Itinerary
- Day 1
Vancouver to Alert Bay
You'll fly from Vancouver to Port Hardy, then take a taxi to Port McNeill for a 35-minute coastal ferry ride to Alert Bay. The lodge manager will meet you at the ferry terminal and get you settled in. Let them know what time works for dinner so they can have it ready.
- Start point
- Vancouver International Airport Clinic, Richmond, British Columbia V7B 1W2, Canada (Departure Gate, South Terminal)
- Meals
- Dinner
Landmarks Vancouver International Airport Port Hardy Airport Port McNeill Alert Bay - Day 2
Alert Bay
This is a free day on Cormorant Island to move around at your own pace. After breakfast, grab a map and admission ticket to the U'Mista Cultural Centre from the lodge manager. Walk through the village to check out the Chief's Burial Grounds, shops, and galleries, then spend time at the cultural centre looking at First Nations masks and artwork. If you're interested, there are hiking trails, First Nations dancing at the Big House, or the Ecological Gardens and Big Tree Trail to explore.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- U'Mista Cultural Centre admission
- Access to hiking trails on Cormorant Island
Optional Activities
- Native Dancing at the Big House, Thursday to Sunday during July and August ($15 per person)
- Ecological Gardens and Big Tree Trail
- Visit Chief's Burial Grounds
- Explore village shops and galleries featuring native art
Landmarks U'Mista Cultural Centre Chief's Burial Grounds Big House Cormorant Island - Day 3
Grizzly Bear Viewing in Knight Inlet
Head out early at 6:45 am for a full day marine tour searching for grizzly bears. You'll travel by covered boat for about 2 hours into Johnstone Strait to reach Knight Inlet, a glacier-carved fjord. From there, drift quietly through the estuary watching bears feed on sedges and grasses. Depending on the tides, you might transfer to a flat-bottomed skiff to see the shallower areas. Lunch gets included on the boat.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch
Included Activities
- Full day grizzly bear viewing marine tour (9 hours)
- Lunch
Landmarks Knight Inlet Johnstone Strait - Day 4
Telegraph Cove and Whale Watching
Take a taxi to the Alert Bay ferry terminal, then head to Port McNeill by ferry. From there, a 45-minute scenic taxi ride gets you to Telegraph Cove. You'll have time to walk through this historic village, visit the Whale Museum, and grab lunch. At 1:00 pm, board a 62-foot semi-covered cruiser for a 3.5-hour whale watching tour looking for orcas, humpback whales, minke whales, dolphins, and sea lions in Johnstone Strait and the Broughton Archipelago.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Full day excursion to Telegraph Cove
- 3.5-hour wildlife and orca/whale-watching marine tour
Optional Activities
- Visit Whale Museum
- Lunch in Telegraph Cove
Landmarks Telegraph Cove Whale Museum Johnstone Strait Broughton Archipelago - Day 5
Alert Bay to Vancouver
After breakfast, take a taxi to the ferry at Port McNeill and head back to Alert Bay. A driver will pick you up at the Port McNeill Ferry Terminal and take you to Port Hardy Airport for your afternoon flight back to Vancouver.
- End point
- Vancouver International Airport Clinic, Richmond, British Columbia V7B 1W2, Canada (Arrival Gate - South Terminal)
- Meals
- Breakfast
Landmarks Port McNeill Ferry Terminal Port Hardy Airport Vancouver International Airport
