Bear Watching Canada Holidays

Think bears, think Canada

British Columbia is home to more than half the world's bear population! You'd be hard pushed to find a better place to see them. Nothing beats spotting a bear along the Icefields Parkway in Jasper or joining a tour from Vancouver Island to see the coastal black bears forage on the shoreline.

Richard Guest, Canadian Affair Travel Expert

canada travel expert
polar bear watching

How to Book

Speak with our experts

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destinations to see bears in canada

Destinations

Best for bears

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Grizzly behaviour

Bear Facts

Things to know

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bear watching safety tips

Bear Safety

Tips & info

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wildlife excursions in canada

Excursions

Trips & Tours

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bear watching lodges in canada

Lodges

Wilderness retreats

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See Canada's bears for yourself

Watch these inspiring videos to see how close you could come to Canada's iconic wildlife

Learn more about bear watching in Canada

Discover Canada’s bear species and the best places to spot them

coastal black bear

Coastal black bears

The Vancouver Island black bear is its own subspecies thanks to the unique way it lives on the island. These bears have an unusual diet as they forage for food along the coastline, eating crabs and molluscs. They are smaller than their mainland cousins but are easy to spot on a zodiac tour from hotspots like Tofino.

mountain black bear

Mountain black bears

In the rest of Canada, you’ll find black bears in mountainous regions like Whistler and Jasper. They are often seen on roadsides.

kermode bear

Kermode bears

The Kermode – or spirit – bear is only found on the central coast of BC. Spirit Bear Lodge near Bella Bella is the place to go.

polar bears

Polar bears

The best place to see polar bears is the shores of Hudson Bay in Churchill, Manitoba. A tundra buggy from Lazy Bear Lodge gets you up close. Learn more >

kodiac bear

Kodiak bears

Alaska is home to the largest grizzlies, like the massive Kodiak subspecies. Head over to Alaska’s wilds on a cruise and land tour. If you go on an Alaska cruise you can even go whale watching.

grizzly bear

Grizzly bears

Your best chance of seeing grizzlies in Canada is in the Great Bear Rainforest, on British Columbia’s central coast. There are plenty of incredible resorts here which offer guided tours and accommodation in rustic lodges and safari tents. Look out for Knight Inlet Lodge, Great Bear Lodge and Nimmo Bay Wilderness Lodge.

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