Canada West: Vancouver to Banff

Vancouver, Victoria's Butchart Gardens, the Sea-to-Sky drive to Whistler, Calgary and a gondola ride in Banff.

Your route

1. 1 Vancouver 4 nights
2. 2 Calgary 3 nights

1. Day 1 Vancouver

   Arrive, waterfront at leisure.

   Arrive in Vancouver, one of Canada's most beautiful cities, set between the Pacific Ocean and the snow-capped Coast Mountains. Our representative meets you at the airport and transfers you to your hotel. After check-in, spend the rest of the day at leisure. Walk along the waterfront promenade at Coal Harbour or Canada Place, enjoy a cafe in Gastown, or simply rest after your long flight. Vancouver has excellent Indian restaurants, especially around Main Street and Surrey. Evenings can be cool, so carry a jacket. Overnight in Vancouver.

2. Day 2 Vancouver

   City tour, Capilano, Grouse Mountain.

   After breakfast, join a city tour of Vancouver covering Stanley Park, Chinatown, Gastown with its steam clock, English Bay and Yaletown. Then visit the Capilano Suspension Bridge Park, crossing the swaying bridge 70 metres above the river, with the Treetops Adventure and the Cliffwalk. Continue to Grouse Mountain and ride the Skyride gondola for views over the city. At the top, meet the resident grizzly bears and watch the Lumberjack Show. Return to your hotel in the evening. Overnight in Vancouver.

3. Day 3 Victoria

   Ferry, Butchart Gardens, Victoria.

   A full-day excursion to Vancouver Island. Enjoy a 90-minute ferry cruise through the Gulf Islands, watching for whales, sea lions and bald eagles. Visit the world-famous Butchart Gardens, over 55 acres of flowers, with the Sunken Garden and the Rose Garden. Then explore Victoria, the capital of British Columbia, with its harbour, the Parliament Buildings and the grand Empress Hotel. Drive through Oak Bay, Beacon Hill Park and Chinatown before returning by ferry to Vancouver. The ferry has cafes and outdoor decks. Overnight in Vancouver.

4. Day 4 Whistler

   Sea-to-Sky Highway, Shannon Falls, Whistler.

   After breakfast, travel along the Sea-to-Sky Highway, one of the most scenic drives in Canada, with the ocean on one side and mountains on the other. Stop at Shannon Falls, which plunges about 335 metres down granite cliffs. Continue to Whistler, the famous mountain resort and host of the 2010 Winter Olympics, and enjoy free time in its pedestrian village. In season, ride the Peak 2 Peak Gondola or hike the mountain trails at your own cost. Return to Vancouver in the evening. Overnight in Vancouver.

5. Day 5 Calgary

   Fly or train to Calgary.

   After breakfast, check out and travel from Vancouver to Calgary, Alberta's largest city and the gateway to the Canadian Rockies. The flight takes about an hour and a half; it is not included in the package, and we can book it for you. On arrival, our representative transfers you to your hotel. Spend the rest of the day at leisure exploring Calgary on your own, perhaps along the Bow River pathways, or simply relaxing at the hotel. Overnight in Calgary.

6. Day 6 Calgary

   Calgary city tour.

   After breakfast, discover Calgary on a guided city tour. See the Calgary Tower, Old City Hall, the modern New City Hall, Olympic Plaza from the 1988 Winter Olympics, and Fort Calgary, where the city began as a police post in 1875. Visit Eau Claire Market, Stephen Avenue and the indoor Devonian Gardens, and drive past Stampede Park and the Scotiabank Saddledome. Learn how a frontier cattle town became a modern city. The evening is free. Calgary is one hour ahead of Vancouver. Overnight in Calgary.

7. Day 7 Banff

   Day trip to Banff, gondola ride.

   A full-day excursion into the Canadian Rockies. Drive west through rolling foothills and ranch country into Banff National Park, Canada's first national park, founded in 1885. Explore the mountain town of Banff, set among towering peaks, and learn about its wildlife and history. Ride the Banff Gondola, an eight-minute journey to the summit of Sulphur Mountain for sweeping views of six mountain ranges. Look out for elk and bighorn sheep along the way. Carry warm layers even in summer. Return to Calgary. Overnight in Calgary.

8. Day 8 Calgary

   Departure.

   Enjoy breakfast at your hotel and some free time, depending on your flight schedule. Pick up maple syrup, ice wine or smoked salmon as gifts before you leave. Check out and transfer to Calgary International Airport for your onward journey. Please be at the airport three hours before an international flight. Keep your passport and tickets handy for the airport. Your journey through Canada's west ends here, with memories of Vancouver's coastline, Victoria's gardens, Whistler's mountains and the spectacular peaks of the Canadian Rockies.

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