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British Columbia · Canada
The north-coast port of British Columbia: Tsimshian culture, an old salmon cannery, brown bears in a protected fjord, and ferries to Haida Gwaii and Alaska.
In the photo: Port of Prince Rupert, on the coast of British Columbia.
Illustrative images. The pictures in this guide are illustrations based on the real place, not photographs, and may differ from it.
Get to know the place
Prince Rupert sits on an island at the mouth of the Skeena River on British Columbia’s north coast, near the Alaska border. It’s the terminus of the railway that crosses northern Canada and a deep-water port with ferries to Haida Gwaii, the Inside Passage, and Alaska.
The area has been Tsimshian territory for thousands of years. The Museum of Northern British Columbia, housed in a building inspired by communal longhouses, tells that story with totem poles and ancient artifacts. To the south, in Port Edward, the North Pacific cannery shows how salmon drove the coast’s economy for more than a century.
About 45 km away, the Khutzeymateen Sanctuary protects a fjord home to brown bears, seen by boat in early summer. Humpback whales and orcas are also sighted in the surrounding waters. The town has a waterfront neighborhood, Cow Bay, with colorful houses, cafés, and shops.
The climate is rainy, with green forests and mountains that descend to the sea.
This destination brings together 1 city: Prince Rupert.
One destination, many paths
Start with one city or combine several in your itinerary.
Boundaries: Statistics Canada (Statistics Canada Open Licence) / geoBoundaries. Adapted by Cidade Turismo.
✈ Prince Rupert Airport (YPR), in Ilha Digby · 15 km to Prince Rupert
Prince Rupert Airport (YPR) receives flights from Vancouver. The train arrives from Jasper and Prince George, and ferries connect the city to Port Hardy on Vancouver Island, to Haida Gwaii, and to Alaska. By road, it’s about 720 km from Prince George.
The local experience
Museum in a building inspired by cedar longhouses, with art and history of the Tsimshian, Haida and Nisga’a peoples and of the port town.
A salmon-cannery village on pilings from 1889 in Port Edward, the oldest surviving on the west coast of North America, with work and housing buildings.
A fjord northeast of Prince Rupert, the first grizzly sanctuary in Canada, visited on boat trips from mid‑May to July.
Before you go
A little planning leaves more time to enjoy the journey.
May to September. Khutzeymateen’s brown bears are seen from mid-May to July; whales from June to September. Rain is frequent year-round.
The seasons shown are the most usual ones; nature doesn't always follow the calendar.
Two or three days: one for the museum, Cow Bay and the cannery, and one for the bears or the whales.
The downtown and Cow Bay have hotels and guesthouses near the quay. Book in advance for nights when ferries and the train arrive or depart.
Take your trash with you, follow the signs and support local businesses. In natural areas, follow the visiting guidelines.
Get your questions answered
In the Khutzeymateen Sanctuary, by boat, from mid-May to July.
Yes — on the train that comes from Jasper, with a stop in Prince George.
Not in downtown. It helps for Port Edward and the surrounding area.
Yes, to Skidegate, in about 7 hours.
Pacific Time, fixed year-round: UTC−7.
