Xwisten Experience Tours
Xwisten Experience Tours
5
Full view

About
Witness the St'at'imc people harvesting and preserving salmon near Lillooet BC. The tour includes a walk along the Xwisten fishing grounds, a demonstration of the wind-dried method, a sample the wind-dried fish (ts'wan), and a BBQ Salmon meal. Tours can also include a walk around an archaeological village site and a replica underground pit house (S7istken).
Similar Experiences
Xwisten Experience Tours
Booking unavailable on Tripadvisor
Want other options you can book now?
Show optionsContribute
Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
5.0
10 reviews
Excellent
9
Very good
0
Average
1
Poor
0
Terrible
0
Anny T
Europe131 contributions
Jul 2024 • Family
We're very grateful that we were able to book a tour on short notice. Our thanks to our guides for their warm welcome and for sharing so many personal insights and lived experiences of how things were and also latest developments. Please keep this project going, it's vital to raise awareness and to nurture all the know-how and traditions!
Written August 5, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Heleen P
Lillooet, Canada3 contributions
May 2011 • Solo
This tour gives a very interesting look into the ancient fishing methods of the local first nations, as well as a tour of the historic pit houses they used to live in during the winter. All of this in a very scenic setting along the Fraser river.
The tour guides were very friendly and showed us how the salmon are cut and how they hang them to dry. We were able to taste some of the wind dried salmon as well! The lunch that was provided after was excellent and consisted of salad, salmon and bannock.
A great experience for everyone that is interested in local First Nations history!
The tour guides were very friendly and showed us how the salmon are cut and how they hang them to dry. We were able to taste some of the wind dried salmon as well! The lunch that was provided after was excellent and consisted of salad, salmon and bannock.
A great experience for everyone that is interested in local First Nations history!
Written April 20, 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for attending our tour. We are glad that you enjoyed the tour.
Written October 30, 2013
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
marion10112015
Sointula, Canada4 contributions
Sept 2016 • Couples
We went on the three hour tour of the traditional fishing grounds and also the winter pit houses. This was followed by a great lunch The guide Sandra was knowledgeable and passionate about her aboriginal roots. I really enjoyed the whole tour.
Written September 16, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for joining us to share our history and culture. Hope to see you again in the future.
Written July 10, 2019
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Lisa A
Vancouver, Canada17 contributions
Aug 2013 • Friends
We did this tour a few days ago in the heat of the dry summer in Lillooet, which might not have been the best idea. Our guide, clad in tour guide t-shirt, welcomed us with a drumming song and took us over the bridge to a trail above the Fraser River to see the drying racks of the First Nations. We were told that some weren't too happy with our presense and to keep a low profile which didn't feel so good. Our young guide, however, was very kind and answered all our questions knowledgeably. The drying racks were interesting as was watching the dip netting, but we fried in the sun and scurried under some shade where we met one of his friends, who shared some legends with us. Very nice. Then, we drove to see a re-constructed pit house at an archeological site and were told we'd be taught a song in the pit house, but our guide got shy and eventually played something short and fast. We did not learn it.
Back at the base, he then showed us how they cut the fish and pull it apart to dry it on the racks. Our lunch was quite bland. Small piece of very dry salmon, tasteless potato salad, white tasteless rice, bannock and some caesar salad. I'd love to send them some spices!! Dessert was whipped soap berries, with sugar, which was quite bitter but interesting. My favourite part of lunch.
Overall: High marks on culture, but low on food quality.
I'd recommend an early morning or late afternoon departure because it's way too hot otherwise.
Back at the base, he then showed us how they cut the fish and pull it apart to dry it on the racks. Our lunch was quite bland. Small piece of very dry salmon, tasteless potato salad, white tasteless rice, bannock and some caesar salad. I'd love to send them some spices!! Dessert was whipped soap berries, with sugar, which was quite bitter but interesting. My favourite part of lunch.
Overall: High marks on culture, but low on food quality.
I'd recommend an early morning or late afternoon departure because it's way too hot otherwise.
Written August 13, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for attending the tour this summer and providing your feedback. We were able to show your comments to our tour guides and remind them that they need to complete all aspects of the tour and to make our guests feel comfortable. We are sorry that the meal did not meet your expectations and will take this under consideration when we complete our planning for the next season.
Written October 30, 2013
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Vivianne Z
Vernon, Canada7 contributions
Oct 2014
The honour of living in this territory for the last four years has given me many opportunities to visit and experience this authentic village site. This village site is one of the largest ancient villages in BC. The knowledge gained from the site is respected and cared for by the Bridge River Band in a way which is essential for understanding First Nation people; a life changing experience.
Written September 30, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Chris S
Kamloops, Canada2 contributions
Aug 2013 • Friends
Really enjoyed hearing the stories and the history around traditional Bridge River first nations salmon fishing at the fishing rocks outside Lillooet. It was an enriching, interesting, and authentic cultural experience, and the BBQ meal afterwards was the best I've had. Would definitely recommend it to others.
Written August 25, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We are glad you were able to join us this summer and that you enjoyed the tour. Thank you for your feedback.
