Itinerary

Day 1: Vancouver
We arrive Vancouver and check in at the hotel independently. In the evening we enjoy our first dinner together. (Please note that international flights to and from Vancouver are not included in the price. Let us know if you need any assistance with your flight arrangements.)

Day 2: Vancouver
Time to discover Vancouver, a city surrounded by nature. We explore False Creek bay during a boat ride, visit the local market on Granville Island and visit the Museum of Anthropology. The afternoon is for free activities. In the evening we meet up for dinner.

Day 3-9: The Great Bear Rainforest
Today we fly to Terrace where we board the ship, a beautiful and comfortable yacht, which will be our home for a week filled with in-depth nature experiences. We travel from north to south, from Terrace to Bella Bella, through a magnificent wilderness that goes by the name the Great Bear Rainforest. This is one of the largest remaining areas of unspoiled temperate rainforests in the world. Towering mountains, intricate waterways and dense forests are home to eagles, ravens, bears and wolves. In the sounds and channels, we have great chances of seeing humpback whales and in rare occasions also orcas. On the shores we search for the majestic grizzly bear, weighing in at some 250 kilograms, heavy from feasting on the salmon moving upstream. And of course, we hope to encounter the Kermode (“spirit bear”) – a black bear with a recessive gene for white fur. Kermode bears hold a special place in the traditions of the native people of the area, people who have lived here for more than ten thousand years. Only about ten percent of the areas black bears are born with a white coat, so to meet a Kermode bear involves a large amount of luck - but we are in the right place at the right time.

Day 10: Alert Bay
We disembark the Island Solitude in Bella Bella and fly to Port Hardy on Vancouver Island. We make our way to Alert Bay on Cormorant Island, “home of the killer whale”, and check in at Seine Boat Inn.

Day 11: Alert Bay
The Alert Bay area is known for its many whales. Both fish-eating orcas and mammal-eating orcas are often spotted hunting in this area. On a private boat tour, we explore the pristine ocean and its islands, searching for whales, birds and seals. Steller sea lions and harbour seals are often seen basking in the sun and bold eagles might be observing us from above.

In the afternoon we go on a walking tour with a native guide to learn more about the area’s exciting history and the living culture of the ‘Namgis First Nation of the Kwakwaka’wakw, a Pacific Northwest coast indigenous people. We visit the local museum as well as the world’s highest totem pole.

Day 12: Telegraph Cove
Today we head out on one more whale watching tour that will finish at the quaint little harbour settlement of Telegraph Cove, where we have lunch and pay a visit to the museum. Weather permitting, we do a nature walk to stretch our legs. The boat will pick us up and take us back to Alert Bay for dinner.

Day 13: Vancouver
After breakfast we transfer to the airport in Port Hardy and fly to Vancouver. In the evening we enjoy our last dinner together.

Day 14: Homeward bound
Today we continue homewards or on own adventures.

© Tom Stoeri

© Adam Rehborg

© Adam Rehborg