Canadian Wildlife & Vancouver Island - Reverse

Welcome to one of the most beautiful and picturesque cities in the world,
Vancouver. This cosmopolitan and diverse metropolis is a real contrast to the
rest of British Columbia, but always proves to be a highlight. A highlight
for many people is Stanley Park, a 400-hectare green wonderland where you can
see authentic totem poles erected in the 1920s or sit in one of the cafes and
enjoy a spot of people watching.

A welcome meeting will be held at 18:00 hrs in the hotel lobby, where you'll
meet your tour guide and fellow travellers.

As you board the ferry to Vancouver Island and take in the amazing views
across the Salish Sea, your Canadian adventure is under way! You'll arrive in
Victoria, Vancouver Island's main city and the capital of British Columbia.
It's a remarkable mix of English Edwardian, First Nations and Chinese
architecture, and was home to the first Chinatown in Canada. Victoria is
well-known for being the ultimate place to spot Orcas so we have included a
zodiac tour to search for these magnificent mammals in their natural
environment. In the late afternoon we'll also enjoy a brief tour of the
city's highlights with free time for you to explore afterwards.

Beaches, trails and rainforest await in the Pacific Rim - enjoy the scenery
and breathe in that fresh island air! We follow one of the most picturesque
and rugged coastal routes in British Columbia and keep an eye out for
wildlife whilst enjoying the bracing sea breeze. The afternoon is free to
enjoy as you wish with kayaking, hiking or the option to join a whale
watching boat trip. Our overnight location will be Ucluelet (pronounced
'Yew-Kloo-Let') which is our base for the next two nights. 

Optional activities:

* Zodiac whale watching adventure CAD $130 per half day
* Sea Kayaking CAD $130 per half day

The west coast of Vancouver Island is well-known for its whale and bear
sightings. This morning we undertake a boat trip for a unique chance to
observe Black bears searching for crabs and clams on the rocky beaches near
Tofino. Experienced on-board guides know the area in depth, and we may even
be lucky enough to spot whales on this tour. The afternoon is free to enjoy
another optional activity - try a zodiac whale watching boat trip, sea
kayaking, or discover the many hiking trails in this area (see previous day
for guideline prices)

Leaving the west coast of Vancouver Island we drive north through some
incredibly scenic areas. We'll make a stop at Cathedral Grove, where there
are many trails which meander through the Douglas Fir, Western Hemlock, Grand
Fir and Western Red Cedar trees. Our destination today is Port Hardy,
Vancouver Island's most northerly town. Port Hardy was named after
Vice-Admiral Sir Thomas Masterman Hardy, former captain of HMS Victory, and
is the gateway to the amazing stretch of water known as the Inside Passage.

An absolute delight for wildlife lovers, the Inside Passage offers one of the
most amazing ferry journeys in the whole of North America, with everything
from frozen fjords to forest-covered hillsides flanking your route. The
journey involves taking a 10-hour direct ferry and the scenery is simply
spectacular: towering, forest-clad peaks surround the deep fjords and those
with a keen eye can often spot Bald eagles and bears. The Inside Passage also
supports one of the world's richest marine environments and it may be
possible to see Grey whales, Orcas, Pacific White Sided and occasionally
Humpback whales. The remoteness of the Inside Passage is its most stunning
feature; this area is largely inaccessible by road and the tiny communities
that spread along it rely on boats for transportation. 

Bella Coola is located at the point where the Bella Coola River joins with
the saltwater of the Pacific Ocean. Here, amongst the lush valley bottoms and
snow-capped peaks, some of the largest Grizzly bear in the world reside and
this little community is gaining a reputation as one of the best places to
spot them in British Columbia. The best time of year to view Grizzly bear is
from the middle of August to the end of September as this is when they
descend from the mountains to catch salmon in the rivers and eat berries. In
season, it's possible to join an optional excursion in search of Grizzly
bear. Outside of bear season there's a selection of excellent hikes on offer
and plenty of optional activities, such as fishing and wildlife viewing.

Optional activities:

• Grizzly bear watching (mid Aug - end of Sept) CAD$195

• Wildlife Rafting tour CAD$100

Tweedsmuir Provincial Park is completely off the radar for most tour groups,
despite being named as British Columbia's most beautiful park. It was named
after the 15th Governor General of Canada, Baron Tweedsmuir, who travelled
extensively throughout the area by float plane and horseback. The park has
varied landscapes on offer, and you can expect to come face to face with
rugged mountains, deep lush valleys and spectacular ocean fjords. A healthy
population of Grizzly and Black bear exists throughout the park, as well as
elk, deer, moose and coyote; it is possible to see any of these whilst
visiting Tweedsmuir. Wildlife aside, the colours of the mountains combined
with the flora and the wilderness feel will ensure that Tweedsmuir is a park
that you'll remember. 

