North America, Western Canada

Vancouver Island to Great Bear Rainforest Cruise

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Cruise the East Coast of Vancouver Island on a Boutique, Classic Ship

An amazing journey through the wild island archipelagos on Vancouver Island’s east coast. Highlights of Desolation Sound, Discovery Islands, and the Broughton Archipelago, including wildflowers, beaches, waterfalls, seabirds, marine mammals, rainforests, and exploring.

Some departures may have slightly modified itineraries. Please confirm the itinerary with an Expedition Specialist.

Highlights

• Spend a week cruising up Vancouver Island’s diverse coast with a world-class crew.

Days 1-3 Tour Kickoff in Campbell River

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.

Days 4-6 Islands and Fjords

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.

Days 7-9 Estuary Exploration

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.

Please note:

Itineraries are subject to change.

11 May, 2027 to 19 May, 2027
Maple Leaf

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Cabin

$5,250 CAD pp

Semi-Private Sleeping Areas The spacious main cabin is airy and divided by half-walls and heavy curtains into four berths, providing sleeping accommodations for eight guests. Each area contains large comfortable beds (six and a half feet long), space for your belongings, brass reading lamps, fluffy duvets and blankets. They have walls on two-and-a-half sides and thick, heavy curtains on the other one-and-a-half sides. There are three heads (washrooms) aboard, all with hot running water and shower conversions. If you are a solo traveller, you will be sharing one of the quarter berths with a same-sex solo traveller or you will be placed in our comfortable wheelhouse accommodations. Or, depending on the make-up of guests, our wheelhouse lounge seats convert into comfortable beds.

Maple Leaf

Vessel Type: Schooner

Length: 92f / 28m

Passenger Capacity: 8

Maple Leaf is a 92-foot wooden schooner built in 1904, designed for intimate coastal exploration with a maximum of eight guests. She offers a deeply personal, human-scale experience that prioritises direct engagement with the natural world, accessing remote coastlines, rivers and anchorages unreachable by larger ships. Accommodation is simple but warm: four semi-private sleeping areas, shared washrooms, and communal spaces centred on conversation, observation and shared meals prepared onboard. Stability under sail, long range, and a highly experienced crew make her exceptionally capable despite her modest size.

Constructed from Douglas fir, yellow cedar and mahogany, Maple Leaf blends working-vessel toughness with Edwardian craftsmanship and modern functionality. Life on board revolves around open decks, zodiac landings, kayaking, wildlife observation and, for those inclined, hands-on sailing under crew guidance. Her long history — from luxury yacht to high-performing halibut fishing vessel to pioneering expedition ship — gives the experience a sense of continuity and authenticity. Travel aboard Maple Leaf is immersive, physically engaging, and deliberately unpolished, favouring depth, access and presence over luxury conventions.

Inclusions

• All meals, snacks and beverages prepared from the freshest ingredients by our superb chef.
• Fine wines featured with the evening meal, and a limited amount of beer included and available throughout the trip. (Liquor is not a large part of our trips, so plan on light consumption).
• Services of our naturalist and professional crew.
• Shore excursions.
• Use of gear on board, including rubber boots, kayaks and fishing gear (with fishing licence).
• All accommodations on your vessel and, on trips with a land day, in a local lodging.

Exclusions

• The price does not include transportation to or from the starting and ending points of the Maple Leaf, Swell, and Cascadia trips, except for flights from Vancouver to the start of Cascadia’s Haida Gwaii trips and trips with a current Flight Promotion.
• Canadian trips are subject to a 5% Goods and Services Tax (GST), while Alaska trips are exempt.
• There is also a sustainability fee of $200 added to each fare on booking.
• Tipping for the crew is not included and is confidential and at your discretion.
• Fishing licenses are not included and must be acquired by guests wanting to fish prior to their trip.