Indigenous tourism experiences offer thrilling insights into the culture, history, beliefs and lifestyle of ancient peoples who have lived in North America for thousands of years. From the frozen Canadian Arctic to the dusty plains of the southwestern United States, across endless plains and awe-inspiring national parks, hundreds of Indigenous-owned travel experiences let visitors truly connect to the land and the proud people who call it home.

Click through the gallery to discover the best Indigenous tourism experiences in the USA and Canada...

The beautiful town of Whistler may today be famed the world over as a ski resort, but its history and cultural resonance dates back far, far longer as part of the wider homeland for two distinct nations: the Squamish and Lil’wat. The Indigenous Squamish have lived in the Pacific Northwest for more than 1,000 years, while the Lil’wat are also known as the Lillooet people and today number around 2,000 members.

The Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre relates the Squamish people's unique culture, history and customs, which have been passed down through the centuries, from generation to generation, solely by oral traditions. The main museum and galleries showcase the distinctive art and craft which have defined them, from beautiful weaving and intricate regalia to carved house posts and canoes made from cedar. One building reflects a traditional Squamish longhouse, where guides share traditional songs on drums.

Set on the flat plains on the outskirts of Saskatoon, the largest city in Canada’s vast Saskatchewan province, Wanuskewin is a multi-award-winning immersion into the remarkable history and culture of the Northern Plains Indigenous peoples. Wanuskewin has been a gathering place and sacred site for more than 6,400 years, making it around 1,900 years older than the Pyramids of Giza. Visitors are spoiled for choice when it comes to experiences and activities, all of which reveal much about ancient ways of life.

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An interactive visitor centre lets you discover the secrets of hunting bison and includes Indigenous art displays and traditional dance exhibitions. Sleepovers in tipis are even an option for those who want to fully immerse themselves. Traditional games let kids of all ages understand how children were taught skills to survive the incredibly challenging natural environment. Remarkable exhibits explain how Canada’s longest running archaeological dig within the park has produced hundreds of thousands of artefacts, including 1,000-year-old petroglyphs. Then, more than 3.5 miles (6km) of walking trails reveal the remarkable landscape where mighty bison roam to this day.

The storied history of the proud Huron-Wendat Nation is told at Huron Village, an easily accessible and urban Indigenous tourism experience in Canada's Quebec province. Located around 15 minutes from Quebec City, visitors discover how the Iroquoian-speaking nation was established in the 17th century. Storytelling guides take guests on tours which present their beliefs, customs and lifestyles through age-old tales and legends, including the creation of the world. 

Exquisite craftsmanship is also revealed, such as in a medicine wheel that is crafted with deer leather and pheasant feathers, used to ward off illness. Meanwhile, visitors will learn that four cardinal points protect the home and caribou bones bring good luck. A key part of the First Nation’s history was hunting and visitors can even try their hand at tomahawk throwing or firing a bow and arrow, although the only prey in question is a wooden target representing a life-sized deer.

The remote and stunning Klahoose Wilderness Resort sits on the lands of the Klahoose people who have lived in the region ‘since time before memory’. Living on territories rich in land and water resources, their ancestors carefully managed fish and wildlife for future generations. In the 19th century, however, government surveyors restricted them to 10 reserves, greatly limiting their ability to survive or grow and even banning their cultural ceremonies.

In recent years, their remarkable traditions have been revived; many of which are shared with visitors to this luxurious and sustainable eco-resort, set amidst a pristine wilderness. Guests can view grizzly bears through spring, summer and autumn, spot pods of orcas or join tours of salmon runs led by Indigenous guides. A boat or seaplane is the only option to get there, ensuring utter peace and tranquillity. It's the perfect setting to embrace the land’s natural and supernatural spirits and gifts, with the traditional Klahoose greeting song ringing in your ears.

Unimaginably vast, Baffin Island is the world’s fifth largest island and home to the Inuit-owned Indigenous tourism business, Arctic Bay Adventures. Sitting amidst jaw-dropping mountains high above the Arctic Circle, Arctic Bay ranks among the top 10 most northerly communities on the planet. The Inuktitut name for Arctic Bay is Ikpiarjuk and today the settlement is home to around 800 people.

Arcitc Bay's packages are designed and led by local Inuit guides, who have unmatched knowledge and experience of the breathtaking landscape. Dog sledding guarantees a remarkable adrenaline rush, while ocean tours include the majestic beauty of icebergs, polar bears and magnificent orca whales. Slightly less active pursuits include learning how to build an igloo or witnessing the Northern Lights dance across the sky. 

The Oglala are one of seven tribes of the Lakota people, the majority of whom live on the US’ eighth largest Native American reservation, Pine Ridge. Famed for their fierceness and bravery as legendary warriors, the Lakota tribe today have taken that reputation to become modern warriors, meaning entrepreneurs, activists, scholars and role models. Sitting by the famed landscapes of South Dakota’s Badlands National Park, The Oglala Lakota Living History Village allows them to tell their remarkable history and current day story through expressive song and dance.

The village showcases the Lakota way of life from the late 1800s up until the 1960s through connection to their lands, tipi displays and accurate period pieces. Perhaps most importantly, the Lakota stories are told by Lakota people, who share Indigenous knowledge about taking care of Mother Earth.

The Haudenosaunee people in upstate New York have a proud, dynamic culture. Their name, which means “people who build a house", refers to a peaceful confederation between six Native American nations, also known as the Iroquois Confederacy, each with their own distinct identity and language, including the Mohawks.

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Key elements of Mohawk life are featured across three in-person experiences led by Mohawk Cultural Tours by Akwesasne Travel. Mohawk people who live the culture and know it best are the hosts, sharing their fascinating knowledge, expertise and stories with visitors. Experiences include a traditional basket weaving tour with an award-winning artist, before participants create their own bookmark using ancient artisanal techniques. Crafting lacrosse sticks reflects the sport’s ancient Indigenous origins, while stunning baskets are handwoven and carry great cultural significance.  

