Canadian Winter Wonderland

Upon arrival, meet your tour manager and transfer to your hotel in Vancouver, where you’ll stay for the next three nights. Rest, relax and unwind, as you look forward to a wonderful winter break ahead.

Join this morning’s optional guided tour of Vancouver, which will include restored Gastown, hectic, colourful Chinatown, and the glass and steel wonders of the Burrard Inlet waterfront. Cross Lion’s Gate Bridge into the suburbs of North Vancouver and the wilderness beyond to brave the famous Capilano Bridge.

Today you'll have the chance to enjoy an optional full-day tour to beautiful Vancouver Island and the unashamedly 'British' provincial capital, Victoria, with its vast Parliament Buildings and grand old Fairmont Empress Hotel. This hugely enjoyable trip also includes a visit to world-famous, 50-acre Butchart Gardens, after which you’ll return to beautiful Vancouver to spend a last evening in the city.

Check out today and transfer to Whistler for a two-night stay via the scenic Sea-to-Sky Highway. Sit back and relax as you pass Vancouver’s city limits, and the urban scenery transforms into a pristine winter wonderland. 

Officially known as BC Highway 99, the Sea-to-Sky Highway begins at sea level, running alongside the shore of the Howe Sound, before weaving its way into the Coast Mountains and through the old-growth alpine forests to Whistler.

En route, you’ll stop at Shannon Falls, a short, scenic 10-minute walk from the parking area of the highway. Shannon Falls, likely frozen this time of year, is the third-highest waterfall in British Columbia and a great spot for a picturesque stretch of the legs.

Upon arrival at Whistler check-in at your new hotel, and enjoy the rest of the day at leisure.

Spend a morning at leisure exploring Whistler, venue of the 2010 Winter Olympics. Whistler is one of Canada’s most famous outdoor activity centres, and is surrounded by skiing and snowboarding slopes in the winter season. Enjoy a refreshing walk around the picturesque town centre, which is framed by snowy mountain peaks.

This afternoon, why not join the optional mountain excursion, which includes three wonderful cable-car rides? Sit back and take in extraordinary views from your glass-bottomed gondola as you make the 25-minute journey from Whistler Village to the top of Whistler Mountain, where refreshments are available, before you continue on the PEAK 2 PEAK gondola, to the top of the adjacent Blackcomb Mountain. The PEAK 2 PEAK gondola is the world’s longest unsupported gondola ride and covers nearly 2 miles! Once on Blackcomb Mountain, take some time here to soak up the sweeping views over Whistler Valley and beyond, before the third cable-car takes you back to Whistler, where the tour continues to Vallea Lumina, an immersive and magical multimedia experience in the forest surrounding Whistler. Spend a wonderful evening exploring the lit-up, enchanting forest, looking for cryptic clues that will teach you about some of Whistler’s oldest myths and legends.

Check out this morning and head to historic Kamloops on the Trans-Canada Highway. Enjoy a scenic journey as you pass by snowy alpine terrain framed by ice-capped peaks, arriving in Kamloops by mid-afternoon, the staging point for your journey into the Rockies.

Enjoy time at leisure, exploring this historic town with its many cosy bars and restaurants, from the comfort of your centrally located hotel.

Continue your journey into the majestic Rockies today, calling at the beautiful, glacier-fed Lake Louise, where frozen turquoise waters are set against the backdrop of Victoria Glacier. You’ll make a stop at the stunning lakeside Fairmont Chateau to soak up the wonderful views, before continuing to Banff, the Rockies' delightful, bustling capital, for a three-night stay.

Today, you’ll have the opportunity to join a choice of memorable optional excursions, including skiing, snow-walking, and an unforgettable helicopter ride, which will take you out toward the Three Sisters Peaks (Hope, Charity and Faith) and the Spray Valley. You’ll see the magnificent Goat Ranges, where you’ll get a fantastic view of the radiant aqua-turquoise colours of the Spray Lakes and the rugged peaks of the Rockies. 

Alternatively, you might choose to rest and relax in the hotel, perhaps sitting cosily by the fire with a book and hot chocolate.

Spend your second evening in Banff soaking up the atmosphere of this mountain paradise, and perhaps dining out in one of the town's vast choice of restaurants and bars.

A number of optional excursions await today, including a fascinating wildlife tour, a ride on the Banff Gondola and tubing in the snow. Banff National Park provides the perfect winter habitat for many wonderful animals, including elk, osprey, bighorn sheep and even grizzly bears! The wildlife tour will also take in Bow Falls, Surprise Corner Lookout, Hoodoos Viewpoint and Lake Minnewanka, with included refreshments in the form of hot chocolate and maple cookies at one of the many scenic stops. 

Alternatively, the Banff Gondola departs from the town and takes you above the snow-covered forest and to the top of Sulphur Mountain, from where, on a good day, you can see the Rockies stretch out for miles.

However you decide to spend your day, enjoy a final evening in Canada tonight, no doubt reflecting on a wonderful winter break.

Enjoy a morning at leisure in Banff, then transfer to Calgary for your return overnight flight, bringing a fantastic break to an end.

Early morning arrival.