Maple Leaf Adventures’ 2027 Small Ship Expedition Schedule is Here
Another year, another chance to peel back the layers of coastal British Columbia and discover corners few travellers ever see.
Our 2027 schedule is now live, with returning favourites across the Great Bear Rainforest, Haida Gwaii, Vancouver Island, Desolation Sound, the Gulf Islands, and Alaska—plus three new itineraries that open rare windows into early spring, southern rainforest, and Vancouver Island’s remote outer edge.
For co-owner Maureen Gordon, these new routes are deeply personal. “Kevin and I enjoyed scouting locations for these latter trips this past summer on Maple Leaf,” she says. “It was our first working trip together on the ship in 10 years. I was delighted to sleep inside her strong cedar frames again—and to know I still had the muscle memory to sail her.”
That blend of lived experience, long familiarity, and renewed curiosity runs through the entire 2027 season.
What’s New for 2027
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Great Bear Rainforest Spring — 6 Days aboard Cascadia
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Southern Great Bear Rainforest — 6 Days aboard Maple Leaf
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Vancouver Island’s Wild Side — 8 Days aboard Maple Leaf
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Together, these routes reveal new perspectives on a coastline we’ve spent four decades exploring—fields of early sedge grazed by grizzlies, rarely-visited archipelagos, rich Indigenous territories, and rugged shores shaped by Pacific storms.
Aboard Maple Leaf, Swell, and Cascadia, each voyage remains an intimate journey into the rhythms, stories, and wild places that define the BC and Alaska coast.
Great Bear Rainforest Spring: Where the Year Begins Again
In the Great Bear Rainforest, early spring feels like stepping into a world mid-exhale.
Since trophy hunting ended in 2017, grizzlies once elusive in April now forage openly on estuaries, grazing on brilliant green sedges and reclaiming ancestral ground. This ecological shift has opened a rare early-season window—and in 2027, Cascadia will sail straight into it.
Travelling beneath snowy peaks, guests will watch grizzlies stir from winter, soak in a remote seaside hot spring, scan the water for sea otters and migratory birds on the move, and connect with Heiltsuk territory when community events allow. Special early-season pricing makes this an ideal exploratory journey for travellers who want to see the Great Bear Rainforest in its most unexpected season, with all the comfort Cascadia affords.
Great Bear Rainforest South: An Epic Summer Odyssey
Short on time, long on experience. Our new Southern Great Bear Rainforest voyage distills the essence of one of the world’s last intact temperate rainforests into six superb days.
Think bears feeding along remote shorelines, humpbacks and orcas feeding offshore, lush kelp forests teeming with life, and expert-guided rainforest and tidal walks. When community schedules allow, guests may visit the Namgis community in Alert Bay for a private guided experience at the U’mista Cultural Centre—a living record of resilience and cultural continuity.
A shorter format, without compromise: this voyage blends wildlife, culture, ecology, and the timeless experience of sailing aboard the classic schooner Maple Leaf.
Wild Side on Maple Leaf: Charting the Edge of Vancouver Island
Beyond Vancouver Island’s surf spots lies a different west coast—unroaded, untamed, and rarely visited. That’s the Wild Side.
Designed by co-owner Kevin Smith, who worked here as a park ranger in the 1990s, this new voyage explores the Island’s most remote outer reaches. Expect puffin colonies circling Solander Island, the wild glacial refugium of Brooks Peninsula, and cultural connection with the Ka:’yu:’k’t’h’ / Che:k’tles7et’h’ Nation at Kyuquot, complete with a traditional salmon bake on Spring Island.
This is a voyage for travellers seeking the true west coast—raw, remote, and deeply connected to place, people and story.
Getting Here Is Easier Than You Think
All of our British Columbia expeditions connect through Vancouver International Airport (YVR), with regional flights to departure points. Our team will guide you through the best options, and voyages are typically scheduled around flight times—so overnight stays are rarely needed.
Learn more about how to get to our trips.
Special Offers for Early Planners
To celebrate the launch of our 2027 season, we’re offering a selection of limited-time special offers (terms and conditions apply), including:
- Save 10% when you pay in full by January 31, 2026
- Flight credits on select spring, summer, and autumn departures
- Solo Traveller Special on select sailings (no single supplement)
- Haida Gwaii flights included on Cascadia
- Group Savings and second-trip credits.
All qualifying offers are applied retroactively for guests who have already booked.
For more details and qualifying trips, check out our Special Offers.
Maple Leaf Explorers Club
The Maple Leaf Explorers Club celebrates the community of guests who have travelled with us over the years. Once you’ve completed a trip with Maple Leaf Adventures, you’re eligible to join—membership is free and takes just a minute to set up.
Members enjoy early access to new itineraries and promotions, plus rewards when booking future trips and for referrals, guest stories, and sharing their journey.
Learn more or sign up here.
Where Will 2027 Take You?
From awakening spring estuaries in the Great Bear Rainforest to kelp forests, seabird colonies, and the rugged edges of Vancouver Island’s Wild Side, 2027 opens new pathways into this remarkable coast.
Our friendly reservation team, Mikhail and Chiara, are here to help you find the voyage that fits your timing, interests, and sense of adventure.
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