Indigenous Tourism in Canada: Tours & Wilderness Lodges

This is Canada since time immemorial.

Introduction to Indigenous Culture in Canada

Indigenous peoples have been living across Canada since time immemorial. They comprise of First Nations, Metis, and Inuit peoples, three distinct groups. Within each group are multiple unique cultures, languages, and traditions passed down through countless generations.

Among just First Nations peoples alone, there are 634 recognized bands, with 36 different languages. These languages and traditions are intertwined with stories of origin, ways of life, and relationships with nature.

We feel it too. Our office is located in Vancouver, traditional and unceded territories of the x?m??k??y??m (Musqueam), S?wx?wú7mesh (Squamish), and s?l?ilw?ta?? (Tsleil-Waututh) First Nations.

Credit: Klahoose Wilderness Resort / Christ Tait

Why Indigenous Tourism is Important in Canada

Indigenous tourism is a meaningful way to connect with the history, culture, and people who have called these lands home for thousands upon thousands of years. Choosing Indigenous-led tours, stays, and experiences supports reconciliation, creates jobs, and empowers Indigenous communities to continue sharing their knowledge.

It helps preserve cultural traditions — language, art, traditional knowledge — while providing younger generations with a concrete reason to continue learning them. This is travel that creates impact: it sustains communities, fosters understanding, and builds bridges between cultures. And, in exchange, guests get to learn about a Canada far older and richer than they’d anticipate.

Indigenous Lodges in Canada

Many Indigenous-owned lodges in Canada use their remote locations as extraordinary access to world-class wildlife-watching. And, at the same time, they combine these experiences with deep cultural knowledge that guests won’t find anywhere else.

Indigenous peoples introduce guests to their traditional territories and to the creatures that inhabit them, while connecting with the land through an Indigenous perspective.

Credit: Knight Inlet Lodge

Knight Inlet Lodge

British Columbia

Knight Inlet Lodge is an Indigenous owned, fly-in-only, floating bear-viewing lodge at the very end of Knight Inlet, in the heart of the Great Bear Rainforest.

Five partner First Nations now own the Lodge — Da’naxda’xw Awaetlala, Mamalilikulla, Tlowitsis, Wei Wai Kum, and K’ómoks. Together, they welcome you into their ancestral home. Indigenous culture is infused into every aspect of your stay here. A ceremonial canoe and totem pole welcome you to the lodge, and signage includes both the Indigenous Kwakwaka’wakw language alongside English.

Credit: Knight Inlet Lodge

As stewards of the land, the lodge maintains a salmon spawning site nearby, and makes use of it for bear-viewing. Exclusive river viewing platforms overlook the site, and offer an extraordinary way to watch the bears feed up close, as well as a sustainable means to help salmon conservation.

“It was an honour to be welcomed to the ancestral home of the Da’naxda’xw Awaetlala, and you can truly understand their relationship to the land through the way they care for it.” -Sarah, Travel Designer

Being 150 miles from Vancouver means access to truly wild wildlife, and wilder still landscapes. That being said, the lodge is easy to access. A direct flight from Vancouver will take you to Campbell River, on Vancouver Island, where you will be transferred to a private floatplane to the lodge.

Credit: Spirit Bear Lodge

Spirit Bear Lodge

British Columbia

Spirit Bear Lodge is situated in the heart of the Kitasoo Xai’xais Traditional Territory, deep in the Great Bear Rainforest. As a result, your days here are spent exploring by boat in search of bears.

Among them, you look for the exceedingly rare Spirit Bear — known to the Kitasoo Xai’xais First Nation as Ha?sl?x??i ??a? - mooskgm’ol (white bear) —in the only place on Earth that it exists. Spirit Bears inhabit a small portion of the Great Bear Rainforest, so opportunities to spot one are few and far between, and the bear is often only encountered by the people who know these lands best.

While, like all wildlife, a sighting cannot be guaranteed, around half of guests at the lodge experience this once-in-a-lifetime encounter. And, as you travel through Kitasoo Xai’xais Territory, you’ll visit cultural sites and learn the stories of how they came to be.

Credit: Klahoose Wilderness Resort

Klahoose Wilderness Resort

Vancouver Island

Klahoose Wilderness Resort is located in Desolation Sound, British Columbia. Despite its name, the sound is teeming with life. Here, toq qaym?x? (Klahoose) Indigenous culture is a core part of your stay, opening up these experiences with an intimacy that's found in few other places.

