Is train travel included?

Yes. The trip includes a VIA Rail Sleeper Plus Class overnight journey aboard The Canadian from Vancouver to Winnipeg, with meals onboard the train included.

Is this trip guided or independent?

It is a tailor-made vacation; local guides lead specific activities such as grizzly viewing, Tundra Buggy trips, and dogsledding, and the itinerary notes the group forms once travellers reach Churchill.

What wildlife will I see?

Grizzly bears at Knight Inlet Lodge in the Great Bear Rainforest, viewed from a platform as they gather to feed on migrating salmon, and polar bears near Churchill on Hudson Bay, viewed from a Tundra Buggy.

What hotels are used?

Knight Inlet Lodge in the Great Bear Rainforest (2 nights), the Lakeview Signature Hotel in Winnipeg (3 nights), and the Tundra Inn in Churchill (3 nights), with additional stays in Vancouver.

How much walking or fitness is required?

Grizzly bear viewing needs a moderate level of fitness for walking on uneven, muddy or rocky ground for about 200 metres; polar bear viewing from the Tundra Buggy suits less active guests, though 12 steps are needed to board.

What is not included?

Optional extras such as a Victoria, BC stay at the Fairmont Empress, a Prestige Class upgrade with concierge service, extra nights in Jasper, winter clothing rental, and the Day 6 excursion choices are listed separately from the base package.

Fresh Tracks Canada · Tailor-made vacation

Lords of the Wilderness Bear Viewing

Tailor-made Canada trip pairing grizzly bear viewing with polar bears at Churchill

Fresh Tracks Canada arranges this 15-day tailor-made trip from Vancouver to Churchill, built around two of Canada's best-known wildlife encounters. Local guides lead the activities: after a float plane flight to Knight Inlet Lodge in the Great Bear Rainforest, travellers spend two nights watching grizzly bears gather along rivers to feed on migrating salmon, with kayaking, hiking, and boat tours also on offer. Back in Vancouver, the trip joins VIA Rail's The Canadian for two nights in a Sleeper Plus cabin, crossing the Fraser Valley, passing Mount Robson and Jasper in the Canadian Rockies, and continuing across the prairie provinces to Winnipeg. From Winnipeg, travellers fly north to Churchill on Hudson Bay, where the itinerary notes the group forms for Tundra Buggy searches for polar bears and a day of dogsledding. Because guiding is built around specific wildlife activities rather than a single tour leader throughout, this suits travellers who want their own pace between two structured wildlife phases.

What to know before you look closer

The VIA Rail sleeper journey covers only Vancouver to Winnipeg; reaching Campbell River, Knight Inlet Lodge, and Churchill requires additional flights and a float plane, so this is a mixed rail-and-air trip rather than an all-rail one.
Local guides lead specific activities (grizzly viewing, Tundra Buggy, dogsledding), but the itinerary states the group only forms once travellers reach Churchill, so earlier days are more independently structured.
Day 6 in Vancouver offers a choice of paid excursions (Victoria and Butchart Gardens, Whistler, or Vancouver and the North Shore) as an optional extra, meaning the day is otherwise unguided unless a tour is added.
The evidence pack does not list current departure dates; confirm scheduling directly with Fresh Tracks Canada.

