- The Dumpling Trail
- Guided Half-day Grizzly Viewing and Rafting Tour
- Nuxalk Petroglyphs Tour
- Nature Interpretive Hike & Bears Tour
- Totem Pole Tour of Bella Coola Village
- Bella Coola Museum
- The Kopas Store and Copper Sun Gallery
- 5 nights of accommodations
- Professional Tour Leader
- Transportation including flight, boat, motorcoach
- 13 meals: 5 breakfasts, 3 lunches, 5 dinners
- Credit card payment fees, where applicable
- Attractions not listed
- Meals not listed
- Items of a personal nature
- Gratuities to guide (Recommend $5-$7 per person per day)
- Gratuities to driver (Recommend $3-$4 per person per day)
- Winter Clothing Rental Package
- Airfare — domestic and international (Unless Specified)
- Travel insurance (Strongly recommended, ask us for a quote!)
AVAILABILITY
START DATE
END DATE
PRICE
SINGLE SUPPLEMENT
DEPOSIT
AVAILABLE
Sun, 24 Sep 2023
Sat, 30 Sep 2023
$100 USD
$500 USD
Arrive in Vancouver and check in to your Richmond hotel. There will be some free time to explore the heart of interesting Richmond and we highly recommend walking the well-known ‘Dumpling Trail’ to get a feel of the city as well as its rich Asian heritage. A fast elevated metro train service also allows quick access to Vancouver city centre and its attractions. This evening, we will walk to a nearby restaurant and enjoy a welcome dinner to get acquainted with our group.
Overnight: Vancouver
Meals: Dinner
We will transfer to Vancouver’s South Terminal for a short flight to Bella Coola on a twin-engine turboprop plane. Flying over the fiords, mountain peaks and rugged terrain will give you an idea why so few roads exist in this relatively remote and pristine part of British Columbia’s coastline. On arrival, we will transfer to the Bella Coola Eagle Lodge before heading out on a walking tour to visit the Kopas Store, the Copper Sun Gallery, and the Bella Coola Museum. The museum provides an insight into the area’s varied history starting with the Indigenous people who have inhabited the region for thousands of years, then the early explorers, the coming of the first pioneer European settlers and the building of the ‘Freedom Road’. The Kopas Store and the Copper Sun gallery provide a showcase for the traditional Nuxalk peoples artwork and handicrafts as well as maps, jewellery and masks typical of the area. After dinner, enjoy an evening of leisure at the Eagle Lodge Inn by unwinding in their sauna and hot tub, or cozy up by the fire in this stunning mountain view lodge.
Overnight: Bella Coola
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Early this morning, we will depart for our first grizzly bear viewing experience! The guided riverboat tour will take you through the winding Atnarko River in Tweedsmuir Park. Make sure to bring your camera and look out for the abundance of wildlife, including bald eagles, black bears, and coho salmon that will jump out of the water right in front of you, and of course grizzly bears. This unique experience will give you the opportunity to possibly see bears feeding on salmon at the river level. Keep your eyes peeled as you float downstream on this steady river for a morning of excitement. Note that wildlife has its own mind and while we plan our trips during the best seasons and visit areas known for wildlife viewing, accompanied by experienced guides, we cannot guarantee sightings.In the afternoon, we will go on a Totem Pole tour with a Nuxalk local guide through the endearing village of Bella Coola. You will be led on foot by the banks of the river, to the traditional school in the Nuxalk territory. These totem poles tower over as they tell the smayustas (creation stories) of the past and present. We will also get the opportunity to visit a working carver's studio to see how these creations come to life.Enjoy another evening of leisure at the Eagle Lodge Inn with many amenities and activities to do. Challenge someone to a game of billiards or take your swing at on-site driving range greens. Alternatively, unwind with some vinyl records and enjoy the mountain views. Bella Coola Eagle Lodge is a paradise in the mountains.
Overnight: Bella Coola
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
British Columbia’s central coast swathed in temperate rainforest hosts a tremendous variety of habitats. Today, we will depart on a tour of the beautiful Bella Coola region and learn about the geography and history of this stunning area. Some of the highlights of this tour include the Tweedsmuir National Park, Clayton Falls, Purgatory Lookout and the Snootli Creek Hatchery.
Overnight: Bella Coola
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
This morning, we will have an early departure for a nature interpretive tour with the hopes of seeing grizzly bears and much wildlife including birds of prey, songbirds, and waterfowl, as well as deer, wolves, and smaller land mammals. This light to moderate hike will take you through Bella Coola’s scenic Great Bear Rain Forest as you learn about the ecology, habits, and geography of the surrounding area from professionally trained local guides. In the afternoon, we will journey through the Great Bear Rainforest on a Petroglyph Tour - rock carvings estimated to be over 5000 years old, a very sacred and spiritual place for Nuxalk people. This tour will be led by a local Nuxalk guide for the most authentic experience. We will listen to cultural stories and songs that echo through the mossy green forest walls as we trek through the well-groomed trail. This is truly a one-of-a-kind experience. This evening after dinner, you will have another evening of leisure at your own pace.
Overnight: Bella Coola
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Today marks the end of your journey. We transfer to Bella Coola airport for our return flight to Vancouver and the end of our Great Bear Rainforest tour.
Meals: Breakfast