GREAT BEAR RAINFOREST TEN DAY EXPLORER – EXPEDITION KAYAKING
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.
As we kayak between the remote wilderness Islands to the north of Bella Bella and the coastal village of Klemtu we enjoy diverse kayaking conditions, campsites, and scenery. Our route takes us down protected inlets, along open coastline, and through narrow passages with strong tidal currents. We camp on long sandy beaches, islands with shell beaches, and small beaches of pebbles and cobble. All the time we are surrounded by the rainforest that is dominated by ancient red cedar, western hemlock, and giant Sitka spruce trees. The rainforest and surrounding ocean are intricately entwined to form a rich and diverse ecosystem. The forest is home to a wide variety of wildlife including ravens, bald eagles, sandhill cranes, wolves, deer, and black bears and grizzly bears. The sea is home to salmon, orcas (killer whales), humpback whales, seals, sea lions, dolphins and porpoises. We view a wide variety of wildlife as we kayak but many of the land animals are shy and elusive and sometimes we just see their telltale tracks in the sand or hear a howl at night. If we are lucky we may catch a glimpse of a wolf or grizzly bear foraging on the shore.
We travel through the traditional territories of both the Kitasoo Xai’xais and Heiltsuk First Nations. This has been their home for thousands of years and during our travels we encounter evidence of past and present use. At low tide we may come across stone fish traps and when walking through the rainforest culturally modified trees may be seen.
This tour is not for beginners and we require participants to have prior kayaking experience. Compared to our other tours, the Great Bear Rainforest tour is more exploratory in nature and leaves the itinerary more flexible to deal with the dynamic environment we kayak through. Contact us to see if this tour is right for you.
Price: $3995 CAD per person plus 5% Goods and Services Tax (GST). *additional charges for some dietary restrictions
Group Size: Maximum of eight guests and two guides.
Participants: This tour is adult-oriented but participants as young as 15 may be accepted.
Suitability: Previous multi-day kayaking and backcountry camping experience is required for this tour. Please complete our online questionnaire to help ascertain if this trip might be right for you
Departs and Finishes: Port McNeill, Vancouver Island.
Route: Bella Bella to Klemtu
Searching Availability…
- Paddle a fully loaded single and/or double kayak for 4-6 hours per day for multiple days.
- Expect to spend time in a double kayak during your tour. With advance notice we can often accommodate guests who want to spend their entire trip in a double kayak but we cannot accommodate guests who want to spend their entire trip in a single kayak.
- Paddle into wind and waves
- Climb up and down a steep bank to unload kayaks. Our landing spot in Klemtu is somewhat difficult.
- Assist with loading and offloading of gear and supplies from the ferry.
- If you have physical limitations that may make this difficult contact our office before booking to ensure this can be accommodated.
- Back-country camp for nine consecutive nights
- Break-down, move, and set-up camp most days
- Carry heavy kayaks and gear up and down the beach (this is often the most physically demanding part of the trip)
- If you have physical limitations that may make this difficult contact our office before booking to ensure this can be accommodated.
- Use the inter-tidal area for low-impact toilet use. This is a wilderness area and there are no facilities in the areas we visit.
- Recognize that wildlife does not operate on our schedules. Our guides are very knowledgeable and attempt to provide as many wildlife viewings as possible. However, there are no guarantees when it comes to viewing specific species.
- Stay upbeat and positive in various conditions. We are in a rainforest, and over ten days we may encounter all kinds of weather imaginable
- We pride ourselves on the wholesome hearty meals we provide on our tours. The effort that goes into planning, organizing, and executing our wilderness menus is quite extensive. We are happy to accommodate many dietary restrictions on our tours but each restriction adds to the complexity of this planning and adds additional costs. Below are some of the common restrictions we can accommodate on our base camp tours and any additional costs associated with it that you will be charged.
- No red meat – no additional cost
- No seafood – no additional cost
- Vegetarian – no additional cost
- Vegan +$200
- Gluten intolerant +$200
- Lactose intolerant +$200
- If you have dietary restrictions not listed above (for example, you hate onions and are unwilling to pick around them in a meal), or have allergies or medical conditions (like celiac disease, egg, soy or peanut allergies) that prevent certain foods from being enjoyed by other guests on the trip, please contact our office to discuss whether we can accommodate your needs.
- Some dietary needs that we cannot accommodate include nightshade allergies (potatoes, tomatoes, bell peppers) or keto and paleo diets.
- View our guest handbook (currently being updated for 2024) for more information on preparing for this tour.
- If you wish to discuss your suitability for this or any of our other kayak tours contact us at info@kingfisher.ca or phone 1-866-546-4347 in North America or +1-250-856-4617 internationally.
