British Columbia: the Inside Passage, Prince Rupert and Haida Gwaii

1. Day 1: Arrive in Vancouver

   Vancouver International Airport to your hotel downtown

   • Drive about 30 min
   • Welcome dinner
   • Stay in Vancouver
   Day 1 details

   Fly into Vancouver International Airport (YVR), about 15 km south of downtown, and a driver meets you in the arrivals hall for the half-hour drive to a central hotel. Plan to land by about 3 pm; the latest arrival time is confirmed with your final itinerary. The afternoon is free and easy on foot: the seawall around Coal Harbour, the seaplanes landing beside Canada Place and the North Shore mountains across the water. In the early evening your See Sight Tours guide meets the group for a briefing on the days ahead, and it is worth hearing: one night here, the drive up Vancouver Island, the two long ferry days and why we sail them, and how the weather shapes the Haida Gwaii days. Then we walk into Gastown, the oldest part of the city, for a welcome dinner of west coast food. Get some sleep: tomorrow is the one long road day.

   Included

   • Pick-up at Vancouver International Airport (YVR)
   • Welcome briefing with your guide
   • Welcome dinner in Gastown

   Free time: Free until the early-evening briefing

   

2. Day 2: Up the Island Highway to Port Hardy

   Vancouver to Horseshoe Bay, ferry to Nanaimo, then north via Campbell River to Port Hardy

   • Drive about 5 h
   • Breakfast and lunch
   • Stay in Port Hardy
   Day 2 details

   This is the one long road day, and it is long for a reason: the Inside Passage ship leaves Port Hardy, at the northern end of Vancouver Island, early tomorrow morning, so we must sleep there tonight. We leave after breakfast for Horseshoe Bay and the BC Ferries sailing to Nanaimo, about an hour and forty minutes across the Strait of Georgia, best spent on deck. From Nanaimo the Island Highway runs north, about 390 km. We break it into three parts: a stop at the beach at Qualicum, a sit-down lunch in Campbell River on Discovery Passage, and a leg-stretch on the quiet last stretch through forest where black bears often feed on the verges. We reach Port Hardy in the early evening. The hotel is close to the Bear Cove ferry terminal, and the evening is free for a walk along the harbour and an early night.

   Included

   • BC Ferries from Horseshoe Bay to Nanaimo
   • Stop at Qualicum Beach
   • Lunch in Campbell River

   Free time: Evening free in Port Hardy

   Activity: About 4.75 hours on the road plus the ferry, with three stops. Over our 4-hour cap because there is no shorter way to the morning sailing.

3. Day 3: The Inside Passage by day

   Port Hardy to Prince Rupert on the BC Ferries Inside Passage sailing

   • Drive about 18 min
   • Breakfast, lunch and dinner
   • Stay in Prince Rupert
   Day 3 details

   The one very early start of the trip: we check in at the Bear Cove terminal about an hour before the early-morning sailing, because the ship sails once and does not wait. The summer sailing runs in daylight for most of its roughly 15 to 16 hours. The first two hours cross Queen Charlotte Sound, open to the Pacific, where the ship can roll; after that it slips into Fitz Hugh Sound and a chain of narrow channels between forested mountains, with no road anywhere beside them. Your guide spends the day on deck pointing out landmarks and watching for humpback whales, orcas, Dall's porpoises and bald eagles, and there are lounges with big windows when it rains. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are in the ship's restaurant. Grenville Channel, long and narrow, comes in the evening light. We reach Prince Rupert late in the evening and transfer straight to a hotel near the waterfront.

   Included

   • BC Ferries Inside Passage sailing from Port Hardy to Prince Rupert
   • Breakfast, lunch and dinner on board
   • Transfers to the Port Hardy terminal and to the Prince Rupert hotel

   Optional experiences

   • A private cabin on the ship for the day (price shown at booking)

   Easier option: Book a cabin and rest between the best stretches; your guide will knock for whales.

