed for the shop/office. We signed the waiver forms and got fitted with paddles and life vests. Then we walked the 100m to the Yukon river bank. The river was flowing pretty fast with lots of visible eddies but we were told this is normal and the wind was quite gusty. Our guide had his dog with him and it was verging on manic! It was large and very excitable keep running off causing the guide to keep chasing to get it back and under control. The instruction briefing was limited to how to manage/steer the canoe but did NOT include and safety points; ie. what to do if we get into trouble or out of control, what if we capsize and are in the cold water etc. The group was 6 people, our party was 4 plus a Japanese couple who didnot really understand what was being said. One couple per canoe plus the guide and his dog in the 4th boat. Once in the canoe it very quickly became apparant how fast he river was moving. Within less than 5 mins our canoe was out front and several hundred metres downstream. It was hard work to stop the canoe from bering spun around by the eddies and the gusty wind. We decided to try and stop on the bank and wait for the other 3 canoes. During this process we were spun around and hit by a strong gust which started to tilt the canoe. Despite trying to overt disaster the canoe started to take on water and rapidly capsized leave use both in the cold fast moving Yukon! After the initial shock of the cold water we eventually managed to swim to a shallower part of the river closer to the bank and waited for help. The guide in his canoe appeared after a few minutes. His main concern seemed to be the safety and retrieval of the now submerged canoe close to the bank. We spent the next 10 mins getting the canoe emptied and hoisted up a steep bank to safety. While we were both now safe but still ankle deep in water the guide called the office to arrange support pickup for us. He then took-off to regroup with the other 2 canoes further downstream. The Japanse canoe then had problems and another 10 mins later the complete tour was cancelled. The response from the team in the office was an attitude of "you signed the waiver and i've got your money, so tough!" There was no apology or any sign of concern for our well being. Not a company I would recommend as they do not take their clients safety very seriously.
Written September 27, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sarah VE
5 contributions
Mar. 2023 • Solo
I did both the snow mobile tour and the dog sledding and both were outstanding!
Derek was so patient and gave clear instructions for using the snow mobile. He talked about the lake and its history and we even got hot chocolate on the mountain!
Nicolas and his pup Yuma were my guides for dog sledding and they were both incredible! It was amazing to work as a team with the dogs and get to see so much of the forest!
I will be telling everyone for a long time that they need these experiences in their lives!
Derek was so patient and gave clear instructions for using the snow mobile. He talked about the lake and its history and we even got hot chocolate on the mountain!
Nicolas and his pup Yuma were my guides for dog sledding and they were both incredible! It was amazing to work as a team with the dogs and get to see so much of the forest!
I will be telling everyone for a long time that they need these experiences in their lives!
Written March 12, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Childs family
1 contribution
Mar. 2023 • Couples
We thoroughly enjoyed our snowmobiling tour! Derrick & Kerian were great guides! They made sure we had warm gear, knew how to operate the machines safely & provided interesting & fun information along the way. We loved the surprise in the middle of the tour!
Written March 11, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Courtney W
Burnaby, Canada70 contributions
Feb. 2023
AMAZING! we did dog sledding with this company (booked through arctic range adventures) and I was sooooo impressed.. Total was 4 hrs as we got to ride with the dogs for 1.5-2 hrs. Everyone had to drive their own muktuk and that was an amazing experience. Each got 4 dogs and clothing was included. Our tour guide was french and he made the experience comfortable and fun. We rode on the lake as well as in the forest. We went on a really sunny day and our guide said we were very lucky cause the view was beautiful. He even took pics for us half way through and made sure we were safe and always checked up on us.
I highly recommend renting with this company.
I highly recommend renting with this company.
Written February 5, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sana U
4 contributions
Jan. 2023
We had an amazing time snowmobiling with Up North! They take their time to prep and explain everything, which was great especially for beginners like us. It was a unique experience and loved that it was a small group of about 11 people total. I would definitely book with them again.
Written January 17, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Susanne
Flesherton, Canada8 contributions
Jan. 2023 • Friends
We had the most amazing snow mobile experience today.
