After enjoying a continental breakfast, depart the Okanagan Valley and head for the heart of the Canadian Rocky Mountains. Traverse the trans-Canada Highway into the rolling foothills of the Rockies, making a stop at Craigellachie, where the last spike of the Canadian Railways was set, and travelling over Roger’s Pass. In the afternoon more natural delights await, as you visit Lake Louise and Moraine Lake, two glacier-fed lakes renowned for their otherwordly blue waters and stunning alpine backdrop. Enjoy time to take in the gorgeous scenery or wander some of the nearby trails.
Spend the evening at leisure, exploring the beauty of Banff.
After breakfast at your hotel, embark on a tour of the area, the first of today’s series of experiences in breathtaking Banff. This morning you will have the opportunity to learn about the history of Canada’s first national park, established in 1885 in order to protect the area’s natural hot springs. Stop at Bow Falls, the Banff HooDoos, and take a peek at the famous Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel. An optional gondola ride to the top of the spectacular Sulphur Mountain is on offer (additional charges apply), or you can simply relax and enjoy the gorgeous surrounds with an afternoon free to explore at your own pace.
Optional Activity:
- Sulphur Mountain Gondola (from CA$60 per person).
After breakfast, travel north on the famed Icefields Parkway en route to Jasper. This striking 232-kilometre stretch of road cuts through the backbone of the Canadian Rockies on Jasper National Park’s ancient Athabasca Glacier, where thousands of years of ice formations and environmental changes can be seen in the cracks and lines carved into the rocks. Enjoy a chance to visit the magnificent Athabasca Falls and the iridescent blue Bow Lake, before boarding the Icefield Ice Explorer vehicle for an unforgettable glacier experience. As you glide across the ice sheet in your purpose-built vehicle, you’ll learn all about glaciology, before stepping right onto the glacier itself. Take in the informative exhibits at the Discovery Centre, and thrilling views as you walk out on the glass-bottomed Skywalk.
Continue on this afternoon to Jasper, where you have free time this evening. Stroll through the streets of this friendly town with an incredible mountain backdrop, the ideal launchpad for outdoor adventures.
Travel along the Maligne Lake Road this morning to the famous Maligne Lake, the most picturesque and largest glacier-fed lake in the park with an unmatched view of the forests and mountains. Stroll the lake edge, enjoy the beautiful views, or take part in an optional Spirit Island cruise on Maligne Lake (surcharges apply). Alternatively, you can simply take the morning to relax or squeeze in some independent sightseeing.
En route to Prince George, stop at the jaw-dropping Maligne Canyon, the deepest canyon in Jasper National Park, before arriving at Mount Robson, the highest peak in the Canadian Rocky Mountains, with an altitude of 3,954 metres. Arrive in Prince George this evening.
Optional Activity:
- Spirit Island cruise on Maligne Lake (from CA$70 per person).
Following a scrumptious hotel breakfast, follow the Skeena River west towards the British Colombian coastline. Renowned for its significance as an ancient transportation artery, particularly for the Tsimshian and the Gitxsan people, learn of the river’s rich history as you glide towards Prince Rupert. Arrive in the coastal town of Prince Rupert and enjoy your evening at leisure.
Rise early this morning to board your Inside Passage Ferry Cruise at 5.30am. Your ship offers the perfect platform for viewing the Inside Passage, a protected network of waterways that wind through glacier-cut fjords and verdant temperate rainforests along the rugged coast of British Colombia. Arguably one of the greatest cruising routes in the world, this archipelago spans 25,000 miles from Seattle to Prince Rupert, and includes stunning landscapes such as Misty Fjords National Monument and the famed Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve.
Here, calm waters offer unmissable opportunities to spot some of Canada’s unspoiled scenery, including Princess Royal Channel and Chatham Sound, plus iconic wildlife, with salmon sharks, humpback whales and orca plying alongside the ship, while seabirds soar overhead and brown bears migrate on the shoreline.
Arrive in Port Hardy this evening and check into your hotel.
Your stay in Port Hardy is short but sweet as you rise early to transfer to Alert Bay on Cormorant Island. Here you will visit the U’mista Cultural Centre to learn about the cultural heritage of the Kwakwa̱ka̱ʼwakw people, before enjoying lunch in Alert Bay (own cost) and ferrying across to Telegraph Cove, a quaint town that was once a fishing and cannery village. Stroll the boardwalk, grab a coffee and view the historical buildings of this small coastal village.
Later this afternoon you will arrive in Campbell River where you will check into your hotel. After dropping your bags off, you may wish to add on a kayaking journey through a local estuary followed by an intimate, handmade pizza dinner.
Optional Activity:
- Estuary kayaking (from CA$95 per person)
This morning you’ll have the choice to join your guide for an early morning walk on the Millennium Trail or to have a well-deserved sleep-in. Spend your days exploring the wonders of Campbell River at your own pace, perhaps wandering through the trails of Elk Falls Park or seeing vibrant marine life at the Discovery Passage Aquarium.
Optional Activity:
- Whale-watching tour (from CA$130 per person).
- Grizzly bear tour (from CA$310 per person; August 20 — October 15 only).
After breakfast, you will travel south towards Victoria, with a short stop in the town of Comox for lunch (own cost).
Arrive in Victoria this afternoon where the remainder of the day at leisure to explore the city’s delights.
Wake refreshed on the final day of your tour, ready for a guided city tour of BC’s capital including Fan Tan Alley in Chinatown, Fisherman’s Wharf, Beacon Hill Park and Mile Zero. Victoria has proudly retained ties with its maritime heritage, and its laidback, colonial demeanor is evident in the many 19th-century landmarks throughout the city. Following your tour, explore downtown at your own pace or embark on an optional activity (surcharges apply), choosing from decadent high tea at the Empress Hotel, whale-watching or exploring the world-famous Butchart Gardens.
In the early evening, head to Swartz Bay to board a ferry for a 90-minute mini-cruise through the Southern Gulf Islands, before arriving in downtown Vancouver around 8pm.
Optional Activity:
- Butchart Gardens (from CA$38 per person — 2 June departure) (from CA$42 per person, all other departures)
- High Tea at the Empress (from CA$89 per person + tax and gratuity)
- Whale-watching tour (from CA$130 per person)