Canada Bears and Alaska UnCruise

Day 1 - Vancouver

Arrive in Vancouver, check into your hotel and spend the rest of the day at leisure.

Day 2 - Vancouver

Today we have included a Vancouver City Highlights tour. 

Explore the beauty, culture, and character of Vancouver on a guided city tour that connects the city's rich past with its modern charm. Drive through the cobblestone streets of historic Gastown, the vibrant community of Chinatown, and the creative atmosphere of Granville Island. Admire the coastal scenery and towering trees of Stanley Park, one of North America's greatest urban green spaces. With stunning views, local insights, and opportunities to discover hidden gems, this tour offers an authentic and memorable introduction to Vancouver. Dress in layers for the day, including a warm shirt or outer layer. Comfortable walking shoes are recommended.

Highlights: Gastown, Chinatown, Granville Island, Stanley Park, City Landmarks, Local Culture

Day 3 - Campbell River

Collect your hire car and catch the ferry from Horseshoe Bay Departure Bay on Vancouver Island, from there it’s around a 90 minute drive to Campbell River, your base for the night.

Day 4 - Knight Inlet

Today's destination, Knight Inlet Lodge, is not accessible by road, so you'll fly in by floatplane from Campbell River. A thrilling 30 minute flight brings you to the mouth of the Glendale River where Knight Inlet Lodge floats on large cedar booms. Bring your camera - you'll be going on a bear watching and wildlife viewing tour in search of the grizzly bears that frequent this area.

Overnight at Knight Inlet Lodge. 

Day 5 - Knight Inlet

Today you will enjoy an extra Bear Viewing trip, interpretive hike of Kwalate River Valley and interpretive forest walk in the Glencover area.

Overnight Knight Inlet Lodge. 

Day 6 - Tofino

Early this morning return to the Bear Viewing platforms for a last photo opportunity before departing for Campbell River by floatplane. Arrival time is between 10.30 & 11.00am.

Collect your car and head south west to Tofino on the rugged West Coast. En-route, picture stops should be made at Cathedral Grove to enjoy the splendour of 800 year old Douglas Fir and Cedar and the Mars Water-Bombers at Sproat Lake, the world's two largest water-bombers used for the sole purpose of putting out forest fires. After the Mars Water-Bombers, drive through the majestic Sutton Pass and the Sawtooth Range of the Cascade Mountains to arrive in Tofino around mid afternoon.

Day 7 - Tofino

This tour features black bears and explores the fjord inlets of Clayoquot Sound. During the winter, local black bears are in semi-hibernation. Come May, they leave their dens and head for the closest food source - the ocean! While the bears forage in the intertidal zone, you can unobtrusively observe and photograph their behaviour. You will experience the tour aboard an open-air, rescue-style, 24' rigid-hulled Zodiac suitable for this calm water program. The vessel's shallow draft is especially good for manoeuvring in the small sheltered bays while you are watching for bears and learning about this unique environment.

Highlights: observe wildlife from the comfort and safety of a 24' Zodiac vessel; learn about local ecology and history from a professional guide; wildlife spotting opportunities include black bears, seals, eagles, porpoise, heron and more

Day 8 - Victoria

Today head south to Victoria, the journey can be done in just over 4 hours. The drive can be broken up with stops being possible at Chemainus, where you can admire the giant murals which adorn the exterior walls throughout the town, and Duncan the "City of Totems".

Day 9 - Victoria

Spend the day at leisure in the charming city of Victoria, perhaps visit Butchart Gardens, or take a stroll around the scenic harbour area.

Day 10 - Victoria to Seattle

This afternoon take the scenic Victoria Clipper ferry service from the heart of Victoria to Downtown Seattle. 

Day 11 - Seattle

Spend the day at leisure enjoying cosmopolitan Seattle, speak to your consultant with regard to the day tours available if you wish to venture further afield.

Day 12 - Juneau

Take the domestic flight to Juneau, the capital of Alaska, transfer to your hotel and spend the rest of the day exploring Juneau at your own pace.

