Eagle-Eye Tours - Invermere, British Columbia

maryann D.

A Disappointing Experience with Eagle Eye Tours – Not Worth the $8,778 Price Tag
Where do I begin in expressing my dissatisfaction with my recent Hawaiian birding trip with Eagle Eye Tours? To preface, this was my first tour with Eagle Eye, but by no means my first birding adventure. I’m well aware that early mornings, packed lunches, and remote birding locations are part of the experience. However, even with those expectations in mind, this trip was deeply disappointing—especially considering the nearly $9,000 price.
Meals: Underwhelming and Inadequate
Breakfasts: If the hotel didn’t provide breakfast, we stopped at Starbucks—which meant limited early-morning options. Some hotels offered basic continental breakfasts that were just about adequate, while others were sorely lacking and hardly the nourishment you need before birdwatching. On previous birding tours, early birding was followed by a hearty hot breakfast, which is both manageable and necessary.
Lunches: Eagle Eye boasts about their picnic lunches, claiming significant effort goes into the guide’s shopping list. In practice, these lunches were repetitive and disappointing. For three consecutive days, we had the same spread. Not only did the variety dwindle, but it also felt lazy—especially since we routinely passed local restaurants where we could’ve preordered far more satisfying meals. We eventually did just that, possibly as a result of my request. One day, we stopped at a food truck plaza, which mainly offered greasy fried food. For a high-end tour, this felt like serious corner-cutting.
Dinners: These were not included in the cost, but we dined as a group. Unfortunately, many restaurants refused to split checks for our group, creating daily frustration. The initial restaurant choices were subpar, and only improved after I asked for better options—again, something I didn’t expect to have to advocate for on a premium trip.
Accommodations: Hidden Until It’s Too Late
A major red flag: Eagle Eye doesn’t reveal hotel names until 30 days before departure. They claim it’s to prevent other companies from copying their itinerary. Frankly, that’s an unconvincing excuse. By the time we received the hotel list, canceling would’ve cost me financially. Some of the accommodations were acceptable (notably in Honolulu and Kona), but others were basic at best—borderline one- or two-star. In Volcano National Park, we stayed at a place that collected its own water and warned us that long showers could exhaust the supply. Not exactly what you expect from a $9,000 tour. Ironically, there wa a beautiful lodge less than ¼ of a mile away that clearly didn’t fit Eagle Eye’s budget.
Birding: The One Bright Spot, When Done Right
This was, after all, a birding tour. Previous tours I’ve joined hired local guides with deep expertise and knowledge of the region. On this trip, we had one day with a local guide—and it was by far the highlight. The remaining days were led by two guides who, while familiar with Hawaiian birds, often relied on eBird to locate rarities. For a high-end birding tour, I expect experienced local guides throughout. It makes all the difference.
Final Thoughts
In summary, I cannot recommend Eagle Eye Tours. If you’re going to spend thousands on a birding trip, do your homework:
• Ask to see hotel details before you register.
• Confirm that local guides will be used.
• Clarify what meals are included—and what kind of quality you can expect.
For the price I paid, I expected far better in every category except the birds themselves. I shared this feedback with Eagle Eye and received no satisfaction. Sadly, Eagle Eye seemed more focused on minimizing costs than delivering value. I’ll be booking elsewhere in the future.

Dawn M.

We wish to give Eagle-Eye Tours top marks for stepping up for their clients in emergency situations. Recently, my husband and I joined their Costa Rica Birding Tour and on the first full day, my husband had a medical emergency early in the day while we were at a birding reserve in the hills above San Jose. Our Guide took over right away, arranging for the driver to take over the Group for the rest of the day and for a ride to get the three of us down to the closest hospital Emergency. He then spent the day with us coordinating between the hospital personnel (who knew little English) and ourselves and with the Eagle-Eye office back in Canada (starting the process of making necessary arrangements to get us back home to Canada). He didn't leave us until he had to in early evening, but before he did so, he provided a contact number for a fellow employee at the Canadian office, who then stuck by us via phone and text until my husband was released from hospital (at 10:30pm PST). At this point, the office contact arranged for a hotel nearby for that night. The next day, he booked an Airport hotel for us and made flight arrangements (which included special assistance by Air Canada the whole way) to our home city in B.C. for the following day. This employee then followed us all the way home via texting to make sure we made it in one piece.
Way to go, Eagle-Eye Tours! We want everyone to know that you are safe when touring with this company: if you are ever in trouble, they are there for you until the problem has been dealt with and we will be forever grateful to all the people who contributed to getting us home safely.

