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Tel: 03 364 3400
Freephone: 0800 747 737
Email: [email protected]

Grizzlies, Orcas & Black Bears Self-Drive

7 day private tour

A circle self-drive itinerary from Vancouver focusing on wildlife viewing!

Bring your camera – you’ll enjoy a whale watching cruise in search of grey whales, humpback whales, sea lions, sea birds and resident bald eagles or enjoy a bear viewing cruise in search of black bears who head for the closest food source – the ocean!

 

Your tour highlights

  • Vancouver
  • Victoria
  • Ucluelet
  • Tofino
  • Knight Inlet Lodge
  • Campbell River
  • Bear watching

Tour itinerary

Day
1
Vancouver - Campbell River

Pick up your car in Vancouver and drive to Horseshoe Bay. Sail on BC Ferries to Vancouver Island and head to the city of Campbell River, historically renowned as the “Salmon Capital of the World”.

 

Day
2
Campbell River - Knight Inlet Lodge

Today you will drive the short distance to the floatplane base for your flight to Knight Inlet Lodge. Enjoy a bear-watching and wildlife-viewing tour in search of the grizzly bears that frequent this area.

 

Day
3
Knight Inlet Lodge - Ucluelet

Return to Campbell River by floatplane, collect your car and head to Ucluelet, a charming town on the rugged coast of Vancouver Island.

 

Day
4
Ucluelet - Tofino - Ucluelet

Today you can personalise your day by choosing one of two cruise excursions. You can search for foraging bears from the comfort and safety of a 24’ Zodiac vessel on a coastal bear watch cruise, or you can cruise through the pristine waters of Clayoquot Sound to view beautiful scenery and wildlife on a whale watching cruise.

 

Day
5
Ucluelet - Victoria

Travel back to the east coast of Vancouver Island and head south to Victoria. En route stops should be made at the artist community of Chemainus, and if time permits, the Quw’utsun Heritage Village which provides you with an authentic First Nations experience.

 

Day
6
Victoria

Today, personalise your experience and choose from one of four captivating excursions:

Option 1: Butchart Gardens admission allowing you to explore this National Historic Site of Canada, boasting 22 hectares of captivating gardens on a 52-hectare estate, a centenary celebration of beauty and tranquillity.

Option 2: An Eat Like a Canadian food tour exploring a culinary journey through Canadian cuisine, savouring local flavours, uncovering historic dishes, and exploring Victoria’s Inner Harbour—a vibrant gastronomic adventure.

Option 3: A whale watch cruise where you will encounter killer whales in their natural habitat on a guided 3.5-hour cruise equipped with hydrophones, offering an intimate Salish Sea experience and a chance to hear these majestic creatures.

Option 4: High Tea at the Fairmont Empress where you will Indulge in the tradition of High Tea—a lavish affair of exquisite teas, finger sandwiches, pastries, and scones in the elegant setting of this historic Victoria landmark, a delightful immersion into British Columbia’s charm.

 

Day
7
Victoria - Vancouver

Leaving Victoria, drive north to Swartz Bay Ferry Terminal for a scenic 90-minute ferry ride to Tsawwassen. Continue to Vancouver International Airport or downtown Vancouver, where you return your rental car and your journey ends.

 

Curated journeys to suit every occasion.

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Tour pricing:

from $5,160

Twin-share
2025 solo pricing from $8,210

To secure your place now:

Phone: 03 364 3400 or 0800 747 737
Email: [email protected]

Contact Us for details

Tour Inclusions:

  • Tailor-made self-drive journey
  • 5-nights’ accommodation in your category of choice
  • 1-nights’ accommodation at Knight Inlet Lodge
  • All meals (B, L, D) at Knight Inlet Lodge
  • House wine with dinner at Knight Inlet Lodge
  • 7-day full-size vehicle rental with unlimited kilometres and loss damage waiver with zero excess (based on 24-hour periods)
  • BC Ferries passenger and vehicle tolls Vancouver (Horseshoe Bay) > Nanaimo (Departure Bay) including sailing reservation
  • BC Ferries passenger and vehicle tolls Victoria (Swartz Bay) > Vancouver (Tsawwassen) including sailing reservation
  • Shared seaplane flights Campbell River > Knight Inlet Lodge > Campbell River
  • Shared bear viewing and other activities at Knight Inlet Lodge
  • Your choice of shared sightseeing in Tofino and Victoria
  • Use of rain gear at Knight Inlet Lodge
  • Goods & Services Tax (GST)

Not included:

National Park fees. Gratuities. Road tolls.

Conditions:

Please enquire about pricing for children (8 to 10 years), triple or quad share, and/or cross-season. Please also enquire about adding pre/post stays in Vancouver. Please also enquire about pricing for alternative rental vehicle categories. Surcharges apply to all vehicle rental pickups from 27 June to 31 August inclusive. The minimum age requirement is 8 years at Knight Inlet Lodge. Accommodations outside the major tourist centres in Canada are best available.
Just a quick note to thank you very much for your assistance with our recent trip to New York.  We had a great time and everything went extremely well.
USA, Michael & Tonia
We arrived back this morning from a fantastic time away, there were so many pinch yourself moments that we need to rely on our photographs to remember them all. Thank you for your input, everything went smoothly, as usual your itinerary, flights and accommodation was great. Everything you had arranged for us was great.  The Dylan at SFO worked out really well as was very close the BART rail. That was a great recommendation.
USA & Canada, John & Pam
Thank you for organising our USA holiday, it was fantastic. The holiday has been even better than we all imagined.  Thank you for all your help.
USA, Nicki
We had a lovely time on both the cruise and the bus tour but the Bears of course were the highlight. The cruise was great and thankfully we had beautiful sunny weather when we needed it most in Glacier Bay and College Fjord. They were absolutely spectacular. Everything on the cruise was good and we really enjoyed the talks from the Naturalist on board. The Bus Tour was also good and I think they did a good job in changing the itinerary at short notice with the Jasper Fires. The driver and Tour Director were both great.
Alaska & Rockies, Imelda
We got back from hol on Saturday and just want to say a massive thank you for all your correspondence with us and bookings that you did. We had an absolute ball and it was an adventure of a lifetime for us. A real dream come true! Loved the US and we are already planning of going back! The RHCP concert was out of this world! Here we are back in cold rainy Chch and it's not really where I want to be right now. Haha. The Beresfords Arms was perfect for our fam and the bonus of breakfast and wine and cheese in the arvo, was amazing! Car hire ran smoothly and the pickup location to hotel was fantastic! The drop off was also awesome! Hope to email you again soon with another dream!
USA, Bree
We arrived back safely on the “Wings Of The Nation” yesterday morning. Your invaluable advice and meticulously planned  itinerary, worked flawlessly!  Unbelievably, we did not have a late flight, a missed connection, or lost bag the whole time away! The cruise itself was everything we had hoped for, and more, a trip of a life time! Thank you for putting together this option. One of the things that made all the difference on the cruise, was that the weather was brilliant, the whole time! The crew couldn’t believe our luck, mind you, and neither could we! Overall the whole trip was a wonderful experience. Thank you again for putting together a very successful itinerary.
Alaska, Ian