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Canada

Canada wildlife holidays designed around you and with a focus on the best places to see bears in Canada. This is a destination we have the ‘inside track’ on, as our North American Operations Manager, James Manson, lives in British Colombia for many years. Our Canada bear tours visit stunning wilderness locations for brown and black bear viewing; many of them very much off the beaten track. We were the first wildlife company to offer our signature ‘3 bears tour’; where you have the chance to see brown, black and polar bears all in the same 2 week travel window. Our bespoke Polar Bear tours are famous for more time at the destination for a cheaper price than the mainstream Churchill polar bear packages.

Our specialist knowledge has enabled us to organise Canada wildlife safaris in the High Arctic; in locations as remote as Baffin Island and Igloolik in Nunavut. So, whether it’s a self-drive bear and whale watching tour on beautiful Vancouver Island, or a Spirit Bear safari in the Great Bear Rainforest; we can make it happen and you will also be helping conserve the wildlife your photograph through our partnership with the Raincoast Conservation Foundation.

Popular Itineraries

Budget Churchill Polar Bear Tour

We have been designing polar bear tours in Churchill since our first visit in 2003, when we used a combination of the famous train from Winnipeg and flights to create an early season polar bear tour that will live long in the memory. Because we are an ethical operator we do not want to encourage ‘weekend’ polar bear safaris, which have a heavy climate cost compared to the number of days travellers stay in this frontier town. Our solution, which has taken years of planning and does require early booking, is to book all elements of the polar bear tour in Churchill separately and pre-book the accommodation which often sells out a year before hand. By designing a longer stay in the polar bear capital of the world, we are one of the few companies able to offer 3 Tundra Buggy tours for a budget polar bear safari in Churchill.

Style - Pioneer

Duration (Excl. Flights) - 8

Activity Level

When to Go

Price (Excl. flights)

£4700

Grizzly Bear Safari in the Great Bear Rainforest

Our love affair with the Bella Coola valley located in the heart of the Great Bear Rainforest has lasted nearly 20 years and was always one of the best bear viewing places in Canada. due to its ethical and responsible approach to grizzly bear safaris in British Colombia. Bear viewing without the sound of engines or need to waste precious resources is both intimate and sustainable and can lead to some of the most spectacular bear encounters in Canada. Leave the big cities behind and enjoy a Canada wildlife road trip like no other when you drive from Vancouver to Bella Coola for this budget Canada wildlife holiday.

Style - Bespoke Wildlife

Duration (Excl. Flights) - 7

Activity Level

When to Go

Price (Excl. flights)

£2750

Sea Otters and Bears of Vancouver Island

You can’t beat Vancouver Island for that beautiful combination of wildlife diversity and value for money. This Canada wildlife holiday takes you away from some of the larger towns and focuses on smaller communities and small group or private wildlife activities. The focus out of Campbell River will be a small boat grizzly bear safari to the spectacular inlets on the main BC coast, where brown bears will be feasting on the annual salmon run. This is also a good area for Orcas and Whales and because there is a maximum of 6 people permitted in the boat, your expert naturalist will be able to provide you with superb interpretation. It is always interesting to swtich from one coast to another and you will not be disappointed with the drive to Zeballos. A stay here is more like visiting a family, where all your meals are included and late in September/early October, there is the chance to see black bears fishing for salmon right from the lodges deck. You will also go out on private boat safaris looking for black bears and humpbacks.

Style - Bespoke Wildlife

Duration (Excl. Flights) - 10

Activity Level

When to Go

Price (Excl. flights)

£3500

Spirit Bear Lodge, wildlife and indigenous culture

Wildlife Trails have teamed up with an excellent First Nations community venture on one of these islands to offer the unique opportunity during the autumn salmon run to go in search on this rare and elusive spirit of the Great Bear Rainforest in the company of expert local guides. All bear viewing is conducted on foot, often involving patient vigils in natural hides. A boat is used to access remote locations on the surrounding islands and adjacent mainland where Spirit Bears are known to fish for salmon, or have been regularly seen in recent weeks, and the group (maximum 10 people) led by a local First Nations guide then hikes a short distance to a position offering the best view. Depending on the level of success with Spirit Bear sightings, there are also several locations in the area that the group can elect to visit in order to also observe Grizzly Bears in a similar fashion. The guides accumulate a great deal of knowledge about the whereabouts, habits and movements of Spirit Bears in the area from members of the community who come into contact with bears while working out in the field (e.g. forestry & fishery workers) in their traditional tribal territory, and from scouting locations themselves, prior to, and during the salmon season.

