Document and Entity Information - USD ($)	12 Months Ended
	Nov. 30, 2015	Jan. 20, 2016	May. 29, 2015
Document And Entity Information
Entity Registrant Name	NOVAGOLD RESOURCES INC
Entity Central Index Key	0001173420
Document Type	10-K
Document Period End Date	Nov. 30, 2015
Amendment Flag	false
Current Fiscal Year End Date	--11-30
Is Entity a Well-known Seasoned Issuer?	Yes
Is Entity a Voluntary Filer?	No
Is Entity's Reporting Status Current?	Yes
Entity Filer Category	Large Accelerated Filer
Entity Public Float			$ 798,815,000
Entity Common Stock, Shares Outstanding		319,323,874
Document Fiscal Period Focus	FY
Document Fiscal Year Focus	2015