Nahanni River Canoe Trip: Guided vs Unguided (Logistics and Financial Breakdown)

I paddled the Nahanni River in 2023 with my dad and it was one of the best trips I’ve ever done. Every aspect of it was incredible – beautiful scenery, fun whitewater, great people, yummy food, no rain and lots of swimming and day hikes.

We chose to do the Nahanni River because it had been on my dad’s bucket list since he was a Boy Scout in the troop named “Nahanni”. We started planning the trip in 2019, but thanks to a pandemmy, we weren’t able to take the trip until 2023. But this gave us plenty of time to research and prepare for the adventure of a lifetime.

After reading dozens of trip reports, watching tons of YouTube videos, and contacting every outfitter with a Northwest Territories presence, we settled on the Nahanni Classic, a 13-day trip from Rabbitkettle Lake // Gahnîhthah Mįe to Nahanni Butte, guided by Black Feather.

This article is written in partnership with Black Feather. My dad and I paddled the Nahanni River with them in 2023 as regular clients (we paid for the trip ourselves). I enjoyed the trip and Black Feather immensely, so I reached out to them to partner on a few articles to promote visiting the Nahanni River.

In today’s blog post, I thought it would be helpful to share all of my research and considerations that led us to the decision to do the Nahanni River guided.

To be clear, when I went on this trip I had no relationship with Black Feather – my dad and I paid for our trip in full as regular clients. Since then, I have partnered with Black Feather to promote their trips, however, in this post, I’m going to give you an unbiased perspective on planning a trip to the Nahanni River.

To that extent, I won’t go into details about why Black Feather is better than other guiding companies (I haven’t tried all of the others so I couldn’t be unbiased), but I will go over why I chose them.

Here were the main considerations we had to make our decision, and the sections I’ve used to organize this blog post:

• Logistics – How to get you and your gear to and from the river
• Safety – How to keep you and your group safe on the river
• Satisfaction – How to get the most out of this once-in-a-lifetime trip
• Financials – How much it will cost to do the Nahanni River, both guided and unguided
• Referrals – Why I chose Black Feather over another company

Guided vs Unguided Nahanni River Canoe Trips

In case you’re wondering what I mean by “guided vs unguided” or “self-supported vs fully-supported”, here is a quick summary. When it comes to northern rivers, you basically have two options for your trip:

Self-Supported // Unguided: In this option, you coordinate all of the logistics and execute the trip yourself. You plan the entire route, bring your own food and equipment (or plan a rental yourself), coordinate the shuttles, and execute the trip yourself.

Fully Supported // Guided: On the other end of the spectrum, you can go with a fully supported / guided trip. In this case, you book a single “all-inclusive” trip that includes shuttles, logistics, food, guides, equipment and more.

Logistics for the Nahanni River

Getting to and from the Nahanni River is a bit of a logistical challenge, especially if you’re not familiar with the quirks of Arctic travel. I’ll give you a quick overview of all of the steps, and you’ll see why so many people opt for a guiding company.

Getting to the Nahanni River

Step 1: Travel to Yellowknife

First, you need to fly to Yellowknife, the capital city of the Northwest Territories. There are regular flights here from cities like Vancouver, Edmonton and Toronto.

Step 2: Fly to Fort Simpson

Next, take a flight from Yellowknife to Fort Simpson, a small town of ~1200 on the Mackenzie River. Flights are limited and can get pricy, so book early to secure a spot and save on costs. There aren’t a ton of amenities in Fort Simpson (though surprisingly, there’s a turf golf course), so don’t count on finding supplies here if you’re planning a self-guided trip.

Note: You should 100% get travel insurance when travelling the Arctic and leave at least one buffer day on either side of your trip. Volatile Arctic weather can lead to delays, and you don’t want to miss your trip (and lose a bunch of money) because of bad weather.

Step 3: Charter Flight to the Nahanni River

From Fort Simpson, you’ll need to book a charter flight to the river. This is likely the most expensive part of the trip (aka multiple thousands of dollars), but the flight itself is an incredible experience with breathtaking views. Various access points along the Nahanni River require a fly-in, with Virginia Falls // Náįlįcho being the most popular starting point.

Bringing or Renting Canoes

If you’re going self-supported, transporting your own canoe to Fort Simpson is complex since commercial airlines can’t carry large canoes. A better option would be renting one locally from Black Feather (email them at [email protected] for pricing and availability).

Getting Back from the Nahanni River

The return journey doesn’t have a flight, but still manages to be just as complex. Nahanni Butte, a hamlet on the Liard River, is the usual ending point for the river and is only accessible by road in the winter (via ice road). In summer, you’ll need to get across the Liard River to reach Highway 7, which connects back to Fort Simpson.

