Captain James Cook was an adventurer in every sense of the word—an insatiable navigator, a talented cartographer, a prestigious captain in the British Royal Navy—whose epic voyages around the world during the 18th century helped chart land never before seen on a world map. In his diary, he wrote that he intended not only to go “farther than any man has been before me, but as far as I think it is possible for a man to go.” Those aspirations eventually landed him and his crew in Nootka Sound on Vancouver Island, near the First Nations village of Yuquot, in Canada. There, he charted the majority of North America’s northwest coastline, conducted trades with the Nuu-chah-nulth Nations people (in what eventually began the legendary North Pacific Marine Fur Trade), and, ultimately, changed the course of history for Canada’s Pacific Coast.

Soon, you’ll be able to trace the exact route of that portion of Cook’s journey with the custom itinerary dubbed In the Wake of Captain James Cook from British Columbia sailing operator Outer Shores Expeditions. Embarking from Tofino, you’ll spend eight nights aboard a 70-foot wooden schooner, dubbed Passing Cloud, exploring the rugged coastline, and every place that Cook made landfall, alongside a coastal archaeologist, anthropologist, and marine ecologist (who also happens to be your captain). Together, these expert naturalists will reveal insights about the sea otter pelt trade, the lives of the natives that once called these shores home for over 10,000 years—and the true impact of Cook’s life-changing discovery. 

First tour departs May 2016; from $3,995 CAD per person.