Best of Canada's West tour 11 days

The Rocky Mountain

 

Tour Itenary 

Day 1

ARRIVE VANCOUVER

Welcome to Vancouver, Canada’s third largest city and the jewel of British Columbia! Take your complimentary transfer to the tour hotel. This afternoon, meet your Tour Director who can answer any questions you may have about the exciting days ahead. At 6 p.m., gather at the hotel with your Tour Director and fellow companions for a Welcome Reception.

Hotel: Vancouver Marriott Pinnacle Downtown Hotel (SF)

 

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 its towering totem poles and explore the vibrant neighborhoods of Chinatown and Gastown with its cobbled streets. Travel by ferry to Vancouver Island and Victoria, home to fashionable tearooms and old English charm. Though the wooden fort 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. Travel north to the seaside community of Cobble Hill. Visit a family-owned ciderhouse and taste the bubbly fresh flavours of apple cider pressed from local apples accompanied by artisan breads. After a private tour of the apple orchards and distilling room, the family will host you for an alfresco Be My Guest Dinner featuring delectable cuisine paired with locally produced cider.

Meal(s): (Full Breakfast / Be My Guest dinner)
Hotel: Marriott Inner Harbour Hotel (F)

 

Day 3

VICTORIA SIGHTSEEING & AT LEISURE

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 butterflies and taking in their unique natural beauty. Back in Victoria, enjoy the rest of your day at leisure. Walk around town, do some shopping or perhaps join an optional whale-watching trip.

Meal(s): (Full Breakfast)

 

Day 4

VICTORIA - SEA-TO-SKY-HIGHWAY - WHISTLER

Return to the mainland and board your motorcoach for the scenic drive along the 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 1,105-foot (337-metre) 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.

Meal(s): (Full Breakfast)
Hotel: Hilton Whistler Resort & Spa (SF)

 

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 on in Canada. At Historic Hat Creek Ranch, chat with costumed interpreters who 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. This evening, savour a Highlight Dinner at a local restaurant in Kamloops, a translated Shuswap word meaning “the meeting of the waters.”

Meal(s): (Full Breakfast / Highlight Dinner)
Hotel: The Thompson Hotel (F)

 

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. Visit Mount Revelstoke National Park and view old-growth rainforest of giant red cedars and 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 on the western slopes of the Rocky Mountains in Yoho National Park with its towering waterfalls, ice-clad peaks and 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.

Meal(s): (Full Breakfast / Dinner)
Hotel: Banff Park Lodge (F)

 

Day 7

BANFF SIGHTSEEING & AT LEISURE

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 guided nature walk.

Meal(s): (Full Breakfast)

 

Day 8

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 in 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 goat. 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 naturalist.

Meal(s): (Full Breakfast / Dinner)
Hotel: Chateau Jasper (SF)

 

Day 9

JASPER NATIONAL PARK SIGHTSEEING & AT LEISURE

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.

Meal(s): (Full Breakfast)

 

Day 10

JASPER - MOUNT ROBSON - LAC LE JEUNE

Head west over Yellowhead Pass and arrive at Mount Robson, the Rockies' tallest peak at 12,989 feet (3959 meters). 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 a local expert to the beaver dam at the end of the lake. This evening, enjoy a festive Farewell Dinner with your travelling companions.

Meal(s): (Full Breakfast / Farewell Dinner)
Hotel: Lac Le Jeune Resort (MF)

 

Day 11

LAC LE JEUNE - DEPART VANCOUVER

Returning to the Pacific coast, arrive back in Vancouver, where the tour ends for 11-day Land-only passengers, and take your complimentary transfer to Vancouver International Airport or to the tour hotel downtown if you want to extend your stay in Vancouver.

Meal(s): (Full Breakfast)

 

What's Included

Sightseeing Highlights

• Strait of Georgia View British Columbia's picturesque coastline onboard a ferry cruise.
• Victoria See the city’s landmarks and explore Butchart Gardens.
• Whistler Join a walking tour of this 2010 Olympic venue.
• Cache Creek Visit the Historic Hat Creek Ranch and a native village.
• Banff National Park Explore this UNESCO World Heritage area.
• Banff Tour the township and enjoy a scenic gondola ride.
• Lake Louise Join an interpretive walk along the lake.
• Icefields Parkway Motor along this spectacular alpine drive.
• Columbia Icefield Ride an Ice Explorer onto the Athabasca Glacier.
• Jasper National Park Walk Maligne Canyon.
• Mount Robson View the tallest peak in the Canadian Rockies.
• Lac Le Jeune Walk along the lake; learn about the resident beaver colony.

Dining Highlights

• Welcome Reception with your Tour Director in Vancouver.
• 10 full breakfasts.
• 2 three-course dinners.
• Highlight Dinner with wine in Kamloops.
• Be My Guest Dinner with wine in Victoria.
• Farewell Dinner with wine at Lac Le Jeune.

First Class Travel Highlights

• Includes all First Class features.
• Round-trip ferry across the Strait of Georgia from Tsawwassen to Swartz Bay.
• The services of one of Trafalgar’s professional Tour Directors (Days 1-11).
• Airport transfers are provided on Day 1 and Day 11 (Land-only) or Day 19 (Land Tour & Cruise).
• Capture treasured memories of your trip with a complimentary group photo taken at a landmark location.

Airport Transfers

• To view our full list of Airport Transfer policies please click here

 

Disclaimer
- These prices are correct at the time of the website going live, however are subject to confirmation at the time of booking.
- All tour information is correct at time of tours going live, however is subject to change, please confirm all details at time of booking.
- For full terms and conditions, please refer to our Conditions page.
- Hotel Class Key: D: Deluxe  SF: Superior First Class  F: First Class