Step 1: Nahanni Butte to the Highway

Option 1 – Paddle to the Blackstone Territorial Park

You can paddle 38 km passed Nahanni Butte to Blackstone Territorial Park. Although this doesn’t sound like a lot of paddling compared to the 300+ km you just paddled, remember that the Liard is wide, slow-moving and vulnerable to wind. Getting here will add an extra 1 or 2 days to your trip.

Option 2 – Boat Shuttle to Blackstone Territorial Park

Alternatively, take a boat shuttle from Nahanni Butte to the park. Nahanni River Adventures offers this service for $1250 plus tax.

Option 3 – Boat Shuttle to Winter Access Road

Finally, if you’re part of a Black Feather guided group, you can get a boat taxi from Nahanni Butte to the winter access road across the Liard from town. This is the fastest option.

Step 2: Shuttle to Fort Simpson

Once at either Blackstone Territorial Park or the winter road, you need to arrange a shuttle to Fort Simpson. This is a roughly two-hour drive that also includes a ferry crossing over the Liard River before Fort Simpson. Again, Nahanni River Adventures offers this and it’s $1260.

Step 3: Overnight Stay in Fort Simpson

Given how much movement and coordination needs to happen on the last day, you should plan to spend a night in Fort Simpson before your return flights. We stayed at the Mackenzie Rest Inn, organized by Black Feather, and it was wonderful – there was a huge chicken roast feast for us shortly after arriving, comfortable beds and hot showers with excellent water pressure (a necessity after 13 days in the backcountry)!

Step 4: Return Flights

Finally, fly back to Yellowknife and continue home from there, essentially reversing the steps you took to get to Fort Simpson.

Okay, so all of that is a lot. Considering my dad and I both work full time and aren’t experienced with planning canoe trips in the Northwest Territories, it made much more sense to join a guided trip and not have to stress about anything.

Safety: Skills Needed for the Nahanni

There are a few things to consider when assessing the skills required to paddle the Nahanni River safely.

Wilderness Medicine Experience

This is a remote river. If you need help on the river, you’ll need to wait several hours to several days for assistance, depending on the weather. During my trip on the Nahanni, we had a stretch of multiple days when the forest fire smoke prevented planes from landing.

If you’re considering doing this trip self-guided, you should have ample experience in remote wilderness areas, some level of wilderness medicine training and a well-stocked wilderness first aid kit.

For example, you should have the knowledge and supplies to deal with common backcountry injuries like sprained ankles, burns, lacerations and hypothermia. You should also have some familiarity with the diagnosing and prolonged treatment of illnesses and ailments like heart attack, asthma and ‘beaver fever’. Finally, you should feel confident in your ability to assess what conditions require low-risk vs high-risk evacuations.

If you read all that and thought “Yeah, obviously I should have all that”, then you probably have the skills and experience to do a self-guided trip in a remote region!

If you read that and felt any degree of panic or “Wait, who said anything about heart attacks?” then you will probably be better offer with an experienced guide who can ensure the safety of your group each step of the way.

I know some people think I’m overly dramatic with how serious I take wilderness safety, but each year people die in the backcountry because they are under-qualified or underprepared for their trip. I want you to experience the outdoors, but I care more about you doing it safely!

Whitewater Experience

The other thing to consider is that there is whitewater on this trip. I paddled only the South Nahanni River, which isn’t a huge whitewater river so you don’t need to be expert-level, but it’s not for beginners either. After Virginia Falls // Náįlįcho, there are four Class II / Class III whitewater canyons and up to 5 CII rapids to paddle through.

Some people opt to start fourth upriver so they can paddle Moose Ponds, Little Nahanni River and Broken Skull River. These sections have many more rapids of higher difficulty.

To do this river safely, you should feel really good about your whitewater skills and have some degree of whitewater rescue training.

I would consider my boat to be reasonably experienced – I’ve guided multiple whitewater trips, including on the Missinaibi River, and my dad had already done four whitewater trips in Ontario and Quebec. Yet, we managed to flip our boat in Fourth Canyon. Oops, it happens!

Also, this is a northern river with a continuous current. The Nahanni does not have the drop-and-pool style rapids of the southern provinces. So when your boat flips… it just keeps on going.

All this meant I went for a chilly swim in fast current, holding onto my canoe for a couple hundred meters as I swam it to shore. It was fine (and actually kind of fun) because I’ve done that before, but if no one in your group has decent whitewater experience (including righting a boat in moving water), then I’d go with a guide!

Group Size

There is safety in numbers! Unless you’re very experienced, I would not do this river with fewer than 4 people. Rescuing a flipped canoe is much easier when you have an unflipped canoe!

