Holiday Overview
Great Bear Lodge offers fantastic 4 or 7 nights (one of the nights is spent in Port Hardy) bear viewing programmes from their floating lodge, with departures available from Vancouver or Port Hardy. A superb add-on to your Canada holiday, or let us tailor a holiday around the lodge, to your own personal requirements. Talk to one of our Canada experts for full details.
Great Bear Lodge is located 50 air miles from Port Hardy, British Columbia. The fully self-contained floating lodge is situated at an outstanding wildlife viewing location. This is a place of spectacular beauty where one can still find the silence and solitude of another era. From this location Great Bear Nature Tours operate their Grizzly Bear viewing programme. The BBC used the lodge as their base while filming for the series Secrets of Our Living Planet.
Great Bear Nature Tours includes:
- Return flights from Vancouver to Port Hardy
- 4 nights accommodation
- Interpretive discussion and welcome orientation for wildlife viewing
- Morning and afternoon bear viewing sessions, guided by a wildlife biologist
- Wilderness-gourmet meals including complimentary wine with dinner
- Transportation to and from the Great Bear Lodge (departing Port Hardy)
- Interpretive walks or boat excursions
- Rubber boots and rain gear, if required
- Binoculars for wildlife viewing
- Stewardship fee for bear research in British Columbia
Day 1 - Vancouver to Great Bear Lodge
Late this morning depart from Vancouver International Airport (South Terminal) for 70 minute flight to Port Hardy. Upon arrival transfer (included) to the town of Port Hardy for lunch (own cost) and to explore the town. Mid-afternoon you will be transferred to the float plane base for your scenic flight over the Queen Charlotte Strait to the floating lodge. After a brief introduction to the lodge you will go on your first Grizzly Bear excursion.
Featured accommodation
Great Bear Lodge
Day 2 - Great Bear Lodge
In the morning, you will be on the trail of the grizzly bear again after some good coffee and breakfast. A typical viewing session lasts three hours. After a morning of adventure, you will return to the lodge for lunch and a chance to relax. Spend the early afternoon exploring the surrounding area with a guide. A popular activity is the interpretive rainforest walk, examining bear sign and the general ecology of the area. In mid-afternoon you will venture out to see the bears before returning to the lodge for dinner. On clear nights, the stars are amazing.
Featured accommodation
Great Bear Lodge
Day 3 - Great Bear Lodge
As your stay at the lodge continues, you begin to settle into the natural rhythm of the valley. The bears are generally most active in the early morning and late afternoon hours, which is why we focus our viewing sessions on these times. Over the course of your stay we will take you to a variety of sites, depending on the bear activity. For the afternoon recreation today we may take a guided sea-kayaking tour of the estuary, or a boat cruise to explore the glacier-carved inlet. Or you may prefer to relax and enjoy the view from the lodge. The Great Bear Rainforest is home to many animals, including grey wolves, otters, black bears, mink and bald eagles.
Featured accommodation
Great Bear Lodge
Day 4 - Great Bear Lodge to Port Hardy
After your parting session with the bears you will enjoy lunch at the Great Bear Lodge. You will be returned to Port Hardy in the afternoon between 4pm and 6pm. Due to unpredictable weather conditions for flights around the lodge and Port Hardy we have included a nights accommodation in Port Hardy.
Day 5 - Port Hardy to Vancouver
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