Day 13 - Wilderness Discoverer

From your hotel you will be transferred to the UnCruise hospitality area. Upon boarding, your crew greets you with champagne and smiles. Set sail for a week of scenic channels and secluded wilderness.

Day 14 - Icy Strait & Neka Bay

Kick-start the morning with on-deck yoga stretches and a strong cup of coffee. Energized and snug in your kayak, glide around in remote bays off Icy Strait through giant bullwhip kelp that can grow to over 100 feet long. Join the gang in a skiff to a rocky outcropping to watch sea lions play. Or step into mud boots for a forest hike with your top-notch, naturalist guides who have plenty to share about everything Alaska—marine biology, plants, and even geology. On board, soak it all in as you soak in the hot tub. 

Day 15 - Glacier Bay National Park

This crown jewel of America’s national parks covers 3.3 million acres (that’s a tad smaller than the state of Connecticut). Let that sink in. Most visitors see the same sliver of the park as everyone else. Not you. You’re going the furthest and exploring parts that 99% of visitors never go to. And you have two days to do it. Get started! Taylor Bay sea stacks and rocky shores make for good adventure. Or hike the outwash field of glaciers winding down the Fairweather Mountain Range. The cool breeze off the nearby snow and icefields is energizing. If you motor over to Dundas Bay, keep your eye out for bears, humpbacks, and if you’re lucky, a wolf sighting. Kayak the bay. Bushwhack into the forest. 

Day 16 - Glacier Bay National Park

Your camera’s memory card needs plenty of room. South Marble Island is abuzz with activity. Rare sea birds, black oystercatchers, and orange-beaked tufted puffins can’t be missed. A colony of raucous sea lions adds to the hubbub. They add a distinct aroma to the air, too. Tucking into silent Tidal Inlet—the stomping grounds for bears, wolves, mountain goats, eagles—the backdrop is spectacular. At the end of the western-most arm of the bay sits Margerie and Grand Pacific Glaciers. And possible views of glacial calving. Take it all in on deck. 

Day 17 - Chichagof Island

Kick off the morn with on-deck yoga stretches (your guides love it when you join them). Meander through glacier-carved fjords along the Chichagof coast. Then stop. It’s a prime time to lower the kayaks and skiffs. Camera in hand, set off on land and sea explorations. Closer inspection by skiff, moss-dripping trees run right down to the water. Any bears in there? With one of the world’s largest populations of bears, it’s possible. Go searching for giant trees and tidal pools. Hiking in the Tongass, it won’t take long to find them. Your eagle-eyed guides lead the pack—and pull up the rear.

Day 18 - Frederick Sound

Humpbacks beeline it here each season to feed on krill, zooplankton, and herring. Watch for whales feasting in these abundant glacial waters. Hang out and enjoy the show. Based on wind and weather, your expedition team has the lineup of adventures all mapped out. Cruise past Five Fingers Lighthouse, Alaska’s oldest light station and The Brothers Islands, where sea lions nap on rocky nobs. Paddle into the deeps of Port Houghton or Windham Bay or head ashore for a hike. Somewhere nearby, carrot-billed black oystercatchers are saying hello. Tonight, toast another big day in Alaska. 

Day 19 - Tracy Arm & Sawyer Glaciers

Take an early peek out your window. Fjord cliffs reach skyward. Floating ice. And deep u-shaped valleys. There’s no abracadabra here. Mother Nature’s magic is real. Cruise past harbor seals and their pups lounging on chunks of ice. In classic fjord form, Tracy Arm delivers with the cotton candy blue Twin Sawyers glacier of its furthest reaches. Tides permitting, your skiff driver knows the ropes and guides you along. It’s a mashup of towering walls, temperamental currents, and the Coastal Mountains. So many waterfalls. Mountain goats show off fancy foot work on the cliffs. Look for them. Your captain joins you tonight for a Farewell Dinner. Celebrate and reminisce about your Alaskan journey with a “photo journal” by your crew. 

Day 20 - Homeward Bound

Linger over breakfast this morning cruising into Juneau. Wish your crew and new friends goodbye. Then it’s off to the airport for your flight.