Suggested Aboriginal Itineraries & Getaways
AtBC is pleased to provide you with carefully designed itineraries and getaways showcasing Aboriginal-owned hotels & lodges, activities, attractions, art galleries, restaurants, cultural centres and museums along popular driving routes in British Columbia. You can download all of the information in one package (PDF format) or browse the information below. Please contact your preferred travel agent or tour operator for more information, dates and rates; or browse our website for more information on the individual Aboriginal-owned tourism businesses.
Click here to download all of the Suggested Itineraries in PDF format.
Suggested Itineraries
- The Totem Trail - Land of Totems 14 Nights
- The Salish Sea and Island Adventures 7 Nights
- Vancouver Island’s Timeless Culture 8 Nights
- The Cultural Journey 5 Nights
- The Legends, Resorts & Vineyards 11 Nights
- The Mountain Legends, Vineyards & Hot Springs 8 Nights
- The Cultural & Historical Explorer 8 Nights
- The Great Bear Rainforest and the Legend of the Spirit Bear 3 to 7 Nights
- Chilcotin Cultural Adventures 5 Nights
- Wild River Canyon Adventure 4 Nights
Suggested Getaways
- Alert Bay Getaway 2 Nights
- Whistler Getaway 2 Nights
- Vancouver Getaway 2 Nights
- Sunshine Coast Getaway 1 Night
- Harrison Hot Springs Getaway 1 Night
- Kootenay Rockies Getaway 3 to 7 Nights
Suggested Itineraries
The Totem Trail - Land of Totems
- DURATION: 14 Nights / 15 Days
- DATES: May to October, check BC Ferries’ schedule for sailings
- ROUTE: Vancouver | Victoria | Campbell River / Quadra Island | Port Hardy | Prince Rupert | Haida Gwaii | Prince Rupert | Smithers | Prince George
Discover British Columbia and its rich First Nations culture. Explore ancient villages and impressive totem sites, plus encounter stunning wildlife during whale and bear-watching tours on this fascinating and captivating itinerary. The totem poles you’ll encounter on the journey are as varied as the cultures that make them, and recount timeless legends, clan lineages or notable events. British Columbia has some of the largest, oldest and the world’s best examples of totem poles - with a number of these ancient art forms still standing in their original, historic settings. Touch these timeless treasures and interact with many of the world-famous master carvers and artists who live in these regions and share their heritage and culture as they create their art.
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The Salish Sea and Island Adventures
- DURATION: 7 Nights / 8 Days
- DATES: May to October, Daily
- ROUTE: Vancouver | Victoria | Campbell River / Quadra Island | Sechelt | Vancouver
Celebrate the Coast Salish and Kwakwaka’wakw people on this memorable route that takes you by ferry from Vancouver to Victoria and beautiful Vancouver Island. Another sailing takes you from Comox to the Inside Passage and Powell River on the Sunshine Coast. Feel like you’ve stepped into a world from another time as rainforests and mountains haunt the shoreline of coastal British Columbia. Let the area’s First Nations immerse you in their ancient and living culture. Visit interpretive centres and sample traditional foods, watch a First Nations carver create a totem pole, and purchase original Aboriginal art from the many art galleries along the way. Taste the distinctive flavours of regional indigenous cuisine, explore a pristine beach, go whale or bear-watching, or paddle a canoe along the ocean shores with a knowledgeable First Nations guide.
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Vancouver Island’s Timeless Culture
- DURATION: 8 Nights / 9 Days
- DATES: May to October, Daily
- ROUTE: Vancouver | Nanaimo | Tofino / Ucluelet | Campbell River / Quadra Island | Duncan | Victoria | Vancouver
Travel to Vancouver Island and be enchanted by the ancient legends, magnificent art and living culture of the region’s First Nations. Home to the Coast Salish, Nuu-chah-nulth and Kwakwakawa’wakw peoples, Vancouver Island offers a wide range of thrilling Aboriginal experiences and cultural adventures. Explore First Nations hospitality, myths and the timeless culture through art, adventure and wildlife tours, cultural presentations and interpretive centres. Listen to stories told by elders, see stunning totem poles, discover the works of world-class artists in local galleries, relax in an Aboriginal-owned resort, or explore the waterways by canoe with a knowledgeable guide.
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The Cultural Journey
- DURATION: 5 Nights / 6 Days
- DATES: May to October, Daily
- ROUTE: Vancouver | Whistler | Lillooet | Boston Bar | Harrison Hot Springs / Agassiz | Vancouver
This incredibly scenic route takes you north from Vancouver and the Pacific Ocean, through the magnificent Coast Mountains. Along the way, explore the Cultural Journey between Vancouver and Whistler—a fascinating set of markers and maps recounting tales of the area’s ancient place names and legends. Spend time sightseeing in Whistler Resort, or trying out some of the area’s amazing outdoor recreation. The route then takes you to the Fraser Canyon area, and through to Harrison Hot Springs before returning to Vancouver. You’ll have once-in-a-lifetime opportunities to experience First Nations hospitality, cuisine and attractions at hotels and restaurants, museums, historical sites, art galleries and cultural centres. Learn time-honoured techniques for preparing salmon, visit sweat lodges and smoke houses, or explore traditional fishing grounds.