Credit: Klahoose Wilderness Resort

The offerings here revolve with the time of year, following nature’s patterns and the wildlife or experiences that come along with it. That means, in spring or summer, you might see black bears on the shores, and search the waters for humpbacks, orcas, and dolphins, and in fall, bear-viewing along the Toba Inlet in search of grizzlies.

“Klahoose is the perfect blend of luxury and adventure. The rooms have gorgeous water views, but the highlight, of course, was bear viewing — they were so close we could hear them breathe!” -Victor, Travel Designer

At the same time, you’ll be introduced to local Indigenous culture firsthand. You’ll visit the ancestral village site of Ahpokum, participate in a traditional bathing ceremony, and learn about Klahoose heritage. Your evenings are spent learning traditional crafts like cedar weaving and listening to masterful storytelling.

Credit: Canada By Design

Sea Wolf Adventures

Vancouver Island

Sea Wolf Adventures are newly collaborating with Sointula Lodge, a fishing lodge on a small island off of North Vancouver Island, to create an all-inclusive luxury wildlife and cultural experience.

This is reconciliation in action.

“Our time with Sea Wolf Adventures was honestly life-changing. Not only did we see a frankly astonishing amount of wildlife, but we were given the opportunity to learn more about these lands and the people who inhabit them than we ever could have otherwise.” -Rowan, Team Member

Sointula Lodge provides a luxurious home base — complete with a charming, comfortable private cabin, evening activities, included alcohol, and nightly three-course meals — for daily exploration alongside your personal Indigenous guide.

Credit: Sea Wolf Adventures

You’ll spend your days out on the water, exploring the channels between islands littering British Columbia’s coast, and adventuring deep up extraordinarily remote glacial inlets and rivers only accessible by boat or air.

Your time is split between wildlife watching — your expert guide takes you to the places grizzly bears, whales, sea lions, and more are known to gather — and cultural tours — as you journey past remote Indigenous villages on a jet-boating adventure and learn about Kwakwaka’wakw traditions on a visit to the U’mista Cultural Centre.

Credit: Haida House at Tllaal

Haida House at Tllaal

Haida Gwaii

To call Haida Gwaii mystical is an understatement. In Xaayda Gwaay.yaay (Haida Gwaii), ancient rainforests cover the land, the oceans are teeming with wildlife, and an old culture lives, and has since time immemorial.

The Haida House at Tllaal is a cedar lodge located on the banks of the Tlell River with easy beach access. There, you’ll have the chance to explore the island with expert local guides, switching between private tours of cultural sites and expeditions of the surrounding land and sea.

You’ll have an unmatched opportunity to meet with Haida locals and learn about their way of life. Visit an art studio, take a class from a master weaver, and tour the towns and villages that live in this beautiful part of the world.

Credit: Travel Alberta

Metis Crossing

Alberta

Métis Crossing is the first major Métis cultural interpretive destination in Canada. Here, you’ll stay in a little-explored part of Alberta’s plains along the North Saskatchewan River.

Across your stay, you’ll participate in cultural workshops and exhibits as you are introduced to Metis people and culture, all guided by knowledgeable Metis interpreters. And, beyond these activities, you’ll enjoy a traditional Metis three-course meal prepared with locally sourced ingredients in your evening there.

You can stay in a suite in the stylishly modern lodge, or in a sky-watching dome, making use of the Alberta prairies’ vast skies for clear stargazing. Despite being far from city lights, Metis Crossing is easy to reach, being just an hour and a half from Edmonton International Airport.

Indigenous Tours & Experiences in Canada

Beyond lodges, there are countless ways to experience Indigenous culture through tours, art, and storytelling.

Credit: Squamish Lil'wat Cultural Centre / Blake Jorgensen

Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Center

Whistler

The S?wx?wú7mesh Lí?wat7ul Cultural Centre (SLCC) in Whistler showcases the cultures of the Squamish and Lil’wat Nations. It features a diverse range of items, including carved house posts, canoes, regalia, art, and photography, as well as guided tours of the center, traditional performances, and on-site modern Indigenous dining.

Credit: Northern BC Tourism / Shayd Johnson

Kay Llnagaay Haida Heritage Centre

Haida Gwaii

The Haida Heritage Centre at Kay Llnagaay is an award-winning cultural tourism destination introducing visitors to the Haida people’s remarkable living culture. Located at an ancient village site, the center connects language, art, and stories to reaffirm traditions and beliefs, continue as cultural knowledge keepers, and share that with the world.