Most eople of our group had never been on a snow mobile. Guide Felix explained everything very well and with a lot of patience.
After a couple of minutes everybody felt comfortable driving. We saw beautiful sights, crossed Fish lake, met a dod sledding party, drove up to a plateau overlooking the lake (cookies and hot chocolate) and visited a creek. Lots of opportunities to go real fast.
The snow mobiles were in perfect condition, the rental gear was clean and fit well.
Felix is a very knowledgeable guide. He also checked on us constantly during the tour.
By far my favorite snow mobile tour ever. Thank you!
Most eople of our group had never been on a snow mobile. Guide Felix explained everything very well and with a lot of patience.
After a couple of minutes everybody felt comfortable driving. We saw beautiful sights, crossed Fish lake, met a dod sledding party, drove up to a plateau overlooking the lake (cookies and hot chocolate) and visited a creek. Lots of opportunities to go real fast.
The snow mobiles were in perfect condition, the rental gear was clean and fit well.
Felix is a very knowledgeable guide. He also checked on us constantly during the tour.
By far my favorite snow mobile tour ever. Thank you!
Written January 4, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jason C
1 contribution
Dec. 2022 • Solo
What can I say? Dec 2022 is one for the record books. Flight delays and cancellations across Canada meant my trip from YVR to Whitehorse was affected as well. Greg and team we’re understanding and rescheduled my snowmobiling and Aurora viewing tours to fit my shortened vacation schedule. I know this was an unprecedented season, and I truly appreciate that the team is sympathetic and flexible. The snowmobiling tour was a blast (even in -35 degrees temp), and the Aurora Borealis danced before our eyes that night!
Written December 26, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Roxanne
Prince George, Canada2 contributions
Jul. 2022
My husband and I, along with another couple from Germany, booked a private guided canoe (and hiking) trip on the Wind River (and Peel River) in the northern Yukon for 13 days in late July and early August 2022. Up North staff and the owner (Mark) were excellent to work with in planning and preparing for the trip. They provided all the equipment (canoes, paddles, life jackets, safety gear, all kitchen supplies, tents, toilet supplies, etc.), along with two guides. They provided the shuttle to and from Mayo and arranged for the float planes to fly us to and from the river (the shuttle and float plane rides were included in the cost). They did an excellent job preparing us for the trip by providing a detailed list of what we needed to bring in terms of clothing and personal items (e.g., insect repellent, etc.) Had we wanted, they would have booked hotels for us and picked us up from the airport. While we were original slated to have one guide with us, in the end two joined us at no extra cost to us.
Our guides did all the work of setting up, cooking, etc. They did an excellent job of getting us safely down the rivers, preparing delicious meals that worked around food allergies, suggesting the best places to hike and escorting us on the hikes to ensure we were safe at all times, finding good campsites, teaching us to fish, providing hot water for sponge baths, providing information about the wildlife (like the lone wolf that wandered into our camp one evening), regaling us with entertaining tales, etc. Because it was a private trip and we were good paddlers, we were able to spend 5.5 days (rather than the two scheduled days) hiking in the beautiful mountains surrounding us. It was an incredible experience.
I would definitely use their services again, no matter how small or large the expedition, e.g., renting a canoe, paddles, life jackets, and safety gear for a day trip.
Our guides did all the work of setting up, cooking, etc. They did an excellent job of getting us safely down the rivers, preparing delicious meals that worked around food allergies, suggesting the best places to hike and escorting us on the hikes to ensure we were safe at all times, finding good campsites, teaching us to fish, providing hot water for sponge baths, providing information about the wildlife (like the lone wolf that wandered into our camp one evening), regaling us with entertaining tales, etc. Because it was a private trip and we were good paddlers, we were able to spend 5.5 days (rather than the two scheduled days) hiking in the beautiful mountains surrounding us. It was an incredible experience.
I would definitely use their services again, no matter how small or large the expedition, e.g., renting a canoe, paddles, life jackets, and safety gear for a day trip.
