Haida Gwaii

Classic Canadian Tours does not provide travel insurance, but we recommend that you have coverage for your expedition. If you would like to purchase travel insurance we suggest that you first check with your credit card company, as it may be offered on purchases made with your credit card. Travel insurance may also be purchased through your car or home insurance provider or through a travel insurance company, such as AMA Travel Insurance. Trip cancellation and interruption insurance will ensure that you are covered in the event that you are not able to make the trip for a personal reason, such as illness, or if your trip is interrupted for an unforeseen reason, such as weather. Travel medical insurance, will pay the upfront costs not covered by Provincial Healthcare, such as evacuation, if you do not have extended health benefits. Only your insurance provider will be able to let you know your exact coverage.

This tour requires a moderate level of mobility, but accommodations are available. The tour includes several hikes, which are detailed here. We will be transported in vans, but there are handles and helping hands available to make it easier to climb in and out. If needed, we can place you in a room on the main floor of the accommodations to minimize the need for stairs. The ground floor rooms are up a flight of around 7 stairs, and all rooms require some stairs to be reached.

For the boat tour, the boats are landing crafts, so getting off involves walking down a metal ramp onto shore. Assistance is available to get on and off. Walking up the uneven beaches, which are rocky and sandy can be a challenge. Trekking poles are available in the vans for your use to provide extra support.

In August, temperatures in Haida Gwaii can range between 10°C and 17°C. There can be frequent cloud cover, and a good chance of showers or drizzle.

The weather in Haida Gwaii changes very frequently. There’s a local saying: If you don’t go out in the rain in Haida Gwaii, you don’t go out in Haida Gwaii.

The most direct route to Masset on Haida Gwaii is from Vancouver. We will be travelling with Pacific Coastal Air from the South Terminal at Vancouver International Airport (YVR).

Your flight information will be included in your booking confirmation. You will depart from YVR at around 9:00 AM on the first day, and arrive back at 2:30 PM on the last day.

Guests travelling from outside Vancouver must book their own flight to Vancouver.

If you are travelling to Vancouver the day prior to our departure, the Vancouver International Airport has the Fairmont Vancouver Airport on site or the Holiday Inn Express Vancouver Airport nearby, which has an airport shuttle.

We stay in the Haida community of Skidegate.

The lodging is a small boutique family owned motel right across from the ocean, called Jags. Each room is up a set or two of stairs, has a private entrance, and its own bathroom. Most mornings, breakfast will be at Jags Cafe, a lovely spot featuring fresh, locally sourced eggs and homemade fresh baking.

All rooms are accessed by stairs.

All meals and non-alcoholic drinks are included in your tour. Breakfast most mornings will be at Jags Café, a lovely spot in front of your accommodations, where you’ll order off the regular menu.

Your guides will have water and granola bars available throughout, but you’re also welcome to pack snacks with you if you like. We will stop at convenience stores and liquor stores throughout the tour in case you need to purchase anything.

Dietary restrictions will be noted in your passenger information, 30 ahead of departure at the latest.

We will do our best to ensure there are sufficient alternative options for anyone with specific dietary needs with advance notice. Groceries are delivered to Haida Gwaii only once per week, so our team needs time to prepare.

Day 1: The walk to the blowholes is on a wooden boardwalk - flat, wheelchair accessible, and with benches along the way. It takes about 15 minutes one way for the average person.

The optional hike up Tow Hill is moderately challenging, with wooden boardwalks, switchbacks, and stairs. Some guests may find the stairs difficult, so this part is optional.

Combined, the Blowholes and Tow Hill hike takes approximately 1.5 hours.

Day 2: The Spirit Lake Trail cultural interpretive hike is around 3 km/2 hours with some hills. However, there are many stops along the way to learn from the Haida knowledge-keeper.

Day 4: The Golden Spruce Trail is an easy, short, and flat walk, about 2 km total.

Guests are picked up at the Daajing Giids marina. The route follows the shoreline around Sandspit to the east coast of Haida Gwaii.

While the trip stays near shore, it can get choppy at times.

If the wind is strong, we may take a ferry across to an alternate dock and travel through protected waters to minimize our time in rough waters.

It’s respectful protocol to ask before taking photos, but permission is usually granted.

The only location where photography is not allowed is inside the Saahlinda Naay Haida Gwaii Museum.

The UNESCO World Heritage Site SGang Gwaay (formerly Ninstints) is located in Haida Gwaii and requires approximately a four-hour boat ride each way. Due to the long travel time, we do not take guests there, as more time would be spent on the boat than at the site itself.

Instead, we visit Kuuna Llnagaay (Skedans), which is located just north of Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve and Haida Heritage Site. This village site is the closest to our communities (about a 1.25-hour boat ride) and features the highest number of visible poles, offering a rich and accessible cultural experience.