The words “adventure travel” often conjure up images of dangerous rock climbing and wild water kayaking, but even if your risk tolerance is about 0.75 on a 10-point scale, you can still enjoy adventures in Canada. Travel Maestro curated seven exceptional experiences that might take your breath away, but only because of their unique luxury.

Glamping at Clayoquot Wilderness Resort, Tofino, British Columbia

Situated in the UNESCO-designated Clayoquot Sound World Biosphere Reserve Area, this resort is the quintessential marriage of soft adventure and soft beds. Arrive via a scenic 45-minute seaplane transfer from Vancouver, BC (included), to a resort fashioned after the great camps of the golden age of travel, featuring luxury tents with ensuite bathrooms, antique furnishings, opulent rugs, and candlelit romance (as well as electricity).

All-inclusive rates include all meals, guided activities and equipment (horseback riding, kayak, etc.), relaxation massage, fishing, and Wi-Fi. Open May to September. Travel Maestro tip: The fishing boat trip offers great eagle viewing.

The Polar Bear Capital of the World, Churchill, Manitoba

Imagine being feet away from a huge, shaggy polar bear as he rises on his haunches to peer deliberately at you. There’s no barrier, but you’re safely elevated above him on the outdoor platform of a Polar Rover. Polar bear viewing in the wild is a special bucket list experience best in October and November. Travel Maestro tip: Add a dog sledding excursion across the frozen tundra for even more Arctic adventure.

Heli-hiking, Heli-skiing, and Heli-sightseeing

If there’s one best way to see Canada, it just might be from the top. Catch a lift on a helicopter to a mountain top in the Whistler region of British Columbia, so remote it feels like you’re the first person to set foot there. During summer, you can hike in dramatic solitude amid the jagged peaks and translucent lakes. In winter, be the first to slice through virgin powder on countless acres of downhill adventure. Or in any season, take a sightseeing flight above the imposing icefields and age-old glaciers of Alberta. Travel Maestro tip: Have your pilot set down on a mountaintop with a view and do some yoga or sip some bubbly as you take it all in!

Epic Lake Fishing, Northwest Territory

Cast a line in the Land of the Midnight Sun and you just might make an epic catch worthy of a lifelong fish tale. In Great Slave Lake in the Northwest Territories, the northern Pike are monster-sized (40 inches is common) and the lake trout are trophy class. Travel by floatplane from Yellowknife to Trout Rock Lodge, a rustic and cozy fishing lodge where you’ll enjoy wildlife viewing and hearty meals. Travel Maestro tip: Work out the kinks from wrestling those huge fish in the wood-stove fired hot tub on the deck.

Beluga Whale Watching, Churchill, Manitoba

When the spring ice begins to break up, pods of beluga whales swim into the “warm” waters of the Churchill River. They spend July and August feeding on crustaceans, so that’s the best time to get up close in a zodiac to photographs of these curious and friendly mammals. Travel Maestro tip: Take a tundra buggy ride through the vast Churchill Wildlife Management Area to see the tundra at its most colorful and look for summer foraging polar bears.

Chase the Northern Lights, Jasper, Alberta

To see the sky dance with undulating, ethereal color is a bucket list item for many. Contrary to popular lore, you don’t have to go to Iceland or Scandinavia to see the Northern Lights. The world’s second largest dark-sky preserve is in Canada at Jasper National Park, making it one of the best places in North America to see the surreal phenomenon. Travel Maestro tip: Your best chance of catching the aurora borealis near Jasper is in the winter months when the natural spectacle occurs frequently – every 10 days or so.

Retracing the Northwest Passage

Voyage to the top of the world and navigate the last true frontier through the famed Northwest Passage. Visit remote locations of early Arctic exploration, cross through breathtaking fjords, and witness rarely seen northern wildlife. Although there are several vessels (Crystal Cruises, Hurtigruten, Ponant, and others) making journeys ranging from 20 to 32 days, it remains a very exclusive experience enjoyed by a select few. Travel Maestro tip: Plan well ahead for this bold, yet luxurious adventure. Limited sailings fill far in advance.

These luxury adventures in Canada are the perfect way to celebrate the country’s 150th birthday this summer. To plan your adventure, contact the vacation specialists at Covington Travel today.