How To Explore an Ancient Village with Kiixin Tours

Abandoned for centuries, surveyed in 1984, and now open for exclusive tours with the Huu-ay-aht First Nations, the ancient capital village site of Kiixin is a remarkable place to behold. Located on the west coast of Vancouver Island near Bamfield, and archeologically mapped in 1984, this national historic site holds millennia of history under a mossy canopy just steps from the ocean.

How To Explore an Ancient Village with Kiixin Tours

Getting here: Follow the Alberni Inlet south on Bamfield Road from Port Alberni to Bamfield for 87km.
Terrain: The hike is about 2km each way, starting at a trailhead in a parking lot, heading down into the forest, over boardwalks, and then down a steep embankment to the beach.

This was another amazing adventure I experienced with ZenSeekers. Kiixin is the only known site on the southern coast of British Columbia that contains the undisturbed, standing remains of traditional longhouses of a First Nations’ village.

You can only access the site with a guide from the Huu-ay-aht First Nations, and Kiixin Tours is you all-in-one resource.

I made Port Alberni my home base and traveled to Bamfield for the day to meet up with Stella from Kiixin Tours. Through forest trails and traversing the beaches at low-tide, the hike to the site was already impressive, but once I arrived I was blown away by the standing archeological remains that contained so much history.

Contact the Kiixin Tours office (250-735-3432 or e-mail [email protected]) for directions and to meet up with your guide. Tours run May 19, 2018 to September 28, 2018.

Read my full story on ZenSeekers and plan your tours to Kiixin »

If You Go

• Want to hike with Stella? Email Kiixin Tours at [email protected]
• Search #ExplorePortAlberni for more inspiration. Be sure to tag #ExplorePortAlberni while exploring the region as you could be featured on our social media channels!
• Start planning your adventures in Port Alberni at Alberni Valley Tourism.
• Start exploring your Port Alberni region options with Destination BC.
• Find out more at the City of Port Alberni’s website.
• Read more about the ancient village of Kiixin on ZenSeekers.