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VACATION FEATURES: Accommodation In hotels in Calgary, Banff, Jasper, Vancouver and Victoria. Private villa accommodation in Gibsons (Sunshine Coast) and Bowser (Vancouver Island). RedLeaf rail service between Jasper and Vancouver. Mid-size car from Vancouver onward. Ferry reservations (fare not included). Meals onboard the Rocky Mountaineer. Organized sightseeing in Banff, Jasper, and Vancouver. Organized excursions to Whistler, Tofino, and Victoria.

DAY 1 Arrive in Calgary, Alberta
Transfer to your hotel. Overnight in Calgary. Ramada Hotel or similar.

DAY 2 Calgary – Banff
This morning travel to Banff National Park. As Canada’s oldest national park -- and the world’s third oldest -- Banff is the jewel in the national park system’s crown. Banff was founded in 1885 by then-Prime Minister Sir John A Macdonald. The dedicated site was 10 square miles; today the park is 6642km2 (2564 sq. miles) in area.

Banff National Park, along with its neighbouring parks in Alberta and British Columbia --Jasper, Yoho and Revelstoke -- is listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. As you enter Banff and the Rocky Mountains, keep a look out for wildlife. Banff has a vast array of wild animals: blissfully fearless bighorn sheep, mountain goats, soft-eyed deer, lumbering moose, grizzly bears and black bears, to mention but a few.

You arrive in Banff town, which is alpine-like and cheerful. The town had humble beginnings and was dramatically changed with the introduction of the Canadian Pacific Railway in 1883. The area soon became popular with the well-to-do as a centre for therapeutic relief through the town’s natural hot springs. Included today is a gondola ride up Sulphur Mountain, where you enjoy panoramic views of the Bow Valley below. Overnight in Banff. Banff Cariboo Lodge or similar.

Day 3 BANFF-LAKE LOUISE
This morning you travel along the Bow Valley Parkway to Lake Louise, the park’s main attraction. Situated at an elevation of 1731 m (5680 feet) above sea-level, the lake’s mainly turquoise-to-dark green waters stretch over 2km (1.25miles). Victoria Glacier, which nearly reaches down to the lake, makes this view one of Canada’s most picturesque. You may wish to enjoy a stroll lakeside or perhaps stop for tea in the Chateau Lake Louise hotel.

This afternoon you travel into British Columbia and Yoho National Park and continue through Kicking Horse Pass. As you enter the park, you will stop at the Spiral Tunnel viewpoint, which provides a good view of the daringly engineered rail track and see its two spiral tunnels. From here, you continue on to Emerald Lake before returning to Lake Louise for the evening. Time and weather permitting, you may also visit Takakkaw Falls, Moraine Lake and the Valley of Ten Peaks. Overnight in Lake Louise. Lake Louise Inn or similar.

DAY 4 LAKE LOUISE-JASPER
Today is a full day travelling the Icefield Parkway into Jasper National Park. Jasper is Canada’s largest national park at 10,787 km2 (4199 sq miles). The parkway is scenic and wildlife abound. Keep an eye out for bighorn sheep, duelling mountain goats, antler-clad elk and mother bears with their cubs!

You visit the 10-km (6-mile) Athabasca Glacier, a white tongue of the huge Columbia Icefield that once covered most of Canada. The Icefield began retreating over 10,000 years ago, but it still forms the largest accumulation of ice in the Rocky Mountains. You will visit the Athabasca Glacier visitors’ centre and then take a “snocoach” ride on the glacier. Our guide will show us some of the fascinating crevasses, moraines and moulins of the terrain as the expert driver takes us around the highlights. Continue to Jasper town. Overnight in Jasper. Marmor Lodge or similar.

DAY 5 JASPER – KAMLOOPS
Jasper was an important staging point on the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway during the early 1900s. Today the town is the headquarters of the Jasper National Park and a major wilderness destination. This morning you transfer to the Jasper railway station where you board the Rocky Mountaineer service to Vancouver.