Style - Bespoke Wildlife

Duration (Excl. Flights) - 7

Activity Level

When to Go

Price (Excl. flights)

£5750

Spring Grizzly Bear viewing on Vancouver Island

Grizzly bear viewing on Vancouver Island is often promoted as being at its best during the ‘salmon season’ from late August until early October, but that is to miss the opportunity to witness the Spring bear viewing season in Canada, which is equally impressive and has some unique photography opportunities that you will not have at any other time of the year. Firstly, female grizzlies are out and about with their beautiful spring cubs – twins are commonly sighted – and you will have a great chance to photograph them. Some of the best bear viewing action can be the posturing and aggressive behaviour of the large male grizzlies, as they look for the females to mate with. May and June are the peak mating months of Grizzly Bears.

Style - Bespoke Wildlife

Duration (Excl. Flights) - 12

Activity Level

When to Go

Price (Excl. flights)

£3375

Ultimate fly-in Grizzly Bear Lodge adventure

There are only two Canadian wildlife lodges which have access to the world famous grizzly bear viewing stands at Knight Inlet. They are Knight Inlet Lodge and the smaller and intimate Grizzly Bear lodge, which is less commercial and has a higher guide to client ratio – which is key for all our bespoke Canada wildlife holidays. If you want that real feeling of Canadian wilderness and exploration, there can be no better way to arrive at your bear viewing lodge than by a spectacular floatplane journey from Campbell River. We time your trip perfectly for the best time to see grizzly bears in Canada.

Style - Bespoke Wildlife

Duration (Excl. Flights) - 7

Activity Level

When to Go

Price (Excl. flights)

£3790

Ultimate Polar Bear tour to Churchill

In November 2023 a group of 7 Wildlife Trails clients and I enjoyed one of the best polar bear viewing tours in recent history, with close to a 100 different sightings of bears over an actioned packed 7 days. Rather than rest on our laurels, we are looking at ways to make this peak season Churchill polar bear tour even more special in 2022 and one of the key factors is to limit the number of people inside the Tundra Buggy. So, we have teamed up with a North American photographer and for November next year we will be offering three days of private Tundra Buggy tours with only 11 clients inside the vehicle. We will also include three additional half days of vehicle based viewing which also proved to be very successful for polar bear encounters on the outskirts of town; particularly along the scenic coastal road which followed the Hudson Bay shoreline.

Style - Small Group Photographer

Duration (Excl. Flights) - 8

Activity Level

When to Go

Price (Excl. flights)

£8500

Unique Canadian Habitats

A lot of what we design here at Wildlife Trails is unique, wildlife focused and tailored around our travellers aspirations. However, this wilderness journey which takes you from marine, to river and finally mountains habitat is right up there with the most diverse and compelling offers for our Canada wildlife holidays. We kick off the tour with a bang, as as well as the scenic flight into Bella Coola and the incredible surrounding mountains, you then have the sea air in your lungs as you take a boat transfer from the harbour across to the historic Tallheo Cannery. A semi-private marine wildlife tour here is followed by some incredible brown bear encounters at the Great Bear Chaket, before you drive up to Nimpo Lake and fly into Nuk Tessli lodge. A superb Canada wildlife tour for those interested in wilderness and the path less travelled.

