Great Bears of Bute: Grizzly Bear Viewing & Indigenous Cultural Tour

From $421.40 per person Lowest Price Guarantee

Select Date and Travelers

You can select up to 12 travelers in total.

Adult (19-110) Minimum: 1, Maximum: 12

Child (10-18) Minimum: 0, Maximum: 12

Book online or call: +1 437 970 2890

Free Cancellation For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Great Bears of Bute A

2 Adults x $450.20

$900.40

Approx Total

$900.40

Lunch

Inclusions / Exclusions

Mobile ticket
Offered in: English
Snacks
All Fees and Taxes
Restroom on board
Tailored to dietary requirements
Coffee and/or Tea

Overview

Witness grizzly bears in their natural habitat on this breathtaking wildlife, cultural and marine tour. Join an Indigenous guide and visit the traditional territory of the Homalco First Nations in Bute Inlet. Bear viewing, whale watching and cultural exploration make for a one-of-a-kind adventure. This is the only bear tour from Campbell River that is 100% indigenous owned and provides you with an immersive indigenous experience from start to finish. By choosing Homalco Tours you help contribute to the cultural and economic recovery of the Homalco First Nation people and youth. Thank you for choosing us and in the language of our people "ʔiymot" (it is good).

Meeting points

Homalco Tours is located at the Coast Marina, 1003B Island Hwy, Campbell River, BC V9W 2C4. The office is located next to the BC Ferries Terminal. All-day parking is available at the Tyee Plaza Shopping Centre across the street.

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

Itinerary

N/A

Journey in comfort on-board a covered, heated boat through the Salish Sea to Orford Bay. Along the way your skipper and First Nation guide will share their knowledge of the human history and legends of this spectacular area while on the lookout for humpback whales, orcas, dolpins, sea lions, bald eagles and more.

2 hours
N/A

You are now in grizzly bear country on the traditional territory of the Homalco First Nation. Trained bear guides transport you by mini-bus to where the bears gather for safe viewing of these magnificent creatures at various sites and wildlife viewing towers along the Orford and Algard Rivers. Uncover the history and legends of the Homalco people and their relationship to the land while learning about bear behaviour and habitat.

3 hours
Campbell River

Return to Campell River from Orford Bay. Keep an eye open for any marine wildlife that may be near!

2 hours

Additional Info

Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
Public transportation options are available nearby
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Guests must be able to climb stairs

Free Cancellation

August 14100% refund

August 15No refund

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Reviews

4.9

279 reviews

Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews

5 stars

267
4 stars

3
3 stars

1
2 stars

0
1 star

8

We perform checks on reviews

We had a great experience touring New York City with Jonathan. He's a great tour guide and he made it very memorable and enjoyable. The tour was also super informative and I'm glad to have had a great tour guide during my visit in NYC. Would definitely recommend this tour to anyone looking for a tour her We had a great experience touring New York City with Jonathan. He's a great tour guide and he made it very memorable and enjoyable. The tour was also super informative and I'm glad to have had a great tour guide during my visit in NYC. Would definitely recommend this tour to anyone looking for a tour her We had a great experience touring New York City with Jonathan. He's a great tour guide and he made it very memorable and enjoyable. The tour was also super informative and I'm glad to have had a great tour guide during my visit in NYC. Would definitely recommend this tour to anyone looking for a tour her We had a great experience touring New York City with Jonathan. He's a great tour guide and he made it very memorable and enjoyable. The tour was also super informative and I'm glad to have had a great tour guide during my visit in NYC. Would definitely recommend this tour to anyone looking for a tour her We had a great experience touring New York City with Jonathan. He's a great tour guide and he made it very memorable and enjoyable. The tour was also super informative and I'm glad to have had a great tour guide during my visit in NYC. Would definitely recommend this tour to anyone looking for a tour her We had a great experience touring New York City with Jonathan. He's a great tour guide and he made it very memorable and enjoyable. The tour was also super informative and I'm glad to have had a great tour guide during my visit in NYC. Would definitely recommend this tour to anyone looking for a tour her

Reviews by TravelOne travelers

Showing 1-5 of 267 reviews with 5 stars

Do not miss this experience!

Published on Nov, 2024

Our superb Homalco tour guides shared their native lands, history, stories, language and more on this full day tour up river from the Georgia Strait to their original territory. Ture, we sawsmore bear tracks than actual bears, (a few glimpses) but we saw many bald eagles, shorebirds, sea lions, and seals amid some of the most beautiful natural scenery I've ever seen. Mainly we were awed by our guides' efforts to reclaim, nurture and share the Homalco langauge and way of life in this gorgeous corner of the world.

Great day with great guides

Published on Oct, 2024

A fantastic, full day out! First you go on a (speedy!) boat for 2hrs, we had the pleasure of using the new boat they had just acquired so we all had comfortable seats in a covered cabin. During the journey the guide (Cassie) told us all about the area, some wildlife, and the local language and culture. She also gave us snacks :) When we arrived at the location for bear-watching we were met by our Bear Guides Michael and Buck, who gave us a traditional welcome in the local language and then took us to see some Bears! We saw two females on the trip, digging and then interacting with each other, it was really cool. And whenever we were in the van Michael would share his knowledge and experience about the bears in the area. On the way back to Campbell River the boat captain tried to find us some wildlife, and we saw sea lions, bald eagles and dolphins! This was a great day out with fantastic guides who really seem to care about the animals and preserving the culture. Highly recommended!

Grizzly Bears in Their Great Bear Rainforest Buffet

Published on Oct, 2024

My wife and I had two Homalco bus tours at Orford Bay in Bute Inlet early October 2024. We specifically wanted to see grizzlies in their natural habitat fattening up for the winter and were not disappointed. On the first stop on the first tour, we observed a bear! We eventually saw 7 bears (in 11 sightings). The viewing stands provided excellent close (and safe for us and the bears) views. Our Homalco viewing guide (Calvin) was excellent, providing much wildlife and cultural information. Our bus driver (Wilson) avoided most of the worst bumps. Our second tour to Tobia Inlet had to be cancelled when an overnight rain storm washed out roads. Our group was offered a refunded cancellation or return to Orford Bay (which we quickly selected). We were delighted to see a couple more bears despite continuous rain (admirably guided by Tony and bus driver John). In addition to seeing the bears, Homalco provided a comfortable boat ride to Orford Bay complete with a very interesting and knowledgeable cultural guide (Janet on both trips) and boat drivers (Steve and Ron), who interrupted the ride to view a black bear, pointed out a pod of dolphins, and showed us seals and sea lions. Homalco provided an an excellent lunch during the boat rides. An excellent and memorable tour overall.

First class all the way there and back

Published on Oct, 2024

What a wonderful experience this was. Our boat driver Steve and our guides, including Chyanne of course, were first class. An unscheduled view of three humpback whales, a delicious sandwich lunch were the build up for seeing three grizzly bears (one cub) in an environment safe for us and the bears. We even saw a salmon caught! The First Nation support was gratifying and we learned much about their history. Thank you and well done.

Bears and Culture!

Published on Oct, 2024

Had a great day heading up to Bute Inlet with Homalco Wildlife and Cultural Tours. Not only were we lucky enough to see half a dozen grizzly bears (and a couple of humpbacks!) Judith (and Calvin on the tour) shared numerous Coast Salish stories that gave us a deeper understanding and appreciation of the Homoalco culture. Thanks to Guy and Gary for doing the driving. Terrific day.

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