Itinerary

Arrive at Vancouver Airport where you will be met and taken to your hotel by private transfer.

Vancouver is a fascinating, multicultural city and one of its highlights is Capilano Suspension Bridge. Take the shuttle to north of the city where 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 hike in the rainforest of the surrounding 27-acre park.

Explore the restaurants and nightlife of Vancouver in the afternoon and evening. 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 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 cover more of the park.

After working up an appetite, another great option is to 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.

Explore more of Vancouver’s restaurants and nightlife in the evening.

Pick up your hire car and drive about 1.5 hours to the mountain resort of Whistler. The road from Vancouver to Whistler is spectacular along the Sea to Sky highway past Howe Sound and the Coast Mountains.

The Sea to Sky Gondola just south of Squamish is recommended, providing sweeping views of Howe Sound, the coastal forest and surrounding mountains. The 12-minute ride to the summit provides views of Shannon Falls and at the top there are two loop walking trails with cantilevered viewing platforms and the spectacular Sky Pilot Suspension Bridge.

Continue to Whistler, a resort famous for winter sports, but its mountains, lakes and forests make it spectacular to explore year-round.

One of the best ways to enjoy the forests around Whistler is the TreeTrek Canopy Walk, a network of nine suspension bridges, stairways, boardwalks and trails. Explore old-growth forests and enjoy stunning views.

Another great option is kayaking at Lakeside Park between Alta and Green Lake. Paddle across Alta Lake then float with the river flow through Whistler’s wetlands, enjoying spotting birds and river wildlife.

Continue exploring the wonderful scenery around Whistler. The twin mountains are best admired on the Peak 2 Peak Gondola and the pedestrian Cloudraker Skybridge, which spans 130 metres over the chasm between Whistler Peak and West Ridge.

An exhilarating excursion is one of the Zipline Adventures high above the canopy with ziplines, suspension bridges, boardwalks and forest trails.

Another great excursion is watching black bears in the early morning from several premier spots around Whistler. Join local professional nature guides on a wilderness off-road excursion (April to October). Take in the panoramic views of the Coastal Mountain Range with chances to see moose and deer as well as bears.

Whistler’s chalet-style pedestrian village in the valley below the mountains is a delight to explore with great restaurants, nightlife, and attractions such as the Squamish Lil’wat Culture Centre and the Audain Art Museum.

Drive about 1.5 hours to alpine resort Sun Peaks, 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.

Explore the surrounding flower-filled hills on a guided Alpine nature hiking tour, then wander through the pedestrian village filled with restaurants, cafés, shops and bars.

Continue to explore Sun Peaks and its surrounding countryside by bike. The Sun Peaks Bike Park has top-class mountain biking on an intricate network of trails on Tod and Sundance Mountains. A great way to cover even more ground is by renting an e-bike.

An alternative is taking the Sunburst Chairlift up Mount Tod and hike along one of the numerous alpine trails. This area is particularly picturesque during blossom season in summer.

Head deeper into the Rocky Mountains to adventure sports town Revelstoke on the banks of the Columbia River.

The town is renowned for skiing in winter and hiking, canoeing, kayaking and white-water rafting the rest of the year.

For a gentle river experience, try the optional Columbia River Float & Soak. This two-hour trip goes downriver, including a short swim and walk to Moses Creek Waterfall. For more exciting rafting on faster rapids, opt for the intermediate level four-hour Revelstoke Rapids trip.

Continue to explore Revelstoke and its surroundings. The town itself has several museums including the Revelstoke Railway Museum, and there are great hiking trails to Sutherland and Begbie Falls.

Nearby Mount Revelstoke National Park just outside town is one of the few places in the Rockies where you can summit a mountain just a few steps from your car, so ideal if you’re not a keen hiker.

The spectacular mountain scenery and ancient forests of Glacier National Park are only a half-hour drive from Revelstoke, while Canyon Hot Springs makes a great stop along the same road. To the west of Revelstoke, Crazy Creek Hot Pools are another good option for thermal pools.

In the evening, check out the town’s live music, bars, pubs and restaurants.

Head south today to the town of Nelson, a former mining town near the US border. On the way, consider stopping off for a soak in Halcyon Hot Springs to break up the 3.5 hour drive.

Nelson is a thriving artistic community with well-preserved buildings from the silver-rush era in the late 19th century. The wide range of activities on nearby Kootenay Lake include kayaking and paddleboarding, while mountain biking and hiking are popular in the hills of nearby West Arm Provincial Park.

Explore more of the region around Nelson. You can take the ferry across Kootenay Lake from Balfour to Kootenay Bay and visit the artisan workshops in Crawford Bay.

Ainsworth Hot Springs, a 45-minute drive from Nelson, on the west shore of Kootenay Lake are also well worth a visit, and you can swim in thermal waters through caves.

Head west today into the Okanagan Valley, a region with a balmy mild climate, famous for its vineyards and farms.

Okanagan is a beautiful setting to enjoy local food and drink relax on lakeside beaches in towns such as Penticton, Naramata, Kelowna and Osoyoos.

The southernmost town Osoyoos makes an ideal base, close to the US border with Washington State. Lake Osoyoos is the warmest lake in Canada and in summer its beaches are great for relaxing, swimming and boating. The town has some 40 fine wineries, many excellent restaurants and several golf courses.

Continue exploring the beautiful Okanagan region. Half an hour north of Osoyoos, a popular destination is Okanagan Falls on Skaha Lake. The falls have been reduced to gentle rapids nowadays but the rock climbing on steep bluffs is famous here. Hike or cycle the nearby Kettle Valley Rail Trail then relax on the beach at Christie Memorial Park.

Further north, Penticton is a good base to enjoy boating or kayaking on the southern end of Lake Okanagan, and the town boasts some 80 wineries close to town. Nearby Naramata is a much quieter town for relaxing on the eastern shore of the lake.

Kelowna is the largest town in the region, and Knox Mountain Park on the edge of town has some 15 hiking trails and spectacular views from the top.

Okanagan is such a relaxing, alluring region that you may consider extending your stay by a night or two.

Drive back to Vancouver as your tour comes to an end. It’s over 4.5 hours to drive direct so recommended to break the trip up with a visit to Harrison Hot Springs for a dip in the thermal baths or canoeing and boating on the lake.

Drop-off your hire car and take your private transfer to the airport for your flight home.