Haida Gwaii Kayaking Trips

2026 marks our 35th season of operating trips in Haida Gwaii. We run our Haida Gwaii kayak tours in the remote southern portion of Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve. The trips are timed for the best weather and structured as a journey between what we feel are the two most compelling features of the Park, the tapestry of brightly-colored sea stars at Burnaby Narrows, the highest density of intertidal life on the planet, and the standing totem poles at the SGang Gwaay village (Ninstints), a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In years when the tides are just right, we offer an extended trip that also includes a visit to iconic Hotspring Island, and in 2026, the tides are perfect.

Located 130 kilometers (80 miles) off Canada’s extreme northwest coast, the islands of Haida Gwaii (meaning Haida Place) are home to the Haida, an indigenous people with a formidable sea-going lineage and a remarkable artistic tradition. Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve (Gwaii Haanas means Place of Wonder) was founded to protect the natural and cultural integrity of the remote southern portion of the archipelago.

Sea kayaking routes on the west coast of Canada are some of the best in the world, and experienced paddlers regard Haida Gwaii, formerly the Queen Charlotte Islands, as the best of the best. You’ll travel the Islands in style using the best equipment available. Each day, your guides will surprise and delight you with freshly prepared meals that reflect Tofino Expeditions’ reputation for high-quality trip food and campfire cuisine.

National Geographic rated Gwaii Haanas National Park as the top park destination in North America — “Beautiful and intact. A great model for other regions.” Outside Magazine Travel Awards rated Haida Gwaii as “Best Islands.” UNESCO has declared the village of SGang Gwaay with its intact totem poles a World Heritage Site. Selected as one of the New York Times "52 PLACES TO GO IN 2020".

Feel the silent power of the standing totem poles at the SGang Gwaay (Skung Gwaii) UNESCO World Heritage Site. Float through the richest inter-tidal life on the planet at Burnaby Narrows. Experience the incomparable blend of landscape, cultural history, and wildlife that make Gwaii Haanas National Park truly a place of wonder.

Haida Gwaii was selected as one of the New York Times "52 PLACES TO GO IN 2020".

"On this isolated archipelago off the coast of British Columbia, you’ll see more bald eagles than people on hiking trails and experience powerful Indigenous sites in near solitude. That’s by design: The Haida First Nations people who live here fiercely protect their natural and cultural resources with sustainable, small-group tourism. Visitors are rewarded with a deep connection to place and people, especially at SGang Gwaay (Ninstints), an extraordinary UNESCO site in Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve, accessible only by boat." — ARABELLA BOWEN for the NY Times.

"I have been a mountain guide for more than 30 years, but know nothing about ocean kayaking. So, I booked a trip for my 63-year-old sister, her partner, my 13-year-old daughter, my partner, and myself. Grant and Jess took us from the ancient totem poles of SGang Gwaay to the tidal flats of Burnaby Narrows in Gwaii Haanas National Park and Haida Heritage Site, Haida Gwaii, British Columbia, Canada. It was an immersion in a totally different world, facilitated by a fellow guide whom I salute. We encountered whales blowing, sea lions bellowing, and salmon jumping. Needless to say, the organization, the food, and the guiding were smooth and well thought out. We got great food, we had very good kayaks and tents, and decisions were made at the right time and communicated well. Grant always knew where the group was at and was generous in sharing his knowledge, and I learned a thing or two about guiding from him. I recommend this operator in general and this trip in particular." — Christoph Dietzfelbinger, Bear Mountaineering Smithers, BC

Note - We recommend this challenging wilderness kayaking trip for participants 14 years or older.

Tofino Expeditions has been operating trips in Haida Gwaii since 1991. As one of the most experienced kayak guide teams working in the Gwaii Haanas, we know the Park in a way few paddlers do. All of our trips are run with tandem expedition kayaks because their added speed (at least 25 percent faster than singles) and stability ensure safety, comfort, and route success. Our Gwaii Haanas program is operated by the same Canadian company that I founded in Tofino in 1988 and has been running trips on the BC Coast ever since. Have questions? Call me at 800-677-0877 — Grant Thompson, Founder and Owner, Tofino Expeditions

Travel writer Jayme Moye and her partner came on our Heart of Gwaii Haanas trip in 2018. This year, Jayme won the prestigious Keith Bellows Award for Excellence in Travel Journalism, the first woman to do so. From the North American Travel Journalists Association press release: “Jayme personifies Keith’s passion for travel and using the power of journalism to create awareness and appreciation of people, cultures, and nature.”

Jayme’s piece about her Haida Gwaii paddling trip with Tofino Expeditions appeared in the award-winning travel journal Hidden Compass - "What the Forest Knows"