DAY 6 KAMLOOPS – VANCOUVER
Today you continue your journey by train westward, travelling along the Thompson River to the Fraser Canyon. En route the train will pass Hell’s Gate gorge and then continue into the lush Fraser Valley. Later in the afternoon the train will enter the Greater Vancouver region. Arriving in the city centre before dinner. Overnight in Vancouver. Empire Landmark Hotel or similar.

Day 7 VANCOUVER-GIBSONS
Vancouver is Canada’s third largest city and arguably the country’s best situated and most beautiful. Vancouver is a city where mountain meets sea and has unforgettable vistas. Today you visit the fashionable West Side and the University of British Columbia campus. After a brief campus tour, you will visit the Museum of Anthropology. Here is the best collection of West Coast aboriginal art in the North America and it is housed in an award-winning building reminiscent of a giant traditional longhouse. From here you visit Queen Elizabeth Park, situated in the centre of the city. The park has beautiful views of the city skyline and has beautiful manicured gardens and ponds. In the afternoon you will tour the city centre, taking in Chinatown , Gastown, English Bay, the West End and Robson Street.

Later, you pick up your car and drive to the Horseshoe Bay ferry terminal for a short ferry ride to Langdale (about 45mins). Overnight in Gibsons.

DAY 8 WHISTLER
This morning, you depart for Langdale and walk on the ferry for Horseshoe Bay. At the Horseshoe Bay terminal, your coach will be waiting to take you to Whistler. You will travel the scenic Sea-to-Sky Highway along Howe Sound. Further along, at the town of Squamish, the highway turns inland and cuts through the Cheakamus Canyon to the resort municipality of Whistler, the number one ski resort in North America. Whistler has over 200 varied runs that cover its two mountains -- Whistler Mountain and Blackcomb Mountain. Blackcomb provides 1,600 m (5,284 feet) of continuous skiing -- the highest rise served by lifts in North America. Whistler has become a year-round resort and offers hiking, biking, sailing, golfing, sunning and relaxing in the summertime. The whole area is alive with activity and is brimming with shops, restaurants, nightspots and galleries. In Whistler you will enjoy a tour of the area, visiting Lost Lake, Emerald Lake and the village. Whistler, in conjunction with Vancouver, has secured the 2010 Winter Olympics.

Overnight in Gibsons.

DAY 9 TRAVEL TO VICTORIA
Sightseeing in Victoria. Here, we tour Butchart Gardens, a wonderful garden alive with thousands of bulbs in bloom and a host of flowering trees and shrubs. Later, we enjoy a sumptuous meal in the Empress Hotel. After further exploration of the capital, we drive to Imagine Lake Cottage at Mesachie Lake, site of our picturesque lakeside accommodation in the Lake Cowichan area.

Overnight in Cowichan.

DAY 10-11 RELAX IN COWICHAN
Surrounded by spectacular nature and basking in a tranquility only untouched countryside can bring, our villa is ideally situated for relaxation or adventure; saunter along forest paths keeping a lookout for birds and wildlife, or recline next to the lake enjoying memorable vistas with cocktail in hand.

DAY 12 TRAVEL TO CHEMAINUS
The charming seaside village of Chemainus is famous for its outdoor murals, which were started in 1982 when its inhabitants invited internationally renowned artists to use the town as a canvass. Today, more than 37 murals and 13 sculptures depict the town’s history.

Overnight in Imagine Lake Cottage, near Cowichan Lake.

DAY 13 TRAVEL VIA PARKSVILLE TO BOWSER
Sometimes dubbed ‘The Jewel of Vancouver Island’, Parksville proves a beautiful stop-off point on our route to Bowser and it is currently the home of the SS Minnow, of the TV show Gilligan’s Island fame.

Overnight in Imagine Beach Cottage, Bowser.

DAY 14 TRAVEL TO NANAIMO

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