   Activity: About 15 to 16 hours on the ship, with lounges, open decks and a restaurant. Bring seasickness tablets if you need them for the first two hours.

   

4. Day 4: Grizzlies in the Khutzeymateen

   Prince Rupert by boat to the Khutzeymateen Grizzly Bear Sanctuary and back

   • By boat
   • Breakfast and lunch
   • Stay in Prince Rupert
   Day 4 details

   The Khutzeymateen, about 45 km northeast of Prince Rupert, was set aside in 1994 as Canada's first area protected for grizzly bears, and it is managed jointly with the Tsimshian First Nations. Only a few licensed boats go in, and nobody goes ashore: you watch from the water. After the late arrival we take the latest departure the operator offers, timed with the tide, from the harbour at Cow Bay. The boat runs up the coast for about two hours, watching for whales, seals and eagles, then idles along the estuary, where in June and July grizzlies graze the sedge flats, sometimes with cubs. Lunch is on board. Grizzlies are often seen in season, though not on every trip. We are back in Prince Rupert in the late afternoon, with a free evening in the cafes and seafood places of Cow Bay. On August departures, when the bears have moved up the rivers, the same day is a whale-watching boat in Chatham Sound.

   Included

   • Full-day Khutzeymateen grizzly-viewing boat from Prince Rupert, with lunch (June and July)
   • Whale-watching boat in Chatham Sound in place of it on August departures

   Easier option: Skip the boat: the Museum of Northern British Columbia in the morning, then the North Pacific Cannery at Port Edward in the afternoon (price shown at booking).

   Free time: Evening free in Cow Bay

   Activity: About 7 to 9 hours on a covered boat with a toilet. Dress in warm, dark layers; no perfume.

   

5. Day 5: Across Hecate Strait to Haida Gwaii

   Prince Rupert to Skidegate on the BC Ferries Haida Gwaii crossing, then Daajing Giids

   • Drive about 18 min
   • Breakfast, lunch and dinner
   • Stay in Daajing Giids (Haida Gwaii)
   Day 5 details

   The second long ferry day, and a shorter one: about seven hours across Hecate Strait to Skidegate, on a BC Ferries sailing that leaves Prince Rupert mid-morning on the days it runs by day. The first hours follow the sheltered coast; then the ship heads out into the open strait, one of the shallowest and roughest stretches of water on this coast, though summer is its calmest season. Lunch is on board. Your guide brings a map and the background for the islands: the Haida Nation, their villages and poles, and why the islands took back the name Haida Gwaii. In the late afternoon the low green line of Graham and Moresby islands rises ahead, and we land at Skidegate Landing, a few minutes from the Haida Heritage Centre. A short drive takes us to our base for four nights in Daajing Giids, on the water, and we sit down to an arrival dinner together.

   Included

   • BC Ferries from Prince Rupert to Skidegate (Haida Gwaii)
   • Lunch on board
   • Arrival dinner in Daajing Giids

   Activity: About 7 hours on the ship. Hecate Strait can be rough; bring seasickness tablets if you need them.

   

6. Day 6: The Haida Heritage Centre at Kay Llnagaay

   Daajing Giids to Kay Llnagaay and Skidegate, then Balance Rock

   • Drive about 30 min
   • Breakfast and lunch
   • Stay in Daajing Giids (Haida Gwaii)
   Day 6 details

   A slow day after two days on the water. We reach the Haida Heritage Centre at Kay Llnagaay, beside the beach at Skidegate, when it opens, before the ferry foot traffic. Its cedar longhouses hold the Haida Gwaii Museum, a carving shed and canoes, and in front stand poles raised for the southern Haida villages, facing the sea. A local guide walks us through the galleries and the poles, and the guide's stories here make the Gwaii Haanas day mean more. Before lunch we sit through the Gwaii Haanas orientation at the centre, about an hour, which the Haida Nation and Parks Canada ask of every visitor. Lunch is at the centre or nearby in Skidegate. In the early afternoon we drive a few minutes along the shore to Balance Rock, a boulder left perched on the shore by the glaciers, and walk the beach. Then the afternoon is free: the shops and galleries of Daajing Giids, where Haida artists sell carving and jewellery, or a quiet walk by the water. This evening your guide briefs the group on tomorrow's boat and the forecast.