Written September 12, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Face_The_Elements
Edmonton, Canada265 contributions
Mar. 2022 • Business
Today we jumped on a half day snowmobiling tour with Up North. We were picked up from our hotel and transported to the site just outside of town. Our guide Mark was friendly and professional, and made sure that we were taken care of throughout our time there. Upon arrival on site, we had the option to jump into some warmer clothes if we needed, and then our guide sat with each of us and made sure we understood how to use the snowmobile‘s before jumping onto the trails. We took off onto the lake and into the hillside for some amazing views. Our guide was very patient and checked in with us often. Our machines worked great and we enjoyed our time exploring Fish Lake and surrounding area. Definitely a highlight of our trip.
Written March 15, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Travel-1-Facts
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada280 contributions
Feb. 2022
We drove about a half an hour out of town to the site where we had to change our clothes. We wore winter heavy boots, pants, jacket etc., but our guide wanted us to put on even heavier clothes and balaclava around our face/neck. Our guide said he is retired, but does these tours in the winter.
Most of the trip was fine except one incident. Our guide said we would have to pull over on the narrow trail if a dog sled team came by. Sure enough, there was a group of 4 dog sleds stopped on the path near the lake. The woman driving the snowmobile in front of me headed left into a snow bank. I followed behind to get off the path, but didn’t go as far into the side bank as she did. Our guide said he would have to get her sled out of the snow, so had them get off the machine. For us, he just said to come back onto the path. Keeping in mind this is the first time we have ever sat on a snow machine, we were quite scared when I slowly moved the machine out of the snow, down the bank, and we thought it was going to tip over. We both put out our feet to stop from rolling. Our guide came back and said to never put our feet down! … It was an understandable reaction. I told him that if we were in a situation like that again, I would appreciate it if HE would get the sled out for us, and not leave it to us when we are not sure of what we are doing.
About half way through the day, after our stop at a lookout, he said we could change drivers. (Two people share the snow machine and each has a turn at driving.) Then he said the following section “was going to be a bit technical”. That’s scary. Now we have a NEW driver, and the trail is going to get tougher to drive? We went a short distance and he said it was going to be too tough, and had us all turn around to head back down the hill where we had come from.
Most of the trip was fine except one incident. Our guide said we would have to pull over on the narrow trail if a dog sled team came by. Sure enough, there was a group of 4 dog sleds stopped on the path near the lake. The woman driving the snowmobile in front of me headed left into a snow bank. I followed behind to get off the path, but didn’t go as far into the side bank as she did. Our guide said he would have to get her sled out of the snow, so had them get off the machine. For us, he just said to come back onto the path. Keeping in mind this is the first time we have ever sat on a snow machine, we were quite scared when I slowly moved the machine out of the snow, down the bank, and we thought it was going to tip over. We both put out our feet to stop from rolling. Our guide came back and said to never put our feet down! … It was an understandable reaction. I told him that if we were in a situation like that again, I would appreciate it if HE would get the sled out for us, and not leave it to us when we are not sure of what we are doing.
About half way through the day, after our stop at a lookout, he said we could change drivers. (Two people share the snow machine and each has a turn at driving.) Then he said the following section “was going to be a bit technical”. That’s scary. Now we have a NEW driver, and the trail is going to get tougher to drive? We went a short distance and he said it was going to be too tough, and had us all turn around to head back down the hill where we had come from.
Written March 5, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you so much for your review! We're glad that you were able to take advantage of the extra winter gear that we provide for those colder days, especially on our snowmobiling and ice fishing tours. We're also pleased to hear that your guide took excellent care of you: extricating machines when guests were unable to, instructions to protect you from bodily harm (no leg can prevent a machine from rolling over!), cautions about the coming trail before the option for guests to switch drivers, and a sound decision to reroute the group when the trail wasn't safe to proceed. It sounds like you had a wonderful tour with a well-experienced guide who kept everyone safe and warm and prevented any incidents while out on the machines. Thanks for recommending Up North Adventures!
Written March 8, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
No questions have been asked about this experience