Day 1 Vancouver
Welcome to Vancouver, Canada's third largest city and the jewel of British Columbia! Check into your hotel and spend some time exploring before gathering at 6 p.m. at the hotel with your Travel Director and fellow travelling companions for a Welcome Reception. (Welcome Reception)
Hotel: Pinnacle Vancouver Harbourfront
Day 2 Vancouver - Victoria
Set out for Stanley Park and the towering totem poles and explore the vibrant neighbourhoods of Chinatown and Gastown with their cobbled streets. Travel by ferry to Vancouver Island and Victoria, home to fashionable tearooms and old English charm. Visit a family-owned winery and taste the perfectly-balanced vintages, carefully crafted with grapes farmed from over 100 acres and aged in French oak barrels. Indulge in a Be My Guest lunch featuring local cuisine delicately paired with their delicious wines followed by a tour of the winery. This afternoon, tour the exhibit of free-flight tropical butterflies at the Butterfly Gardens, an indoor world of tropical colour and sights and home to more than 3,000 butterflies. (Full Breakfast / "Be My Guest" Lunch)
Hotel: Victoria Marriott Inner Harbour
Day 3 Victoria
Start your day with breakfast at the world-famous Butchart Gardens, a 55-acre preserve of gorgeous flowers. Learn about the history as well as current exhibits featuring flowers in their full summer bloom. Spend some time exploring the gardens on your own, strolling its winding pathways, spotting colourful butterflies and taking in their unique natural beauty. Back in Victoria, enjoy the rest of the day on your own. This evening, savour a dinner at one of three local restaurants with Your Choice Dining. (Full Breakfast / "Your Choice" Dinner)
Hotel: Victoria Marriott Inner Harbour
Day 4 Victoria – Sea-to-Sky Highway – Whistler
Return to the mainland and board your motorcoach for a drive along the scenic Sea-to-Sky Highway, which winds between the glittering waters of Howe Sound and the soaring Coastal Mountains. Feel the spray on your face and listen to the thunder of the water at the 1,105 foot (337 metre) high Shannon Falls near the town of Squamish, once the southern terminal of the Pacific Great Eastern Railway. This afternoon, arrive in Whistler where you'll check into your hotel for two nights. (Full Breakfast)
Hotel: Hilton Whistler Resort & Spa
Day 5 Whistler
Enjoy a guided walking tour led by a local specialist, learning about the resort and its significance to the 2010 Winter Olympics. Then step into a fascinating world where ancient ways meet modern life, at the Squamish Lil'wat Cultural Centre. Afternoon at leisure to enjoy this lovely mountain resort. (Full Breakfast)
Hotel: Hilton Whistler Resort & Spa
Day 6 Whistler – Sun Peaks
Leave Whistler and head through Cache Creek where you will discover some of the most beautiful scenery in Canada. Continue past historic Kamloops towards the thriving mountain resort of Sun Peaks. Here you will enjoy an interpretive walk and learn all about the local medicinal plants. During a dinner of regional specialities you will be joined by a Local Specialist who will give you a true insider's perspective on the past fur trapping and trading industry of the region. (Full Breakfast & Regional Meal)
Hotel: Sun Peaks Grand
Day 7 Sun Peaks – Rocky Mountain National Park – Banff
Sample the best of Canada's natural treasures in the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks. Travel through Mount Revelstoke National Park, home to old-growth rainforest of alpine meadows rich with wildflowers. Then, enter Glacier National Park and climb over stunning Rogers Pass—keep an eye out for native wildlife such as caribou, mountain goats and grizzly bears. After crossing the Columbia River, arrive in Yoho National Park with its towering waterfalls, ice-clad peaks and a natural bridge that spans the Kicking Horse River. Surmount the Continental Divide, and enter Banff National Park where you arrive at your quintessential alpine resort. Enjoy dinner and a Local Expert presentation where you will learn all about the Royal Canadian Mounted Police from a real life "Mountie." (Full Breakfast / Dinner)
Hotel: Banff Park Lodge
Day 8 Banff
Immerse yourself in the natural glories of Banff, including the classic viewpoint of Surprise Corner, spectacular Bow Falls and the hoodoo rock formations. Then board the Banff Gondola for a ride to the top of Sulphur Mountain for a bird's-eye view of six mountain ranges. Spend the rest of the day as you like; explore the shops along Banff Avenue, or join one of the many optional activities, including a scenic helicopter flight over Mount Assiniboine, a float trip down the Bow River or a fun-filled dinner show this evening. (Full Breakfast)
Hotel: Banff Park Lodge
Day 9 Banff – Lake Louise – Icefields Parkway – Jasper National Park
Arrive on the shores of lovely Lake Louise where you'll learn about the history and geology of the area on a short interpretive walk. Then, soak in the stunning scenery with its azure glacial waters surrounded by deep green forests and jagged snow-covered mountains. Head north amidst a landscape of towering peaks, thundering waterfalls and ancient glaciers, keeping an eye out for elk, black bear and mountain goat. Get ready for a unique adventure at the Columbia Icefield when you board an Ice Explorer on the massive Athabasca Glacier. More action is in store if you'd like to take an optional float trip on the Athabasca River on the way to Jasper. Stay in the heart of the park where you'll learn about the wildlife that call these stunning mountains home at an interactive, after-dinner presentation by a naturalist, your Local Expert, on Jasper wildlife. (Full Breakfast)
Hotel: The Sawridge Inn
Day 10 Jasper National Park
Start the day with an optional cruise on Maligne Lake before embarking on an interpretive walk at Maligne Canyon, one of the most beautiful gorges in the Rockies. Learn about the underground river system while strolling along the canyon's trail past beautiful waterfalls and spectacular rock formations.
Overnight - Jasper
Day 11
Today you will visit the highest point of the Canadian Rockies, Mount Robson. Ancient trees, thundering waterfalls and flower meadows are some of the spectacular views you can expect to witness.
Overnight - Chase
Day 12
Bid farewell, return to Vancouver today. The rest of the day is at your leisure
Overnight - Vancouver
Day 13
Fly to Toronto. On arrival you will be met, welcomed to the city and transferred to your hotel. The rest of the day is yours to discover the sights of Toronto aboard a Hop-On, Hop-Off London-style, double-decker sightseeing tour bus. (Full Breakfast)
Hotel: Sheraton Centre Toronto
Day 14 Niagara Falls Excursion
Experience the majesty of one of the world's great natural wonders. Travel through Niagara Peninsula, a lush wine-growing region, before arriving at Niagara Falls. Enjoy a panoramic view of the cascades before an exhilarating boat ride to the base of spectacular Horseshoe Falls. You'll have plenty of time for shopping and picture taking before continuing to the historic, picturesque community of Niagara-on-the-Lake. Finish your unforgettable Niagara visit with a wine tasting experience at a local winery. (Full Breakfast, Lunch)
Hotel: Sheraton Centre Toronto
Day 15 Depart Toronto
Your journey comes to an end with a transfer to Toronto International Airport or extend your stay at the Sheraton Centre Toronto Hotel. (Full Breakfast)
Day 16 Arrive back home