   Included

   • Haida Heritage Centre at Kay Llnagaay, with a guided tour of the galleries and poles
   • Lunch in Skidegate
   • Balance Rock and the beach
   • Gwaii Haanas orientation

   Easier option: Stay at the Heritage Centre after lunch and skip the beach walk.

   More active option: In the free afternoon, walk the Spirit Lake trail above Skidegate, a loop of about 3 km through the forest.

   Free time: Afternoon and evening free

   Activity: Easy: about 2 to 3 km on foot in short sections.

   

7. Day 7: Gwaii Haanas by Zodiac

   Daajing Giids to Skidegate Landing, ferry to Alliford Bay and road to Sandspit, then by Zodiac into Gwaii Haanas to K'uuna Llnagaay (Skedans) and back

   • Drive about 45 min
   • Breakfast and lunch
   • Stay in Daajing Giids (Haida Gwaii)
   Day 7 details

   Gwaii Haanas, the southern third of the islands, has no roads: the only ways in are by boat or floatplane. The Zodiac operators are based at Sandspit on Moresby Island, so we leave the hotel at about 8 am for the 20-minute BC Ferries crossing from Skidegate Landing to Alliford Bay, then drive about 15 minutes to the boat base. Weather permitting, we spend the day in an open Zodiac with a licensed local operator, in survival suits, heading south along the east coast of Moresby Island to K'uuna Llnagaay (Skedans), an old Haida village site where Haida Watchmen live through the summer. If the sea demands it, the operator chooses another site on the day. A Watchman welcomes us ashore and walks us past house pits and weathered poles, and the stories are theirs to tell. On the water we watch for humpback whales, sea lions, seabirds and eagles. Lunch is a packed meal with hot drinks on the beach. We are back on Graham Island in the early evening, with the evening free. If the forecast is better tomorrow, we swap this day with the north island day.

   Included

   • BC Ferries from Skidegate Landing to Alliford Bay and back
   • Full-day Zodiac trip into Gwaii Haanas from Sandspit with a licensed operator, survival suits and boots provided
   • K'uuna Llnagaay (Skedans) or another Haida Watchmen village site, with Gwaii Haanas fees
   • Lunch with hot drinks

   Optional experiences

   • Floatplane day to SGang Gwaay, the UNESCO World Heritage village site, in place of the Zodiac day (price shown at booking)

   Easier option: Stay on Graham Island: a gentle day on the beaches near Tlell with the vehicle, then the Heritage Centre again.

   More active option: Choose the floatplane to SGang Gwaay, the farthest village site, with a longer walk ashore.

   Free time: Evening free

   Activity: About 8 to 10 hours in an open boat, which can be bumpy, with beach landings in shin-deep water. Not suitable in pregnancy or with back problems.

   

8. Day 8: Tow Hill and the north island

   Daajing Giids up Highway 16 via Tlell and Port Clements to Masset, Old Massett and Tow Hill, then back

   • Drive about 3.5 h
   • Breakfast, lunch and dinner
   • Stay in Daajing Giids (Haida Gwaii)
   Day 8 details

   We drive north on the island's one highway, about 110 km to Masset (about 280 km and 3.5 hours of driving for the whole day, within our 4-hour cap), stopping at Tlell, where the river meets the beach, and at Port Clements on Masset Inlet. Tow Hill rises at the edge of Naikoon Provincial Park, about 26 km east of Masset, a basalt headland above the sand of North Beach. We walk the boardwalk to the blowhole, which spouts on a rising tide, then climb the wooden stairs to the lookout, where on a clear day you can see Alaska across Dixon Entrance. Then down to the long beach and the dunes for a walk at your own pace. Lunch is a sit-down meal in Masset, and in the afternoon we visit Old Massett, a Haida village where carvers often work in open sheds, before driving back. Tonight is the farewell dinner, with your guide's notes on the islands and a toast to the boat crews.

