Experience Canada
Our small group tour starts in the centre of the Canadian Rockies. We flow into the beautiful prairies of Alberta and out to the badlands, a place rarely visited by Australians before heading into the heart of the rockies with stops at Banff, Lake Louise and Jasper. We take some time out in central British Columbia at Wells Grey Provincial Park before heading back to one of the worlds most liveable cities, Vancouver. Into the mountains again to Whistler before ending our two week expedition in the historic town of Victoria.
Bookings Available Now from $8,999 p.p twin Share
2017 Departure Dates: Private Tours – You Choose the Departure Date
Experiences
This Canadian holiday has so many experiences included that its bound to appeal to anyone with an interest in the great outdoors, searches for wildlife or marine life, those who want to experience a truly authentic sense of place when they visit a small regional town or those history buffs: be it modern times, aboriginal or prehistoric! Many of the experiences are outlined in the day to day program below, however for those who want a quick snapshot of what is included in the program we include:
- Entry to the Frank Slide Interpretive Centre, Bar-U Ranch, Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump,
- Cruise on Waterton Lake
- Professional Hikes in the UNESCO Waterton Lakes National Park and Mount Robson Provincial Parks
- Fort MacLeod Fort Museum Musical Horse Presentation
- Sunset tour of Dinosaur Provincial Park
- Banff Gondola and Jasper Tramway entry
- Ice Explorer and Glacier Skywalk experiences
- Rafting and Waterfall Discovery tour in Wells Grey Provincial Park
- Cycle Tour of Vancouver including Stanley Park and Granville Island
- Entry to the Capilano Suspension Bridge and Grouse Mountain Gondola
- Peak to Peak Gondala at Whistler
- Whale Watching experience at Victoria
- Welcome and Farewell Dinners to greet and farewell (for now) your travel companions.
Itinerary
As a YourTrip Canadian Holiday experience we depart from the traditional touring route to take in as many different sceneries across the Canadian landscape. Coast to Prairies, Mountains to prehistoric badlands we cover it all in this 14 night loop along the top and bottom of the Canadian Rockies.
Day 1: Into the Canadian Rockies
Departing Cranbrook we cross the continental divide at Crowsnest Pass. This route provides an insight into the mining history of the region and the power of the mountains. A stop at Frank Slide, the site of the 1903 landslide that destroyed the town and Sparwood break our journey before arriving at the UNESCO World Heritage Site, Waterton Lakes for a cruise along the lake with a short break on the US side in Montana hosted by the historic Waterton Shoreline Cruise Co.
Detailed Itinerary: Day 1 – Into the Canadian Rockies
Hotel: Waterton Glacier Suites or Aspen Village Inn
Meals: Dinner
Day 2: Hidden Secrets
Within the UNESCO listed Waterton Lakes NP we are guided on a beginner grade hike into the surrounding national parks and explore the unspoilt nature of this world heritage site. Mountains disappearing into the Alberta prairies and the chance of wildlife sightings will amaze you during this morning walk before the afternoon is yours to enjoy this quiet town.
Detailed Itinerary: Day 2 – Waterton Lakes National Park
Hotel: Waterton Glacier Suites or Aspen Village Inn
Meals: Breakfast
Day 3: Cowboy Journeys
Entering the prairies of Alberta we learn about the colonial and aboriginal agricultural history of this inland province. There is a stark contrast between the mountains that shadow the prairies for much of the day as we visit UNESCO heritage sites including Head-Smashed- In Buffalo Jump and Bar-U Ranch. Arriving in Brooks in the late afternoon, we step back millions of years with a sunset tour of the spectacular badlands in Dinosaur Provincial Park.
Detailed Itinerary: Day 3 – Alberta Cowboy Trail
Hotel: Heritage Inn & Suites Brooks – Elite Guest Room
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Day 4: Cowboy City
We arrive in Canada’s cowboy capital mid morning and most of the day is free for you to explore this cosmopolitan city. When exploring the city try some famous beef jerky, explore the various museums and cultural centres or relax, shop or dine in the Canadian city with the lowest taxes.
Detailed Itinerary: Day 4 – Calgary Cowboy City
Hotel: Delta Bow Valley Hotel – Run of House Room
Meals: Breakfast
Day 5: Beautiful Banff
Calgary in the rear view mirror we gradually climb out of the prairies and into one of the most iconic national parks in Canada, Banff National Park and the small mountain community of Banff. We are exposed to the size of the park from the high vantage point that the Banff Gondola provides before having much of the afternoon at your own leisure to explore this town with postcard perfect views from every street.
Hotel: Caribou Lodge & Spa – Run of House Room
Meals: Breakfast
Day 6: Luscious Lakes
The morning is spent exploring the town of Banff at your leisure, perhaps getting some culture or history at one of the many local museums or getting your adventure on with a hike in the surrounding mountains or a trail along the Bow river. In the afternoon we explore the beautiful yet often overlooked Lake Moraine before arriving at the jewel of the Canadian Rockies, Lake Louise where we have plenty of time to explore or simply have afternoon tea and admire the view.
