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6 Best Grizzly Bear Tours in Vancouver Island 2024
Are you looking for grizzly bear tours in Vancouver Island?
I’ve got you covered!
Vancouver Island is one of the best places for grizzly bear watching in Canada. People travel to British Columbia from all over the world to view grizzly bears in the wild.
The chances of stumbling across a grizzly bear on your own without a guide are slim, so the best way to spot these incredible creatures is with the help of an organized tour and an expert guide.
Many different tours leave from Vancouver Island every day.
I’ve spent much time in Vancouver, and a grizzly bear tour is on my bucket list! So, I’ve rounded up the best tours Vancouver Island offers for an almost guaranteed grizzly bear encounter.
Here are the 6 best grizzly bear tours in Vancouver Island!
My Top 3 Picks: Best Grizzly Bear Tours in Vancouver Island
#1 TOP PICK
#2 PICK
#3 PICK
6 Awesome Grizzly Bear Tours in Vancouver Island
1. Grizzly Bear Expedition
⭐️ RATING: 5/5 Stars | ⏳ TOUR LENGTH: 9 hours | ✅ Book it!
This grizzly bear tour is perfect for spotting wild grizzly bears and other wildlife and learning about the local indigenous culture.
The tour starts with a cruise through Desolation Sound, where you can spot humpback whales and other marine life.
You’ll then get the unique opportunity to meet with members of the Homalco First Nations tribe and learn about their culture.
“Truly a spectacular experience!” – Brian H (Read more reviews)
Later you head to the bear viewing platform, where you can watch the grizzly bears fishing for salmon.
The guides understand the bears and their behavior, so your chances of seeing them up close are higher with an expert by your side. You might even be lucky enough to spot a mother and her cubs!
Important Info
Start time: 10:30 am
Duration: 9 hours
Includes: Lunch, snacks, hot drinks, fees/taxes
Operated by: Big Animal Encounters
2. Full Day Grizzly Bear Tour
⭐️ RATING: 4.5/5 Stars | ⏳ TOUR LENGTH: 8 – 10 hours | ✅ Book it!
Campbell Adventure Tours offers one of the best small-group grizzly bear tours on Vancouver Island.
The tour starts with a 2-hour boat ride on the Campbell River. You’ll be able to spot porpoises and other marine life along the way.
The guides are brilliant at answering questions and providing interesting facts about everything related to wildlife.
“An incredible day from start to finish” – A Tripadvisor reviewer (Read more reviews)
Then your group will begin to search for wild grizzly bears. You’ll see the bears in their natural habitat, swimming and fishing in the river.
This small group tour is limited to just 12 people to provide a more intimate experience and to allow the group to get closer to the bears.
Important Info
Start time: 10 am
Duration: 8 – 10 hours
Includes: Lunch, hot drinks, fuel
Operated by: Campbell River Whale Watching & Adventure Tours
3. Full Day Grizzly Bear Tour to Toba Inlet
⭐️ RATING: 5/5 Stars | ⏳ TOUR LENGTH: 8-9 hours | ✅ Book it!
Cruise to Toba Inlet through the Discovery Passage on this Full Day Grizzly Bear Tour to Toba Inlet!
The crew will provide informative commentary (and a few jokes) as you enjoy the breathtaking scenery.
“A bucket list dream come true” – A Tripadvisor reviewer (Read more reviews)
Your captain will be a certified nature guide, pointing out all the wildlife along the way. Keep your eyes peeled for humpback whales, sea lions, and bald eagles!
Once on land, you will meet your guide from the Klahoose First Nations, who will take you to view grizzly bears along the river
Important Info
Start time: 7 am
Duration: 8 – 9 hours
Includes: lunch, drinks, snacks
Operated by: Campbell River Whale Watching & Adventure Tours
4. Great Bears of Bute: Grizzly Bear Viewing & Indigenous Cultural Tour
⭐️ RATING: 5/5 Stars | ⏳ TOUR LENGTH: 7 – 8 hours | ✅ Book it!
The Grizzly Bear Viewing and Indigenous Culture Tour is the only bear tour from Campbell River that is 100% indigenous-owned.
Your guides will be Homalco First Nation people and will be able to give you a fascinating insight into the Homalco indigenous culture.
They also have incredible attention to detail when spotting wildlife and will point out many different species alongside the grizzly bears.
“Very well organized, great atmosphere, knowledgeable and caring guides” – Jutta I (Read more reviews)
The tour starts with a boat trip through the Salish Sea to Orford Bay. Your guides will then transport you to the wildlife viewing towers along the Orford and Algard Rivers.
Here you will have the opportunity to watch the bears from a safe distance.
