Canada: The Rockies Tour

Mountains reflecting in Bow Lake along the Icefields Parkway ©Stevin Tuchiwsky @stevint, Travel Alberta
Boats in Vancouver Harbour ©Destination Vancouver, Suzanne Rushton
Peace Bridge during the day with Calgary downtown in the background ©Travel Alberta, Sabrina Hill

11 day tour

Prices available on request

Welcome to Canada

Canada is more than its hulking-mountain, craggy-coast good looks: it also cooks extraordinary meals, rocks cool culture and unfurls wild, moose-spotting road trips.

The Great Outdoors

The globe’s second-biggest country has an endless variety of landscapes. Furthermore, sky-high mountains, glinting glaciers, spectral rainforests and remote beaches are all here, spread across six times zones. It’s the backdrop for plenty of ah-inspiring moments – and, also, for a big cast of local characters. That’s big as in polar bears, grizzly bears, whales and, everyone’s favorite, moose. Additionally, the terrain also makes for a fantastic playground. Whether it’s snowboarding Whistler’s mountains, surfing Nova Scotia’s swells or kayaking the white-frothed South Nahanni River in the Northwest Territories, adventures abound. There are gentler options, too, like strolling Vancouver’s Stanley Park or swimming off Prince Edward Island’s pink-sand beaches.

Captivating Cultures

Sip a café au lait and tear into a flaky croissant at a sidewalk bistro in Montréal; head to an Asian night market and slurp noodles in Vancouver; join a wild-fiddling Celtic party on Cape Breton Island; kayak between rainforest-cloaked Aboriginal villages on Haida Gwaii: Canada is incredibly diverse across its breadth and within its cities. You’ll hear it in the music, see it in the arts and taste it in the cuisine.

Foodie Fare

Canada is a local food smorgasbord. If you grazed from west to east across the country, you’d fill your plate like this: wild salmon and velvety scallops in British Columbia, poutine (golden fries topped with gravy and cheese curds) in Québec, and lobster with a dab of melted butter in the Maritime provinces. Tastemakers may not tout Canadian food the way they do, say, Italian or French fare, so let’s just call the distinctive seafood, piquant cheeses, and fresh, seasonal fruits and veggies our little secret. Ditto for the award-winning bold reds and crisp whites produced from the country’s vine-striped valleys.

Artistic Flair

The arts are an integral part of Canada’s cultural landscape. You’ll find it from the International Fringe Theater Festival (the world’s second-largest) in Edmonton to mega museums like Ottawa’s National Gallery. Likewise, Montreal’s Jazz Festival and Toronto’s star-studded Film Festival draw global crowds. Also, did you know Ontario’s Stratford Festival is the continent’s largest classical repertory theater? Even places you might not automatically think of – say, St John’s or Woody Point – put on renowned shindigs (an avant-garde ‘sound symposium’ and a big-name writers festival, respectively).

The Rockies

Finally, the towering heights of the Canadian Rocky Mountains are background to this captivating 11-day programme from Calgary to Vancouver. Explore the Rockies while visiting major cities like Calgary, Banff, Jasper, Kamloops, Whistler, Victoria and Vancouver.

For more Canada destinations, Click Here.

Dates

Dates on request

Suggested Itinerary by Air

Day 1

Depart the UK

Fly to Calgary International Airport. Transfer to the hotel for the overnight. Remainder of the day is at leisure.

Day 2

Calgary to Banff

Begin the day with a tour of the picturesque city of Calgary. Highlights include outside views of the Olympic Park, the site of the 1988 Winter Olympics, and the Calgary Tower. In the afternoon travel through the foothills of the Rocky Mountains towards Banff National Park, where you will catch the first glimpse of the majestic Rockies. Transfer to your hotel for your two-night stay in Banff.

Day 3

Banff

Today features a sightseeing tour of Banff, including a stop at Bow Falls, Johnston Canyon, Vermillion Lake and Lake Louise. The remainder of the day is at leisure.

Day 4

Banff to Jasper

The journey of the day promises to be a highlight of the program. Travel north along the Icefields Parkway to experience a wealth of breathtaking scenery. Enter Jasper National Park and join the Athabasca River as it leads you into the town of Jasper. Transfer to your hotel for your overnight stay in Jasper.

Day 5

Jasper to Kamloops

Depart Jasper via Mount Robson, the highest peak in the Canadian Rockies, and the Yellowhead Highway to Kamloops. Transfer to your hotel for your overnight stay in Kamloops.

Day 6

Kamloops to Whistler

Today the journey will be through the ranch lands through Cache Creek and Lillooet, once an important town during the days of the Gold Rush. Then along the Duffy Lake Road to the resort town of Whistler, home of the 2010 Winter Olympics. Transfer to your hotel for your overnight stay in Whistler.

Day7

Whistler to Victoria

Leaving Whistler this morning, travel along the scenic Sea to Sky Highway, through Howe Sound to Horsehoe Bay to board the B.C. ferry for the crossing to Vancouver Island. Upon arrival in Nanaimo, journey along the costal route through Chemainus, to view the life-size murals, depicting the way of life in the region and in Duncan to see the collection of totem poles. Transfer to your hotel for your two-night stay in Victoria.

Day 8

Victoria

A morning sightseeing tour of Victoria, including the Parliament Buildings, the impressive Empress Hotel, the Inner Harbour, Thunderbird and Beacon Hill parks, the University of Victoria and many other highlights. The afternoon is at leisure to explore Victoria or take a whale watching cruise or visit the British Columbia Royal Museum on an optional basis.

