A Taste of Indigenous Culture: Journey Through BC’s Interior

DAY 1: WELCOME TO KELOWNA

Arrive at the Ki?láwna? (Kelowna) International Airport. You will be greeted and transferred to the famous El Dorado Hotel where you will check in and get settled into your surroundings for the night. A private dinner will allow the group to dine as a family, followed by an Indigenous Sharing Circle where you will start the process of forming special bonds with each other.

Meal: Dinner
Accommodation: El Dorado Hotel

DAY 2: VISIT KAMLOOPS INDIAN RESIDENTIAL SHOOL & QUAAOUT LODGE

After breakfast at the hotel, you will journey by bus to Tk’emlúps (Kamloops) with lunch at Kekuli Café, where a passion for Indigenous flavors meets casual culinary innovation. In the afternoon, you will visit the Kamloops Indian Residential School for a tour of the grounds of this historic place. You will learn about the history of this establishment and the Indian residential school system, and feel the impact this school had on indigenous people, communities, and families for generations to come.

In the late afternoon, you will continue your journey to Quaaout Lodge and Resort, where you will see the beautiful architecture built for the people of the Little Shuswap Indian Band, who own this place. Enjoy an Indigenous-inspired dinner, followed by an experience in a traditional winter pit home, where you’ll hear stories and legends of this special area.

Meal: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Accommodation: South Thompson Inn

DAY 3: MEET DOUGLAS LAKE & MERRITT INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES

Enjoy breakfast on the shores of the South Thompson River, then head off to the small, welcoming community of Douglas Lake and the Upper Nicola Indian Band and its people. Learn about the history of their people and the unique territory they make their living from.

Enjoy lunch in the community of Merritt, followed by a journey to the Syilx Nation and its people, ending in Osoyoos. Check into the extraordinary Spirit Ridge Resort, where you will have some relaxing time to yourself before enjoying a delicious Four Chiefs Dinner while overlooking Osoyoos Lake, which lies both in the USA and Canada.

Meal: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Accommodation: Spirit Ridge Resort

DAY 4: EXPLORE AMERICA’S FIRST-EVER INDIGENOUS-OWNED WINERY

After breakfast, take a walk on the same ancestral paths Indigenous people have walked on since time immemorial. Smell the fresh air, take in the scenery, feel the trees, and immerse yourself in the history of this area. Now it’s time to reward yourself with a deep dive into North America’s first-ever Indigenous-owned winery. Step into the vineyards and the tasting room to sample award-winning wine made by the local Indigenous people.

Lunch will be spent on the land, overlooking the rolling hills and mountains of this area. The journey then takes you back to Ki?láwna? (Kelowna), but before you get there, you will engage in a smudging ceremony to cleanse the soul and body.

You will enjoy one last dinner together as a new family at the El Dorado Hotel and Resort, followed by a reflection circle where you will share your insights and learnings from this spiritual journey.

Meal: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Accommodation: El Dorado Hotel

DAY 5: FAREWELL AND DEPARTURE

You will be shuttled to the airport for your safe journey home.

Meal: Breakfast