Best of Canada's West with Calgary Stampede 2013

Day 1 ARRIVE VANCOUVER

Welcome to Vancouver, Canada’s third largest city! Check into your hotel and get settled or head out to explore the jewel of British Columbia on your own. At 6 p.m., gather at the hotel with your Travel Director and fellow travelling companions for a Welcome Reception. (Welcome Reception) 
 

Day 2 VANCOUVER - STRAIT OF GEORGIA - VICTORIA (2 NIGHTS)

Be swept away by sparkling Vancouver with its sweeping views of English Bay. Set out for Stanley Park and the towering totem poles and explore the vibrant neighbourhoods of Chinatown and Gastown with their cobbled streets. Travel by ferry to Vancouver Island and Victoria, home to fashionable tearooms and old English charm. Visit a family-owned winery and taste the perfectly balanced vintages, carefully crafted with grapes farmed from over 100 acres and aged in French Oak barrels. Indulge in a Be My Guest lunch featuring local cuisine delicately paired with their delicious wines. Enjoy a private tour of the winery and learn how they have taken a more natural approach to pest control by using raptors to patrol the vineyards. This afternoon, tour the exhibits of cyde and free flight tropical butterflies at the Butterfly Gardens, an indoor world of tropical colour and sights and home to more than 3,000 butterflies. Though the wooden fort in Victoria is long gone, Bastion Square welcomes visitors with lovely architecture and a bustling market. You’ll see the lovely Inner Harbour and the impressive Parliament Buildings. (Full Breakfast / Be My Guest lunch)

 

Day 3 VICTORIA SIGHTSEEING & FREE TIME

Greet the day with breakfast at Butchart Gardens, a 55-acre preserve of gorgeous floral gardens. Site of an old cement works in the early 20th century, these gardens were transformed by the Butchart family into a world-famous preserve of exotic plants and flowers. Meet with a representative of the gardens who can answer any questions you have, and then spend some time exploring the gardens on your own, strolling the winding pathways, spotting colourful butterflies and taking in their unique natural beauty. Back in Victoria, enjoy the rest of your day on your own. Walk around town, do some shopping or perhaps join an optional whale-watching trip. (Full Breakfast)

 

Day 4 VICTORIA - SEA-TO-SKY-HIGHWAY - WHISTLER

Return to the mainland and board your motorcoach for a drive along the scenic Sea-to-Sky Highway, which winds between the glittering waters of Howe Sound and the soaring Coastal Mountains. Feel the spray on your face and listen to the thunder of the water at the 337-metre high (1,105-foot) Shannon Falls near the town of Squamish, once the southern terminal of the Pacific Great Eastern Railway. This afternoon, arrive in Whistler and stretch your legs on a guided walking tour of the village that hosted part of the 2010 Winter Olympic Games. This evening, enjoy a progressive Highlight Dinner, savouring your meal over the course of three restaurants in Whistler. Enjoy your appetizer and drinks at the first, your main meal at the second and round the evening off with dessert at a third local eatery. (Full Breakfast / Highlight Dinner) 
 

Day 5 WHISTLER - CACHE CREEK - KAMLOOPS

Head east as you cross the Coast Mountains, and travel along remote Duffy Lake Road through some of the most beautiful scenery in Canada. At historic Hat Creek Ranch, chat with costumed interpreters who will introduce you to what life was like in the midst of the great gold rush of the 1860s. Before the gold rush brought prospectors and fortune seekers, the Shuswap people lived in this verdant valley. Visit a local village where you can meet and talk with these native people who still live close to the land. (Full Breakfast) 
 

Day 6 KAMLOOPS - CANADIAN ROCKY MOUNTAIN PARKS - BANFF (2 NIGHTS)