Written October 30, 2013
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Gabriela B
Tel Aviv, Israel9 contributions
Jul 2017 • Family
The excellent guide picked us up from the Fraser Cove campground and showed us all the interesting sites with very knowledgeable information and answers regarding her people , their history and life. We were impressed by the fishing sites and how the drying of the fish was performed. The archeological site was very interesting and the small museum near the barbecue site had artifacts for fishing, different kinds of nets and small items from the everyday life of the native people. The barbecued salmon and the salad were very tasty. In the end we were brought back to the camp and had much time left for the dip in the cove. I recommend this activity for all nature and history loving people.
Gabriela Bogdan
Gabriela Bogdan
Written July 5, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for visiting us last week. We are glad you enjoyed the tour and the meal and thank you for your kind review.
Written July 10, 2017
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Eugster S
Calgary, Alberta, Canada1 contribution
Aug 2013 • Business
I've just read the different reviews from Chris, Lisa and Heleen. I am the guide coordinator on our trip 'Travel With All Your Senses' and am familiar with many First Nations programs. Our guide, Rebecca, was outstanding and together with questions from our group we received only the best.
For us who were on a specific journey the experience with the Bridge River Band added more pieces into the puzzle and thus it was very valuable. I can see that for other visitors it is different and it definitely depends on the guide who's sharing. We all liked the lunch very much. I do not remember to have ever had a spicy meals with First Nations community members. The meal they serve is prepared according to their customs. So, it is important to be aware of that too when visiting another culture.
A suggestion to Xwisten is to add a second guide if you have a young guide still learning. This way the second experienced guide can add in and assist whenever necessary. It will help to make the experience not only better but the important information and education can be brought across in the best possible way and will provide for better understanding and awareness.
Thank you again for a fabulous day with your people
_____________________
What sort of visit was this? Business for me as I was the guide for the group. Trip Advisor should add another icon below for 'small groups' or similar. Thank you
For us who were on a specific journey the experience with the Bridge River Band added more pieces into the puzzle and thus it was very valuable. I can see that for other visitors it is different and it definitely depends on the guide who's sharing. We all liked the lunch very much. I do not remember to have ever had a spicy meals with First Nations community members. The meal they serve is prepared according to their customs. So, it is important to be aware of that too when visiting another culture.
A suggestion to Xwisten is to add a second guide if you have a young guide still learning. This way the second experienced guide can add in and assist whenever necessary. It will help to make the experience not only better but the important information and education can be brought across in the best possible way and will provide for better understanding and awareness.
Thank you again for a fabulous day with your people
_____________________
What sort of visit was this? Business for me as I was the guide for the group. Trip Advisor should add another icon below for 'small groups' or similar. Thank you
Written September 5, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Eugster, I am glad you and your group were able to partake on the tour and thank you for your support for our business and our tour. Thank you for your feedback in regards to having two tour guides at a time. We have two workers each day during the busier months of July and August but only one worker in June and September. And this year was different for us because we had all new workers this year. In the past we have always had one senior tour guide who was a returnee from the prior year. Hopefully next year we will have some returning employees who can better assist all the other tour guides as well.
Written October 30, 2013
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Yaron E
Hadera, Israel263 contributions
Aug 2018 • Family
We took the full tour. Starting at the fishing site. There were so many fish that at the time we got to the river most fishermen had finished there quota and were no longer there. It was good to see that they are not putting on a show and that these were real people fishing for there living.
The stories that are guide told us were really moving as she explained the struggle of keeping the traditions while cooping with western influence. She was trying to hide the ״bad” parts but we could understand what she and her people had to go through.
The archeological site was not very impressive as the restoration was undergoing. I hope they will have the development they wish for so it will be more accessible to everyone and you will need less imagination.
The food was good apart from the desert which was an experience of its own
We thank Xwisten for the opportunity to peek into there world
The stories that are guide told us were really moving as she explained the struggle of keeping the traditions while cooping with western influence. She was trying to hide the ״bad” parts but we could understand what she and her people had to go through.
The archeological site was not very impressive as the restoration was undergoing. I hope they will have the development they wish for so it will be more accessible to everyone and you will need less imagination.
The food was good apart from the desert which was an experience of its own
We thank Xwisten for the opportunity to peek into there world
Written August 25, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for your powerful review! glad you enjoyed time on the land with our staff. We encourage you to come back for the 2019 season and see what's new :)
Written July 10, 2019
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
CMelissa
Vancouver, Canada190 contributions
Jul 2018
Excellent tour from knowledgeable and friendly guides who shared about traditional salmon fishing and preparation methods. Fascinating to walk along the beautiful canyon and see the various types of salmon fishing techniques and drying racks along the Bridge River Fishing Grounds. Would have loved to do the archaeological tour too, so recommended if you have time. The Indian tacos at the Bearfoot Grill next door were also delicious. Highly recommended!
Written July 30, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for your recommendation! We are so glad you enjoyed the tour and hopefully you will be able to come back for the archaeological tour another time.
Written July 31, 2018
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
No questions have been asked about this experience
*Likely to sell out: Based on Viator’s booking data and information from the provider from the past 30 days, it seems likely this experience will sell out through Viator, a Tripadvisor company.