Kayaking Vancouver Island, Haida Gwaii, and the Great Bear Rainforest

Four to Fifteen Day Fully Outfitted Guided Kayak Tours

Kayak With Whales

Four Days
Base Camp Kayaking

Begin Your Adventure

Whales and Grizzly Bears

Four Days
Base Camp Kayaking

Begin Your Adventure

Family Kayak With Whales

Four Days
Base Camp Kayaking

Begin Your Adventure

Central Gwaii Haanas Explorer

Five Days
Expedition Kayaking

Begin Your Adventure

Whales and Wildlife Explorer

Six Days
Expedition Kayaking

Begin Your Adventure

Sea Otter Explorer

Six Days
Expedition Kayaking

Begin Your Adventure

Northern Gwaii Haanas Explorer

Eight Days
Expedition Kayaking

Begin Your Adventure

Southern Gwaii Haanas Explorer

Eight Days
Expedition Kayaking

Begin Your Adventure

Great Bear Rainforest Explorer

Ten Days
Expedition Kayaking

Begin Your Adventure

Ultimate Gwaii Haanas Explorer

Fifteen Days
Expedition Kayaking

Begin Your Adventure

Kayaking Vancouver Island, Haida Gwaii, and the
Great Bear Rainforest

Four to Fifteen Day Fully Outfitted
Guided Kayak Tours

Kayak With Whales

Base Camp Kayaking

Whales and Grizzly Bears

Base Camp Kayaking

Family Kayak With Whales

Base Camp Kayaking

Central Gwaii Haanas Explorer

Expedition Kayaking

Whales and Wildlife Explorer

Expedition Kayaking

Sea Otter Explorer

Expedition Kayaking

Northern Gwaii Haanas Explorer

Expedition Kayaking

Southern Gwaii Haanas Explorer

Expedition Kayaking

Great Bear Rainforest Explorer

Expedition Kayaking

Ultimate Gwaii Haanas Explorer

Expedition Kayaking

Kayaking Vancouver Island, Haida Gwaii, and the Great Bear Rainforest

Welcome to British Columbia, one of the premiere destinations for sea kayaking in the world. Kingfisher Wilderness Adventures has been running fully outfitted guided kayak tours on the coast of British Columbia since 1999. Our experienced guides will take you on an adventure through stunning waterways and lush temperate rainforests, with incredible wildlife sightings.

We pride ourselves on keeping our group sizes small, allowing for close personal attention and minimal impact on the environment and wildlife we view from our kayaks. Our experienced kayak guides are passionate about kayaking and the wilderness and will eagerly share their knowledge with you, ensuring that your trip is full of memories that will last a lifetime.

With 25 years of experience, we offer unparalleled sea kayaking adventures in some of the most beautiful wilderness areas in the world, including northern Vancouver Island, Haida Gwaii, and the Great Bear Rainforest. Whether you’re a seasoned kayaker or just starting out, we have the perfect tour for you.

Experience the unparalleled beauty of British Columbia from the comfort of your kayak. Book your sea kayak tour with Kingfisher Wilderness Adventures today and discover the natural wonders of this breathtaking region.

KAYAK WITH
WHALES

Base Camp Kayaking
4 days / 3 nights

Begin Your Adventure

base camp

Imagine waking to the sound of a humpback’s breath as it glides past your tent. Later, take in a moment of awe watching a pod of orcas from your kayak, while the rest of the day is filled with the soft huffs of seals and quiet wingbeats, as bald eagles swoop over the water in search of salmon.

WHALES AND GRIZZLY
BEARS

Base Camp Kayaking
4 days / 3 nights

Begin Your Adventure

base camp

Seeing a humpback whale lunging through a school of bait fish, a grizzly bear chasing a salmon through a shallow river, or a pod of killer whales surfacing in unison are often considered once in a lifetime experiences and all three are possible on this tour..

FAMILY KAYAK WITH
WHALES

Base Camp Kayaking
4 days / 3 nights

Begin Your Adventure

base camp

Searching under rocks for crabs, watching humpback whales feed on a school of small fish, or being surprised as a harbour seal pops up right next to their kayak, are all memories children cherish for a lifetime. This kayak tour is designed for families with children aged six to fourteen.

WHALES AND WILDLIFE
EXPLORER

Expedition Kayaking
6 days / 5 nights

Begin Your Adventure

explorer

Sea kayaking in the wildlife-rich waters of Johnstone Strait, Blackfish Sound, and the Broughton Archipelago is unforgettable. Paddle past clam beaches harvested for millennia by First Nations, spot black bears flipping rocks for food, and watch humpback whales feeding as you explore these stunning coastal landscapes.

