Long Ago Peoples Cultural Tour

Price: $155.00 per person

Duration: 4.5hrs

Min Group Size: 4+ or Private available for additional price

Come and experience the culture and history of the First Peoples of long ago.WWW Tours is pleased to partner with another Yukon Indigenous owned tour company.

Enjoy an interpretive walk through a re-created village, where you will hear stories and experience what life was like for the Southern Tutchone of the central Yukon. From animal and fish traps, to housing and storage structures, you will learn and be amazed at the ingenuity that our ancestors had to make life vibrant in the far north.

You will then get to enjoy hot tea and traditional bannock comfortably nestled in this First Nation Village in the Yukon’s wilderness.

Our fully guided tour will then take you by the historic village of Champagne (Shadhäla – where the sun hits the mountains), an important meeting and trading location for the First Nations people of the area. In addition, enjoy the scenic drive heading west on the famed Alaska Highway and learn how the construction of this and the Klondike & Kluane Gold Rush events changed the Yukon.

This is an excellent half day cultural experience combined with a historical drive to get you on the outskirts of Whitehorse and into the beautiful land of Champagne Aishihik’s Traditional Territory.

*For our detailed friends, please feel free to contact us and we’d be happy to share our in-depth tour summary.

What’s included in the price?
GST is included. Appreciated tips/gratuities are not included.
Book multiple tours and receive preferred guest pricing!

What do I need to bring?
Summer – light jacket (dress for weather), sturdy footwear (uneven gravel and dirt).
Winter – warm clothing, sturdy footwear

Is this a van tour?
Yes it is, in combination with an interpretive walking tour on site. We will enjoy an interpretive drive for approximately 50 minutes. Arrive on site and exit the van for 2hrs outdoors, then drive back to Whitehorse after a short stop in Champagne.

Where is Champagne located?
Champagne is located on the old Alaska Highway between Whitehorse and Haines Junction, the newly straightened highway now bypasses the town entirely. It is at mile 974 on the new Alaska Highway.

Why is it named “Champagne”?
It is said that when the famed Jack Dalton built the Dalton Trail to bring stampeders from Haines to the interior of the Yukon, that trail ended up coming through the village. When Dalton and his crew brought the first herd of cattle here, they supposedly celebrated their arrival by popping a bottle of Champagne open.

What is bannock?
Bannock is a form of bread that served as a staple in the diets of our Indigenous ancestors. It can take the form of a flat round cake or pancake. Ingredients typically include unleavened flour (or corn flour), lard, salt, water and sometimes baking powder.

What is First Nation?
First Nations/First Peoples are the predominant indigenous peoples in Canada south of the Arctic Circle.

How many people are on the tour?
We typically drive 14 passenger Ford Transit Vans, so if we can sell all the seats, there will be 14 passengers. Summer months the van will be more full, winter months are typically slower where you’ll see smaller group sizes.

Is there lots of walking?
There is walking at Long Ago People’s Place for approximately 1hr, nothing strenuous, simply a stroll through the forest viewing their recreated village.

When does this tour run?
Check our calendar of Existing Tours HERE and see if we are running a tour in your available time slot – then contact us to get added to the van. If you DON’T see a tour running at that time – contact us to get one going! We do not run this tour at specific times on specific days – it runs as per guest demands.