If seeing bears in their natural environment is the main reason for your trip, the Great Bear Rainforest should be high on your list as it’s one of the best places to see bears in Canada.

Stretching along the remote coast of British Columbia, this enormous wilderness is one of the world’s greatest wildlife destinations. Dense rainforest, mountains, islands and salmon-rich rivers provide an extraordinary setting for bear-watching.

The region is particularly famous for its grizzly bears and black bears, but is also home to the Kermode bear, better known as the spirit bear. These unusual, white-coated black bears are found only in this part of British Columbia, making a sighting particularly special.

You don’t necessarily have to travel deep into the Great Bear Rainforest to see bears. Vancouver Island is another fantastic place for wildlife encounters and can be much easier to incorporate into a wider Canada itinerary.

The island’s rugged coastline, forests and sheltered inlets provide habitats for both black bears and a huge variety of other wildlife. It also makes a great place to combine bear watching with whale watching, hiking, and exploring towns such as Victoria and Tofino.

Berry Island Wilderness Lodge

Berry Island Wilderness Lodge sits in a protected harbour in the Broughton Archipelago, within British Columbia’s largest marine park.

It’s an appealing option if you want a wilderness experience without having to venture quite as far into remote BC. The lodge can be reached by water taxi from Alder Bay and offers bear-viewing tours alongside whale watching, marine wildlife excursions, kayaking and rainforest walks.

The setting is a big part of the appeal. You’re surrounded by forests, mountains and water, with wildlife potentially appearing almost anywhere.

Further north in British Columbia, Tweedsmuir Provincial Park is another superb destination for seeing grizzly bears.

The Atnarko River runs through the area, attracting bears during the salmon season. The surrounding landscape is spectacular too, with mountains, forests and rivers making this a memorable part of a Western Canada itinerary.

The Sunshine Coast offers another opportunity to experience Canada’s wildlife without travelling quite so far into the wilderness.

Desolation Sound is known for its dramatic coastline, forested islands and mountains, and it’s a particularly good option if you’d like to combine bear watching with other outdoor activities.

For a more luxurious wilderness escape, Sonora Resort on Sonora Island combines spectacular scenery with high-end accommodation and wildlife experiences.

The Relais & Chateaux resort sits in the remote Inside Passage and can be reached by water taxi from Campbell River or by helicopter from Vancouver. Bear viewing is available during the season, alongside Zodiac wildlife excursions and a range of other outdoor activities.

This is an especially good option if you like the idea of seeing bears but don’t want to give up your creature comforts. After a day of exploring the wilderness, you can return to the resort for the spa, mineral pools and other facilities.

The best time for bear watching depends on the species and location, but late spring through to autumn generally offers the best opportunities in Western Canada.

Summer is a popular time for wilderness holidays, while the late part of the season can be particularly exciting as salmon return to rivers and bears become increasingly active around feeding areas.

It’s worth remembering that wildlife is wild. Even at locations with an excellent reputation for bear sightings, there can never be a guarantee that you’ll see one. That’s why the best bear-viewing holidays are about experiencing the wilder wilderness too; the forests, mountains, rivers, whales, eagles and other wildlife that makes these places so special.

One of the best things about a dedicated bear-viewing holiday is that you’re not simply driving around hoping to spot something.

At many of the remote lodges, specialist guides take you into the wilderness by boat and or on foot, depending on the location and conditions. Some lodges also have dedicated wildlife viewing stations, while others use drift boats to quietly follow rivers where bears are known to feed.

And the wildlife experience doesn’t stop with bears. Depending on where you stay, you could also see whales, bald eagles, seals and other marine wildlife, while salmon runs can transform the rivers and attract an extraordinary variety of animals.

Getting to your lodge of choice can be part of the adventure too. Some properties are reached by scenic boat transfer, while others involve a floatplane over the spectacular coastline.