Itinerary
- Day 1
Vancouver
You'll arrive in Vancouver and check into your hotel. If your flight gets in early, there's time to walk around this west coast city and grab some maple cookies in Stanley Park or just sit at a café and watch the world go by. The tour leader and group meet up around 6pm, and then you head out together for a welcome dinner at a restaurant nearby.
- Meals
- Dinner (Group dinner at a nearby restaurant)
Included Activities
- Group dinner at a nearby restaurant
Optional Activities
- Stroll around Vancouver
- Visit Stanley Park
- View authentic totem poles from the 1920s
- Enjoy refreshments at Stanley Park cafés
Landmarks Stanley Park - Day 2
Vancouver to Nanaimo - Ucluelet
This morning you're heading to the port for a 1 hour 30 minute ferry over to Nanaimo on Vancouver Island. Once you land, you'll drive to Rathtrevor Beach Provincial Park for a walk and picnic lunch with old-growth woods and sand all around you. After that, it's on to Ucluelet for the next three nights. Total travel time comes to about six hours today.
- Meals
- Lunch (Picnic lunch at Rathtrevor Beach Provincial Park)
- Accommodation
- Lodge (Canadian Princess Lodge & Marina)
Included Activities
- Ferry to Nanaimo on Vancouver Island
- Walk at Rathtrevor Beach Provincial Park
- Picnic lunch at Rathtrevor Beach Provincial Park
Landmarks Rathtrevor Beach Provincial Park - Day 3
Ucluelet - Pacific Rim National Park Reserve
You'll spend your morning walking through Pacific Rim National Park Reserve, checking out the coastline where the mountains drop down to the Pacific. The Nuu-Chah-Nulth trail takes you to the beach where you can look at tidal pools and rocky islands at low tide and spot colorful anemones and starfish. In the afternoon, a naturalist guide takes you out on a Zodiac for 2.5 to 3 hours of whale watching to look for humpbacks, greys, and maybe orcas plus seals and sea lions. Driving time stays under two hours.
- Meals
- Lunch
- Accommodation
- Lodge (Canadian Princess Lodge & Marina)
Included Activities
- Walk inside Pacific Rim National Park Reserve
- Nuu-Chah-Nulth trail to the beach
- Explore intertidal pools and rocky islands at low tide
- Zodiac whale-observation excursion (2 hours 30 minutes to 3 hours) with naturalist guide
Landmarks Pacific Rim National Park Reserve - Day 4
Ucluelet - Rainforest & Clayoquot Sound
An easy one-hour hike on the Rainforest Figure Eight trail has you walking on wooden boardwalks through thick forest with ferns, Western Red Cedar and Western Hemlock all around. You'll watch for Steller's jays and Rufous hummingbirds as you go. Later in the afternoon, Zodiacs take you out through Clayoquot Sound for 2.5 hours to spot black bears and bald eagles on rocky beaches and in the fjord inlets. It's a relaxed way to see wildlife from your boat.
- Accommodation
- Lodge (Canadian Princess Lodge & Marina)
Included Activities
- Rainforest Figure Eight trail hike (one hour)
- Zodiac expedition (2 hours 30 minutes) to observe black bears and bald eagles
Landmarks Rainforest Figure Eight Trail Clayoquot Sound - Day 5
Ucluelet to Campbell River - Cathedral Grove
You'll leave Ucluelet early and drive four hours to Campbell River on the north side of Vancouver Island, which is known as the salmon capital. This afternoon you stop at Cathedral Grove Provincial Park to walk among some of the last remaining temperate rainforest from over 1,000 years ago. Douglas fir trees tower alongside western hemlock, grand fir and western red cedar, and there are plenty of trails to choose from.
- Accommodation
- Lodge (Painter's Lodge), Lodge (Coast Discovery Inn)
Included Activities
- Drive to Campbell River (four hours)
- Visit Cathedral Grove Provincial Park
Optional Activities
- Meander through trails in Cathedral Grove Provincial Park
Landmarks Cathedral Grove Provincial Park - Day 6
Campbell River - Orford River
A covered boat takes you out for a full day heading to the Orford River area on mainland British Columbia to watch grizzly bears. After two hours on the water with mountain scenery all around, you'll take a short bus inland to viewing platforms where bears are catching and eating spawning salmon, sometimes with cubs alongside them. On the boat ride there and back, you might see black bears, orcas, humpbacks, greys, dolphins, porpoises and sea lions.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch
- Accommodation
- Lodge (Painter's Lodge), Lodge (Coast Discovery Inn)
Included Activities
- Full-day covered boat excursion to Orford River
- Two-hour boat journey to Orford River
- Bus journey to viewing platforms
- Grizzly bear observation from viewing platforms
Landmarks Orford River - Day 7
Campbell River to Quadra Island
A short 10-minute ferry takes you across Discovery Passage to Quadra Island where you'll spend the day on the trails and beaches. Your leader picks the route based on what the group wants and can handle, so it might be Shallaligan Pass Trail with ocean views or Heriot Ridge Trail through the forest down to the coast. There's also an optional three-hour sea kayaking trip around the island where you could see eagles, oystercatchers, herons, cormorants, seals, sea lions, dolphins and porpoises.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch
- Accommodation
- Lodge (Painter's Lodge), Lodge (Coast Discovery Inn)
Included Activities
- Ferry to Quadra Island (10 minutes)
- Hiking on Quadra Island trails
Optional Activities
- Three-hour sea kayaking excursion around Quadra Island with kayak and marine life observation guides
Landmarks Quadra Island Shallaligan Pass Trail Heriot Ridge Trail - Day 8
Quadra Island to Victoria
You drive around four hours to Victoria, the capital of British Columbia, known for its colorful gardens, British architecture and active arts scene. In the afternoon, a whale-watching boat takes you out into the Salish Sea where orcas, humpback whales and sea lions show up regularly. A marine naturalist on the boat helps you spot wildlife and explains what you're seeing.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch
- Accommodation
- Hotel (Huntingdon Manor)
Included Activities
- Drive to Victoria (approximately four hours)
- Whale-watching excursion in the Salish Sea with certified marine naturalist
Landmarks Salish Sea - Day 9
Victoria to Vancouver
Your last day starts early with the ferry crossing back to Vancouver, taking about 1.5 hours to cross the Strait of Georgia. The tour leader gives you an orientation tour of the city, and then the tour ends. You'll have free time to explore Vancouver on your own before heading off to whatever comes next.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Ferry to Vancouver (approximately 1.5 hours)
- Guided orientation tour of Vancouver
Optional Activities
- Explore Vancouver at leisure