Grizzly Bears of the Wild Tour

Vancouver Island

Led by Indigenous guides from Sea Wolf Adventures, this full-day bear-viewing tour takes travelers deep into the Great Bear Rainforest, where grizzlies roam. Not only will you get the chance to spot wildlife — including humpback whales, orcas, black bears, and, of course, grizzlies — but you will also be introduced to the region’s culture and history from those who have inhabited these lands for as long as time.

Credit: Malahat SkyWalk / Milen Kootnikoff

Malahat Skywalk

Vancouver Island

This striking wooden walkway spirals into a tower in the sky and offers beautiful sweeping views over the Salish Sea and Gulf Islands that surround it. It’s just a short distance from Victoria and is co-owned by the Malahat Nation.

Bill Reid Gallery of Northwest Coast Art

Vancouver

The Bill Reid Gallery of Northwest Coast Art is the only public gallery in Canada dedicated to the Northwest Coast, featuring the works of Haida master artist Bill Reid alongside rotating exhibitions of other Indigenous artists.

Credit: Destination BC / Kevin Arnold

Museum of Anthropology

Vancouver

While not Indigenous-owned, the Museum of Anthropology (MOA) in Vancouver works closely with Indigenous peoples, groups, and organizations to respectfully display traditional and contemporary art and artifacts.

The Pacific Northwest Galleries and Great Hall greet you as you enter, and contain historic and contemporary Northwest Coast items, including totem poles, house posts, canoes, and textiles. And, in the museum grounds, two Haida Houses were constructed specially for the museum, and stand alongside memorial totem poles.

Credit: Pacific Coastal Airlines

How to Tailor Your Package

Every Indigenous experience mentioned above can be booked with Canada By Design.

We partner with Indigenous-owned and run businesses across the country. And, although you won’t find every one of these offerings on our website (think of this like a secret menu), our Travel Designers can create your trip designed around Indigenous and cultural experiences.

So, whether you’d like an exclusive trip to a lodge or to design a longer vacation, we can help.

We’ll take care of the logistics — arranging access to remote locations, weaving these experiences into broader vacations — while Indigenous guides share the knowledge and traditions they’ve carried for generations.

Indigenous Dining in Canada

Food is one of the most intimate ways to experience culture. Indigenous cuisine in Canada is just starting to take hold, being found across the country. We recommend finding Bannock, the delicious traditional fried bread, which is a staple food of Indigenous peoples across the country. You can try it in several of these restaurants.

Credit: Kwa'lilas Hotel

Ha’me’ Restaurant

Ha’me’ Restaurant is an upscale dining spot in the also Indigenous-owned Kwa’lilas Hotel in Port Hardy, Vancouver Island. It takes Indigenous staples —local seafood, wild meats, and Island greens — and elevates them into a one-of-a-kind Indigenous fine-dining experience.

Nax’id’ Pub

In the same site as the Ha’me’ Restaurant, the Nax’id’ Pub offers a more casual setting to enjoy Indigenous-inspired takes on Canadian classics. Your burger can come in a bannock bun, and salmon is smoked in-house.

Credit: Destination Vancouver / Kindred & Scout

Salmon n’ Bannock Bistro

Salmon n’ Bannock Bistro is Vancouver’s only Indigenous restaurant. They use local and traditional ingredients to introduce guests to Indigenous flavors and meals. And, with their ‘On the Fly’ location at Vancouver International Airport, you’ll have the chance to sample their bites on the go.

Thunderbird Café

In the S?wx?wú7mesh Lí?wat7ul Cultural Centre, you’ll find a cafe serving hearty Indigenous-inspired meals. After wandering the center, try bannock tacos, cedar plank salmon, and venison chili.

The Dining Room at the Haida House

Whether you’re staying at Haida House or not, you’ll have the chance to dine in The Dining Room. Here, they serve an ever-changing menu deeply connected to the land and sea around them. That means fresh seafood, foraged greens, and deep-rooted flavor.

Credit: Canada By Design

Book Today with Canada By Design

Inspired?

Contact a Travel Designer to begin planning your trip. They will work one-on-one with you to design a journey that connects you with authentic, Indigenous-led experiences.

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Feature Image Credit: Klahoose Wilderness Lodge