Points of Interest
Ports
Great Bear Rainforest in Spring
Wild Wonders That We Have Explored and Supported Since 1986
The Great Bear Rainforest is alive with colour each spring. Wildflowers and brilliant green sedges fill the estuaries where grizzlies come out to forage. Enjoy these sights on a Great Bear Rainforest Spring tour where you will explore deep fjords, walk through estuaries, and watch wildlife emerge during the vibrant spring season.
Itinerary Details
- Ships: Maple Leaf or Swell
- Duration: 7, 8 or 9 Days
- Ports: Bella Bella, Kitimat, Prince Rupert
Switch between tabs to see itinerary and departures 👇
Great Bear Rainforest in Spring
- Swell or Maple Leaf
- 8 Days
Sample Itineraries: As with all expedition cruises, the itinerary may change based on weather, wildlife activity, and guests’ interests. This itinerary is to give you a general idea of the trip.
Day 1: Board your ship and enter the Great Bear Rainforest, British Columbia, orientation, cruise into Fjordland, viewing spectacular mountains and waterfalls. Rainforest walk.
Day 2: Visit great Fjordland river estuaries, wildflower meadows, and bear habitat. Possible bear viewing.
Day 3: Visit the First Nations community of Klemtu, including a guided tour and conversations at the big house, as well as examples of First Nations artistry, culture, and architecture.
Day 4: Mainland inlet, bear viewing, rainforest walk, waterfalls, inside passage cruising, hot springs visit.
Day 5: Visit the coastal community, sail down whale channel, and view marine mammals, including whales and sea lions. Visit remote whale research station and speak with scientists. Cruise to west coast beach and explore.
Day 6: Sailing the outer coast, exploring remote islands. Intertidal life, whales, seabirds, beaches.
Day 7: Exploring north coast wolf habitat, cruising from outer coast to inner coast, rainforest walk.
Day 8: Cruising to Kitimat, wildlife viewing.
Departures
Find ideal trip dates for our Great Bear Rainforest in Spring Tour below. All prices are listed in Canadian dollars. For other itineraries and departures, switch the tabs above.
| Date | Price | # of Nights | Start Port | End Port | Ship |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 19 – 26, 2025 | $6,700 | 7 | Bella Bella | Kitimat | Maple Leaf |
| May 22 – 29, 2025 | $7,950, $8,750, $10,200 | 7 | Bella Bella | Kitimat | Swell |
| May 30 – June 6, 2025 | $7,950, $8,750, $10,200 | 7 | Kitimat | Bella Bella | Swell |
| June 7 – 14, 2025 | $7,950, $8,750, $10,200 | 7 | Bella Bella | Kitimat | Swell |
| June 23 – 30, 2025 | $7,950, $8,750, $10,200 | 7 | Kitimat | Prince Rupert | Swell |
| May 17 – 24, 2026 | $7,950, $8,950, $10,250 | 7 | Bella Bella | Kitimat | Swell |
| May 25 – June 1, 2026 | $6,850 | 7 | Bella Bella | Kitimat | Maple Leaf |
| May 26 – June 2, 2026 | $7,950, $8,950, $10,250 | 7 | Kitimat | Bella Bella | Swell |
| June 3 – 10, 2026 | $7,950, $8,950, $10,250 | 7 | Bella Bella | Kitimat | Swell |
| June 18 – 25, 2026 | $7,950, $8,950, $10,250 | 7 | Kitimat | Prince Rupert | Swell |
* Prices are all-inclusive, and subject to a $200 sustainability fee per person. The trips in Canada are subject to 5% federal tax. See “Included in Our Price” for the exceptional value included. Fares are per person, based on double occupancy, and in Canadian dollars. For solo travellers, there is no single supplement on the SV Maple Leaf trips (shared accommodation), and there is a 50% single supplement on the MV Swell and Cascadia trips. For full-ship private charters, please contact us. Payment and cancellation policy is available online, in the brochures and by speaking with us. We welcome your contact.
