Trans Canadian Adventure 2013

Day 2

VANCOUVER - STRAIT OF GEORGIA - VICTORIA (2 NIGHTS)

Be swept away by sparkling Vancouver with its sweeping views of English Bay. Set out for Stanley Park and its towering totem poles and explore the vibrant neighbourhoods of Chinatown and Gastown with their cobbled streets. Travel by ferry to cross the Strait of Georgia to Vancouver Island and Victoria, where you’ll see the lovely Inner Harbour and the impressive Parliament Buildings. Visit a family-owned winery and taste the perfectly balanced vintages carefully crafted with grapes farmed 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. Enjoy a private tour of the winery and learn how they have taken a more natural approach to pest control by using raptors to patrol the vineyards. This afternoon, tour the exhibits of cyde and free flight tropical butterflies at the Butterfly Gardens, an indoor world of tropical colour and sights and home to more than 3,000 butterflies.

Meal(s): (Full Breakfast / Be My Guest lunch)

Hotel: Victoria Marriott Inner Harbour Hotel (F)

Day 4

VICTORIA - SEA-TO-SKY HIGHWAY - WHISTLER

Return to the mainland and board your motorcoach for the scenic drive along the 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 337-metre high (1,105-foot) Shannon Falls near the town of Squamish, once the southern terminal of the Pacific Great Eastern Railway. This afternoon, arrive in Whistler and stretch your legs on a guided walking tour of the village that hosted part of the 2010 Winter Olympic Games. This evening, experience a progressive Highlight Dinner, enjoying your meal over the course of three restaurants in Whistler. Enjoy your appetiser and a drink at the first, your main meal at the second and round the evening off with dessert at a third local eatery.

Meal(s): (Full Breakfast / Highlight Dinner)

Hotel: Hilton Whistler Resort and Spa (SF)

Day 6

KAMLOOPS - CANADIAN ROCKY MOUNTAIN PARKS - BANFF (2 NIGHTS)

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 and alpine meadows rich with wildflowers. Next, 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, you’ll be on the western slopes of the Rocky Mountains in Yoho National Park with its towering waterfalls, ice-clad peaks and the Natural Bridge that spans the length of the Kicking Horse River. Surmount the Continental Divide, and enter Banff National Park where you arrive at your quintessential alpine resort.

Meal(s): (Full Breakfast / Dinner)

Hotel: Banff Park Lodge (F)

Day 8

BANFF - LAKE LOUISE - ICEFIELDS PARKWAY - JASPER

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 National Park. 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.

Meal(s): (Full Breakfast / Dinner)

Hotel: Chateau Jasper (SF)

Day 10 to Day 11

ONBOARD THE CANADIAN

Enjoy your comfortable compartment, delicious meals and gracious service. Unwind with a drink in the welcoming lounge and be sure to spend some time in the open dome car with panoramic views of the passing landscape. As your rail adventure continues, experience all the natural glory of Canada: snowcapped mountains, pristine lakes, expansive prairies stretching to the horizon, sparkling rivers and endless evergreen forests.

Meal(s): (Full Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner / Full Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner)

Day 13

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 falls before boarding the Maid of the Mist for 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 experience with a Wine Tasting at a local winery.

Meal(s): (Full Breakfast)