Day 9

Victoria to Vancouver

After the morning at leisure, board the B.C. ferry at Swartz Bay in the afternoon for the scenic cruise through the Gulf Islands back to the mainland. Upon arrival at Tsawwassen, continue to Vancouver where you will transfer to your hotel for your two-night stay in Vancouver.

Day 10

Vancouver

This morning features a sightseeing tour of Vancouver. Highlights include Stanley Park, English Bay, Gastown and Chinatown and other highlights. The afternoon is at leisure to explore Vancouver on an individual basis.

Day 11

Return to the UK

A time for last minute shopping and sightseeing before you transfer to Vancouver International Airport for your overnight flight back to the UK.

When To Go:

High Season (Jun–Aug): Sunshine and warm weather prevail; far northern regions briefly thaw. Accommodation prices peak (up 30% on average). December through March is equally busy and expensive in ski resort towns. Shoulder (May, Sep & Oct): Crowds and prices drop off. Temperatures are cool but comfortable. Attractions keep shorter hours. Fall foliage areas (eg Cape Breton, Québec) remain busy. Low Season (Nov–Apr): Places outside the big cities and ski resorts close. Darkness and cold take over. April and November are particularly good for bargains.

Things To Know:

Etiquette

Canadians are a fairly relaxed crowd and don’t offend easily; however, some rules of etiquette do apply.

Politeness Canadians value their please and thank-yous. Bumping into someone without apologizing or not thanking someone for holding the door will earned shocked looks.
Patriotism Commenting that Canadians and Americans aren’t much different is considered highly offensive.
Language In French-speaking areas, always attempt to speak French before English (regardless of how poor your French is).
Lining up While Canadians usually tut rather than speak out, jumping ahead in line is an exception and can cause a full-blown argument.

History

The human story of Canada begins around 15,000 years ago, when Aboriginal locals began carving thriving communities from the abundant wilderness. Everything changed, though, when the Europeans rolled in from the late 15th century onward, staking claims that triggered rumbling conflicts and eventually shaped a vast new nation. Much of this colorful heritage is accessible to visitors, with more than 950 national historic sites covering everything from forts to battlefields to famous homes.

Health and Insurance

Health Insurance

Canada offers some of the finest health care in the world. However, unless you are a Canadian citizen, it can be prohibitively expensive. It’s essential to purchase travel health insurance if your regular policy doesn’t cover you when you’re abroad. Check www.lonelyplanet.com/travel-insurance for supplemental insurance information.

Bring medications you may need clearly labeled in their original containers. A signed, dated letter from your physician that describes your medical conditions and medications, including generic names, is also a good idea.

Health Insurance; a policy covering medical expenses is highly recommended.

Vaccinations; No special vaccines are required or recommended for travel to Canada. All travelers should be up to date on routine immunizations.

Stats

Currency: Canadian dollar, Primary Language: English, French, Primary Religion: 43% Roman Catholic, Population: 34.6 million, Time Zone: see below.

Newfoundland Standard Time (GMT/UTC minus 3½ hours)

Atlantic Standard Time (GMT/UTC minus four hours)

Eastern Standard Time (GMT/UTC minus five hours)

Central Standard Time (GMT/UTC minus six hours)

Mountain Standard Time (GMT/UTC minus seven hours)

Pacific Standard Time (GMT/UTC minus eight hours)

Visa Requirements:

British citizens are required to apply for a Canada eTA visa to enter Canada on a short term basis (under 90 days) for general tourism, business, transit or medical purposes. … It is advised that British citizens complete their eTA application 72 hours prior to their departure date.

For more information please visit the link below:

Canada Visa Information

Tour will run with a minimum of 10 passengers. Prices are subject to availability and final confirmation by the airline. The tour is based on an exchange rate of 1 GBP = 1.88 CAD subject to change at booking time. All prices are per person. Price and free place for group organiser in twin share room are based on a minimum 14, 19 or 24 full fare paying passengers sharing a double or twin room. Prices do not include UK airport transfers. Prices are subject to availability of all services and are not guaranteed. Picture is for illustrative purposes only.

Greatdays Holidays Limited has an ATOL licence (4279) and all of our air package tours are protected under this licence. In the unlikely event of our insolvency, the Civil Aviation Authority will ensure that you are not stranded abroad and will arrange to refund any monies you have paid to us for an advance booking. All the flights and flight-inclusive holidays on this website are financially protected by the ATOL scheme. When you pay you will be supplied with an ATOL Certificate. Please ask for it and check to ensure that everything you booked (flights, hotels and other services) is listed on it. Please see our booking conditions for further information or for more information about financial protection and the ATOL Certificate go to: www.atol.org.uk/ATOLCertificate

Our website policy is to use only copyright free images or images which have been authorised to us for free use by the owner. If you consider an image to be unauthorised or to be your property, please contact us immediately and if valid we will have the image removed. If your image requires crediting or is missing a copyright statement then we will be pleased to add this to the webpage, contact us at info@greatdays.co.uk

A group is 10 persons or more. Smaller groups can be accommodated. Picture is for illustrative purposes only. Greatdays Holidays Limited has an ATOL licence (4279) and all of our air package tours are protected under this licence. In the unlikely event of our insolvency, the Civil Aviation Authority will ensure that you are not stranded abroad and will arrange to refund any monies you have paid to us for an advance booking. All the flights and flight-inclusive holidays on this email are financially protected by the ATOL scheme. When you pay you will be supplied with an ATOL Certificate. Please ask for it and check to ensure that everything you booked (flights, hotels and other services).