Our overnight location for the next two nights is on picturesque Nimpo Lake,
a popular lake for fly fishing that supports an eclectic mix of wildlife.
This area has very basic facilities but is extremely beautiful and off the
tourist trail.

Please note: due to the remote nature of this property, some cabins will be
more basic than others, often with shared bathroom facilities with a capacity
of two to four people maximum. 

We have a full day free to explore Tweedsmuir Provincial Park today. There
are different hikes that can be done in the area, at Mt. Kappan, near Anahim
Lake or at Rando Burnt Ridge, or you can simply enjoy the resort at Nimpo
Lake.

Our travels continue to Clearwater, the gateway to Wells Gray Provincial Park
where we can discover the parks forest trails and bewitching waterfalls.

As the highest peak in the Canadian Rockies, Mount Robson is a stunning
sight. Pause to take in over 3,000m (10,000 ft.) of snow-capped loveliness.
We have the option to hike at Kinney Lake, located in the Mount Robson
Provincial Park. A visit to Miette Hot Springs is included, to relax your
muscles at the end of the day. Our overnight location will be around forty
minutes out of town, in Jasper National Park.

Jasper is much quieter and less developed than Banff, which means it is much
easier to escape the crowds and spend the day getting to know the national
park and its surroundings. There are several options for today. We
recommend taking the SkyTram and walking to the summit, which provides
fantastic views over the Canadian Rockies. Alternatively, there are various
hikes at Mount Edith Cavell including a short hike in the alpine meadows with
chances to see caribou, and from where you'll enjoy spectacular views of
Angel Glacier, a beautiful hanging glacier in the shape of angel wings.

Optional activities:

* SkyTram cable car CA$50
* Float trip on the Athabasca River CA$70

Brace yourself, as this morning we travel on one of the most famous and
beautiful drives in the world, the Icefields Parkway. This spectacular road
traverses the Rockies, running parallel to the Continental Divide. Mountain
passes, glaciers and high peaks are some of the many scenic highlights and
there are opportunities to see elk, caribou, bears, Bighorn Sheep and goats,
which often graze on the vegetation found at the roadside. We stop at all of
the 'must see' sights, including Bow Summit and Bow Lake, Peyto Lake and
Crowfoot Glacier. There is the option to enjoy a guided glacier walk along
the way.

Optional activities:

* Guided glacier walk CA$100 (CA$60 for under 17s)

Banff National Park is one of the highlights of any visit to Western Canada,
with its magnificent mountains, lakes and forests. Banff was Canada's first
national park and is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Banff town can easily
be explored on foot and with plenty of optional activities there's more than
enough to fill your time. Check out the iconic Banff Springs Hotel where
tourism in the Canadian Rockies first began, visit some of the many souvenir
shops in town or take a short trail to the tumbling Bow Falls. You could also
walk along Tunnel Mountain trail for a view of Banff and the Bow Valley. Take
the gondola up to Sulphur Mountain for rewarding panoramic views of the
Rockies, or simply relax in the heated, natural pools of the Banff Hot
Springs.

Optional activities:

* Aerial gondola/tramway CAD$49-64
* Hot Springs CA$9

Today will be the end of your tour of the Canadian Rockies as you head to the
city of Calgary, a cosmopolitan Alberta city with skyscrapers and a booming
oil business industry. Calgary has historically been famous for its Wild West
roots but in recent years it has become a dynamic and vibrant city. It’s
oozing with the Western culture that earned it the nickname ‘Cowtown’,
evident in the Calgary Stampede. If you'd like to extend your stay to take in
the sights of Calgary after the tour ends, please make your accommodation
reservation at the time of booking. For everyone else, it's time to say
goodbye but rest assured you'll be leaving with plenty of wilderness
memories, wildlife photographs and maybe even a few sticky maple syrup sweets
for your journey home.
This tour ends at our gateway hotel in Calgary at approximately 17:00 hrs. We
can book your post-tour accommodation if required. If you are planning to fly
tonight, please do not book a flight that departs before 21:00 hrs.