Duration(in days): 4
From: Vancouver
To: Vancouver
See more ideas for: Canada
Discover the wilderness of Knight Inlet Lodge on this short grizzly bear tour. Starting in Vancouver, you’ll fly up to Vancouver Island and spend your first night relaxing, ready to head up to the fjord early the next morning. Taking a seaplane, you’ll land right on the water and begin your exploration of this captivating and pristine wilderness. Set off on kayaking tours of the lush estuaries, where bears forage along the seashores, and watch bald eagles, the most majestic of birds, soar through the skies. The chance to see grizzly bears in the wild is a rare one and your time here will fly by in a rush of exciting wildlife experiences, surrounded by beautiful scenery.
This itinerary can be tailored to suit your requirements please contact one of our consultants to start planning your dream trip.
On arrival in Vancouver you will take a short flight up to Campbell River on lovely Vancouver Island. From here you will be transferred to your hotel, where you will stay for one night. Spend the evening exploring this small, welcoming town – why not head to the harbour and enjoy fresh fish and chips just a stone’s throw from the ocean?
Today you’ll hop aboard a seaplane and fly up to Knight Inlet Lodge, where you’ll check in for two nights. Knight Inlet is a floating lodge set against a long fjord, carved by the glaciers from the coastal mountains. This remote wilderness is the natural habitat of the grizzly bear, and you’ll spend the next couple of days searching the forest and water for a glimpse of this elusive creature. Each spring when the bears emerge from their cosy winter beds, they can be seen along the banks of Glendale Cove eating sedge grass, mussels and barnacles. As autumn comes the bears can be found feasting on the salmon that return up the river and can be watched from a special platform. It’s an amazing sight, as the fish seem to leap straight into the bears’ mouths.
Knight Inlet Lodge is composed of an assortment of cement floats, floated into the fjord each summer. There are 18 rooms and several other buildings including the dining room and a lounge for guests to relax. During your time here, you will enjoy several different tours looking for the bears, including boat trips, kayak excursions and guided hikes. You’ll also learn about the other wildlife in the local area, such as the majestic bald eagle.
Today is the final day of your grizzly bear tour. Spend the morning enjoying the spectacular location before taking a seaplane back to Campbell river and catching your scheduled flight back to Vancouver, where your trip will come to an end.
The best time to travel in British Colombia is between March and May or between September and November, as this is when you’ll find milder temperatures and bargain hotel rates. Summer brings beautiful weather, making it a very popular season to travel to this region and Canada at large. May until August is peak season, so prices reach a premium and tourist sights can become crowded. Winter runs from December to February and temperatures can drop below freezing. Of course, these conditions are perfect for winter sports fans, as there are all kinds of snowy activities on offer at nearby Whistler.
Knight Inlet Lodge is open between May and October each year.
If you'd like to get a feel for this trip, read our blog post Two amazing lodges for grizzly bear watching, Vancouver Island - written by one of our consultants who's been there.
This itinerary is purely a suggestion, and can be tailor-made to your requirements, so please contact us with your dates and requests and we’ll put together a bespoke quotation for you