Itinerary

You arrive in Alberta’s biggest city Calgary where you’ll be met at the airport and taken by private transfer to your hotel.

Explore Calgary, a cosmopolitan city with a proud cowboy heritage. Ascend the 190-metre Calgary Tower for fantastic panoramic views over the city and surrounding mountains, then wander around the unique shops and restaurants of pedestrian-friendly Kensington Village.

If you’re visiting in July, don’t miss one of the Canada’s biggest festival the Calgary Stampede, which attracts over a million visitors to watch rodeos, races and performances over 10 days.

Continue discovering Calgary’s cultural attractions today. We recommend a visit to living history museum Heritage Park (May to October). This historical village recreates Alberta in the late 19th century with over 200 attractions and exhibits including a First Nations camp. Board a steam train, take a horse-drawn wagon ride, pan for gold, explore the nature park and see the large collection of antique vehicles in Gasoline Alley Museum.

Another recommendation is the National Music Centre at Studio Bell in the East Village with exhibitions and collections of Canada’s musical heritage across five floors, including the Canadian Music Hall of Fame, which features the country’s icons and original costumes worn in concerts.

After a day of sightseeing, enjoy Calgary’s restaurants and nightlife either Downtown or in Kensington Village.

Pick up your hire car in Calgary and take the scenic 1.5-hour drive to the mountain resort of Banff, Canada’s highest town at over 1,300m.

Banff has a stunning location in the heart of the Rockies, surrounded by snow-capped mountains. One of the best ways to take in the landscape is on the Banff Gondola, soaring 700 metres up thickly forested hillsides. From the observation deck at the summit of Sulphur Mountain enjoy panoramic views over six mountain ranges and the Bow Valley, then wander along the boardwalk to Sanson’s Peak. Keen hikers can tackle the South-east Ridge Trail.
If rafting is for you, then we recommend a half-day rafting trip on the Kananaskis River on class II and II rapids.

Check into your hotel and explore the town’s restaurants and bars.

Banff National Park is Canada’s oldest protected area and most visited national park with 1600km of hiking trails and home to 53 species of mammals, including black bears, grizzlies, moose, bighorn sheep and elk.

A wildlife safari through the park is a recommended way to see animals with a knowledgeable guide, providing plenty of great photo opportunities (available mornings and evenings).

It’s interesting to explore the town of Banff itself, which has museums including Banff Park Museum for natural history and Buffalo Nations Luxton Museum for First Nations heritage. A great way to relax is a dip in Banff Upper Hot Springs.

The shining turquoise water of Lake Louise is known as the ‘Jewel of the Rockies’ and one of the top sights in Canada, half an hour’s drive north-west of Banff.

It’s the kind of place where it’s impossible to take a bad photograph and the lake can be viewed from various vantage points – a lakeside picnic, a canoeing trip or on many hiking trails in the surrounding hills. The region is incredibly diverse, home to wildlife such as goats, elk, deer and occasionally bears (so take care). In winter, the lake freezes over and the landscape takes on a completely different beauty with opportunities for ice skating, sledding and cross-country skiing.

Continue exploring stunning Lake Louise and Banff National Park. The historic lakeside Fairmont Château Lake Louise is one of the world’s most stunningly located hotels. Even if you don’t stay here, we recommend afternoon tea to admire the wonderful backdrop. The hotel also has a day spa offering a range of therapeutic treatments.

Lake Louise can often get busy with tourists and a quieter alternative is Lake Moraine 15km to the south, arguably no less spectacular with 10 surrounding peaks.

Today you’ll experience one of the world’s greatest drives along Icefields Parkway through breathtaking mountain scenery between Banff and Jasper national parks.

Although the route can be driven in about three hours, it’s preferable to take your time with some spectacular stop-offs such as Bow Lake, Peyto Lake and the Weeping Wall waterfalls.

A particular highlight of the region is the Columbia Icefield, the largest ice field of its kind outside the poles, including Athabasca Glacier. The Glacier Sky Walk further north is a glass-floored observation platform 280 metres over the Sunwapta Valley. A recommended excursion is the Columbia Icefield Discovery Tour, including the Ice Adventure & Skywalk.

Arrive in the town of Jasper and check into your hotel.

The town of Jasper, which began life as a 19th century mining hub along the Athabasca River, is the gateway to the park of the same name.

Jasper National Park is the largest in the Canadian Rockies with emerald lakes, glacial peaks, waterfalls, canyons and evergreen forest filled with wildlife including elk, moose, big-horned sheep, bears and wolves. The more adventurous can try ice climbing and rafting, while hiking and mountain biking are more leisurely ways to appreciate the scenery. The park is also a huge Dark Sky preserve, perfect for star-gazing.

Take an optional nature tour to Maligne Lake and Maligne River, which thunders through a 50-metre gorge in a series of waterfalls. Take a cruise on the lake to beautiful Spirit Island or take a guided walk along the shoreline.
A recommended way to take in the scenery while working up an appetite is the Peak Nic food tour for lunch or dinner (3.5 hours), a 3.8km hike followed by a backcountry cookery class to enjoy a meal while admiring the views.

Today you’ll drive through the Rockies to the province of British Columbia.

It’s a five-hour drive from Jasper to Sun Peaks, so recommended to break up the journey with a stop-off in Clearwater to see some waterfalls in Wells Gray Provincial Park, including Helmcken’s Falls, the fourth highest in Canada.

Arrive at the alluring Alpine resort of Sun Peaks and opt to explore the surrounding flower-filled hills on a guided Alpine nature hiking tour. Sun Peaks is an adventure playground in all seasons – a busy ski resort in winter and popular for mountain biking, hiking and golf the rest of the year.

Drive down to the coast and the multicultural city of Vancouver. It’s a five-hour drive from Sun Peaks so you may want to stop off at Harrison Hot Springs for a dip in the thermal baths or canoeing and boating on the lake.

Drop off your hire car in Vancouver and take the shuttle to Capilano Suspension Bridge north of the city. The bridge stretches over 130 metres across a canyon, some 70 metres above the river and park of the same name. Take a vertigo-inducing walk across the bridge, see the First Nation totem poles, tackle the Cliffwalk and Treetops Adventure, then explore the rainforest of the surrounding 27-acre park on guided walks.

Check into your hotel and explore the restaurants and nightlife of Vancouver. Gastown is the city’s oldest district with cobbled streets and the famous Steam Clock. Along with adjacent Chinatown and Japantown districts, you’ll find some of the best cuisine in the city here, especially Can-Asian specialties.

Spend another day exploring the fascinating city of Vancouver. A highlight is the urban rainforest of 1000-acre Stanley Park. Explore the gardens, see the totem poles at Brockton Point, walk along the famous Sea Wall or take a bike tour to see the whole park.

After working up an appetite, head for Granville Island Market to browse a huge variety of local produce cooked up by expert chefs.

Alternatively, get out on the water to watch humpback whales and orcas on a half or full-day whale-watching tour in the Strait of Georgia.

Your private transfer will take you from the hotel to Vancouver Airport.