Travel Insurance
Kingfisher strongly recommends all booked guests to purchase travel insurance for their trip that includes cancellations and trip interruptions as well as medical expenses and evacuations in Canada.
Most insurance policies need to be booked within so many hours or days after your trip or tour booking. For policy options check with your local travel agent or book online through your bank or regular insurance provider. Due to different policy options per country you’re travelling from as well as the ever-evolving nature of insurance policies, the information below is compiled from the research we have recently done and we recommend guest to do their own research in addition to find the best policy for your personal situation.
What you are looking for in your insurance is the following
- Trip Cancellation and Interruption insurance: in case unforeseen events such as unexpected illness or injury prevent you from going on your trip. Or if you are required to interrupt your trip and return home pre-maturely. This also covers canceled or delayed flights, ferries or other types of transport that prevent you from going on your tour with us.
- Medical Travel insurance: in case you need to receive medical attention and/or evacuation during your trip. Due to the nature of our kayak tours, you want to ensure it includes wilderness activities and that it not only covers the cost of medical attention but also the cost of evacuation from a remote wilderness setting.
What you want to keep in mind is that events that are considered “known or foreseeable” are not covered by most travel insurance policies. This can include a known health concern that could eventually prevent you from travelling in the future.
One way to be insured in these uncertain times is to opt for the “Cancel for Any Reason” coverage (CFAR) as an optional upgrade to most travel insurance plans. CFAR allows you to cancel your trip, whatever your reason may be, and receive a partial refund—usually 50% or 75% of the value of your prepaid and non-refundable expenses, such as airline tickets, tour and hotel reservations. Events that are considered “known or foreseeable” will also be covered under this upgrade. The CFAR upgrade has to be purchased within days of making the initial trip deposit (this varies by provider so make sure to know when the exact cut-off is). The trip also has to be cancelled no later than 48 hours prior to departure, in order to qualify for refunds from your insurance company.
As mentioned above, insurance policies can vary for company to compnay and can change frequently. In the past, some of our guests have used SafetyWing for travellers from Canada, Heymondo for travellers from the USA, Europe and other parts of the world, and Staysure for travellers from the UK. There are more options available through your local travel agent, so this list solely acts as a suggestion.
- The 6-day kayaking tour exceeded our expectations. Declan and Babs were the best guides you could wish for for this experience. They gave us ALL THE INFO on camping and kayaking. We saw whales every day and learned a lot about life on and in the water.
We expected a lot or fun and a good time but surely didn't expect a trip this spectacular and full of so many interesting facts. The camps were chosen daily depending on the group and the weather, and we always felt included in the decision-making process. We were very comfortable with the group, especially given thé small size. The food was always delicious and varied. We definitely recommend this tour. Once in a lifetime experience.read moreread less
Jennifer F.7/21/2025 -
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 !read moreread less
Pam J.11/10/2023 -
Kingfisher and Johnstone Strait ROCK! The guides were thorough, friendly and safety-conscious. Base camp was fantastic, with roomy tents, comfy beds, terrific views Paddling distance increased each day to allow us to get used to the boats and improve our skills gradually. Guides made it possible to run the trip easily with everyone from non-paddlers to experienced ones. The amount of wildlife we saw was outstanding. We were able to view humpbacks, transient and resident orcas, dall's porpoises, pacific white-sided dolphins, seals, sea-lions, bald eagles, cormorants, ducks, auks and many species of invertebrates, many of them id'd by our guides. Each night at dinner we helped the guides enter all species seen on the day in a logbook.read moreread less
Doug S.7/31/2025 -
Guiding at it's very best!! Our Whales and Wildlife Kayaking trip was a fabulous experience from start to finish. Our guides, Ben and Jeff were super knowledgeable and friendly. They looked after us all amazingly well and the whole experience totally exceeded our expectations.read moreread less
Wendy J.7/27/2025 - 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.read moreread less
Sarah J.8/09/2023 - Best food we had on the base camp tour ever, not even hotels can match this taste an quality. Besides that, the guides where awesome and always managed based on weather conditions a wonderfull paddeling tour each and every day through the stonishing landscape of hudson isalnd. Defently a recommendaitonread moreread less
Dominik S.10/01/2023 -
Perfekt 4 days Our trip was the highlight of my entire stay in Canada – four perfect days! We saw so many animals: humpback whales, seals, deer, bald eagles, oystercatchers, salmon, starfish, jellyfish, and even orcas. Our guides Wendi, Kailey, and Emma made the experience unforgettable. They shared their vast knowledge about the ocean, tides, sea life, plants, and wildlife, and also gave us great paddling tips that made kayaking easier and more fun each day.
The camp on Hanson Island has several beaches where you can watch wildlife. The tents are well spaced out and very comfortable, and there’s an outdoor kitchen with a big table where meals are enjoyed together when at camp. In good weather, we also had meals on the beach or at a viewpoint on the rocks – simply magical.
The food was outstanding – fresh, creative, and delicious, with three meals a day plus snacks and desserts. As vegans, we were always provided with special dishes that were just as tasty and inventive as everyone else’s.
At night we could hear whales blowing near the camp – an incredible experience. Sea kayaking was new for us, especially with the pedal-operated rudder in addition to the paddles, and it was so much fun.
I would book this tour again without hesitation and recommend it wholeheartedly.
Michèleread moreread less
Michèle F.8/16/2025 - 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!read moreread less
D T.9/28/2022 -
Fabulous Kayaking Hanson Island and Johnstone Strait 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, sealife and animal life in and around the Johnston Strait are 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 hoping to see during our trip 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.read moreread less
292lesb8/13/2024 - Our trip was the highlight of my entire stay in Canada – four perfect days! We saw so many animals: humpback whales, seals, deer, bald eagles, oystercatchers, salmon, starfish, jellyfish, and even orcas. Our guides Wendi, Kailey, and Emma made the experience unforgettable. They shared their vast knowledge about the ocean, tides, sea life, plants, and wildlife, and also gave us great paddling tips that made kayaking easier and more fun each day.
The camp on Hanson Island has several beaches where you can watch wildlife. The tents are well spaced out and very comfortable, and there’s an outdoor kitchen with a big table where meals are enjoyed together when at camp. In good weather, we also had meals on the beach or at a viewpoint on the rocks – simply magical.
The food was outstanding – fresh, creative, and delicious, with three meals a day plus snacks and desserts. As vegans, we were always provided with special dishes that were just as tasty and inventive as everyone else’s.
At night we could hear whales blowing near the camp – an incredible experience. Sea kayaking was new for us, especially with the pedal-operated rudder in addition to the paddles, and it was so much fun.
I would book this tour again without hesitation and recommend it wholeheartedly.
Michèleread moreread less
Michèle F.8/16/2025