Important Info
Duration: 7 – 8 hours
Includes: Taxes & fees, Lunch, drinks, snacks
Operated by: Homalco Wildlife & Cultural Tours
5. Campbell River: Bute Inlet Grizzly-Watching Tour & Boat Ride
⭐️ RATING: 5/5 Stars | ⏳ TOUR LENGTH: 9 hours | ✅ Book it!
The Bute Inlet Grizzly-Watching Tour & Boat Ride is definitely one of the best Campbell River bear-watching tours from Vancouver.
The tour starts with a speedboat ride along the Campbell River to Bute Inlet, renowned for being one of the best places for bear-watching in BC.
Once you reach Bute Inlet, you will go to specially designed viewing platforms above the salmon spawning channel. From here, you will have incredible unobstructed views of the bears.
You’ll spend the rest of the day watching the bears as they fish for salmon in their natural habitat. This is truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience!
Important Info
Start time: 8:30 am
Duration: 9 hours
Includes: lunch, drinks, snacks
Operated by: Campbell River Whale Watching
6. Campbell River: Whale & Wildlife Discovery Cruise
⭐️ RATING: 4.4/5 Stars | ⏳ TOUR LENGTH: 3 – 4 hours | ✅ Book it!
This half-day Whale Watching & Wildlife Discovery Cruise is shorter than the others on this list, so it is perfect if you don’t have a whole day to spare but still want to do some bear-watching on Vancouver Island.
On this cruise, you will visit the Salish Sea, Discovery Passage, and Johnstone Strait. These areas are known for their abundance of wildlife.
During the tour, you’ll likely see humpback whales, orcas, Pacific white-sided dolphins, grizzly bears, Steller sea lions, and more.
“The experience was absolutely fun, fun, fun!” – a GetYourGuide traveler (Read more reviews)
There are two choices of boats for the cruise. One is a covered boat with indoor seating, and the other is a zodiac boat. The two boat options allow guests to enjoy the wildlife-watching cruise regardless of the weather.
Important Info
Start time: 9 am or 1:30 pm
Duration: 3 – 4 hours
Includes: Small group cruise
Operated by: Campbell River Whale Watching
Choosing The Right Bear-Watching Tour For You
If you are wondering where to see grizzly bears in British Columbia, then a grizzly bear tour from Vancouver Island is your best bet!
Seeing grizzly bears in the wild is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and some fantastic tours are available for bear-watching on Vancouver Island.
For the absolute best experience, consider your desires for the day and what factors are important to make it worthwhile.
There are a few essential things to consider when choosing the right bear-watching tour for you:
- Size of the tour – small group tours are best as they are the least disruptive to the bears.
- Type of boat – some tours have large boats with indoor seating. These boats may be better for families or if you want to stay dry in bad weather. Other tours have smaller zodiac-style speedboats, and these are great for adventurous travelers who want to feel the wind in their hair.
- Length of tour – depending on the time you have to spare, you may want to take a full-day tour or only a half-day trip.
- Cultural experience – some grizzly bear tours on Vancouver Island also includes a cultural experience with the local First Nations people. Some tours are also Indigenous-owned, which means your money will be going towards supporting the cultural and economic recovery of the First Nations people.
Types Of Bears On Vancouver Island
There are two types of bears on Vancouver Island. The American black bear and the Vancouver Island black bear. The Vancouver Island black bears are larger and have a darker shade of black than their American counterpart.
Vancouver Island is the best place to take a grizzly bear watching tour in Canada, but the tours are not actually viewing grizzly bears on the island itself. The experience takes you through a viewing of the inlets on the west coast of mainland British Columbia.
The best grizzly bear viewing locations, such as Bute Inlet, are accessed by boat tours from Vancouver Island.
The journey by boat to the inlets is an incredible experience, as you will be able to see the stunning scenery of British Columbia and wonderful marine life along the way.
Recently there have been some sightings of grizzly bears on Vancouver Island. So in the future, it may be possible to spot grizzly bears here more regularly.
If you are interested in spotting black bears, the best place to see them is in Tofino, on Vancouver Island’s west coast.
Can You Find Bears Without A Tour?
It is possible to see bears while out hiking or camping on Vancouver Island, but bears are very shy and cautious of humans so they usually run away when they hear people coming.
You might catch a glimpse of the bears on the hiking trails, but you certainly won’t get a good chance to see them up close or for very long.
Although bear attacks are rare, you should treat them as dangerous animals, and it is not a good idea to go out looking for them on your own.
Your best chance of seeing bears up close is from a bear-watching tour.
On the tours, there are expert guides who know the best places to see the bears and will also be able to tell you fascinating facts about the bear’s behavior, habitat, and life cycle.
The tours will allow you to view the bears from a safe place, such as a specially designed bear viewing platform or boat.
The grizzly bear tours in Vancouver Island are a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see bears up close and are definitely worth the expense.
You can also get the chance to view bears in the wild by staying in a bear lodge on Vancouver Island.
