Find the Spirit Bear
Head out in search of the mystical spirit bear, a rare subspecies of the black bear.
West Coast Odyssey: Sail Canada’s Great Bear Rainforest
A kaleidoscope of British Columbia’s wildlife.
| Start date | End date | Days |
Prices from
ex. flights |
Boat | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 08/10/25 | 16/10/25 | 9 days | £8,695 pp | Cascadia | Reserve place |
Sail aboard a charming 138-foot catamaran through the remote waters of the Great Bear Rainforest along British Columbia’s Pacific coast, leaving the lightest of footprints. With mountains and inlets as your backdrop, this journey explores an area of extraordinary biodiversity, where humpbacks, grizzlies and spirit bears call home.
Visit natural hot springs and a remote whale research station, kayak through humpback and orca habitats, and hike the rainforest with Gitga’at First Nation guides who share knowledge of their territories and connection to the land. Bookended with time in Vancouver, this extraordinary itinerary showcases the very best of Canada’s west coast.
Why Steppes?
Rated Excellent
on Trustpilot
One of the World's Top 5
Travel Specialists
Transparent and
Accountable
Key Highlights of this Itinerary
Watch for Marine Life
Observe orca whales, sea lions and humpback whales as they emerge from the cool water.
Cascadia
Travel the remote coastal fjords in search of grizzlies on Cascadia, a beautiful 138-foot catamaran.
First Nation Guides
Learn about the significance of the landscapes with Gitga’ata guides who lead the expeditions.
-
Day 1
Vancouver
-
Day 2
Vancouver - Terrace
-
Days 3-8
Great Bear Rainforest
-
Day 9
Terrace - Vancouver
Day 1
Vancouver
On arrival into Vancouver, be met and transferred to your downtown hotel for the first night of the trip.
Day 2
Vancouver - Terrace
Fly from Vancouver to Terrace before transferring to Kitimat port to board Cascadia. Set sail through the Douglas Channel, territory of the Haisla First Nations, keeping an eye out passing whales. Enjoy an evening rainforest walk before dinner on the boat.
Days 3-8
Great Bear Rainforest
Spend the next six days exploring the biggest tract of coastal temperate rainforest on earth at 6.4 million hectares. Expert guides navigate the fjords and estuary meadows in search of grizzly bears feeding on autumn salmon. As well as grizzlies, Gitga’ata guides lead the expedition to spirit bear habitat for a full day of viewing the bears. Cruise through Whale Channel and visit a remote whale research station, as well as rainforest hikes, kayaking, a visit to natural hot springs and possible wolf viewing.
Day 9
Terrace - Vancouver
Board an internal flight from Terrace back to Vancouver for onward travel home.
Cruise the Great Bear Rainforest
Cruise deep into the heart of the Great Bear Rainforest on board one of our favourite luxury catamarans – Cascadia. Navigating where larger boats cannot go, follow the Inside Passage along Canada’s Pacific coast and voyage into remote estuaries where grizzlies feast on spawning salmon. Navigate Campania Sound, an ideal area for spotting humpback whales and steller sea lions, and launch a kayak to paddle in the immensity and peacefulness of this extraordinary part of the world.
Discover the Rainforest
The Great Bear Rainforest contains 25% of the remaining intact temperate rainforest in the world and is one of the planet’s most special and unique ecosystems. During the month of September, five species of wild Pacific Salmon return to the north coast and enter the thousands of freshwater rivers. These salmon not only provide food for hundreds of bears, wolves, and eagles but also provide nutrients for the giant trees that grow in this temperate rainforest. As a result, these forests contain as much as four times the amount of life found in a tropical rainforest.
Bubble Net Feeding & Remote Kayaking
Watch humpback whales bubble net feeding, or take to kayaks to get a closer perspective of the Great Bear Rainforest. Gitga’ata guides lead the expedition to spirit bear habitat for a full day of viewing the bears and learning about the significance of First Nation sites throughout the region. Cruise through Whale Channel and visit a remote whale research station, as well as rainforest hikes, kayaking, a visit to natural hot springs and possible wolf viewing. Ultimately, this trip is about wildlife, so you will spend as much time as possible searching for bears and viewing humpback whales.
Other available dates
For further information about any of these tours please call 01285 880 980
| Start date | End date | Days |
Prices from
ex. flights |
Boat | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 08/10/25 | 16/10/25 | 9 days | £8,695 pp | Cascadia | Reserve place |
Expert-Led Group Tours
Explore similar expert-led group tours
With an average group size of just eight to ten people our group tour itineraries enable you to travel to some of the most intriguing regions of the world in the company of expert guides in the field and, of course, with likeminded people.
Why Choose Steppes?
Our knowledge, curiosity and expertise set us apart, driving us to create remarkable holidays and Beautiful Adventures tailored perfectly to you, carefully curated to help protect and conserve our planet.
Are you ready to Discover Extraordinary?