Sample the best of Canada’s natural treasures in the UNESCO World Heritage site of the Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks. Travel through Mount Revelstoke National Park, home to old-growth rainforest of alpine meadows rich with wildflowers. Next, enter Glacier National Park and climb over stunning Rogers Pass—keep an eye out for native wildlife such as caribou, mountain goats and grizzly bears. After crossing the Columbia River, you’ll be in Yoho National Park with its towering waterfalls, ice-clad peaks and a natural bridge that spans the Kicking Horse River. Surmount the Continental Divide, and enter Banff National Park where you arrive at your quintessential alpine resort. (Full Breakfast / Dinner)

 

Day 7 BANFF SIGHTSEEING & FREE TIME

Immerse yourself in the natural glories of Banff, including the classic viewpoint of Surprise Corner, spectacular Bow Falls and the hoodoo rock formations. Then board the Banff Gondola for a ride to the top of Sulphur Mountain for a bird’s-eye view of six mountain ranges. Spend the rest of the day as you like; explore the shops along Banff Avenue, or join one of the many optional activities, including a scenic helicopter flight over Mount Assiniboine, a river float trip down the Bow River or a fun-filled dinner show this evening. (Full Breakfast)

 

Day 8 BANFF - CALGARY (2 NIGHTS)

Don your boots and Stetson as you arrive in Calgary to experience the world-famous Calgary Stampede, an exciting spectacle of classic rodeo events and grandstand shows. This evening, get your adrenaline pumping at the Stampede’s thrilling Chuckwagon Races, in which teams of horses pull traditional chuckwagons around a racetrack. Cap off the day with a bang at the Grandstand Show, an entertainment extravaganza and fireworks display. (Full Breakfast)

 

Day 9 CALGARY STAMPEDE

Spend the entire day at the Calgary Stampede, billed as “The Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth.” Your all-day pass includes reserved seating for the world’s largest rodeo and admission to the Stampede Park, home to agricultural and livestock exhibits, live bands and an amusement park. (Full Breakfast)

 

Day 10 BANFF - LAKE LOUISE - ICEFIELDS PARKWAY - JASPER (2 NIGHTS)

Arrive on the shores of lovely Lake Louise where you’ll learn about the history and geology of the area on a short interpretive walk. Then, soak up the stunning scenery with its azure glacial waters surrounded by deep green forests and jagged snow-covered mountains. Head north amidst a landscape of towering peaks, thundering waterfalls and ancient glaciers, keeping an eye out for elk, black bear and mountain goats. Get ready for a unique adventure at the Columbia Icefield when you board an Ice Explorer on the massive Athabasca Glacier. More action is in store if you’d like to take an optional float trip on the Athabasca River on the way to Jasper National Park. Stay in the heart of the park where you’ll learn about the wildlife that call these stunning mountains home at an interactive, after-dinner presentation by a Local Expert. (Full Breakfast / Dinner) 
 

Day 11 JASPER NATIONAL PARK SIGHTSEEING

Start the day with an optional cruise on Maligne Lake before embarking on an interpretive walk at Maligne Canyon. Learn about the underground river system while following the canyon’s trail past beautiful waterfalls and spectacular rock formations. The rest of the day is yours to spend as you like: relish the superb vistas, stroll the quaint streets of Jasper or join an optional guided alpine excursion to Mount Edith Cavell. (Full Breakfast)

 

Day 12 JASPER - MOUNT ROBSON - LAC LE JEUNE

Head west over Yellowhead Pass and arrive at Mount Robson, the Rockies’ tallest peak at 3,959 metres (12,989 feet). Follow the Thompson River as you descend through the Columbia Mountains and arrive at your resort on the shores of Lac Le Jeune. Take a nature walk with an expert to the beaver dam at the end of the lake. This evening, enjoy a festive Farewell Dinner with your travelling companions. (Full Breakfast / Farewell Dinner)

 

Day 13 LAC LE JEUNE - DEPART VANCOUVER

Returning to the Pacific coast, arrive back in Vancouver, where the journey ends for 13-day Land-only guests. Take your complimentary transfer to Vancouver International Airport or to the hotel downtown if you want to extend your stay in Vancouver. Please do not schedule any flights before 6 p.m. (Full Breakfast)