SEA OTTER
EXPLORER

Expedition Kayaking
6 days / 5 nights

Begin Your Adventure

explorer

Watching a sea otter crack open a sea urchin, waking to fresh wolf tracks on the beach outside your tent, or silently observing a humpback whale feeding along the tideline are unforgettable moments. These experiences connect you to the natural world, immersing you in the beauty and wonder of the wild, leaving lasting memories.

CENTRAL GWAII HAANAS
EXPLORER

Expedition Kayaking
5 days / 4 nights

Begin Your Adventure

explorer

Highlights of the Central Gwaii Haanas Explorer tour include soaking in the natural pools at Gandll K’in Gwaay.yaay (Hotspring Island) and kayaking the wildlife rich waters of Juan Perez Sound. This five day tour has a more relaxed pace than our longer Gwaii Haanas Explorer kayak tours

NORTHERN GWAII HAANAS
EXPLORER

Expedition Kayaking
8 days / 7 nights

Begin Your Adventure

explorer

The Northern Gwaii Hannas Explorer tours travel between Tanu Island and Burnaby Island in the northern half of Gwaii Haanas. Paddle sheltered channels, secluded bays, and exposed coastline, visit Haida cultural sites T’aanuu Llnagaay (Tanu) and Hlk’yah G̱awG̱a (Windy Bay) and soak in natural hot springs.

SOUTHERN GWAII HAANAS
EXPLORER

Expedition Kayaking
8 days / 7 nights

Begin Your Adventure

explorer

The Southern Gwaii Haanas Explorer tour kayaks the southern end of Gwaii Haanas, from K’iid Xyangs K’iidaay along the rugged coastline to Rose Harbour. Fantastic wildlife viewing opportunities, colourful inter-tidal life, wonderful campsite locations, and a visit to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of SG̱ang Gwaay.

ULTIMATE GWAII HAANAS
EXPLORER

Expedition Kayaking
15 days / 14 nights

Begin Your Adventure

explorer

This trip is our longest offering, and provides visitors the opportunity to explore almost the entire Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve, National Marine Conservation Area Reserve, and Haida Heritage Site. This experience starts near the northern boundary of Gwaii Haanas, and culminates near the south end after a visit to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of SG̱ang Gwaay.

GREAT BEAR
RAINFOREST

Expedition Kayaking
10 days / 9 nights

Begin Your Adventure

explorer

Stretching for 400 kilometres along British Columbia’s central coast, the Great Bear Rainforest is the largest intact temperate rainforest in the world. This beautifully rugged coast offers the adventurous traveller with diverse kayaking routes, abundant wildlife, and a rich First Nations culture.

PRIVATE
GROUP TOUR

Base Camp or Expedition Kayaking
varies

Begin Your Adventure

custom

We offer two types of tours for those wanting to organize a private tour for their own group of family, friends, colleagues, or paddling club.

Amazing Kayaking experience off Northern Vancouver Island The Whales and Wildlife Expedition trip with Kingfisher was the highlight of my summer. From the pre-departure videos guiding my packing list to the amazing guides, Claudio and George and the stunning environment - it was a fabulous experience. Kingfisher provided us with reliable camping equipment. The camp sites were wonderful and the kayaking itself was just challenging enough. Claudio and George took such good care of us - with humour and deep care and delicious food! I would highly recommend this trip !
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Pam J.
11/10/2023
Great experience overall on the 4 day kayak with whales trip! Ample information offered in terms of preparing what to bring, how to get there, etc. Guides were friendly and knowledgeable. Food was tasty too. Only tip I would offer is to consider bringing your own pillow. Will definitely book another trip with Kingfisher!
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D T.
9/28/2022
We did the 4 day orca/grizzly bear tour. The Kayak portion was excellent but I did not like how the cabins were assigned. The guides say, “you figure it out between you” and this resulted in a competitive race to get the cabins. We were left with the tent closest to the kitchen (because we did not join the race) which meant that as a light sleeper, I did not sleep well and it impacted the enjoyment of the trip. Unless there was a change in this process (suggest that people draw numbers and get their choice accordingly), I would choose a different company. If they made a fairer process for tent selection then I would recommend Kingfisher. My advice to future groups is to determine your method for selecting cabins at your pre-trip meeting. For the grizzly tour, know that you cover a lot of ground on the boat and we did not see any grizzlies.
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Charmaine M.
9/13/2023
Kingfisher Wilderness Adventures is the best. My wife and I did the 4-day Base Camp Whale and Bear Adventure. The base camp accommodations with the tent cabins were super comfortable and located on a strategic point where we could see so much just from camp. Brenda and Ben, our guides, were kind, fabulous and shared SO much valuable information about the water, sea and animal life we were immersed in. We woke up every morning to laughter, hot coffee and breakfast. Our days were filled with great kayaking and animal sightings. We saw everything we were hop[ing to see and more - dolphins, sea lions, bears (mama and cub), orcas, humpbacks, sea otters, eagles, and a lot of underwater life. I would recommend these guys to anybody without hesitation.
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Les B.
8/13/2024
Incredible experience and trip! Wow! This was such an amazing trip. Our guides, Liz and Renee, were so incredible. They were welcoming, funny, knowledgeable, and great cooks. I learned a lot about marine wildlife and how to kayak better (I had some prior experience but not a ton). Renee prepared a detailed kayaking plan each day that felt safe, the right amount of exercise, and ensured we saw some cool nature.