Date of experience: February 29, 2024

Brent B.

Eagle-Eye Tours is an absolutely first class birding and nature tour company.
They provide excellent service and I recommend them to anyone who loves nature.

M W.

I was so excited to have found an organized tour to see the narwhals in May. It would be my first trip with Eagle-Eye Tours, and the staff was great to answer all of my questions and concerns. I couldn't believe how great the experience was - incredibly thorough, organized in the specific details, clear communications, and most of all patient with me. In addition to planning the trip, they helped with insurance and hotel recommendations. Unfortunately, this year's trip was cancelled due to the virus. However I was super impressed with their options for handling the situation (way better than other more prestigious travel companies). I hope that I will be able to travel in 2022 and join this amazing trip.

Bev H.

I have booked tours/expeditions through Eagle-Eye Tours on two occasions. The first was the Saskatchewan Whooping Crane Tour in October, 2016. Despite the difficulties created by an unexpected blizzard, it was a wonderful experience. It was my first trip as a 'solo traveler' and I was somewhat anxious. The staff and tour operators made sure that everything went off without a hitch, and it was a most satisfying and reassuring experience.
The second booking was for the 'Mighty St. Lawrence' expedition tour scheduled for June 2020 in conjunction with Adventure Canada. The staff at Eagle-Eye Tours arranged every detail of the trip, and responded to all my questions promptly and efficiently. Unfortunately, Adventure Canada was forced to cancel the expedition due to the Covid-19 Pandemic. The Eagle-Eye Tour staff made certain that the cancellation process went as smoothly as the booking process.
I am so thankful that I booked these tours through such a reliable and well-managed Canadian company. As Eagle-Eye Tours offers many more trips that are on my 'bucket-list,' I really hope to schedule another one in the not-too-distant future.

Doug C.

We have booked several tours through Eagle-Eye over the years and have always had good service. This year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, our tour to the North West Passage with Adventure Canada in August 2020 was cancelled after the full amount of the trip had been paid. Eagle-Eye ensured the full amount of the trip was refunded to us. We will book through Eagle-Eye again.

Owen E.

Knowing Eagle Eye’s reputation for excellence, I signed up for their 2021 Baffin Island tour. I put down my deposit, purchased travel insurance & was all set to go. Then Covid hit.
There were several months of uncertainty regarding the reopening of the border & if the trip would be cancelled. Throughout this time, Eagle Eye has been great. They provided clear guidance on the situation & promptly replied to any emails. When the 2021 trip was cancelled, I was informed in a timely fashion and given clear guidance on options for rescheduling. They even added two additional trips to accommodate as many people as possible and increase our options. The process of choosing & being assigned a new date, seemed quite fair.
Milena Huebener, who is in charge of logistics, took care of everything. The rescheduling process was seamless and our deposit was rolled over to 2022. Without my prompting, Milena contacted the travel insurance carrier and had the policy updated for the new date (no need for me to hassle with the insurance company).

While it is disappointing that the trip is off for this year, Eagle Eye’s handling of the situation has been outstanding.

Owen Ehrlich, MD
Mystic, CT USA

Pat H.

The Eagle-Eye staff and tour guide were extremely professional, knowledgeable and helpful in all aspects of the excursion. Unfortunately I was not able to complete all 12 days and needed to return home early. They were able to provide information and assist me in all areas of an unexpected situation, with constant follow-up to ensure that I was able to return safely. I would be pleased to book another excursion with Eagle-Eye.