Canada’s Prince Edward Island may be the country’s smallest province, but it is rich in landscapes and culture, particularly in the Abegweit Mi’Kmaq Nation who have lived in the region for more than 10,000 years. 'Abegweit' is an Anglicised version of 'Epekwitk' in the Mi’kmaq language, which is the Mi'kmaq's name for Prince Edward Island. Community elders and knowledge-keepers offer tours and events showcasing elements of the Mi’kmaq language, culture and traditions.

These include key cultural and life ceremonies featuring powerful drumming, singing and dance performances. Traditional art and artisanal crafts can also be experienced, but it’s the First Nation worldview, or the community’s take on the world, which humbles, reminding visitors how long the Mi’kmaq people have lived in happy union with their lands. This image shows a group of visitors weaving their own moose hide drum, while learning about its uses and symbolism.

The Sturgeon Lake First Nation is a vibrant community located in the wild and beautiful forests of Canada’s Saskatchewan province. As Sturgeon Lake Cree First Nations Warrior Women, Matricia Bauer and her daughter Mackenzie aim to reconnect members of their community with their culture and embrace their heritage through authentic relationships with tourists. 

Matricia (pictured) challenges the traditional Hollywood perceptions of Indigenous people, which often stem from western novels or movies. Instead, she emphasises the uniqueness of individual Indigenous perspectives, cultures and languages. Plant walks, beading classes, fireside chats and virtual medicine walks are just some of the ways to connect with this people’s proud heritage.

The lands around the popular tourist destination of Canyon de Chelly have been home to the Diné people, part of the Navajo Nation, for more than 5,000 years. Indeed, no one has lived longer uninterrupted on the vast Colorado Plateau centred on the Four Corners of the southwestern US – Arizona, Utah, Colorado and New Mexico. In the canyon – which they call 'tsegi', meaning rock canyon – the Navajo Nation people raise livestock, farm the land and manage its resources. You can't miss Spider Rock, the sandstone spire that rises from the foot of the canyon (pictured), so named after Spider Woman, a woman from Navajo legend who taught her people how to weave.

Navajo-led Jeep and SUV tours are a thrilling way to experience the canyon's remarkable ancient landscapes, while learning about the traditions and culture of the people who have long called it home. Canyon de Chelly Tours, a 100% Diné-owned business, also offers canyon hikes with Navajo guides who reveal vast knowledge of the unique ecosystem here. Look out for the centuries-old ancestral Puebloan dwellings and rock art, along with ancient campsites.

Until recently, bike tours weren't even legally recognised on land in the Navajo Nation, which has a land base that occupies parts of Arizona, New Mexico and Utah. But now, serious cyclists have embraced the chance to discover the unique ways, sights and culture of the Navajo people and their land with adventures led by Native American guides at Dzil Ta’ah Adventures. The company was granted a permit in 2020 for overnight bike trips and now not only celebrates Navajo creation stories and history, but all revenue from the tours goes back as investments into Navajo communities.

These bike tours are not for novice cyclists, however, as the 44-mile (71km) journey across the legendary landscapes of the southern part of Monument Valley and the Hunts Mesa rock formation include an elevation gain of more than 1,500 feet (457m). The Navajo Nation itself measures more than 27,000 square miles (70,000sq km), making it larger than 10 US states, so there’s a vast wealth of experiences and culture to discover.

Cabin-based packages through Haida House Lodge in Haida Gwaii, remote British Columbia, explain why this land at the edge of the world is known as the 'Galapagos of the North'. The Haida people are an Indigenous group who have inhabited the Haida Gwaii archipelago for at least 12,500 years, so remarkable encounters and cultural insights are guaranteed in this ancient and mystical land, surrounded by lush rainforests with rare flora and fauna at every turn.

Treasured heritage sites guided by Haida experts unveil remnants from the past, and unique local cuisine wows and surprises. Haida Gwaii’s Graham and Moresby Islands are one focus, while Haida House lodge and oceanside cabins make for the perfect retreat at the end of the day. Nestled seamlessly in the wild landscape, they feature thoughtful touches by local artists and even a private deck-top hot tub to soothe weary limbs.

Sun Tours is an authorised partner of the National Park Service and a local Blackfeet Tribal business based on the Blackfeet Reservation, which borders the entire eastern side of Montana’s vast Glacier National Park. As residents of the reservation since at least the 17th century, no one is better placed to educate and inspire visitors on all elements of the land and tribal life.

Guides provide a full experience on the history, culture, flora and fauna of Glacier National Park's inhabited areas through half-day, full-day and custom tours for groups of all sizes. Animal species include bighorn sheep, elk, lynx, mountain goats, beavers, wolverines and, of course, bears, with one of the largest remaining grizzly bear populations in the US’ lower 48 states.

Ute Mountain Tribal Park sits within the Ute Reservation in southwest Colorado and focuses on the preservation of cultural history through tours across 125,000 acres of undisturbed ancestral Pueblo ruins. Fascinating tours by local Ute guides are the only way to see them and the extraordinary collection of dwellings and petroglyphs which dot the geological formations, canyons and trails. 

A selection of tours include the remarkable Casa Colorado and Casa Blanca cliff dwellings. Pottery shards scatter the land, untouched for centuries in line with sacred beliefs to not disturb what is found. The Ute Mountain Tribal Park also offers a chance to escape the crowds of the much more popular Mesa Verde, with visitors frequently enjoying parts of the park and canyon entirely to themselves.

Now discover the secrets and mysteries of Mesa Verde, America's foremost ancient site