Lords of the Wilderness Bear Viewing
15 Days
Vancouver to Churchill
Countries
Canada
Overview
Go bear watching in Churchill and the Great Bear Rainforest. Witness polar bears and grizzly bears in their natural habitat and travel across Canada on VIA Rail’s The Canadian train. From the lush, abundant Great Bear Rainforest to the barren arctic tundra of Churchill – no safari better represents Canada’s immense diversity. Your itinerary can be personalized to suit your dreams and needs: Decide your desired budget, choose your own activities and experiences, and have all the details of your trip arranged for you.
Sample Itinerary
Arrive in Vancouver
Welcome to our hometown — a famously lovely west coast city surrounded by mountains and the ocean.
Fly to Campbell River
Fly from Vancouver to Campbell River, a busy oceanside community on the east coast of Vancouver Island.
Float plane to the Great Bear Rainforest
A thrilling, 30-minute float plane flight takes you to Glendale Cove and Knight Inlet Lodge. After a welcome orientation at the lodge, head out for your first guided activity.
View grizzly bears
Enjoy a hearty breakfast before heading out for another day of guided adventures. Activity options include kayaking, hiking, or a scenic boat tour of Knight Inlet, in addition to more guided grizzly bear viewing.
Knight Inlet Lodge to Vancouver
Get up early to soak in the fresh wilderness air, perhaps spotting a grazing deer as you sip your coffee. Today, you fly back to Campbell River and Vancouver.
Explore Vancouver
Explore Vancouver, a coastal city on the mainland of British Columbia. The city’s modern, high-rise buildings sit between the Pacific Ocean and the Coast Mountains, in a truly picturesque setting of soaring peaks, ancient forests, and sandy beaches.
You have 3 options to choose from today:
- Victoria and Butchart Gardens Tour
- Whistler Day Tour
- Vancouver and the North Shore Tour
VIA Rail - Depart Vancouver
Board The Canadian train in Vancouver and begin your journey east. Travel through the varied landscape of British Columbia's Fraser Valley. See lush farmland and berry fields, winding river canyons, and pristine forests.
You have 2 options to choose from today:
- Hop On Hop Off Sightseeing (48-Hour Pass)
- FlyOver Canada Admission
VIA Rail – Canadian Rockies
As you head northeast through the mountains of British Columbia and Alberta, keep your eyes peeled for bears and elk! See Mount Robson, the highest peak in the Canadian Rockies, then pass by the small town of Jasper. In the evening, the train winds towards Edmonton, Alberta's capital city.
VIA Rail - Arrive in Winnipeg
Make your way across the undulating plains of the Prairie provinces — Saskatchewan and Manitoba. Arrive in Winnipeg, Manitoba's bustling capital city, late this evening.
Explore Winnipeg
Explore Winnipeg at your leisure before checking in for your polar bear adventure.
Fly north into polar bear territory
The excitement begins as you travel from Winnipeg to the remote town of Churchill. Situated on the Hudson Bay, Churchill is one of the best places in the world to view polar bears in the wild.
View polar bears up close
The moment has finally come — after a pick up from your hotel, board a Tundra Buggy and start searching for polar bears.
Dogsledding in Churchill
Go dogsledding today. Enjoy this uniquely northern way of getting around.
Another Tundra Buggy adventure
Head out for another exciting day on the Tundra, searching for polar bears.
Depart with fond memories
Much too soon, you bid farewell to the Canadian North as you depart from Winnipeg.
Personalize this Itinerary
Most Popular Ways to Personalize this Itinerary
Why Fresh Tracks?
"Based in Vancouver, we’re a team of Canadian Insiders that love helping visitors have the best possible experience in our vast country. We’ve been all over the continent (because we love to travel too) and have used our Insider knowledge to create personalized vacations for travelers from around the world since 1996."
"Insider Expertise"
"We live and breathe Canada. Our Insiders love to travel and we do a lot of it in Canada so that we know this vast country from west coast mountains to northern tundra to eastern glades. We have connections and knowledge of every town and excursion and would love to share our expertise with you so you can experience the best of Canada to suit your interests."
"Why We're Different"
"Our secret recipe for planning life-changing vacations is based on collaboration between us and our customers. You bring your ideas, dreams and wishes. And we'll give you Insider advice and peace of mind.
On every Fresh Tracks Canada adventure, we take people into the thick of a truly Canadian experience. The range of options is as diverse as the land we call home. Just like every traveller is unique, each trip is personalized to offer a real Canadian story."
"Working Together"
"We believe in working together to connect the dots between where you are now and your ideal Canadian vacation. We discuss your ideas and personal preferences, and use our Insider knowledge to save you hours of pointless internet trawling. We take the time to get to know you so that we can recommend the bits of Canada that we think you'll like the best."
Trains Used:
VIA RAIL
VIA Rail’s The Canadian train travels across the country between Toronto in Eastern Canada and Vancouver on the West Coast. The Canadian is a sleeper train where guests stay onboard for 1 to 4 nights, depending on their start and end points. Guests can opt for Sleeper Plus or Prestige classes, which feature private cabins, meals in the dining car and access to viewing cars.
Inclusions
- Hotel accommodation
- Meals onboard the train
- Unique guided activities such as dogsledding, cultural tours and more
- Transportation to and from airports, timed with your flights
- Electronic travel documentation package
- Personalized Fresh Tracks Canada customer service support
Highlights
- See grizzly bears in the Great Bear Rainforest
- Remote wilderness lodge experience
- Sleep on board the iconic VIA Rail ‘Canadian Train’
- Witness Churchill’s polar bears up close from a Tundra Buggy
Fresh Tracks Benefits
We make it easy to plan a worry-free seamless travel experience in Canada by combining our insider knowledge with your personal preferences. Your trip is personalized to your needs and all components are booked for you, so you can just relax and enjoy your experience.
Benefits of booking your Canadian trip with Fresh Tracks
- We make it really easy!
- Our itineraries are built for you around your specific needs, interests and budget.
- We promise friendly and personal service every step of the way.
- Consider us your personal contact in Canada before and during your trip.
- We are experts in creating personalized itineraries in Canada.
- We're based in Vancouver with first-hand 'insider' knowledge of Canada.
- Since 1996, we have personalized more than 25,000 Canadian vacations.
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