Great Bear Rainforest and Kitlope
- Swell or Maple Leaf
- 7 Days
Sample Itineraries: As with all expedition cruises, the itinerary may change based on weather, wildlife activity, and interests of the guests. This itinerary is to give you a general idea of the trip.
Day 1: Board ship at Kitamaat Village, orientation, cruising into the Great Bear Rainforest, making way towards the Kitlope River, watching for marine mammals and birds. Anchorage at remote hot springs.
Day 2: Cruise to spectacular mainland inlet estuary popular with grizzly and black bears. Estuary meadow walk (wildflowers), learning about bear habitat, river exploration, look for bears.
Day 3: Morning exploration ashore, then cruising Whale Channel, an aptly named waterway popular with cetaceans. Visit whale research scientists at remote station. Marine mammal viewing (several species). Anchorage at remote island on west coast. Beachcombing, hike to view, beach fire.
Day 4: Return to mainland waterways between steep islands, through channel popular with whales. Enter Gardner Canal, the longest fjord on the coast. This waterway seems like remote wilderness but is filled with the stories and history of the Henaaksiala people, and around every turn is a new story, including some sasquatch stories, and Monkey Beach.
Day 5: Sail deep into the coast mountains, leaving the outside world behind as the fjord snakes past 4,000-foot peaks to the Kitlope. Go ashore in the vast Kitlope River & estuary for the amazing tale of the G’psgolox pole. Explore the river and the estuary.
Day 6: Further exploration in the Kitlope, and/or or cruise to Kowesas to explore ashore, and then Kemaano shore trip. Cruise to hot springs.
Day 7: Cruise to Kitamaat, watching for wildlife.
Departures
Find ideal trip dates for our Great Bear Rainforest and Kitlope Tour below. All prices are listed in Canadian dollars. For other itineraries and departures, switch the tabs above.
| Date | Price | # of Nights | Start Port | End Port | Ship |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 27 – June 2, 2025 | $5,750 | 6 | Kitimat | Kitimat | Maple Leaf |
| June 15 – 21, 2025 | $7,300, $8,000, $9,350 | 6 | Kitimat | Kitimat | Swell |
| June 2 – 9, 2026 | $6,000 | 7 | Kitimat | Kitimat | Maple Leaf |
| June 11 – 17, 2026 | $7,450, $8,150, $9,550 | 6 | Kitimat | Kitimat | Swell |
* Prices are all-inclusive, and subject to a $200 sustainability fee per person. The trips in Canada are subject to 5% federal tax. See “Included in Our Price” for the exceptional value included. Fares are per person, based on double occupancy, and in Canadian dollars. For solo travellers, there is no single supplement on the SV Maple Leaf trips (shared accommodation), and there is a 50% single supplement on the MV Swell and Cascadia trips. For full-ship private charters, please contact us. Payment and cancellation policy is available online, in the brochures and by speaking with us. We welcome your contact.
Vancouver Island to Great Bear Rainforest
- Maple Leaf
- 9 Days
Sample Itineraries: As with all expedition cruises, the itinerary may change based on weather, wildlife activity, and interests of the guests. This itinerary is to give you a general idea of the trip.
Day 1: Board at Campbell River. Cruising Quadra Island and Vancouver Island shores. Seymour Narrows, the dividing line between southern and northern climates. Historic Ripple Rock, watch for porpoises. Rainforest walk. Anchorage Port Neville.
Day 2: Johnstone Strait and the steep-sided islands of the Broughton Archipelago.
Day 3: Coastal villages, Alert Bay cultural centre, marine mammals.
Day 4: Sailing Cape Caution, exploring western islands and beaches of southern Great Bear.
