Itinerary

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 (included in your tour), 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 (included in your tour). 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 also 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 1,600km 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 great 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.

Drive north today towards Jasper. On the way, stop off at the shining turquoise water of Lake Louise, known as the ‘Jewel of the Rockies’ and one of the top sights in Canada. You might even opt to spend an extra day in the Rockies and stay overnight at Lake Louise.

Lake Louise is 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 hiking trails in the surrounding hills.

Continue north and 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 drive through the Rockies to the province of British Columbia.

It’s a five-hour drive from Jasper to Sun Peaks, so 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 some canoeing and boating on the lake.

A highlight of Vancouver is the urban rainforest of 1,000-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 Gastown, 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 specialities.

This morning, head for the wildlife haven of Vancouver Island. Drive to Horseshoe Bay from Vancouver and take the ferry to Nanaimo Bay.

Drive north for 3.5 hours to your Port McNeill accommodation at Black Bear Resort. It’s worth stopping off along the way in some of east Vancouver Island’s most charming towns. Parksville has one of the best beaches in the region, and Campbell River is famous as the ‘salmon capital of the world’ due to the huge shoals of salmon May to October. Nearby Elk Falls Provincial Park is worth visiting for its 25-metre waterfall and Suspension Bridge.

After arriving at Black Bear Resort, in the evening meet with your Kingfisher representative at 8pm at Kingfisher’s office for an orientation and a preview of your itinerary for the next four days. Overnight in Port McNeill.

Meet at 8.30am at the Kingfisher office and depart on the 50-minute water taxi transfer to Kingfisher Base Camp on Hanson Island in the Queen Charlotte Strait.

Upon arrival, your guides provide a site orientation, plus a kayak and safety briefing. The camp features a kitchen, dining structure, outhouses, on-demand hot water shower and roomy canvas tents. After lunch, the afternoon is spent kayaking, giving you an opportunity to familiarise yourself with the surrounding area and view the diverse wildlife.

Lunch and dinner included. Overnight at Kingfisher’s base camp.

The next two days are spent exploring, kayaking, whale watching, wildlife viewing and enjoying the scenery.

Kingfisher’s base camp is located close to orca travel routes and adjacent to humpback whale feeding area, many of them often feeding within sight of camp. The camp has easy access to Queen Charlotte Sound, Blackfish Sound and Johnstone Strait for the best wildlife watching.

The islands and small islets close to the camp are home to numerous sea birds, bald eagles and seals. Your kayak guides plan each day according to weather conditions, wildlife viewing opportunities and guest interests. Lunches are usually spent on a secluded beach, returning late each afternoon to the Kingfisher Base Camp.

Breakfast, lunch and dinner included. Overnights at Kingfisher’s base camp.

Today it’s time for a highlight of your trip – watching bears in the wild. You will be picked up around 7am for a boat ride to the bear viewing areas around Knight Inlet, then hike moderate distances to intimate bear viewing sites. The guides share the amazing history, wildlife and beauty of their territory, and will sometimes adapt locations to maximise bear viewing potential. Breakfast and lunch included.

After lunch, take the water taxi back to Port McNeill and drive south. If you didn’t stop at Campbell River earlier in your trip, this is another chance to do so.

Arrive in Courtenay. The nearby Comox Valley is famous for its food and wine, so this is an ideal place to relax and indulge at the end of your trip. If you fancy something more active, then head up to nearby Mount Washington, a popular adventure sports destinations with sweeping views over Vancouver Island’s east coast.

Drive south to Nanaimo Bay this morning and take the ferry back to the mainland. Arrive back in Vancouver where you will spend one more night. You could even opt to extend your stay for an extra night to explore more of the city.

Highlights of Vancouver include Capilano Suspension Bridge, which 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.

Another recommended excursion is Granville Island Market to browse a huge variety of local produce cooked up by expert chefs.

Drop off your hire car at Vancouver Airport as your tour comes to an end. Take your flight home.