   Included

   • Tlell and Port Clements stops
   • Tow Hill: the blowhole boardwalk and the lookout, Naikoon Provincial Park
   • North Beach and the dunes
   • Lunch in Masset
   • Old Massett
   • Farewell dinner

   Easier option: Walk the flat boardwalk to the blowhole and skip the stairs to the lookout.

   More active option: Add the beach walk along North Beach toward Agate Beach while the group has coffee, about 4 km.

   Activity: About 3.5 hours of driving in short legs. Tow Hill lookout is a climb of steep wooden stairs, about 1 km each way.

   

9. Day 9: Fly back to Vancouver

   Daajing Giids to Skidegate Landing, ferry to Alliford Bay, then Sandspit Airport to Vancouver

   • Drive about 45 min
   • Breakfast
   • Stay in Vancouver
   Day 9 details

   A free morning on the islands: a last walk on the beach, coffee by the water or a final hour in the galleries. If yesterday's Gwaii Haanas day was cancelled for weather and today's forecast is fair, your guide will tell you whether a shorter boat trip is possible this morning. Around midday we drive a few minutes to Skidegate Landing for the short BC Ferries crossing to Alliford Bay on Moresby Island, about 20 minutes, then on to Sandspit Airport. The scheduled flight to Vancouver takes under two hours, and the view of the mountains and islands on the way south is a last look at the route you came up by ferry. In Vancouver a driver takes us to a hotel near the airport or downtown, depending on what your flight home needs. The evening is free; your guide is happy to suggest a place for dinner.

   Included

   • BC Ferries from Skidegate Landing to Alliford Bay
   • Scheduled flight from Sandspit (YZP) to Vancouver (YVR), with checked bag
   • Transfer to the hotel in Vancouver

   Free time: Morning free on Haida Gwaii, evening free in Vancouver

   Activity: Flight checked-bag limits apply; we confirm them with your final itinerary.

10. Day 10: Depart Vancouver

    Your hotel to Vancouver International Airport (YVR)

    • Drive about 30 min
    • Breakfast
    Day 10 details

    The trip ends after breakfast. A driver takes you to Vancouver International Airport at a time that suits your flight, or you stay on in the city on your own. Because last night was in Vancouver, you can book any flight home today, morning or evening, without the risk of a ferry delay or a fog-bound island airport getting in the way. If you have a free morning before an afternoon flight, the seawall at Coal Harbour, Stanley Park and Granville Island are all close to downtown, and your guide will have left suggestions the night before. If you want more of British Columbia, our Vancouver Island trip covers Victoria, Butchart Gardens and Tofino in the south of the island, which this route does not reach, and our Vancouver to Anchorage trip carries on north from Prince Rupert to Alaska and the Yukon. We can also add extra nights in Vancouver before or after the trip.

    Included

    • Transfer to Vancouver International Airport (YVR)

    Free time: Free until your airport transfer

    Activity: Any flight time works today.

Wildlife and weather: June to August is the calm, long-light season on this coast: about 16 hours of daylight in June, cool days around 13 to 18 C, and rain or fog on any day. On the Inside Passage, humpback whales, orcas, Dall's porpoises and bald eagles are often seen, but never guaranteed. In the Khutzeymateen, grizzlies feed on the estuary sedges from late spring to about July; in August they move up the rivers for salmon, so August departures take a whale-watching boat from Prince Rupert instead.

• Vancouver1 night
• Port Hardy1 night
• Prince Rupert2 nights
• Daajing Giids (Haida Gwaii)4 nights
• Vancouver1 night