Style - Wildlife Adventurer

Duration (Excl. Flights) - 11

Activity Level

When to Go

Price (Excl. flights)

£4700

Vancouver Island Bear Watching Tour

A visit to Vancouver Island really showcases the sheer diversity of wildlife, both marine and terrestrial, found in the Pacific Northwest, and offers plenty of varied wildlife activities at a very affordable price. About 300 miles long and 70 miles wide, the best and most cost effective option to explore the island is a self-drive tour which gives you the freedom to visit multiple locations and fully experience all that it has to offer. The northeast of the island offers easy access to both Johnstone Strait, the best place in the world to see Orcas in the wild (as well as Humpback Whales), and the remote coastal inlets on the adjacent mainland where Grizzly Bears still maintain a stronghold, far from any human encroachment. The rugged west coast of the island is on the annual migration route of the Gray Whale, large numbers of which pass by off the coast en-route from Mexico to Alaska, and is also one of the best places in North America to see Black Bears. Sightings of Humpback Whales and Sea Otters are also possible off the west coast, and Bald Eagles and Sea Lions are more or less a certainty. The popular seaside community of Tofino on the rugged west coast of Vancouver Island is a great destination for families and outdoor enthusiasts alike. Besides the excellent black bear watching tours and whale watchign trips, there are many other outdoor activities which you can book direct, or just enjoy walking the famous Wild Pacific trail.

Style - Bespoke Wildlife

Duration (Excl. Flights) - 7

Activity Level

When to Go

Price (Excl. flights)

£2150

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Polar Bear

Grizzly Bear

Black Bear

Orca

Humpback Whales

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Alaska

Canada

Canada wildlife holidays: 5 Top Spots for Unforgettable Animal encounters

Imagine waking up to the sight of a Bald Eagle swooping down from its perch to pluck a salmon from the ocean, the sight of a huge male moose grazing in a misty meadow, or the thrill of photography a grizzly bear fishing for salmon in a pristine inland river. Canada, with its vast and varied landscapes, offers some of the best wilderness and wildlife holidays on earth and is where you can easily see all native North American bear species on Wildlife Trails iconic ‘3 bears tour

A Canada wildlife holiday on Vancouver Island: The 3 best places to go for bears, whales and sea otters.

Having lived on Vancouver Island for several years, we look at the best locations for bear viewing on Vancouver Island, the best way to get there from Vancouver, the best time of year to travel for bear viewing and why you should include this very special wildlife destination as part of your Canada Wildlife Holiday. Talk to Allan on Whatsapp about the amazing variety of wildlife safaris available in Canada to suit all budgets. We don't just sell wildlife holidays - it's our passion!

Best time to see Grizzly Bears in Canada on your wildlife holiday

When is the best time to visit Canada for Grizzly Bears? This expert guide looks at the different seasons for grizzly bear viewing and how to maximise your grizzly bear safari experience. A grizzly bear safari in Canada is one of the premier wildlife experiences, but like all wildlife safaris it is important to understand the different seasons in order to plan you Canadian wildlife tour in such a way to maximise your grizzly bear viewing.

Canada wildlife holiday to Grizzly Bear Lodge: Why it is so much better than Knight Inlet Lodge

Knight Inlet is the most famous and popular grizzly bear viewing location in Canada, and one of the best places in Canada to see grizzly bears. They congregate in this special location to fish for salmon, and where you can observe interaction between these normally solitary animals as they compete for the best fishing spots. Instead of sending our clients to the much more commercial Knight inlet Lodge at Glendale Cove - which accommodates around 40 people - we prefer to use Grizzly Bear Lodge, located on the beautiful Minstrel Island.

Drifting with the Brown Bears and Bald Eagles of the Bella Coola Valley: The Ultimate Canada Wildlife Holiday

We have been privileged to visit many of Canada’s wildlife sanctuaries and national parks on our Canada wildlife holidays and see all 3 species of North American bears. However one location for viewing Brown Bears stood out above all the rest; for the spectacular setting, fully immersive way of seeing the bears on beautiful river drifts and providing visitors with the chance to ‘walk with the bears’ in the company of an expert local guide.

Grizzly Bear Tours – Where, When and Why?

The Great Bear Stakeout - Hotspots for Grizzly Bear Safari and Grizzly Bear Viewing on your Alaska wildlife holiday or Canada wildlife holiday. A blog about the best places to see Grizzly Bears on your Grizzly Bear Safari - Part 1 Canada

What

Our Clients Say About Us

★★★★★

Fantastic Canadian adventure

We had a two week holiday on Vancouver Island.. we went on a whale watching tour and saw Orcas, Humpbacks, Dahl porpoises, white striped Dolphins, seals and Sea lions. We then did a Grizzly bear r and saw lots of Grizzlies as well as loads of Black Bears. The highlight of the holiday was a three day kayaking trip which was fantastic. Kayaking with Orcas and Humpback whales was incredible Our holiday was completely organised by Wildlife Trails, and I can’t recommend them highly enough.. everything was planned to perfection and they made the entire holiday exactly what we asked for.

