Western Dreams
This is an action-packed tour with loads of included activities for all the family to enjoy. The ideal way to see breathtaking scenery and keep everyone amused so that you will all have great memories of Canada.
Tour starts in Calgary, Alberta and finishes in Vancouver, British Columbia.
Typical Itinerary
| Day 1 | Arrive at Calgary and transfer to your hotel. Overnight in Calgary. |
| Day 2 | Visit the Badlands of Alberta and delve 65 million years back into the time when dinosaurs roamed this part of the earth. See the dinosaur fossil digs where Hadrosaur and Tyrannosaurus Rex are uncovered. Find out more at the Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology.
Overnight in Calgary. |
| Day 3 | Today see a WWII Lancaster Bomber at Nanton. Then visit the World Heritage Site, Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump. Here the native people of the North American plains chased buffalo to a precipice where they jumped to their death, the people carving up their carcasses in the camp below. Marvel at the unique Hoodoo rock formations formed by nature eroding the rock by wind and rain.
Overnight in Calgary. |
| Day 4 | Explore Banff National Park. Hot springs discovered by Canadian Pacific railroad workers in 1883 marked the beginning of this, the first Canadian National Park. Tour the historic sites, soak in the hot springs, take a tour by gondola up Sulphur Mountain, visit Bow Falls and explore the mountain village of Banff.
Overnight in Banff. |
| Day 5 | Spend a day on the water with a canoe trip, floating down the Bow River on a replica fur trader canoe. A friendly guide will pilot the canoe and tell you about the history of the region en route. With the Rockies as your backdrop, this is a wonderful way of spending the day.
Overnight in Banff. |
| Day 6 | Try some of the other activities on offer in Banff such as hiking, mountain biking, horse riding or take a relaxing dip in a whirlpool spa.
Overnight in Banff. |
| Day 7 | Drive to Jasper along the spectacular Icefields Parkway. Take a SnoCoach ride lasting 1 hour 20 minutes onto the glacier where you can walk and taste pure glacial water.
Peyto Lake, fed by runoff from the Peyto Glacier is also well worth stopping at for fantastic views. Overnight in Jasper. |
| Day 8 | Board a raft piloted by an experienced guide for a 3-hour introduction to white water rafting down the Athabasca River. Don't worry, it's ideal for all the family!
Overnight in Jasper. |
| Day 9 | Follow the Yellowhead Highway past Mount Robson, the highest peak in the Rockies which is often snow-clad.
On the way to Sun Peaks a visit to the Wells Gray Provincial Park is well worth it. Overnight in Sun Peaks. |
| Day 10 | Continue today past Kamloops into the sagebrush covered landscape along the South Thompson River. Enter Fraser Canyon to see the 34-metre high Hell's Gate falls. Further downstream you can relax in Harrison Hot Springs.
Overnight in Harrison Hot Springs. |
| Day 11 | Your journey reaches the Pacific Ocean today as you head for Victoria, the capital of British Columbia on the southern tip of Vancouver Island.
Overnight in Victoria. |
| Day 12 | Take a trip out onto the ocean today on a whale-watching expedition, accompanied by three certified naturalists who can explain about the wildlife you encounter. You will also get a chance to listen to the whale song on hydrophones.
Overnight in Victoria. |
| Day 13 | Take the ferry back to Vancouver and spend the day exploring this vibrant city.
Overnight in Vancouver. |
| Day 14 | You have today to explore Vancouver with a native cultural tour of the totem poles in Stanley Park and a visit to the Museum of Anthropology, First Nation's House of Learning & Native Education Centre.
Overnight in Vancouver. |
| Day 15 | Return flight from Vancouver. |
