SAMPLE ITINERARY

Day 1 & 2: Fly to Calgary

Fly in to Calgary airport and connect with your scheduled coach transfer, driving 2 hours through pine forests, tumbling waterfalls and plunging canyons to Banff in the heart of the Canadian Rockies. You will stay here for 3 nights.

Days 3 & 4: Explore Banff

At leisure to explore Banff, set in the heart of Canada’s premier national park and dominated by the peaks of Mount Rundle and Mount Cascade. Take the Banff Gondola to the summit of Sulphur Mountain for exceptional views of the Bow Valley and six mountain ranges.

Banff National Park covers an area of over 2,500 square miles and is home to wildlife such as elk and grizzly bears. It is an area of exceptional natural beauty with snow-capped peaks, dense coniferous forests, alpine meadows and pristine lakes.

Day 5: Icefields Tour to Jasper

Today enjoy an Icefields Discovery tour, as you travel along the Icefields Parkway from Banff to Jasper - recognised as one of North America’s top ten scenic drives. Along the way keep your camera handy, as there’s often wildlife seen on the roadside, with stops at Peyto Lake, Athabasca, Sunwapta Falls and Bow Lake.

Along the way experience the thrill of an Ice Explorer ride on the surface of the Athabasca Glacier. Also walk along the 1 km Glacier Skywalk to a glass-bottomed observation platform that overlooks the spectacular Colombia Icefield, with the beautiful Sunwapta Valley spread out below.

Day 6: Jasper at Leisure

Today is free to enjoy the alpine town of Jasper, which is surrounded by the snow-capped Canadian Rockies. The Jasper SkyTram climbs to the summit of Whistlers Mountain, with views of downtown, whilst the Jasper Yellowhead Museum presents exhibits on the fur trade, railways and early exploration of the park.

Jasper National Park has glacier-fed lakes, forests and rivers, with wildlife including grizzly and black bears, mountain goats, wolverines, elk and bighorn sheep.

Days 7 & 8: Rocky Mountaineer

This morning take a coach transfer to Jasper Station to board the iconic Rocky Mountaineer train for this scenic two day rail journey, travelling from the mountains of Alberta to Vancouver in British Colombia. As the train only travels during the day, your trip includes an overnight stay in Kamloops.

Enjoy wonderful views from this custom designed glass-domed train and exceptional service, as master storytellers keep you entertained. Breakfast, lunch, snacks, alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages are all included whilst on the train.

Note: If you upgrade from the single-level SilverLeaf coach (where meals are served at your seat) to the bi-level GolfLeaf coach, you will also have a downstairs dining car and outdoor viewing platform.

Day 9: Arrive in Vancouver

On arrival at Vancouver Station take a coach transfer to your hotel, where you will stay for 3 nights.

Vancouver is one of the most beautiful cities in the world, with its mountain backdrop and views over the Burrard Inlet and English Bay. Downtown is situated on a peninsula that juts out into the Strait of Georgia, bounded to the south by the Fraser River delta and to the north by a deep fjord. Also to the north are the often snow-covered Coast Mountains.

Days 10 to 12: Explore Vancouver

With its extensive parks and mild climate, Vancouver boasts a busy cultural life, fantastic shopping, and incredible dining. It is one of Canada’s most ethnically diverse cities, with a thriving arts, theatre and music scene.

Be sure to visit Stanley Park situated on a peninsula of huge trees adjacent to Downtown. View the enormous totem poles at Brockton Point and visit the world-class Vancouver Aquarium. You can walk along a waterfront trail to English Bay, one of the city's loveliest beaches.

Foodies will enjoy wandering through the warehouses of Granville Island Public Market, situated alongside houseboats, theatres, galleries, and restaurants. The ornate Millennium Gate marks the entrance to Chinatown, where you can immerse yourself in its culinary and cultural delights and enjoy a Dim Sum lunch. Gastown is the oldest part of the city with cobbled streets, iron lamp posts, restored Victorian buildings and many restaurants, galleries, and shops.

Robson Street is well known for shopping, but here you will also find Vancouver Art Gallery, with its regional art collections. The Museum of Anthropology has some pre-eminent First Nations art.

If you depart from Vancouver on a cruise ship, you will leave from Canada Place with its unusual roof design, inspired by gigantic sails (think of Sydney Opera House). Grouse Mountain offers unmatched panoramas over the city, both by day and night. Kitsilano Beach, with its sandy shores and outdoor heated seawater swimming pool, also offers wonderful views of the city. The Vancouver Maritime Museum is nearby.

Capilano Suspension Bridge is only 30 minutes from Downtown. Spanning a 70-meter river canyon, it leads to an activity park filled with forest trails and a treetop walkway through old-growth giants. It has a collection of totem poles and the thrilling Cliffwalk - a transparent suspended platform.

You can also take a day trip to the compact winter ski resort of Whistler, or extend your holiday and take the 4-hour ferry to the pretty town of Victoria on Vancouver Island, with its British colonial architecture and lovely Butchart Garden. Another option is to take a once-in-a-lifetime cruise from Vancouver, navigating through the Inside Passage to Alaska.

Day 13: Fly home

Transfer to Vancouver airport for your fight home.

PRICING

Price is based on two adults sharing en-suite accommodation on a room only basis. Economy flights from London are included, as well as all meals on the train.

We offer a choice of hotels at different prices, so please discuss your requirements with us. All hotels are subject to availability.

It is essential that you have personal holiday insurance. The FCO should also be consulted.