9D8N Spectacular Canadian Rockies

A warm welcome is waiting within the soaring peaks of Canada’s Rockies. Your epic Canadian Rockies tour begins in Vancouver, one of the world’s most international and liveable cities. Spend the day discovering the city’s scenic surrounds, then join your Travel Director and fellow travellers for a Welcome Reception this evening.

Vancouver, home to Gastown’s Victorian façades, a vibrant Chinatown and towering Sitka Spruce. Embark on a sightseeing tour of the city’s historic neighborhood, savoring the smells of freshly steamed Siopao in Chinatown before making your way to the leafy sanctuary of Stanley Park for the first Indigenous experience of the day, viewing First Nations totem poles. Gain insights into Indigenous cultures and values during a visit to the Bill Reid Gallery, the only gallery in Canada dedicated to Northwest Indigenous art, on a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience including a docent-led tour and time to explore the gallery on your own. Continue by ferry to Vancouver Island for an orientation of gorgeous Victoria.

Today on your Canadian Rockies tour, the Garden City comes to life as you greet the day before opening hours with breakfast at Butchart Gardens, a 55-acre showcase of gorgeous floral gardens that have colourfully transformed a once unused quarry. After breakfast, enjoy time in the garden before the crowds. Spend the rest of the day exploring the walkable capital of British Columbia perhaps treating yourself to high tea or tucking into local fish and chips. Or, join an optional Victoria Whale Watching cruise and keep your eyes peeled for orca and humpback whales, bald eagles, porpoises and seals.

Cruise by ferry to the home of the Maan Family for a Be My Guest experience at their family-run farm. Meet your hosts, fourth generation owners, and learn how they turned one small berry stand into a farm that now provides quality produce to locals. Get the inside scoop on a behind-the-scenes winery tour or seasonal U-pick experience of their strawberries, raspberries or blueberries followed by a tasty lunch of Indian-inspired fare. Next up, you’ll make your way to Kamloops for a Stays with Stories experience at The South Thompson Inn. Admire the original brick manor and carriage houses of this former racing stable.

The grand peak of UNESCO-listed Mount Robson, the highest peak in the Canadian Rockies at 12,972 feet (3,954 meters), will make you gasp. Stop at the Mount Robson Visitor Center postcard-worthy views before continuing to the raw wilderness of Jasper National Park, another UNESCO World Heritage Site, where you’ll spend the next two nights of your Canadian Rockies tour. If you’re eager to start your exploration of the park, join an optional Jasper Guided Hike taking in hills, jagged peaks, forests, meadows, marshes, streams and glacial lakes with a licensed guide.

Maligne Canyon springs to life this morning on a guided hike. Later, take to the aqua waters and cruise Maligne Lake to Spirit Island (seasonal), admiring views of its three glaciers and Spirit Island. Then kick back with more gorgeous views over a delicious lunch with wine at the lakeside Maligne Lake Chalet. Continue your exploration choosing to join an Optional Experience easy rafting trip down the Athabasca River, a route used by the “fur traders” over two centuries ago, keeping your eyes peeled for local wildlife. Later tonight, take in an optional theatre performance highlighting the best of this little mountain town.

Get ready for the icy fingers of the Columbia Icefield as you journey along the Icefields Parkway to Athabasca Glacier. Cross its icy terrain, one of the largest non-polar ice fields in the world, on board a specially designed ‘Ice Explorer’. Your Canadian Rockies tour takes you to Lake Louise, where there is time to soak in the majestic beauty of the lake and its turquoise, glacier-fed waters fringed by high peaks, deep forests and overlooked by Victoria Glacier. Continue on to the township of Banff, in the heart of UNESCO-listed Banff National Park.

Banff is yours to explore – and your Travel Director is eager to help plan the perfect day. Opt to take the Banff Gondola Ride to the top of Sulphur Mountain for a bird’s eye view of six mountain ranges of the Canadian Rockies. And after lunch on your own, the Three Sisters Peak or Mt Assiniboine will impress on optional helicopter flights. Then enjoy Banff sightseeing including Bow Falls, Surprise Corner and other local sights. Tonight, join your fellow travellers for a Farewell Dinner celebrating all you’ve seen on your Canadian Rockies Tour.

Descend from the glorious Canadian Rockies and transfer to Calgary International Airport, arriving at approximately 11:30 am, or to the Westin Calgary if you are extending your Canadian Rockies tour.