Exact kayaking routes may vary depending on possible wildlife sightings, currents, tides and weather.
Day 0 – Arrive in Port McNeill the day before the kayak tour departs.
There is a pre-trip meeting at 7:00 pm with your guides at the Kingfisher Office. Your guides provide you with an overview for your trip, distribute dry bags to pack your clothing, and answer any questions you may have.
Meals Included: None
Day 1 – An early morning. The ferry to Bella Bella departs at 7:30 am but we need to be there 2 hours before departure so we pick you up at your hotel at 5:00 am.
We will walk on the ferry with our kayaks and gear. After a scenic ferry ride we arrive in Bella Bella around 1:00 pm and will load our kayaks and gear on the beach and make our way to our first camping area for the night.
The cost of the ferry between Port Hardy and Bella Bella is included in the tour price.
Meals Included: Dinner. Breakfast and lunch is at guests’ expense on the ferry
Day 2 to 9 – This trip is run ‘expedition’ style, we leave our itinerary very open to ensure our flexibility. This is a beautiful area to paddle, but we must work with the conditions and remain open to adventure. Each day, your guides assess the weather, tides, and sea state to determine the destination for the day. The general plan is to begin the trip by in the islands and channels just north of Seaforth Chanel. From here we cross Millbanke Sound and through Higgins Passage to Laredo Sound. We then head north exploring Swindle Island and the southern reaches of Princess Royal Island before heading east through Meyers Pass toward Klemtu.
We can expect a combination of exposed open coastline and more protected inner passageways during this trip. Swell, wind, and open water crossings are common. As this is a nomadic tour, camp is usually moved each night. We may have an opportunity to stay two nights at one camp if conditions allow.
Meals Included: Breakfast – Lunch – Dinner
Day 10 – Our last morning is spent kayaking to the village of Klemtu. We arrive in the village early in the afternoon and if available we may visit the village’s Big House. The ferry departs Klemtu at 4:00 pm and arrives in Port Hardy at 11:30 pm where our van is waiting to transport the group, gear, and kayaks back to Port McNeill. The cost of the ferry between Klemtu and Port Hardy is included in the tour price.
Meals Included: Breakfast – Lunch. Dinner available on the ferry at guests’ expense
Our Guest Handbook contains details on preparing for your kayak tour. Included in the handbook is travel and accommodation information, a list of what to bring, what you can expect while you are kayaking, wildlife viewing etiquette, participant detail form and release forms.
The handbook answers commonly asked questions. However, do not hesitate to contact us with any specific questions you may have. The handbook is in PDF format. If you do not have a PDF viewer one can be downloaded free from Adobe.
For quick reference, below is what you should be bringing on your kayak tour. We provide everything else. Some of the dry bag sizing may differ from what is shown in the videos.
While the summer months in British Columbia are mostly warm and sunny, we still have a few cold and wet days. After all, the coast of British Columbia is the world’s largest temperate rainforest. For maximum enjoyment on your trip in all types of weather please bring the items listed below.
We provide high quality three season tents. For couples we provide three person tents, and for solo travelers a slightly smaller 2 person tent. Therm-a-rest sleeping pads, and warm mummy-style sleeping bags with liners are all provided to ensure a good night’s sleep. A small library of natural history books is on every trip.
On the water we use stable single and double fibreglass kayaks and lightweight carbon/vinyl paddles. Waterproof kayaking jackets, personal floatation devices, and neoprene kayaking mitts are provided to keep you warm and dry while kayaking.
Includes: We provide you with all the necessary kayaking and camping equipment, including kayaks, paddling jackets, PFD (life jacket), group shelters, tents, sleeping pads, camp chairs and sleeping bags (you may bring your own). A comprehensive list of required personal items can be read by clicking on the “Preparation” tab above. All meals during the kayak trip are provided and prepared by your guides.Transportation is all-inclusive from Port McNeill by our network of vans and BC Ferries.
What is not included: We do not provide transport from your home to Port McNeill, nor do we provide airport transfers. Accommodation in Port McNeill is not included. Any meals outside the kayak portion of the tour are your responsibility. Travel insurance for accidents or emergency evacuation is not provided; we recommend you purchase a policy before leaving home. The trip price does not include guide gratuities; should you feel that the service was exemplary, it is always appreciated.
When using our online booking from you can choose the below optional items to add to your kayak tour.
Black Bear Resort: (opens in a new tab) We can arrange your pre and/or post night accommodations in Port McNeill at the Black Bear Resort
Grizzly Bear Viewing Day Trips: (opens in a new tab) Many of our guests add a grizzly bear watching day trip before or after they join us kayaking.
Sea Otter Viewing Day Trips: (opens in a new tab) Add a sea otter viewing day trip before or after you join us kayaking.
