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Voykit pocket guide · Canada
Masset
Go for 2 nights as a base for North Beach and Naikoon, not as a town: the village itself is 30 minutes of walking.
Masset is a village of about 1,000 on the north coast of Graham Island, at Mile 0 of the Yellowhead Highway. It is the practical base for North Beach, Tow Hill and Naikoon Provincial Park, and the closest place to Old Massett (2 km east), where Haida art studios and the original village sites are. There is no nightlife and few restaurants: you come for the beach, the birds and the forest, and you need a car or a booked taxi to reach any of it.
- Country
- Canada
- Best months
- Jun–Sep
- Avoid
- Nov–Mar (rain, wind, many closures)
- Stay
- 2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- CAD
- Money
- Currency is the Canadian dollar (CAD, $). Cards and tap-to-pay are accepted almost everywhere.
- Daily spend
- Budget C$90–140 excl. bed · Mid C$140–220 excl. bed · High C$220+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Rogers, Bell and Telus plus cheaper brands (Fido, Koodo, Public Mobile); prepaid SIMs in malls and stores. Canadian data is expensive — an eSIM is often cheaper.
- Emergency
- Police, fire, ambulance 911 · Hospital emergency +1 250-626-4700 · Information Centre +1 250-626-3982
- Plugs
- Types A, B · 120 V · 60 Hz · Same as the US.
- Tipping
- Restaurant: 15–20% of the pre-tax bill.; Bar: CAD 1–2 per drink.; Taxi: 10–15%.; Housekeeping: CAD 3–5 a night.; Guide: 10–20% of the tour price.
- Water
- Tap water is drinkable; treat water from lakes and streams (giardia).
- Toilets
- Free in malls, Tim Hortons, stations and park visitor centres.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | C$3–6 |
| Café lunch or soup | C$14–22 |
| Pub main | C$20–32 |
| Grocery basics for a picnic | C$15–25 |
| Taxi, short village hop | C$10–15 |
| Golf, 9 holes | check |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- ZMT · Masset Municipal Airport
- Pacific Coastal flights from Vancouver, about 2 h 15 min; check the current schedule and baggage limits.
- YZP · Prince Rupert (via ferry from Skidegate)
- Ferry terminal is about an hour away in Skidegate; book the sailing ahead in summer.
Typical fares
- Pacific Coastal Vancouver → Masset
- about 2 h 15 min; fares vary by date (check)
- Ferry Skidegate → Prince Rupert
- book ahead in summer (check)
- Taxi in the village
- C$10–15 (check)
Get around
The village is walkable and a sidewalk links Masset with Old Massett. Everything else — North Beach, Tow Hill, Naikoon trailheads — is 5–25 km out on Tow Hill Road with no bus service. Rent a car if you can book one, or use Mile Zero Taxi and agree the fare first. Fuel up in Masset; there is no gas east of the village.The village is walkable and a sidewalk links Masset with Old Massett. Everything else — North Beach, Tow Hill, Naikoon trailheads — is 3.1–16 mi out on Tow Hill Road with no bus service. Rent a car if you can book one, or use Mile Zero Taxi and agree the fare first. Fuel up in Masset; there is no gas east of the village.
See and do
Known for
- North Beach and Tow Hill
- Naikoon Provincial Park
- Delkatla Wildlife Sanctuary
- Old Massett Haida art studios
- Mile 0 of the Yellowhead Highway
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| North Beach and Tow Hill | Drive Tow Hill Road east about 25 km, then walk the boardwalk to the blowholeDrive Tow Hill Road east about 16 mi, then walk the boardwalk to the blowhole | Half a day |
| Naikoon Provincial Park | Drive Tow Hill Road to the trailheads; the Cape Fife and East Beach routes start from the north end | Full day or overnight |
| Old Massett | Walk or drive 2 km eastWalk or drive 1.2 mi east | 2–3 h |
| Daajing Giids-Skidegate | Drive Highway 16 east, about 100 kmDrive Highway 16 east, about 62 mi | 1.5–2 h each way |
| Sandspit | Drive Highway 16 east to Skidegate, then the short ferry to Alliford Bay | 2–2.5 h |
Sleep
- Masset village centre
- Walkable to cafés, the museum and the water; most lodges and the taxi base are here.
- Tow Hill Road (east toward North Beach)
- Cabins and the campground, 5–15 min drive from the village; you need a car.
- Old Massett
- 2 km east; a few guesthouses, quieter, closest to the art studios.1.2 mi east; a few guesthouses, quieter, closest to the art studios.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Thank you | Haawahaa-wa |
| Hello | Sán uusan-oo |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake; 'Bonjour' first in Québec; avoid: Assuming everyone speaks English
- Queues: Line up and wait your turn; avoid: Pushing in
- Apologising: 'Sorry' is politeness, not admission of fault; avoid: Loud confrontation
- Canada vs US: Treat Canada as its own country; avoid: Calling Canadians American
- Indigenous culture: Buy from Indigenous-owned businesses and ask before photos at ceremonies; avoid: Wearing headdresses as costume
Scams and watch-outs
- Tsunami zone: the whole Greater Masset area is low-lying and seismically active. Read the local evacuation map before you sleep, and if a strong quake lasts more than a minute, leave on the marked route without waiting for an order.
- Cell coverage is patchy on Tow Hill Road and in Naikoon; download offline maps.
- Restaurant and café hours are short and change with the season — call before you drive out.
- Rain is the default: bring a shell and waterproof footwear even in July.
- Book ferries, flights and beds weeks ahead for Jun–Sep; capacity is small.
Low crime; the real risks are tsunami and weather. Know the evacuation route, carry rain gear, and do not drive logging roads at night.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Masset yet. Suggested stay: 2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- North Beach and Tow Hill
- Naikoon Provincial Park
- Delkatla Wildlife Sanctuary
- Old Massett Haida art studios
- Mile 0 of the Yellowhead Highway
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Village of Masset — visitors: massetbc.com/visitors/
- Village of Masset — emergency planning: massetbc.com/residents/emergency-planning/
- Northern Haida Gwaii Hospital and Health Centre: www.northernhealth.ca/find-a-facility/hospitals/northern-haida-gwaii-hospital-and-health-centre
- Pacific Coastal Airlines: www.pacificcoastal.com/
- Wikivoyage: Masset, revision 5238598 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5238598
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Masset
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- Police, fire, ambulance911
- Hospital emergency+1 250-626-4700
- Information Centre+1 250-626-3982
No embassies in Masset; the US consulate-general is in Vancouver, and most other countries' missions are in Ottawa or Vancouver.
Tipping in Canada: 15–20% at restaurants and bars, 10–15% for taxis.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/masset). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.