The base camp was great, beds were comfortable, tents were nice, and the food was delicious. The camp is situated right between the Orca/Humpback “highway” so we sat and watched whales all evening after finishing kayaking and could hear them breathing all night long. Truly magical.

The kayaking was fun, safe, and we saw some amazing wildlife from the kayaks, the boat tour, and camp. My guess is 100 orcas, 50 humpbacks, hundreds of porpoises, 3 grizzlies, some otters, + tons of seals, sea lions, and eagles! We also lucked out with a really fun tour group that loved playing games and hanging out together! I would love to go again at some point!
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P2251KWshelbyw
8/01/2024
It was fantastic! We highly recommend the kayak and grizzly tour. We started our vacation with Kingfisher in late August and this tour set the benchmark very high for the rest of our trip through Canada.

Camping on an island close to nature and wildlife was an exceptional experience. The guides made it even better by taking care of us on land and on water, sharing their knowledge with us. Not only did we watch whales, but we also met more marine life and learned about currents and flora. Many thanks to Audrey, Jess and Kayleigh.

Environmentally friendly, with high respect for wildlife, far from mass tourism. Kayaking for beginners and advanced. Nice mix of people and good group size.

The grizzly tour with Sea Wolf Adventures on the last day was a great way to end the tour. Sherry and Brandon shared their indigenous knowledge of the wildlife and islands with us. We watched orcas on the way to see the grizzly bears. Visiting the cultural center in Alert Bay and hearing personal stories was also a highlight! Thank you so much.
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Julia S.
10/02/2022
Amazing experience with fantastic guides, Audrey, Alex & Brittney. The food was great and we saw whales, orcas, porpoise, eagles and more.
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Ben A.
7/31/2022
Simply a Must Do My Daughter and I have recently returned from the whales and wildlife, 5 night tour.
From a personal perspective, if you do nothing else when you visit Vancouver Island, do this. We cannot over emphasise how knowledgeable and professional our guides were.
Both Nick and Lauren, as well as the close proximity of the whales, made this a trip that will leave a lifetime of memories. Further, the food, especially the fresh egg omelettes, were superb and one can only be impressed with Lauren’s culinary prowess. However, Nicks eloquent talks relating to the First Nation peoples were a wonderful addition and totally unexpected.
To both of you, from both of us, thank you!
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Fraserrich
8/22/2023
I did the 4 day family base camp whale watching tour with my husband and 2 kids (6 yrs and 9 yrs) and it is one of the best things we've ever done. The guides were amazing, the food was delicious and we were lucky enough to see humpbacks and orcas.
Andrew the owner was super accommodating of all our needs and was so passionate and knowledgeable about the local wildlife and the local area, and we loved our guides who made the whole experience so smooth and fun.
Definitely book a family tour with Kingfisher if you want a unique experience with your kids that they'll always remember.
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Sarah J.
8/09/2023
I'd definitely go again I went on the 3 night 4 day Whales and Grizzly Bears trip. The guides were superb, very friendly and professional. They shared their knowledge about the environment and the First Nation people, went out of their way to ensure everyone in the group (6 of us) were feeling comfortable about the paddling and prepared some excellent meals. I hadn't really thought about the food to be honest, but it was excellent! Overall it was a magical experience.
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152carolinec
7/26/2024