In Search of Grizzlies – Knight Inlet Lodge, Canada

Arrive Vancouver and transfer to your comfortable airport hotel.

Check out of your chosen hotel and transfer to the domestic airport for your flight to Campbell River.

Nestled on the east coast of central Vancouver Island, Campbell River is known as the “Salmon Capital of the World” and more recently as an adventure and eco-tourism hub.

You will have the day at leisure to enjoy lunch at the Discovery Harbour Marina, take a walk on the Discovery Harbour Pier or perhaps explore the Maritime Heritage Centre. There you can learn about Campbell River’s rich maritime history and its First Nations culture.

Wake up early and prepare to travel by float plane to Knight Inlet.

The longest fjord on British Columbia’s coast, Knight Inlet is in the heart of the Great Bear Rainforest. This incredible location offers spectacular scenery to its visitors, with steep mountains rising out of the ocean, thundering glacier-fed waterfalls, and towering rainforest, all home to the grizzly bears for which this region has become known.

Once settled in at the lodge, and following a brief orientation, you will embark on a small boat excursion in the estuary. Two 2-hour tours follow in the afternoon; one of these tours is a bear viewing tour (by boat in the spring and summer and on a viewing platform in the fall), and the other will be a Knight Inlet sightseeing cruise.

Enjoy another day of bear viewing at Knight Inlet.

Grizzly bears are abundant in Knight Inlet in the fall, but it is not the only season when they frequent the area around the lodge.

Starting in April, both black and grizzly bears begin emerging from hibernation and head to the cove and the estuary to feed on succulent spring growth. Spring also offers a wonderful opportunity to see new born cubs as they venture out into world.

In spring and summer, Knight Inlet offer bear watching tours by boat, allowing you to experience these wonderful animals without disturbing them.

The Autumn season begins in late August where viewing takes place from especially constructed stands. These provide a safe and comfortable viewing base.  In the fall Pink salmon begin surging their way up the Inlet, attracting dozens of grizzlies who converge on the spawning channels to fatten up in preparation for the coming winter.

Knight Inlet Lodge is one of the very few locations in the world where you can combine marine tours, whale watching and grizzly bear viewing.

Take to the water today as you go in search of orcas in the Johnstone Strait.

. Nowhere else on earth is there such a concentration of Killer Whales as the Johnstone Strait area. This full-day tour leaves around 7:45am and arriving back at the lodge by 5-5:30pm. A substantial packed lunch is included.

While the focus tends to be sighting Orca, you may encounter Harbour Seals, Porpoise, Dolphins, Steller Sea Lions, Minke, and Humpback Whales.

Spend the day exploring the Broughton Archipelago which is situated near the lower end of Knight Inlet. One of the stops may be at Echo Bay which is located on the western side of Gilford Island and is home to a colourful array of local personalities, one of whom is Billy Proctor. He has lived on the west coast for over 65 years and runs a small museum he has opened near his homestead. In Billy’s museum you will have the opportunity to explore hundreds of years of artefacts collected from the beaches of the west coast by Billy himself, as well as many which are continually being donated to the project. Another possible, and popular, stop is the First Nation Village of Tsatsisnukwomi (New Vancouver). On a visit to the Village you will get to tour the community Big House and learn about the history and culture of the Tsatsisnukwomi and the Da’ naxda’ xw Awaetlala First Nation whose traditional territory includes Glendale Cove. Along the way you will have lunch at one of the many beautiful, secluded sites that can be found here. If time allows and the tides are right you may also explore a hidden waterfall and be able to hike to an enormous cedar tree, rumoured to be over 1000 years old.

On your day of departure you’ll have the opportunity to go on a final bear viewing boat excursion before your 10:00 return transfer to Campbell River by floatplane and then connecting onto Vancouver.

There is so much to see and do in Vancouver! Rent a bike to ride around the Seawall in Stanley Park or enjoy a walk in this beautiful space! Take the ferry across to Granville Island – the place to be on a sunny day. Here you can shop in the Public Market, walk round the marina, browse in the gift shops or sample some of the local food. A visit to Lynn Canyon and the suspension bridge is well worth it; you can even have a dip in Lynn Creek after a short walk in the forest. There will be plenty of time for shopping on Robson Street in its trendy shops and the Robson Public Market. Visit Chinatown, home to Dr. Sun Yat-sen Classical Chinese Garden. No visit is complete without wandering through Gas town; the brightly painted buildings date back to 1886 and old gas lamps line the red cobblestone streets

Today is the end of your adventure as you say farewell to Vancouver and fly back to the UK.

Do let us know if you wish to extend your holiday though and we will be happy to assist you.

Your Knight Inlet adventure can be combined with a cruise to Alaska or perhaps a trip into the Rockies aboard the Rocky Mountaineer. We can also combine your stay with any of our self drive itineraries.