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The Legends, Resorts & Vineyards
- DURATION: 11 Nights / 12 Days
- DATES: May to October, Daily
- ROUTE: Vancouver | Harrison Hot Springs / Agassiz | Osoyoos | Kelowna | Chase | Lillooet | Whistler | Vancouver
Discover First Nations legends, resorts and vineyards on this spectacular and scenic adventure. Experience British Columbia’s diverse and ever-changing geography as you travel from the Pacific Ocean and the Coast Mountains to semi-arid deserts, charming lakeside towns, and some of the most fertile farmland in the province. After spending some time exploring metropolitan Vancouver’s downtown lights, the trip takes you through the lush Fraser Valley to British Columbia’s spectacular wine country. Sample a glass of excellent vintage while you relax at an Aboriginal-owned resort and spa, or take in a quick 18 holes on a championship golf course. This tour offers relaxed and unparalleled access to First Nations experiences that include cultural adventure tours, wineries, championship golf courses, museums, art galleries, cultural centres, restaurants and much more.
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The Mountain Legends, Vineyards & Hot Springs
- DURATION: 8 Nights / 9 Days
- DATES: May to October, Daily
- ROUTE: Calgary | Kootenay National Park | Cranbrook | Osoyoos | Harrison Hot Springs / Agassiz | Vancouver
Begin this memorable trip at a beautiful wilderness lodge in Kootenay National Park that offers superb hiking, rafting and wilderness tours, as well as Aboriginal culture workshops. Then travel past historic mining towns, through vast stands of towering evergreen forests, alongside pristine lakes and into the semi-arid desert and wine region of British Columbia and the lush Fraser Valley. Your exploration of Aboriginal legends and history ends in the beautiful city of Vancouver. On the way, explore Aboriginal adventures at a wilderness centre and discover First Nations hospitality at luxury hotels and B&Bs. Enjoy wildlife-viewing, hiking and bird-watching, golfing or try your luck at a First Nations-owned casino. Of course, no trip on this particular route would be complete without a stop at the natural hot springs for a bit of rejuvenation.
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The Cultural & Historical Explorer
- DURATION: 8 Nights / 9 Days
- DATES: May to October, Daily
- ROUTE: Vancouver | Whistler | Lillooet | Williams Lake | Kamloops | Harrison Hot Springs / Agassiz | Vancouver
Start your Aboriginal adventure in metropolitan Vancouver, and then follow a fascinating cultural journey north along the Sea to Sky Highway to explore the world-famous Whistler Resort and the area’s First Nations history. After Whistler, the tour winds its way along stunning mountain highways with jaw-dropping mountain vistas to Lillooet for a glimpse of traditional fishing grounds before heading off to Williams Lake. Spend two days in Williams Lake exploring the local First Nations culture on jetboat adventures and at heritage sites, then travel to Kamloops, Agassiz and the rejuvenating natural waters of Harrison Hot Springs. On the way you’ll discover fascinating museums, First Nations interpretive centres, Native art galleries, exciting outdoor activities and more, before heading back to the bright lights of Vancouver.
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The Great Bear Rainforest and the Legend of the Spirit Bear
- DURATION: 3 to 7-Night Packages Available
- DATES: Mid-June to Mid-October
- ROUTE: Vancouver | Bella Bella | Klemtu | Bella Bella | Vancouver
The Great Bear Rainforest is the largest intact temperate rainforest left on the planet. Towering green, forested mountains give way to river valley bottoms and estuaries that teem with wild salmon. It is the home of the great grizzly bear, coastal wolves, cougar and many other animals. The Pacific Ocean, which laps the forest’s shores, is home to pods of orca and humpback whales that swim and hunt in the labyrinthine complex of fiords and channels. The Kitasoo/Xai’xais First Nation has lived here since time immemorial. They have shared the forest and the salmon with a very special creature they call moskgm’ol (white bear). Their legend of moskgm’ol holds that “Goo-wee (Raven) made one in every ten black bears white to remind the people of a time when glaciers covered this land and how the people should be thankful of the lush and bountiful land of today.” Many of the Kitasoo/Xai’xais believe they hold super-natural powers, hence the name Spirit Bear – a name that suits its mythical like presence.
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Chilcotin Cultural Adventures
- DURATION: 5 Nights / 6 Days
- DATES: May to October, Daily
- ROUTE: Vancouver | Chilcotin Area | Vancouver
Experience First Nations culture and history up close and like never before on an exciting and fascinating cultural adventure in the Chilcotins with Cariboo Chilcotin Jetboat Adventures. Explore the historic Fraser River, hike magnificent forests, and visit timeless Aboriginal village and fishing sites – all with a knowledgeable and experienced First Nations guide who is a descendant of the hunter-gatherer tribes that have lived in the area since time immemorial. View ancient petroglyphs, learn to fish Aboriginal-style and discover the vibrant and living First Nations culture of the area.
