Itinerary
- Day 1
Vancouver
You'll arrive in Vancouver and take some time to walk around and get oriented to the city. Head over to Stanley Park to check out the totem poles and see what the area feels like. Your tour leader will either hold a welcome briefing tonight or first thing tomorrow morning, depending on when you get in.
- Accommodation
- Hotel (Century Plaza Hotel)
Optional Activities
- Stroll around Vancouver's cosmopolitan city centre
- Treat yourself to maple cookies in Stanley Park
- Visit authentic totem poles in Stanley Park (installed in the 1920s)
- Sit in cafes and people watch in Stanley Park
Landmarks Stanley Park - Day 2
Vancouver to Ucluelet
This morning you're heading to the port for a ferry across the Strait of Georgia to Nanaimo on Vancouver Island, which takes about 1 hour 30 minutes. Along the way, you'll stop at Rathtrevor Beach Provincial Park for a walk and picnic lunch, where you can see old-growth woodland and sandy beaches. From there, keep driving to Ucluelet where you'll be staying for the next three nights. The whole day runs about six hours of travel time.
- Meals
- Lunch (Picnic lunch at Rathtrevor Beach Provincial Park)
- Accommodation
- Lodge (Canadian Princess Lodge & Marina)
Included Activities
- Ferry to Nanaimo on Vancouver Island
- Walk and picnic lunch at Rathtrevor Beach Provincial Park
Landmarks Rathtrevor Beach Provincial Park - Day 3
Ucluelet
Start your morning exploring Pacific Rim National Park Reserve on foot to see the natural landscape of Canada's west coast. You'll time it for low tide so you can walk through the intertidal pools and check out the rocky islands. After lunch, you're boarding a Zodiac with a naturalist guide for a 2.5 to 3-hour whale-watching trip. You'll be looking for humpback and grey whales, though you might also spot orcas, seals and sea lions if you're lucky.
- Accommodation
- Lodge (Canadian Princess Lodge & Marina)
Included Activities
- Walk inside Pacific Rim National Park Reserve
- Explore intertidal pools and rocky islands at low tide
- Zodiac whale-observation excursion (2 hours 30 minutes to 3 hours)
Landmarks Pacific Rim National Park Reserve - Day 4
Ucluelet
Start the day with an easy hour-long hike on the Rainforest Figure Eight trail, which runs along wooden boardwalks through the forest with dense ferns, Western Red Cedar and Western Hemlock surrounding you. Keep an eye out for birds like Steller's jays and Rufous hummingbirds. Later in the afternoon, you'll board Zodiacs again for a 2.5-hour expedition in Clayoquot Sound where you can watch for black bears and bald eagles.
- Accommodation
- Lodge (Canadian Princess Lodge & Marina)
Included Activities
- Hike on Rainforest Figure Eight trail (one hour)
- Zodiac expedition to observe black bears and bald eagles (2 hours 30 minutes)
Landmarks Rainforest Figure Eight Trail Clayoquot Sound - Day 5
Ucluelet to Campbell River
You'll drive north for about four hours to reach Campbell River, which has earned its reputation as the salmon capital of the world. Once you arrive, the afternoon is set aside for Cathedral Grove Provincial Park where you can walk through old-growth Douglas fir forests and see what the temperate rainforest looked like over a thousand years ago when it covered Vancouver Island.
- Accommodation
- Lodge (Painter's Lodge), Lodge (Coast Discovery Inn)
Included Activities
- Visit Cathedral Grove Provincial Park and explore trails through Douglas fir, western hemlock, grand fir and western red cedar trees
Landmarks Campbell River Cathedral Grove Provincial Park - Day 6
Campbell River
You're boarding a covered boat early for a full-day trip out to the Orford River area on the British Columbia mainland to see grizzly bears. The boat ride takes about two hours to reach the river mouth, then a short bus ride gets you to five viewing platforms. You'll watch the bears catching and eating salmon, and if you're there at the right time you might see black bears, orcas, whales, dolphins, porpoises and sea lions too.
- Accommodation
- Lodge (Painter's Lodge), Lodge (Coast Discovery Inn)
Included Activities
- Full-day covered boat excursion to Orford River area
- Observation of grizzly bears at viewing platforms
- Marine wildlife viewing (orcas, humpback and grey whales, dolphins, porpoises, sea lions, black bears)
Landmarks Orford River - Day 7
Quadra Island
Take a quick 10-minute ferry across the Discovery Passage to Quadra Island. You'll spend the day on the island exploring trails and beaches by foot. Your leader will pick which trail makes the most sense based on what your group wants and what people are comfortable with. The Shallaligan Pass Trail hugs the coastline with panoramic ocean views, or the Heriot Ridge Trail takes you through the bush up to a ridge with coastal views.
- Accommodation
- Lodge (Painter's Lodge), Lodge (Coast Discovery Inn)
Included Activities
- Ferry to Quadra Island across Discovery Passage
- Island trail exploration (Shallaligan Pass Trail or Heriot Ridge Trail)
Optional Activities
- Three-hour sea kayaking excursion around Quadra Island with kayak and marine life guides
Landmarks Quadra Island Shallaligan Pass Trail Heriot Ridge Trail - Day 8
Campbell River to Victoria
The drive to Victoria takes around four hours, and you'll be heading to British Columbia's capital city known for its colorful gardens, British architecture, and arts scene. After you get settled, the afternoon brings a whale-watching trip out into the Salish Sea where you might spot orcas, humpback whales, and sea lions. A certified marine naturalist joins you on the boat to help locate wildlife and share details about what you're seeing.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch
- Accommodation
- Hotel (Huntingdon Manor)
Included Activities
- Whale-watching excursion in the Salish Sea with certified marine naturalist
Landmarks Victoria Salish Sea - Day 9
Victoria to Vancouver
Early start today as you take the ferry back to Vancouver, which takes about 1.5 hours across the Strait of Georgia. Once you're back, your leader will give you a guided tour of the city, then you'll have free time to explore Vancouver on your own and do whatever you want.
Included Activities
- Ferry to Vancouver across the Strait of Georgia
- Guided orientation tour of Vancouver
Optional Activities
- Free time to explore Vancouver at leisure