This tour departs from Port McNeill on northern Vancouver Island, in British Columbia, Canada. You can travel to Port McNeill by car, bus, or plane.
Driving
If driving from the Vancouver area on the Mainland of British Columbia to Port McNeill you need to sail on BC Ferries to either Nanaimo or Victoria on Vancouver Island. From Washington State, Coho Ferry sails between Port Angeles and Victoria. Drive time from Victoria to Port McNeill is approximately 5.5 hours, and from Nanaimo to Port McNeill is approximately 4 hours.
Driving to Port McNeill is quite straightforward. From Victoria drive north on highway 1 to Nanaimo. From Nanaimo head north on Highway 19 until you see the sign for Port McNeill. Port McNeill is 1 minute off the main highway. The only other option to this route is north of Nanaimo just before you reach Parksville you can take the seaside route on Highway 19A. This route rejoins the main Highway 19 at Campbell River. The seaside route may add an extra hour to your trip.
Buses
Island Link offers a convenient daily bus service connecting Victoria and Port McNeill, making stops at various locations along the route.
Flying
Flights to Port Hardy (YZT), the closest airport to Port McNeill, depart from the south terminal of Vancouver International Airport (YVR) and are approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes. These flights are operated by Pacific Coastal Airlines. Port Hardy airport is a 30 minute taxi ride from Port McNeill.
If you are planning on renting a car on Vancouver Island (and not stopping in Vancouver), you can also fly with Air Canada to either Nanaimo (YCD), Victoria (YYJ) or Campbell River (YBL) on Vancouver Island. Another option is to fly with WestJet Airlines via Calgary (YYC) or Edmonton (YEG) to Comox (YQQ) on Vancouver Island. Comox is about 2 1/2 hour drive south of Port McNeill.
Kenmore Air operates float plane service to Port McNeill from Seattle, Washington.
Recommended Port McNeill Accommodations
Black Bear Resort – Can be booked with your kayak tour.
Additional Port McNeill Accommodations
Humpback Inn
Haida Way Motor Inn
Dalewood Inn
Ocean Comfort B&B
Cluxewe Resort
I don’t have much kayaking experience. Can I still join a tour?
Even with little or no kayaking experience, you can join our Base Camp tours. Our Vancouver Island Explorer tours are suitable for beginners with a sense of adventure.
Due to the length of our Haida Gwaii tours and their remote location they are also best suited to people with some previous kayaking experience.
Our Great Bear Rainforest expedition is designed for kayakers with a moderate amount of previous kayaking experience and is our most challenging trip.
What are your best tours to see whales?
While whales are often viewed on all of our kayak tours, the Base Camp and Whales and Wildlife Explorer kayak tours have by far the most reliable sightings of both orcas and humpback whales.
Please keep in mind that while these tours offer great viewing opportunities we are still dealing with wildlife and we cannot guarantee any particular sightings.
When will I have the best chance of seeing orcas?
The northern resident (fish-eating) orcas are most reliably seen around northern Vancouver Island from mid-July through September. They may be seen in June and early July, along with the transient (mammal-eating) orcas, however, sightings become more consistent later in the summer. As they are wild, we cannot guarantee any particular sightings.
When is the best time for wildlife in general?
There is a lot of different wildlife along the British Columbia coast year round. However, we find that the greatest and most diverse wildlife is often found off northern Vancouver Island from mid-August through September.
What are the accommodations like on the base camp tours?
The Base Camps feature roomy canvas tents raised off the ground on wooden platforms, are situated throughout the forest with views of the ocean. The tents provide ample room and are outfitted with wooden beds with the thickest and widest Therm-a-rest mattresses available. Sheets, fleece blankets, full-size pillows, warm barrel-style sleeping bags, and hot water bottles are all provided. A recharging station for digital cameras, an extensive library of natural history books, a safari style bucket shower, and a large covered kitchen and dining area made from locally milled red cedar make for a very comfortable camping experience.
What are the toilets like?
For our base camp tours, the camps have two out-houses made from locally milled cedar. The outhouses incorporate a holding tank and cedar sawdust to cover the waste. The tank is replaced every few days. Guests often comment on the cleanliness of our system. We pack out all holding tanks to be properly disposed of at a sewage disposal station. When away from camp during the day we use the inter-tidal area for low impact toilet use.
How many guest and guides are on each tour?
We pride ourselves on small group sizes, allowing close personal attention and minimal impact on the environment and the wildlife we view from our kayaks. Our base camp tours have a maximum of ten guests and three guides, while our explorer tours have a maximum of eight guests with two guides.
In addition to minimizing our impact on the land we find the smaller group size allows us to better manage our groups around wildlife giving us better viewing opportunities.
For answers to more frequently asked question please visit our complete FAQs page.