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Wild River Canyon Adventure
- DURATION: 4 Nights / 5 Days
- DATES: May to October, Daily
- ROUTE: Vancouver | Chilcotin Area | Vancouver
Cariboo Chilcotin Jetboat Adventures welcomes you on a uniquely inspiring and exciting river adventure. Experience sections of the Fraser River that are considered the most scenic, dramatic and stunningly beautiful in the province. On the tour, retrace the footsteps of early explorer Simon Fraser and the river that bears his name. See places where he portaged or made camp, walk on the same trails and view the same petroglyphs that Simon referenced in his journals. Leading you on this incredible tour is a professionally trained First Nations guide - a descendant of the hunter-gatherer tribes of the area - with incomparable knowledge of the river’s eco-system and local Aboriginal legends. You’ll experience fishing native-style in sites that have been used for centuries, then hike to ancient village sites and view petroglyphs and pictographs that give you a glimpse into the past. Learn about the Fraser River Gold Rush of the 1800s, and try your hand at gold panning at one of the many old gold mining cabins that still remain.
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Suggested Getaways
Alert Bay Getaway
- DURATION: 2 Nights / 3 Days
- DATES: May to October, Daily
- DESTINATION: Alert Bay on Vancouver Island
The traditional home of the Namgis First Nation, part of the Kwakwaka’wakw peoples, Alert Bay is a remote and quaint fishing village in North Vancouver Island. The community of Alert Bay is well-known for its powerful revival of Aboriginal culture and hosts some of the region’s finest historical and cultural artifacts, First Nations paintings and totem poles. The world’s tallest totem pole (173 feet) can be found in Alert Bay. In addition to enjoying the island’s rich cultural heritage, visitors can partake in many other activities such as whale-watching, guided eco-tours, kayaking, hiking and biking.
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Whistler Getaway
- DURATION: 2 Nights / 3 Days
- DATES: Year-round, Daily
- DESTINATION: Whistler - 2 1/2-hour drive from Vancouver
While Whistler is known around the world as North America’s premier resort destination for year-round outdoor adventure, it is also home to the Squamish and Lil’wat First Nations. The Squamish and Lil’wat oral histories are rich in ancient knowledge of the lands around them. Every mountain, every river has a story. In the ‘Time of Transformation’, supernatural creatures roamed the area. Today, their signs can be found in the shape of mountains and rivers, and their stories continue to teach important lessons about Aboriginal culture.
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Vancouver Getaway
- DURATION: 2 Nights / 3 Days
- DATES: Year-round, Daily; some attractions may only operate in the summer
- DESTINATION: Vancouver
Vancouver is one of the world’s most beautiful cities, rich with Aboriginal culture, nature and world-class shopping, dining and hotels. It is also home to the Coast Salish peoples including the Tsleil-Waututh, Musqueam and Squamish Nations. Explore Vancouver on your own and discover the dynamic cultures of these First Nations through interpretive centres and attractions, archaeological sites, museums, galleries, Aboriginal cuisine and guided First Nations interpretive tours.
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Sunshine Coast Getaway
- DURATION: 1 Night / 2 Days
- DATES: Year-round, Daily
- DESTINATION: Sechelt on the Sunshine Coast
Only a scenic 40-minute ferry ride from Vancouver, the Sunshine Coast stretches 180 km from Gibson to Lund along beautiful shorelines and quaint coastal communities. Life slows down on the Sunshine Coast where guests can explore beautiful beaches, funky shops and Aboriginal culture.
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Harrison Hot Springs Getaway
- DURATION: 1 Night / 2 Days
- DATES: Year-round, Daily
- DESTINATION: Harrison Hot Springs and Agassiz
Just a short 2 1/2-hour drive from Vancouver, travel east into the lush Fraser Valley, the primary agricultural region in southwestern British Columbia. Framed by the Coast Mountains on either side, this region is home to cultural attractions, gardens, golf courses, historic sites, the mighty Fraser River and the beautiful Harrison Lake region. This region has many highlights to offer. From the soothing waters of Harrison Lake and the hot springs, mountains and beautiful landscapes there’s a myriad of activities for everyone. Boat, bike, hike, swim, golf, or simply relax.
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Kootenay Rockies Getaway
- DURATION: 3 to 7-day packages available
- DATES: May to October, Daily
- DESTINATION: Kootenay National Park
Your Kootenay Rockies Cultural Getaway brings you to the Crossriver wilderness Center, remotely located in the backcountry of the Rocky Mountains between Kootenay and Banff National Parks. This spectacular and remote area provides a perfect setting for an unforgettable spiritual and cultural adventure
