Sample itineraries
Grand Canadian Rockies-Tauck Escorted Tour
From £2489
Highlights
- Vancouver
- Stanley Park
- Victoria
- Canadian Rockies by Rail
- Jasper National Park
- Icefields Parkway
- Banff National Park
Day 1 Arrive Vancouver
Tour begins at 6:00 PM at The Fairmont Waterfront. Your hotel is located within easy walking distance of Vancouver's lively Gastown and Stanley Park. Meet your Tauck Director and travel companions at the welcome reception followed by dinner.
Meals: Dinner
Lodging: The Fairmont Waterfront
Day 2 Vancouver
A guided sightseeing tour including Chinatown, Prospect Point, historic Gastown and Stanley Park introduces you to the history and vibrant cultural life of Vancouver, site of the upcoming 2010 Winter Olympics. Later, hop aboard a ferry for a cruise to Victoria, British Columbia's capital, where you'll spend two nights at the city's only 5-star hotel, the Hotel Grand Pacific in a balconied, Grand Harbor View room overlooking Victoria's beautiful waterfront.
Meals: Breakfast, dinner
Lodging: Hotel Grand Pacific, Victoria, BC
Day 3 Victoria
Discover a little piece of England on a visit to The Butchart Gardens in Victoria, encompassing 55 acres of breathtaking floral beauty in Japanese, Italian, Rose and Sunken show gardens dating back to the early 20th century. Later, indulge in a beloved English ritual - and a Victoria tradition - with Afternoon Tea in the restored Tea Lobby of The Fairmont Empress on the Inner Harbor. Explore on your own for the rest of the day and evening.
Meals: Breakfast
Lodging: Hotel Grand Pacific, Victoria, BC
Day 4 Canadian Rockies by Rail
The many treasures of one of the world's finest museums of natural and cultural history are yours to explore on a visit to Victoria's Royal BC Museum. Then return to Vancouver via floatplane in late afternoon, with spectacular views over the Gulf Islands. Tonight, board the sleek, newly restored rail cars of VIA Rail's The Canadian, and celebrate the start of your overnight journey to the Canadian Rockies with a champagne toast. Spend the night on the train while speeding across some of the most breathtaking scenery in North America.
Meals: Breakfast
Lodging: Aboard The Canadian, VIA Rail Canada
Day 5 Jasper National Park
The vistas are nothing short of spectacular from Tauck's private domed observation car - reserved for Tauck guests only - aboard The Canadian, as your western Canada tour continues across British Columbia, where towering peaks and glaciers highlight the route. Cross the Continental Divide into the province of Alberta; arrive in Jasper National Park for a two-night stay at The Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge.
Meals: Breakfast, dinner
Lodging: The Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge, Jasper
National Park
Day 6 Jasper
The day is yours to spend just as you wish among the carefully protected ecosystems - and "photographer's paradise" of Jasper National Park, where optional choices at your resort (at additional cost) include horseback riding or tennis. Rent a canoe or paddleboat on Lake Beauvert; go on a trail ride or a guided nature walk; play a round of golf on a top-rated course; or visit the historic town of Jasper on your own. This evening, a presentation by a Parks Canada official precedes dinner at your choice of restaurants at the lodge.
Meals: Breakfast, dinner
Lodging: The Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge, Jasper National Park
Day 7 Icefields Parkway
Drive the Icefields Parkway, featuring jaw-dropping views of mountains, waterfalls, glaciers, and snowfields around every turn. Watch for bears, elk, bighorn sheep, and mountain goats, especially in the spring and fall. View Athabasca Glacier flowing from the Columbia Icefield, and take a memorable climb across the glacier's surface on an Ice Explorer, a specially designed vehicle. Arrive at your chateau-style hotel on the edge of Lake Louise overlooking Victoria Glacier, for a night in a Lake View room.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Lodging: The Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise, Banff National Park
Day 8 Bow River Valley / Banff
Travel via the Bow River Valley to Moraine Lake; after lunch at the Emerald Lake Lodge, continue through Kicking Horse Pass into Yoho National Park. See Spiral Tunnels, a century-old railway engineering feat, and Natural Bridge, a rock formation over the Kicking Horse River, before setting off to The Fairmont Banff Springs, a Rocky Mountain icon since the 1880s, for a two-night stay inside Banff National Park; enjoy dinner at leisure at your resort tonight.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Lodging: The Fairmont Banff Springs, Banff National Park
Day 9 Bow River
Embark on a float trip along the Bow River, then spend the rest of the day at leisure at your grand hotel, built more than a century ago to resemble a Scottish baronial castle. There's a full range of optional activities (available at additional cost) to try. Perhaps take a guided nature walk; book a treatment at the renowned Willow Stream Spa; ride the scenic Banff Gondola; or enjoy horseback riding, a round of golf, or the museums in the town of Banff. Join us this evening for our farewell dinner.
Meals: Breakfast, dinner
Lodging: The Fairmont Banff Springs, Banff National Park
Day 10 Journey Home
Travel from Banff National Park to Calgary, Alberta this morning, approximately 80 miles. Your western Canada tour and mountain adventure ends at 10:00 AM at Calgary International Airport. Direct flights to the U.S. will clear U.S. customs in Calgary. Allow a minimum of two hours for flight check-in.
Meals: Breakfast
