Day 1 UK/Banff
Meet your travelling companions in the executive lounge of the airport before your flight to Calgary. On arrival transfer to Banff, where you will stay for the next two nights. Enjoy a welcome drink this evening.
Day 2 Banff & Lake Louise
This morning we include a welcome breakfast, then you are free to make your own discoveries of Banff, a town at the heart of its own national park. It’s the ideal starting point for any Rockies adventure. Alternatively, join our optional tour of Banff and Lake Louise. Described by many writers as the most beautiful place in Canada, this is a glacial, jade-green lake sat high in the mountains and surrounded on all sides by towering peaks. Meals: B
Day 3 Icefields Parkway to Jasper
Enjoy an unforgettable day today as we travel along the spectacular Icefields Parkway, passing through some of the country’s highest mountain peaks. Take an optional snocoach ride over the Athabasca Glacier and skirt the fast-flowing Sunwapta River and vast glaciers of the Columbia Icefields. We arrive in Jasper later on today for a two-night stay in this friendly town at the foot of Whistler Mountain. Meals: B
Day 4 Jasper
The former railroad town of Jasper is now the focal point of its own breathtaking national park. This morning we will enjoy an included sightseeing tour of Jasper and the surrounding area, including the stunning Pyramid and Patricia Lakes. This afternoon there is an opportunity to go on a nature walk or take a boat trip on the Athabasca river. Meals: B
Day 5 Rocky Mountaineer to Kamloops
This morning we board the iconic Rocky Mountaineer train for the start of our spectacular two-day journey to Vancouver. You will enjoy breakfast and lunch served at your reclining seat in an air-conditioned carriage, plus complimentary snacks, tea, coffee, soft drinks, beer and wine. A bar is also available. There will be an on board commentary as you travel through the grandeur of the Rockies, past the snow-capped peaks of the Monashee Mountains. Cross the North Thompson River several times then follow its route to Kamloops, where you will transfer to your hotel for an overnight stay. Meals: B
Day 6 Rocky Mountaineer to Vancouver
Our spectacular journey continues this morning as we reboard the Rocky Mountaineer. We follow the Thompson River, which merges with the Fraser River – our route for almost the entire journey into Vancouver. After we travel through the town of Hope, the rugged canyons give way to the fertile fields of the Fraser River Valley. On arrival in Vancouver, we transfer to our hotel for an overnight stay. Meals: B
Day 7 Victoria
Today we take the ferry to Vancouver Island, where we stay for the next two nights in Victoria, the capital of the state of British Columbia. We enjoy an included sightseeing tour of Victoria, famous for resembling an old English town with narrow streets and grand 19th century buildings. The tour includes the famous Butchart Gardens, fabled Empress Hotel and picturesque harbour. Meals: B
Day 8 Victoria
Enjoy a day at leisure in Victoria to explore independently Alternatively, join an optional whale watching excursion. Meals: B
Day 9 Vancouver
We return to Vancouver by ferry for a two night stay. Vancouver has one of the most beautiful settings of any city in the world. It is surrounded by mountains, forests and beautiful islands. As Canada’s third largest city, it is a busy seaport and important centre for the fishing and timber industries. We include an introductory half day tour of the city during which you will visit Chinatown, Gastown, the remarkable 1,000 acre Stanley Park with its famous totem poles and the magnificent harbour. Meals: B
Day 10 Vancouver
There is certainly plenty to see and do in Vancouver. Today, why not take our optional excursion to Vancouver’s north shore featuring the spectacular Capilano suspension bridge and a cable car ride up Grouse Mountain for breathtaking views of the city and the snow-capped mountains of Washington State (America) and Vancouver Island. Enjoy a farewell get together this evening. Meals: B/D
Days 11 & 12 Vancouver/UK
Transfer to the airport for your return flight to the UK arriving the next day. Meals: B (day 11)