Day One: Arrival at Vancouver International Airport. You will be met
by Wild BC staff at the airport, and transferred to your Downtown hotel. An evening drink and get together is plan
ned so you may meet the other members of your group and get to know your guide. Overnight in Vancouver.
Day Two: In Vancouver. Breakfast. City Morning Tour of Vancouver, a very safe, clean and easy to walk around in city. Morning tour will feature:
- Stanley
Park and the Lions Gate bridge with stops at displays of Native totem poles and view points. (Or anywhere
else you like.)
- China
Town - The second largest in North America, Chinatown is one of
Vancouver's oldest neighborhoods and a fascinating place to explore.
(You will think you are in the far east)
- Gas
Town - Vancouver's earliest business district, lovingly restored
with shops and galleries.
- The
Lookout Observatory - To get a view of the entire city.
- Granville
Island - Art and fashion Mecca. (Great place for coffee.)
- Entertainment
and Business districts - Where the fashionable are seen.
Free afternoon to enjoy at your leisure. Overnight in Vancouver
Day Three: Vancouver to Victoria. Breakfast. Today we make an early morning departure for Victoria starting with a 40 minute drive through agricultural
country south
of the city to catch the British Columbia Ferry service to Vancouver
Island. Priority boarding whisks us on board ship f
or a truly breathtaking
1.5 hour cruise through the Gulf Islands that stand between the mainland,
and Vancouver island.
After a city tour, and checking into your hotel we will embark on a whale watching voyage to see the Orca Whales common in this area, 3 hour boat tour.
Free evening at leisure.
Overnight in Victoria.
Day Four: Victoria to Vancouver. Breakfast. Morning guided walking tours with Wild BC guide staff and/or free time to explore quaint Victoria. Admissions included: Royal BC Museum or Maritime Museum of BC or other local attractions.
Early afternoon departure, stopping at the world famous Butchart Gardens.The gardens are one of the world's premier floral show gardens. Jennie Butchart began to shape this magnificent landscape in 1904. She
established, in the style of the grand estates of the period, several distinct gardens to evoke a range of aesthetic experiences. An abandoned limestone quarry was transformed into the dramatic Sunken Garden, a reflection of the early 20th-century beautification movement, and an exceptional achievement in Canadian gardening history. Through successive generations of the Butchart family, the Gardens has retained much of its original design, and continues the Victorian tradition of seasonally changing the outstanding floral displays.
Catching the BC Ferry service we return to the mainland. Dinner on board the ferry.
Overnight in Vancouver area.
Day Five: Vancouver to Whistler. Breakfast. Morning departure north along famous Sea to Sky Highway with stops at Waterfalls and historic sites to Whi
stler British Columbia. Whistler voted five years in a row as North America's Best Ski Resort is styled after a Swiss village and will host the 2010 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games. Approximately two million skier visits per year, but it is still a wonderful place to see in the summer. Included in the tour is a ride on the brand new "Peak to Peak Gondola", the world's highest.
We endeavor to stay flexible mattering on the groups interests, and there is so much to see we never spend very much time traveling between stops, so there is lots of time spent out enjoying activities.
Day Six: Whistler to Lillooet Breakfast. Late morning departure on old highway "99" toward the gold fields of the interior. Truly wild this narrow mountain highway provides some old fashion thrills and chills as we descend the narrow canyon toward the town of Lillooet, just east of the crest of the coast mountains in the hot dry interior of British Columbia, this is "Sage Brush country" just like the old west in movies, and we like to refer to Lillooet as "Jade Town", it will be apparent why right away. Huge blocks of raw Jade decorate the street corners and town parks. We will even have time to visit the local jade gallery.
Overnight in Lillooet.
The best small hotel in Lillooet is actually owned by the local native band and operated by a professional hotel manager. It is not fancy, but clean and safe and the surrounding view of the mountains is breathtaking. Sorry no internet is available this night.
Day Seven: Lillooet to Three Valley Gap. Breakfast. Our route follows the old gold rush trail past Cash Creek and Kamloops with stops at historic, and naturally beautiful sites along the way.