If it’s just you and a friend, or you and a family member, join a guided trip. It’ll be way safer (and way more fun, see next section).

Satisfaction: Making the Most of Your Trip

The satisfaction of a guided vs unguided trip will vary a lot by person. As a general rule, I prefer unguided trips. I like to be the trip leader, have full control over the trip and camp with people I already know.

That said, there have been some guided trips I’ve done that have been absolutely incredible, largely because I would not have known about all the hidden gems along the way that can make a trip so special.

Such was the case with the Nahanni River. Had my dad and I just paddled the Nahanni ourselves, I fear we would have missed out on my favourite parts of the trip – like the day hiking trips, and history and geography lessons provided by the guides.

It was also nice having a big group of amazing people. If it’s just two or three people, you may get tired of each other by the end of two weeks. On the other hand, if you’re considering this trip with a big group of people, doing self-guided probably isn’t an issue.

Financials: Nahanni River Costs

Here is a rough breakdown of what I thought it would cost for two paddlers to canoe from Rabbitkettle Lake to Nahanni Butte (assuming a 12-night trip) guided and self-supported. This breakdown excludes things you would need in both cases, like flights to Fort Simpson, personal gear and trip insurance. It also excludes taxes.

Fully Guided Trip by Black Feather

• Nahanni Classic = $9495 per person x 2 = $18,990

Total = $18,990

Self-Supported:

• Canoe Rental: $95 per day x 13 days = $1235
• Float Plane to the River: $3000 (estimated)
• Parks Canada Permits: $231.50 per person x 2 people = $463
• Boat Shuttle (optional): $1250
• Van Shuttle: $1260
• Overnight Accommodations in Fort Simpson (assuming shared room): $245
• Food: $25 per person, per day x 2 people x 13 days = $2080
• Extra Baggage Fee to Transport 2 Food Barrels: $120 x 2 barrels = $240
• Extra Baggage Fee to Transport 2 Equipment Packs (for tents, cooking gear, whitewater rescue gear): $120 x 2 barrels = $240

Total = $8673

Either way, paddling the Nahanni River is an expensive endeavour – it’ll probably be the most expensive canoe trip you’ve done to date. The question you’ll want to ask yourself is “Are logistics support and safety assurance worth the additional $5K per person?”.

For me and my dad (and my mom who was worried about us), the answer was an absolute yes. I recognize that it’s a lot of money to spend on a vacation, but it truly is a once-in-a-lifetime adventure. Most people won’t be doing Arctic River trips every summer, so it’s especially important to do it right (even if that means delaying a year or two to save up additional money).

Referrals: Why I Chose Black Feather

Having worked in the guiding industry, there is really only one information source I use when deciding what guiding company to go with for my own trips.

What do my guiding friends have to say about the different outfitters?

So that’s what I did. I just asked my friends at various guiding companies who they thought I should go with. The name I heard more often than anyone else was Black Feather, particularly for the Nahanni River.

I heard the guides were experienced and skilled, very hard-working and great at accommodating different skill levels. Everyone spoke very highly of the previous owner Wendy and the new owners who had taken over for her. And they were great with consistency and smooth execution (one of my biggest pet peeves is when guiding companies are disorganized pre- and post-trip).

That’s not to say the other companies are bad – I’m sure they are all great companies! But the referrals I got led me to Black Feather, my dad and I had an amazing time with them, and if I do another guided trip in the Arctic I’ll go with them.

In Conclusion

Okay, I’ve now spent an entire day litigating the merits of doing a Nahanni River canoe trip guided versus unguided. Here is my conclusion.

You should do the Nahanni River self-guided if:

• You have a lot of remote backcountry experience (including whitewater and wilderness medicine)
• You have a group of at least 4 people to go with
• You feel comfortable navigating the logistics of planning food, canoe rentals, shuttles and float planes yourself

You should do the Nahanni River guided if:

• Your group doesn’t have enough wilderness medicine or whitewater rescue training
• You aren’t very experienced with whitewater paddling, specifically on northern rivers
• You’re solo, or part of a group of 2 or 3
• You want to save yourself the effort of planning the logistics for you
• It’s within your budget, or you can save up the difference between now and when you will take your trip

Although I’ve tried to make this comprehensive, if you have any questions please let me know! The Nahanni River was one of the most incredible experiences of my life and I’d love to help you have that experience for yourself.

Alternatively, you can reach out to Black Feather directly. Even if you’re thinking you’ll do it self-guided. They are extremely experienced and can answer questions for you.

And here is a link to the exact trip that I did: Nahanni Classic!