Photo trip to Vancouver Island in late summer 2027
Following the positive feedback on our Photo trip to Iceland, which we offered this summer, we are planning together with our friends Dani and Karin Bürgi, Founder of Himalayan Life, a photo tour on and around Vancouver Island:
Destination of the trip
Marvel at the nature and wildlife on the Pacific northwest coast and take great photos of it
Further develop photographic skills in various areas: nature, macro photography, animals, reportage
Image editing on site, as time allows
Optional: learn how to take photos with a drone
Duration
14 days respectively. 15 days taking the time difference into account (13 nights in Canada)
One-way flight: Saturday, August 28, 2027
Return flight: Friday, September 10, 2027 (arrival in Zurich on Saturday, September 11, 2027)
September is a very exciting month in terms of conditions. The trees begin to change color (Indian Summer), the salmon return to spawn, and thus the chance of encountering bears is greater than in summer.
Format
We have our base in the Burgi Adventure Lodge on Vancouver Island, but will undertake trips with an external overnight stay two or even three times. We will spend the night in tents once or twice and once in a lodge that we are friends with.
Beautifully located: the Burgi Adventure Lodge
Cozy evening get-together at Burgi Adventure Lodge, discuss what you've experienced, edit photos (by request and only if you want)
More impressions of the lodge
Group size
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Camera equipment
It is important that you bring a camera with you where you can turn off the automatic transmission. In terms of lens spectrum, we definitely need wide-angle lenses for landscape photography and a macro lens for close-up shots in the forest and in the intertidal zone. A long focal length lens (300 to 500 mm) is necessary for all those who want animals to be large in the image. A tripod is a great advantage. In addition, you should have the option of packing your photo equipment waterproof on the boat for transport journeys from A to B.
Whenever possible, I will show you on-site how to edit the images using Adobe Lightroom. For this you need a laptop with this program. However, you are of course free not to edit any images during the trip and/or to use any other image editing software.
We have planned to organize a meeting with all participants in advance in spring 2027 to discuss issues related to the trip and photo equipment.
A humpback whale in a leap – the dream of many photographers. It takes luck and perfect timing to see that. We will definitely have a chance at whale encounters. You can find more images that can inspire you at the end of this page.
Overnight stays
As described above, the Burgi Adventure Lodge is our «base camp», where we have single, double, triple and quadruple rooms available. We will spend two nights in an external lodge, where two-person rooms are expected to be available. For the sake of convenience, we sleep in pairs in the tent during the three to four nights. We'll provide the tents, you bring the sleeping bag.
Food
Our hosts cook for us. We will also try to find edible plants around the lodge together with a cook, possibly fishing (if possible and of interest), and then prepare a meal together.
Cost framework
Single room (2 single rooms available): CHF 8500 per person
Two-person rooms (2 two-person rooms are available): CHF 7900 per person
Four-person room (1 four-person room is available): CHF 7400 per person
including: A preparatory afternoon in spring with us to discuss the trip and photographic destinations, all meals, three days by boat at sea for whale/sea lion photography, a two- to three-day trip by canoe on the rivers/lakes of Vancouver Island, transfer from Vancouver to the lodge by small scheduled plane (outbound) and seaplane (return)
exclusive: International flight Zurich - Vancouver and back (direct flight from Zurich to Vancouver with Edelweiss Air, economy costs approx. CHF 1000), travel insurance
Physical condition
We will not be undertaking any strenuous tours, so an average level of fitness is sufficient. It is important that you mentally commit to the journey and that you feel confident paddling shorter distances in a wide canoe. If you –like me– tend to get seasick, then bring appropriate medication. Scopoderm has proven very effective for me; it's a medium-strength product that you can stick behind your ear in the form of a plaster and then be on the water for a whole day without having to feed fish;-). For Scopoderm you need a prescription that your family doctor can issue you.
Registration
You can register for the photo tour using the form below. Wait to book the international flight until we know if the trip can be made!
I/we are signing up for the 2027 photo trip to Vancouver Island:
We do not see this trip as a normal commercial offer, but as a trip with friends.
If we make the trip, we will have to start booking at the end of October. Canada is high on track, and therefore early booking is necessary.
If you would like to participate in this trip, please contact us by October 30th – either by phone (052 640 00 99) or by Email or with the contact form at the end of this page.
If at least six people come forward who would like to be a member, we will make the trip.
The pictures are from our trips on the Pacific Northwest coast. In nature, there is no guarantee that you will see certain animals such as bears, whales, seals, eagles, etc. Anything and nothing can happen. We gratefully accept what we get to see.
The Pacific Northwest Coast is a place with one of the highest biodiversity on our planet. However, it can sometimes rain heavily and for longer periods. But especially in so-called «bad» weather, very exciting images can sometimes be taken. You have to mentally prepare yourself for challenging weather situations. What does the outdoor industry say so beautifully? There's no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothes;-)
Image gallery
Below is a colorful and diverse selection of pictures from our travels. As mentioned, there is no guarantee of animal encounters, but we will definitely go out on the water together, especially to find whales. And with a bit of luck, we will also see bears searching for food in the intertidal zone.