By nightfall we are in the Rockies at the Three Valley Lake Chateau. Three Valley Gap is tucked into the mountains on a clear lake where three valleys connect(hence the name), and is a perfect introduction to the Rockies A steak barbeque dinner (included) welcomes you in the wild west ghost town. The evening will be free to explore
the Three Valley Gap Heritage Ghost Town , a unique collection of heritage pioneer buildings, which transports visitors back to the 1800s.
Also included is the Antique Auto Museum features automobiles from 1902 through 1929, and guests can also explore the vast Railway Roundhouse, the largest covered Turntable and Roundhouse complex in Canada.
Overnight at Three Valley Lake Chateau. Sorry No internet access here.
Day Eight: Three Valley Gap to Saskatchewan Crossing. Breakfast. This day will be spent traveling the high
mountain passes; first the notorious Rogers Pass to Yoho National Park, then on to the Kicking Horse pass with stops at the Spiral Tunnels, and Emerald Lake. Finally up the Jasper Parkway, often referred to as the most scenic highway in the world to Saskatchewan Crossing. High in the mountains, halfway between Banff and Jasper this wonderfully isolated outpost boasts 66 Motel rooms along with a 250 seat Dining Room, 125 seat Cafeteria, 70 seat Pub and a 3000 square foot Gift Shop. At the peak season, it takes about 80 staff members to operate the resort. It is named for the Saskatchewan River which travels from this point eastward across the continent. Dinner included. Sorry no internet access here. Overnight at Saskatchewan Crossing .
Day Nine: Saskatchewan Crossing to Jasper . Breakfast included. Early mo
rning departure for on the most scenic highway in world, the Jasper Parkway, to the Columbia Ice Fields where we will ride the famous glacier buses across the permanent ice fields of the continental divide. Later we will make stops at the Athabaska Fall, and Sunwapta Falls if conditions permit.
Evening Free. Overnight Jasper.
Day Ten: Jasper to Banff
After breakfast we will visit Maligne Canyon, and/or ride the Jasper Tram. Afternoon departure from Jasper. During the afternoon we travel along the Parkway past amazing mountain peaks, glaciers, and lakes like Peyto (pea-toe) named for Ebenezer William Peyto, an early trail guide and trapper in the Banff area. Wildlife is common along with the spectacular mountain scenery; these shots were taken on just one trip along the parkway.
Evening Free, over night in Banff.
Day Eleven: In Banff Breakfast. A morning tour of Banff including Bow Falls, a visit to Cave and Basin National Historic Site, a swim in the hotsprings, and a gondola ride to the top of Sulfur Mountain for a million dollar view of the valley and peaks in the Banff area.
Banff is one of only two municipalities within a national park and UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Home to 8,721 residents, it hosts approximately 3 million guests each year. The community has embraced an aggressive growth management plan as a means to preserve this unique small town.
The footprint of the Town of Banff is just 3.93 km2 and will never be bigger. This means:
Everything is just 10 minutes away -- maximum. And you can walk anywhere.
All residents must meet the federal regulation of ‘need to reside’, which means individuals must be employed in the town in order to live here.
The rest of the day is free in Banff.
Overnight in Banff.
Day Twelve: Banff Breakfast . Today we will visit Lake Minnewanka also known as the Lake of the Water Spirits, then on to Johnson Canyon. If conditions permit we will also visit Morraine Lake, and the Ten Peaks. (The road only opens at start of June.) Mid afternoon arrival at world renowned Lake Louise for a stroll along the famous lakeside. Late afternoon, we depart Lake Louise and continue along the parkway returning to Banff for a free evening. Overnight in Banff.
Day Thierteen: Banff to Kelowna. Early morning departure back across the high mountain passes, and across the interior plateau to the city of Kelowna in the heart of the fertile interior plateau, and the fruit and wine growing area. We will enjoy a winery tour in the Kelowna area.
Overnight in Kelowna.
Day Fourteen: Kelowna to Vancouver
Our route takes us back through "indian country" and down the narrow Fraser Canyon with a stop at Hells' Gate Rapids on the Fraser river for a ride on the air tram across the river. Late Afternoon arrival in Vancouver.
Overnight in Vancouver . End of Tour