Day 5: Further outer coast exploration in small boats and on beaches. Cruising Fitzhugh Sound and the central Great Bear Rainforest inlets. Shore trips on west coast beach, viewing intertidal life, coastal bog forest trail, rainforest. Watch for sea otters, seabirds, humpback whales and possible wolves.
Day 6: Further exploration among the fjords and inner channels of the Great Bear Rainforest. Possible hot springs visit. Wildlife viewing – typically marine mammals and possible spring bears.
Day 7: Exploring spectacular Fjordland in spring, including two of its beautiful estuaries. Watch for mountain goats above the ocean, and bears in meadows.
Day 8: Sailing among the fjords, exploring out of the way places in spring.
Day 9: Cruising to Bella Bella, watching for wildlife en route.
Departures
Find ideal trip dates for our Vancouver Island to Great Bear Rainforest tour below. All prices are listed in Canadian dollars. For other itineraries and departures, switch the tabs above.
| Date | Price | # of Nights | Start Port | End Port | Ship |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 9 – 17, 2025 | $5,300 | 8 | Campbell River | Bella Bella | Maple Leaf |
| May 17 – 24, 2026 | $4,900 | 7 | Port McNeill | Bella Bella | Maple Leaf |
* Prices are all-inclusive, and subject to a $200 sustainability fee per person. The trips in Canada are subject to 5% federal tax. See “Included in Our Price” for the exceptional value included. Fares are per person, based on double occupancy, and in Canadian dollars. For solo travellers, there is no single supplement on the SV Maple Leaf trips (shared accommodation), and there is a 50% single supplement on the MV Swell and Cascadia trips. For full-ship private charters, please contact us. Payment and cancellation policy is available online, in the brochures and by speaking with us. We welcome your contact.
Experience the Great Bear Rainforest in Spring
See the Great Bear Rainforest through the eyes of our guests
What People Say
See what our guests have to say about our Great Bear Rainforest tours.
Highlights
Spring on the Estuary Is an Extraordinary Event
Bright green fjords, estuaries filled with wildflowers, where grizzly bears forage in spring.
Related Stories
Follow our coastal expeditions with notes from the field.
Frequently Asked Questions
Answers to your questions about our Great Bear Rainforest Spring itineraries. Refer to our Frequently Asked Questions for more general trip and booking information.
To reach Kitimat or Bella Bella you can fly Pacific Coastal Airlines through Vancouver Airport (YVR). For flights arriving into Kitimat or Bella Bella, we will arrange to pick you up at the airport and shuttle you to the ship. Flights into Campbell River are offered by Air Canada, Pacific Coastal and Central Mountain Air, and there are many taxi options for you to arrange a pick-up on arrival. If you are ending in Kitimat or Bella Bella, transport is arranged back to the airport along with other guests on your tour.
Our schedule is designed to accommodate incoming flights on the day of departure and most guests will arrive on the day. But, if you would like to arrive a little early to avoid the stress of possible flight delays, you will find recommendations for local hotels and activities in your welcome aboard package.
Spring in the Great Bear Rainforest brings mild temperatures, averaging 10-15°C (50-59°F), and moderate rainfall. Layered clothing and waterproof gear are recommended. While weather can be unpredictable, Spring offers a captivating atmosphere to explore the diverse ecosystems. Check local forecasts before your trip for the most up-to-date information on weather conditions.
Every season in the Great Bear Rainforest is an event. Starting in spring, black and grizzly bears emerge from hibernation and head to the estuaries to feed on succulent spring growth, offering the opportunity to see bears in their mating displays, or mothers with cubs of the year as they venture out into the natural world. Wildflowers carpet the forest floor, and migratory birds return to the region. The temperate climate during this time offers comfortable temperatures for outdoor activities, such as hiking or hot springs.
Spirit bears live in the Great Bear Rainforest year-round but it’s unlikely you will see one in the spring. The best time for the opportunity to view a spirit bear is after the rains have come in autumn. This means you should plan to come in September or October if you are interested in seeing a spirit bear.