ByChris and John

★★★★★

Fantastic tailored holiday to North America the itinerary and arrangements were first class

Our slightly unusual request was to cover certain National Parks in the US and then visit British Columbia with the focus on Whales and Bears all within a restricted time slot and to ensure both ents an teenage girls could be entertained on the way. Our experiences will give us life long memories we will treasure, we enjoyed every aspect o the trip and saw amazing wildlife, the experiences surpassed our expectations. Wildlife Trails were fantastic in ensuring our arrangements and itinerary fitted perfectly with our requirements and the logistic went completely smoothly. Allan was flexible with us changing our mind on a few major thing before we finalised the tour and helpful in ensuring we had everything we needed both before and during our trip. THe service was first class.

ByPaul and Sally

★★★★★

Fantastic Polar Bear trip

Allan Blanchard from Wildlife Trails organised a holiday for myself and a friend to Churchill, Manitoba, Canada to see Polars Bears. All the flights connections were spot on, arrived at Winnipeg per itinerary, had a night in the hotel there, all good, got to the railway station in good time to get the 2day trip to Churchill. The train was very comfortable, food fairly good, enjoyed the experience very much. Got a taxi to the blue sky B&B, where we had 7 nights, had been there before 3yrs ago, everything was excellent, food and accomodation very high standard, and Jennifor and Gerald really looked after us very well. Had 2 great day trips on the Tundra Buggy, where we saw 45 bears, mum and cubs, bears play fighting, some up really close to the buggy. Had a good tour with North star, managed to see polar bears up very close to the bus, and we also had 2 and half days with Nature 1st, who took us all around the churchill area to try and spot bears which we were very successful with about 8 bears in total. People/drivers all excellent, very knowledgeable, and we had a great time with all the people involved in our holiday. Everything went very well, Wildlife trails did a fanastic holiday for us, and we were lucky to see a total of 62 bears, including a bear lift from the polar bear jail of a mum and 2yrs old cub. it was great. thank you to all concerned for giving me and my friend such a fanastic time Have been with Allan and Kirsty Blanchard for many years, as they do all my wildlife holidays of which there as been many. Every time it is always great, arrangements as they should be, people who should be meeting me are always there so although I travel alone quite a bit, I feel very safe with Allan and Wildlife Trails organising the trip as things are all in place and I have no need to worry about anything First Class Tour Operator.

ByAnnie and Viv

★★★★★

Bear and whale watching in British Columbia

Fantastic bear and whale watching experience in the Great Best Rainforest and on Vancouver Island. Different locations, tour operators and accommodation types, all of them great in their own ht, the most impressive being the "Great Bear Chalet" in the BellaCoola valley. We saw plenty of grizzly and black bears, orcas and humpback whales Very pleasant experience, Allan did everything possible to make this combination of different tour components fit our limited timeframe - and our bucket of extra wishes! Very much looking forward to planning the next trip with "Wildlife Trails"

ByPatrick

★★★★★

Everything I could have hoped for

I specifically wanted to see Polar bears with plenty of photo opportunities. I had a 4 night stay in the Frontiers North Tundra Buggy Lodge, with 5 eight hour Tundra Buggy trips. I also stayed in nipeg for a couple of nights before and after. The Tundra Buggy people were first class, with driver and guide being very knowledgeable, food was good, both in the Lodge and on board the Buggy. I was a little apprehensive about the long bunk room with 20 people but the inner and outer curtains provided good privacy and also sound deadening. Highly recommended. You have much more time in the area where the bears congregate that if you have a day trip for Churchill (which takes 2 hours each way to get to the area). In Winnipeg I stayed at Inn at the Forks - a good hotel in a lovely area. Also highly recommended. Everything was arrange with detailed consultation and consideration of what I wanted. I had used Wildlife Trails twice before and have always found them excellent.

ByMeryl

Canada

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