13D12N Grand Western Canada Vacation (CP)

Welcome to Vancouver! At 6 pm, meet your travel companions for a welcome drink. Your Tour Director will prepare you for your upcoming adventure. 

Bountiful Beauty Depart Vancouver and travel into the agricultural region of the Okanagan Valley to the thriving lakefront resort community of Kelowna.

Breathtaking Banff Drive east and enjoy the panoramic vistas of peaks exceeding 10,000 feet on Rogers Pass at the summit in Canada's Glacier National Park. Continue over the Continental Divide into Alberta before descending Kicking Horse Pass into Banff National Park. Dinner at a local restaurant tonight.

Heavenly Heights Breakfast this morning is served on top of Sulphur Mountain. Take a scenic ride on the [LF] Banff Gondola to the top of the mountain and then enjoy spectacular views of the valley below as you savour a flavourful meal. Additional sightseeing in Banff includes a visit to Bow Falls. The balance of the day is at leisure. Consider an optional helicopter flightseeing trip for a bird's-eye view of the Rockies.

Rocky Mountain Majesty Visit Lake Louise, whose blue-green waters form a perfect mirror reflection of Mount Victoria. Continue on the awe-inspiring Icefields Parkway past towering peaks and immense hanging glaciers to the Columbia Icefield for a thrilling ride on the Ice Explorer. Discover the power of nature as you drive on the Athabasca Glacier. Continue along the Icefields Parkway to Jasper National Park. Tonight, enjoy a special fireside chat with drumming, singing, and indigenous stories shared by the legendary [LF] Warrior Women.

Spectacular Jasper National Park Enjoy a short orientation tour to see Jasper's unspoiled beauty, followed by an excursion to glacial Maligne Lake for a narrated cruise to Spirit Island. Cruise on clear
azure waters amid lofty snow-capped peaks and learn the history of Spirit Island. On the return journey, stop to view Maligne Canyon. Balance of the day is at leisure to explore Jasper on your own. Perhaps take an optional float trip down the historic Athabasca River, where your experienced guide will navigate as you absorb the splendour of Jasper National Park.

Historic British Columbia Scenic drive on Yellowhead Highway past Mount Robson, the highest peak in the Canadian Rockies, en route to Kamloops

Alpine Adventures Travel to the alpine resort of Whistler, nestled at the base of breathtaking Blackcomb Mountain, for a 2-night stay at the luxury basecamp, the Fairmont Chateau. The evening is free with time to explore.

Alpine Adventures Full free day to explore all that Whistler has to offer.

Ancient Traditions Enjoy a visit and private breakfast at the [LF] Squamish Lil'wat Cultural Centre, dedicated to the history and culture of the First Nations people. Then travel west to catch a BC Ferry to Vancouver Island for Victoria, said to be the most British city outside of Britain. See major attractions on your city orientation tour, including the Fairmont Empress Hotel, Bastion Square, and Thunderbird Park.

The Grandest of Gardens This morning and afternoon are free to explore on your own; your Tour Director may recommend an optional wildlife and whale-watching trip. For shoppers, Government Street's elegant shops and Market Square's collection of specialty stores are good places to start. Later, visit world-famous [LF] Butchart Gardens, followed by a special dinner in the former greenhouse, renovated to the Blue Poppy Restaurant.

British Columbia Treasures Board a BC Ferry and cross the Strait of Georgia through the spectacular Gulf Islands, an archipelago known for its Mediterranean-type climate. Tour Vancouver, including the waterfront, Chinatown, and Stanley Park with its old-growth evergreen forests and totem poles. In the evening, join your Tour Director and fellow travel companions for a festive farewell dinner tonight.

Safe travels until we meet again! The tour ends today with guests departing on individual schedules.