Day by day

Day 1overnight: Vancouver
Arrive in Vancouver
Welcome to our hometown, a famously lovely west coast city surrounded by mountains and the ocean.
Day 2overnight: Campbell River
Fly to Campbell River
Fly from Vancouver to Campbell River, a busy oceanside community on the east coast of Vancouver Island.
Day 3overnight: Knight Inlet Lodge
Float plane to the Great Bear Rainforest
A thrilling, 30-minute float plane flight takes you to Glendale Cove and Knight Inlet Lodge. After a welcome orientation at the lodge, head out for your first guided activity. At this time of year, the normally solitary grizzly bears congregate along rivers to feed on migrating salmon. Watch the bears from a specially designed viewing platform, which gives you rare photographic opportunities and a chance to immerse yourself in their natural habitat. Although bear sightings can vary, it is not uncommon for there to be up to 40 bears within 6 miles of the lodge. Tonight, enjoy a delicious dinner with new companions and an evening presentation.
Day 4overnight: Knight Inlet Lodge
View grizzly bears
Enjoy a hearty breakfast before heading out for another day of guided adventures. Activity options include kayaking, hiking, or a scenic boat tour of Knight Inlet, in addition to more guided grizzly bear viewing.
Day 5overnight: Vancouver
Knight Inlet Lodge to Vancouver
Get up early to soak in the fresh wilderness air, perhaps spotting a grazing deer as you sip your coffee. Today, you fly back to Campbell River and Vancouver.
Day 6overnight: Vancouver
Explore Vancouver
Explore Vancouver, a coastal city on the mainland of British Columbia. The city's modern, high-rise buildings sit between the Pacific Ocean and the Coast Mountains, in a truly picturesque setting of soaring peaks, ancient forests, and sandy beaches.
Day 7railovernight: Onboard The Canadian train
VIA Rail - Depart Vancouver
Board The Canadian train in Vancouver and begin your journey east. Travel through the varied landscape of British Columbia's Fraser Valley. See lush farmland and berry fields, winding river canyons, and pristine forests.
Day 8railovernight: Onboard The Canadian train
VIA Rail - Canadian Rockies
As you head northeast through the mountains of British Columbia and Alberta, keep your eyes peeled for bears and elk! See Mount Robson, the highest peak in the Canadian Rockies, then pass by the small town of Jasper. In the evening, the train winds towards Edmonton, Alberta's capital city.
Day 9railovernight: Winnipeg
VIA Rail - Arrive in Winnipeg
Make your way across the undulating plains of the Prairie provinces, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. Arrive in Winnipeg, Manitoba's bustling capital city, late this evening.
Day 10overnight: Winnipeg
Explore Winnipeg
Explore Winnipeg at your leisure before checking in for your polar bear adventure.
Day 11overnight: Churchill
Fly north into polar bear territory
The excitement begins as you travel from Winnipeg to the remote town of Churchill. Situated on the Hudson Bay, Churchill is one of the best places in the world to view polar bears in the wild.
Day 12overnight: Churchill
View polar bears up close
The moment has finally come, after a pick up from your hotel, board a Tundra Buggy and start searching for polar bears.
Day 13overnight: Churchill
Dogsledding in Churchill
Go dogsledding today. Enjoy this uniquely northern way of getting around.
Day 14overnight: Winnipeg
Another Tundra Buggy adventure
Head out for another exciting day on the Tundra, searching for polar bears.
Day 15
Depart with fond memories
Much too soon, you bid farewell to the Canadian North as you depart from Winnipeg.

The moments this trip is built around

Day 3A 30-minute float plane flight carries travellers to Glendale Cove and Knight Inlet Lodge, where grizzly bears gather along rivers to feed on migrating salmon, watched from a platform described as offering rare photographic opportunities.
Day 7The Canadian departs Vancouver, crossing British Columbia's Fraser Valley with its farmland, berry fields, river canyons, and forests.
Day 8The train passes Mount Robson, the highest peak in the Canadian Rockies, and the town of Jasper before reaching Edmonton in the evening.
Day 12Travellers board a Tundra Buggy in Churchill to search for polar bears on the Hudson Bay tundra.
Day 13A day of dogsledding in Churchill, described as a uniquely northern way of getting around.

Included

Hotel accommodation
Meals onboard the train
Unique guided activities such as dogsledding, cultural tours and more
Transportation to and from airports, timed with your flights
Electronic travel documentation package
Personalized Fresh Tracks Canada customer service support

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Questions travellers ask

Is train travel included?: Yes. The trip includes a VIA Rail Sleeper Plus Class overnight journey aboard The Canadian from Vancouver to Winnipeg, with meals onboard the train included.
Is this trip guided or independent?: It is a tailor-made vacation; local guides lead specific activities such as grizzly viewing, Tundra Buggy trips, and dogsledding, and the itinerary notes the group forms once travellers reach Churchill.
What wildlife will I see?: Grizzly bears at Knight Inlet Lodge in the Great Bear Rainforest, viewed from a platform as they gather to feed on migrating salmon, and polar bears near Churchill on Hudson Bay, viewed from a Tundra Buggy.
What hotels are used?: Knight Inlet Lodge in the Great Bear Rainforest (2 nights), the Lakeview Signature Hotel in Winnipeg (3 nights), and the Tundra Inn in Churchill (3 nights), with additional stays in Vancouver.
How much walking or fitness is required?: Grizzly bear viewing needs a moderate level of fitness for walking on uneven, muddy or rocky ground for about 200 metres; polar bear viewing from the Tundra Buggy suits less active guests, though 12 steps are needed to board.
What is not included?: Optional extras such as a Victoria, BC stay at the Fairmont Empress, a Prestige Class upgrade with concierge service, extra nights in Jasper, winter clothing rental, and the Day 6 excursion choices are listed separately from the base package.

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