Canadian Parks West from Vancouver

Our routes have been carefully chosen to include the best overnight stops, highlights and included experiences, with plenty of optional activities to choose from. No two Western Canada tours are the same, with stops at some of your tour leader's favourite places and occasional changes to the itinerary, so get ready for one awesome adventure!As this tour departs at 07:30 hrs we recommend that you book pre tour accommodation. Please request further details at time of booking.Also departs from Calgary

Day: 1-2

After a scenic ferry ride over to Vancouver Island, you arrive in Victoria, known as British Columbia's 'City of Gardens', where the intrepid outdoor type will feel right at home. With a rugged, beautiful shoreline and a relaxed way of life, there's no surprise people never want to leave. Enjoy an orientation walk of the city with your tour leader, and try to catch the BC Parliament Buildings lit up by more than 3,000 lightbulbs at night, it's a magical sight!

• Vancouver
• Victoria

Day: 3-5

Tofino is a picture-perfect place with stunning beaches that will 'wow' even the most discerning travellers, and with three nights in the area you can really explore. With so many activities on offer you won't know where to begin but an included bear viewing cruise is a pretty good place to start! This area is a hotspot for seeing bear, but you may also spot whales too. Head back out onto the water for some optional sea kayaking between the secluded coves or to join a dedicated whale watching excursion. In Tofino it's not just the abundance of amazing wildlife that will impress, there are also some great hiking trails just waiting for you to explore. Enjoy a walk with your leader on the Wild Side Trail and check out the park's massive cedars, Douglas Fir and maple trees that measure up to 13 metres around!

• Pacific Rim National Park
• Tofino

Day: 6-7

Take a scenic ferry ride back to the mainland, and travel the old Gold Rush Trail through Cache Creek towards Whistler. Surrounded by mountains, Whistler's an adventure lover's paradise, so be sure to make the most of the exciting and thrilling activities on offer. Hike the trails, try some awesome mountain biking, fly through the air on a vertigo inducing zip line through the tree tops, or ride the gondola for stunning views. Whatever you decide to do, adventure is well and truly alive in Whistler, so embrace it.

• Whistler

Day: 8-9

The stillness, silence and isolation go up another notch in Wells Gray Provincial Park. You'll be surrounded by incredible views of mountains, deep canyons, volcanic cones and old-growth forests. Hike to the stunning Helmcken Falls, a 141 metre waterfall on the Murtle River, and one of the reasons for the creation of Wells Gray Provincial Park. Hopefully you've packed your sense of adventure! An included overnight canoe trip delivers pure away-from-it-all escapism and a remote experience which is truly spectacular.

• Wells Gray Provincial Park
• Wells Gray overnight wilderness canoe trip

Day: 10-11

Experience mountain life in charming Jasper, the perfect place to get up close and personal with nature without the crowds! As you explore the trails, keep your eyes peeled for the park's wildlife including Black and Grizzly Bear, caribou and even wolves. Walk with your tour leader on the Athabasca Falls/Maligne Canyon trail for some high-altitude views. Biking your way round this epic national park is also great way to see it, so what are you waiting for?

• Jasper National Park

Day: 12-13

Today's drive takes you cruising along the stunning Icefields Parkway. Running parallel to the Continental Divide, it's one of the world's finest drives with the real 'wow' factor!  Next up, you reach Yoho National Park. 'Yoho' comes from the Cree word for ‘awe and wonder’, and as soon as you start hiking through this national park, you'll soon see how it got its name. The scenery will continue to impress as you walk to Takakkaw Falls, cascading from the mountains to the valley below, and lay your eyes on the incredible Emerald Lake with its glacial hues and forest backdrop. Your leader will guide you on the Wapta Falls and Emerald Loop Trail to explore the best of Yoho. If you're feeling adventurous, embrace your wild side with some white water rafting down the aptly named Kicking Horse River, which offers some of the best rapids in the world.

• Icefields Parkway
• Yoho National Park

Day: 14-16

The 'Gem of the Rockies' is up next and boy are you in for a treat! You can expect great things on a trip to Lake Louise, with blue skies and even bluer waters. The water is always a little chilly, so a swim might not be an option, but you can always rent a canoe from the Lake Louise Boathouse and surround yourself with the beautiful scenery instead. Banff is Canada's first national park and it's definitely up there with the best national parks in the world. However you choose to explore Banff you'll be left speechless by its endless beauty. Your leader will guide you on the Johnston Canyon to Lower Falls & Moraine Lakeshore Trail for amazing scenic views. Stretch your legs and breathe in the fresh mountain air on the showstopping trails with mirrored lakes and chiselled canyons. You can even fly overhead in a helicopter for the ultimate view. One dunk in the hot springs plus a drink or two later and you'll sleep like a log.

• Lake Louise
• Banff National Park

Day: 17

Welcome to 'Cowtown' or Calgary! This one-time Mountie outpost is a unique city with the epic Rocky Mountain Range as its backdrop, so stay on after your Canada tour if you want to check out the western saloons and rodeo.This tour ends at our gateway hotel at approximately 17:00 hrs. We can book you post-tour accommodation at our gateway hotel if required. If you are planning to fly tonight, please do not book a flight that departs before 21:00 hrs.

• Banff National Park
• Calgary