Hotel: Lake Louise Inn – Deluxe Queen Room
Meals: Breakfast
Day 7: Ice Age
One of the most scenic roads in Canada, the Ice Fields Parkway is our route for the day as each corner provides another picture perfect view of the stunning Canadian Rockies. Our adventure includes taking an Ice Explorer onto the Athabasca Glacier and looking from above on the Glacier Skywalk. On our journey to Jasper we can appreciate the volume of water captured in the glacier as we watch the water pour its way over the Athabasca falls.
Hotel: Whistlers Inn – Run of House Room
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Day 8: Northern Pass
Explore the quiet mountain town of Jasper and take a birds eye view of the region from the top of the Jasper Tramway during the morning. In the afternoon cross the continental divide again near Mount Robson on our way to Clearwater, our base for Wells Grey Provincial Park.
Hotel: Alpine Meadows Resort or Hecklmen Falls Lodge
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 9: Wet and Wild
Wells Grey Provincial Park is home to some amazing rivers and rafting experiences so our first morning in the region includes a rafting expedition suitable for all ages taking in the beauty of the region as we float down this beautiful waterway. The afternoon is yours to explore the region or put your feet up and relax at the resort.
Hotel: Alpine Meadows Resort or Hecklmen Falls Lodge
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 10: Wilderness and Waterfalls
Wells Grey Provincial Park becomes our home today as we explore spectacular waterfalls and become engulfed in the natural beautify of northern British Columbia. As the sun begins to disappear beyond the horizon we board our coach or VIA rail service and follow the sunset through mountain passages into metropolitan Vancouver.
Hotel: Blue Horizon Hotel – Standard Room or VIA Rail Sleeper Car
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 11: City Cycles
Awaking to the beautiful city of Vancouver we spend the morning of the city exploring the city like a local, on a bike or by foot. Stanley Park and Granville Island are all stops on our route before we leave you (and your bike) to explore the rest of the city at your leisure. Perhaps take in Gas Town and the steam clock or grab a drink in one of the many bars within Yaletown.
Hotel: Blue Horizon Hotel – Standard Room
Meals: Breakfast
Day 12: Vancouver Bridges and Mountains
Travelling across the Lions Gate Bridge we explore key attractions of North Vancouver this morning including the beautiful Capilano Suspension bridge and tree top walk before arriving at Grouse Mountain for a top down view of the city. If we haven’t seen bears by this point in the program, bears can be safely observed at Grouse Mountain before returning back to the city at your leisure for an afternoon soaking up all Vancouver has to offer.
Hotel: Blue Horizon Hotel – Standard Room
Meals: Breakfast
Day 13: Sea to Sky Highway
The early morning start to today will not be wasted as we take the spectacular Sea to Sky route from the Pacific Ocean in Vancouver up to the mountain resort of Whistler. The day is yours to enjoy Whistler including a Peak to Peak experience to ensure you can experience all these mountain resorts can offer.
Hotel: Westin Resort & Spa Whistler – Deluxe Studio Suite
Meals: Breakfast
Day 14: Beautiful British Columbia
Our final day departs Whistler from the nearby Lake Green where our Sea Plane awaits for our scenic flight providing a breathtaking perspective of the landscape on your 1 hour flight back down to the Pacific coast and the capital of British Columbia, the city of Victoria. On arrival in Victoria you have some time to explore the colonial history of this city before taking to the seas in search of transient and local whale populations. Our evening is completed with a farewell dinner to conclude the formal portion of the program.
Hotel: Fairmont Empress – Guest Room
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 15: Time to Explore Further
Although the program is complete the world is now your oyster for further exploration. Within the Victoria region you could explore the Government buildings or Burchart Gardens before making your own way back to Vancouver or wherever your travels may take you.
Meals: Breakfast
Inclusions
What’s included and not included in this Canada packaged tour is pretty simple in our view. We like to keep things simple, so you won’t find page after page of terms and conditions (although we are required to have some to protect both you and us). For this program we include 14 nights accommodation at the hotels listed above, each of which provide you with breakfast to start your day. If we say we include an activity in the itinerary above, then we include it. Optional activities or what we suggest you could do in your free time are just that, optional and not included although we have tried to include as much as possible so you get the best experience possible. We don’t however include airfares to Canada, or airfares between Vancouver and our starting point in Cranbrook – we do include the amazing sea plane flight from Whistler to Victoria.
Our 2016 Experience Canada brochure can be downloaded here: YourTrip Brochure 2016.
Departure Dates
| Program | Departure Date | Departure Point | Conclusion Date | Conclusion Location | Included Nights | Available |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Experience Canada | Private Tours in 2017 | Cranbrook | Contact Us | Victoria, B.C | 14 | Book Now from $7,800pp |
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DepartureCranbrook, British Columbia
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IncludedQuality AccommodationDriver and GuideOver 18 ActivitiesVIA Rail JourneySeaplane Flight
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Not IncludedAirfares to Canada