Itinerary Details
The Canadian Rockies
Day 1VANCOUVER Welcome to Vancouver! Your Tour Director is on hand from 3-6:00 p.m. to answer any questions.
Once you get settled, perhaps head out and start exploring this vibrant, culturally diverse city nestled between the Pacific Ocean and the Coast Mountains. Take a walk to the harborfront or check out the city’s thriving culinary scene that offers a wide array of delicious cuisines.
Day 2VANCOUVER This morning, enjoy an included city tour that highlights Stanley Park, Chinatown, the harbour, beaches, and more. Have the rest of the day to explore this vibrant city. Perhaps take a water taxi to Granville Island to visit its bustling Public Market and waterfront cafés or spend time in historic Gastown, Vancouver’s oldest neighborhood, with its cobblestone streets, Victorian architecture, and iconic Gastown Steam Clock.
Day 3VANCOUVER–KELOWNA Depart Vancouver and journey through British Columbia’s fertile valleys and rich mountain forests to Okanagan Lake. Travel along the lake to the resort city of Kelowna, beautifully situated on the lake shore and surrounded by orchards and vineyards.
Day 4KELOWNA–BANFF NATIONAL PARK Head north through the Okanagan Valley, famous for its peaches and vineyards, and climb up 4,364-foot-high Rogers Pass, a National Historic Site in Glacier National Park. Make a photo stop at the Pass to enjoy the vistas of rugged mountains, glaciers, and waterfalls. Enter Yoho National Park and ascend Kicking Horse Pass at 5,332 feet. Reach Banff National Park, nestled in the heart of the magnificent Canadian Rockies. An orientation tour highlights Banff’s unspoiled beauty.
Day 5BANFF NATIONAL PARK Enjoy the day exploring Banff, Canada’s first national park and home to 53 species of mammals. The most commonly seen are deer, elk, and big horn sheep. Hike, shop in the townsite, or relax at the hot springs. Perhaps treat yourself to a once in a lifetime experience on an optional helicopter ride for spectacular views of the Canadian Rockies!
Day 6BANFF NATIONAL PARK–LAKE LOUISE–COLUMBIA ICEFIELD–JASPER NATIONAL PARK First, to Lake Louise, its turquoise waters a perfect natural mirror that reflects the surrounding mountains and glaciers. Then travel northward, and see precipitous gorges, snowcapped summits, and lakes of exquisite blues and greens come into view. Stop for a one-of-a-kind experience at the Columbia Icefield to ride the Ice Explorer, an all-terrain vehicle that travels on ice measuring 750 feet thick, to walk on Athabasca Glacier! Enjoy an orientation tour of the town of Jasper upon arrival.
Day 7JASPER NATIONAL PARK Today is free to enjoy everything Jasper has to offer—from quaint shops to meandering wildlife. Find serenity on the glacial blue waters of Maligne Lake this morning on an optional narrated cruise to Spirit Island*, revealing the history, geology, flora, and fauna of the largest natural lake in the Canadian Rockies. Later, go with the flow on an optional scenic float trip down the Athabasca River.
*This optional excursion begins operating in late May/early June.
Day 8JASPER NATIONAL PARK–MOUNT ROBSON–SUN PEAKS Leave Jasper and follow the Fraser River to the base of Mount Robson, the highest mountain in the Canadian Rockies, peaking at 12,972 feet. Continue following the Yellowhead Highway south along the North Thompson River—a route pioneered by fur trappers. Overnight in the mountain resort village of Sun Peaks.
Day 9SUN PEAKS–LILLOOET–WHISTLER Head south, following the once treacherous Cariboo Wagon Trail. Via Lillooet, “Mile 0 of the Gold Rush Route,” your motorcoach will follow the shores of Seton and Duffey Lakes with a late-afternoon arrival in Whistler. Have an evening at leisure to start exploring this wonderful resort town with its stunning mountain scenery.
Day 10WHISTLER Spend the day in Whistler, nestled at the base of breathtaking Blackcomb and Whistler Mountains. Have free time to explore the many sites of the 2010 Winter Olympics that were held here. Or have your own adventure with a choice of optional excursions, including a Ziptrek Adventure through an old-growth temperate rainforest, a guided Tree-Trek Canopy Walk via suspension bridges and boardwalks high above in the treetops, or ride the Guinness World Record holding Peak 2 Peak Gondola* between Whistler and Blackcomb Mountains!
*Operation of the Peak 2 Peak Gondola is seasonal and may not be available on all departure dates.
Day 11WHISTLER–FERRY CROSSING–VICTORIA Set sail across the Strait of Georgia, known for its Mediterranean-type climate, for beautiful Victoria, the capital city of British Columbia. Afternoon sightseeing includes world-famous Butchart Gardens with its 55 acres of floral displays, and then a tour of the picturesque city featuring Bastion Square, Inner Harbour, and Thunderbird Park with its unusual collection of totem poles.
Day 12VICTORIA A day at leisure gives you the chance to discover this splendid city. Visit the Royal British Columbia Museum, shop on Government Street, or take a leisurely stroll around the harbour. Or get back to nature on an optional Wildlife and Whale-Watching Expedition while cruising the pristine waters of the San Juan and Gulf Islands, seeking whales, porpoises, seals, and eagles.
Day 13VICTORIA–FERRY CROSSING–VANCOUVER Take a scenic ferry crossing to the mainland, where the tour ends at Vancouver International Airport. Please schedule flights after 2:00 pm. Or You may choose to extend your vacation with extra nights and explore Vancouver further.
Travels with Char and Don