FAQs: Best Grizzly Bear Tours Vancouver Island
Can you see grizzly bears on Vancouver Island?
Yes, you can see grizzly bears from Vancouver Island. There are no grizzly bears on Vancouver Island itself, but daily grizzly bear watching tours leave Vancouver Island every day. It is one of the best places in Canada to take grizzly bear tours.
Where is the best place to see grizzly bears?
The best places to see grizzly bears are in the USA and Canada. In Canada, the best wildlife spotting opportunities are on the West Coast.
Vancouver Island is one of the best places to see bears in the wild. You can also see grizzly bears in the great bear rainforest in British Columbia.
How common are bear attacks on Vancouver Island?
Bear attacks are extremely rare on Vancouver Island, and there have been only a handful of reported cases in the last 50 years.
What month are grizzly bears most active?
The best time to see grizzly bears on Vancouver Island is June – September when the bears are most active. You will likely see them fishing for salmon in the rivers during this time. The best time to see mothers with their tiny bear cubs is from late April through to summer.
Wrap-Up: Best Grizzly Bear Tours Vancouver Island
Seeing grizzly bears in the wild is an incredible once-in-a-lifetime experience and is also one of the best day trips from Vancouver.
Getting up close to the bears on your own is unlikely and also potentially dangerous. That is why taking an organized grizzly bear-watching tour from Vancouver Island is a great idea!
The tours will allow you to view the bears safely from specialized viewing platforms, and the guides will be on hand to provide their expert knowledge and insight on all things bear and wildlife-related.
This full-day grizzly bear expedition is my number one pick for grizzly bear tours Vancouver Island.
You’ll have an incredible time seeing bears up close as they fish for salmon in the river. The tour includes lunch, an expert guide, and a breathtaking boat trip through the Desolation Sound.
Looking for more memorable experiences in Vancouver Island? Check out these 39 incredible waterfalls.
More About British Columbia:
- 20 Pros And Cons Of Living In Vancouver, BC Canada
- 37 Amazing Vancouver Bucket List Things to Do
- 7 Best Whale Watching Tours in Vancouver Canada
- 11 Best Whale Watching Tours in Victoria, BC: An Honest Review
- 37 Best Day Trips From Vancouver
- 29 Best Things to Do in Ucluelet, BC
- Where to Stay in Vancouver, British Columbia
- Where to Kayak in Vancouver, BC: 23 Best Places
- 11 Best Resorts in Whistler
- 30 Best Camping on Vancouver Island, BC
- 39 Best Waterfalls in Vancouver Island to Visit
- 17 Best White Water Rafting Vancouver Tours
- 23 Best Things to Do in Deep Cove, Vancouver BC
- 3 Best Whale Watching Tours In Tofino
- High Tea at the Fairmont Empress Hotel in Victoria BC
More Wildlife Tours in Canada:
- Best Horseback Riding in Canada: The 8 Best Trails
- 8 Best White Water Rafting Tours in Canada
- 6 Best Whale Watching in Tadoussac Quebec
- Top 5 Quebec Dog Sledding Tours
- 6 Best Dog Sledding Yukon Tours
- Best Dog Sledding Tour in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories
Canada Travel Planning Guide
🚑 Should I buy Canada travel insurance?
100% YES! — Canada has “free” healthcare but it’s only for citizens! Foreigners visiting need travel insurance in case anything happens on their visit. I recommend World Nomads – starting at just $5 a day!
💧Can you drink the water in Canada?
Yes — In all major cities in Canada, you can drink the tap water. There are very few, rural areas that you can’t. However, you should never drink river or lake water anywhere in the country! I recommend a Brita Water Bottle for long hikes and backcountry camping to stay safe and hydrated.
🚙💨 Is it safe to rent a car in Canada?
Yes — Renting a car is a necessity in most of Canada! If you want to go on road trips or adventures outside of the major cities, you’ll need to rent a car. (Read more)
📲 Will my phone work in Canada?
Maybe — Some American companies work in Canada, but many will not. If your phone doesn’t work in Canada, I recommend getting a Canadian SIM card so you can get around and stay in contact with loved ones. We don’t have a lot of free WIFI in Canada, so you’ll need your phone for maps.
🏩 What’s the best way to book my Canada accommodations?
My go-to for Canadian hotels is Booking.com. For hostels, I use Hostel World. If you want a home-y feeling, check out VRBO (which is cheaper and safer than Airbnb).
Or get free accommodations with Trusted Housesitters!
✈️ What’s the best site to buy Canada flights?
For finding cheap Canadian flights, I recommend Skyscanner.
🎫 Do I need a visa for Canada?
Likely Not — US, UK, and EU passport holders don’t need Canadian visas. However, some other countries do (check here!). And if you plan to stay for more than 4 weeks (an average tourist visa length), you will need to look into visas to live in Canada.
