Experience extraordinary beauty and adventure on this affordable Canadian vacation. Arrive in Vancouver for two nights and enjoy guided sightseeing including Stanley Park, Chinatown, and more. Then board the Rocky Mountaineer Train for a 2-day trip through spectacular scenery following the Fraser River through canyons to Kamloops. Travel through the Selkirk Mountains then enter Yoho National Park with its towering peaks. Wind through the Spiral tunnels before your train climbs Kicking Horse Pass, then crosses the Continental Divide and enters Alberta and Banff National Park. Spend two nights in Banff with options to hike, play golf, horseback ride, or relax at the hot springs. Look for big horn sheep, deer, bear, and elk that inhabit the park. Perhaps treat yourself to an optional helicopter ride for breathtaking views of the Canadian Rockies from above. Visit gorgeous Lake Louise, its turquoise waters perfectly reflecting the surrounding mountains and glaciers. Travel the stunning Icefields Parkway where you’ll stop to ride the Ice Explorer all-terrain vehicle over the 750-foot-thick ice! Travel to magnificent Jasper National Park with the chance to take an optional scenic float trip down the Athabasca River. Journey to the base of 12,972-foot Mount Robson on your way to the resort town of Sun Peaks. Follow the routes of the historic Gold Rush and the fur traders on your way to Whistler where you’ll spend two nights and have time to enjoy the many activities this resort village has to offer. Take the ferry crossing to Victoria and visit beautiful Butchart Gardens with its 55-acre floral display followed by city sightseeing. Then have a day at leisure to explore this charming city. Perhaps enjoy high tea at the Empress Hotel or take the optional Wildlife & Whale-Watching Expedition to look for pods of orcas. Return to Vancouver via ferry and celebrate all the memories you made on your fantastic vacation in Canada!
Columbia Icefield
Columbia Icefield
Stretching 144 miles is the Columbia Icefield, the largest ice field in the Rocky Mountains of the Canadian Rockies. Formed during the Great Glaciation, it's a journey of vast wilderness, pristine mountain lakes, and ancient glaciers. Visitors can travel through two national parks (Banff and Jasper National Park) while surrounded by natural beauty.
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Jasper
Jasper
Located in the heart of Jasper National Park in Alberta's Rocky Mountains, Jasper's friendly alpine hospitality and the promise of adventure will make your visit unforgettable. It is easy to get to Jasper by car from a number of nearby visitor destinations including Edmonton, Hinton and Banff.
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Destination Guide
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Lake Louise
Lake Louise
Lake Louise is a beautiful yet often-overlooked mountain getaway. Among countless other winter activities, enjoy some of the best skiing and snowboarding in the world. In the summer, try trail riding, hiking, whitewater rafting and mountain biking. Lake Louise, with its blue-green water set against the stark backdrop of Victoria Glacier, is probably the most beloved and most photographed scene in the Canadian Rockies.
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Destination Guide
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Victoria, B.C.
Victoria, B.C.
British culture and island informality collide in Victoria. This sophisticated seaside city is full of historic sites, parks and gardens. Take a walking tour - many of which begin at Parliament Buildings at Victoria's Inner Harbor. Combined with majestic Empress Hotel, these monumental buildings give the city a regal European feel. See equally impressive modern structures, such as Royal British Columbia History Museum, or replicas of large, native Northwest Indian houses at Thunderbird Park. Unique attractions include Undersea Gardens, Miniature World, Maritime Museum, Chinatown and Royal London Wax Museum. A memorable places to visit is world-famous Butchart Gardens, with 5,000 fauna varieties. The dazzling gardens on Saanich Inlet are beautiful at night, when hundreds of lights sparkle along winding paths. Additional gardens in Victoria include Crystal Garden and the gardens surrounding Government House and near Craigdarroch Castle, a towering Victorian mansion complete with a tower and turrets. Tour this city in a horse-drawn carriage.
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Destination Guide
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Banff
Banff
Situated in the heart of Banff National Park in Alberta's Rocky Mountains, Banff is a 1.5-hour drive from Calgary and just a short trip from mountain towns of Lake Louise, Kananaskis Country and Canmore. It's a unique place to visit. A train whistle blows in the distance as a reminder of the area's railway roots while designer shops dot the streetscapes. From a sleepy summer resort town with closed doors in winter months, Banff has grown into a year-round attraction. Lured by wilderness and the variety of outdoor activities, people from all over the world are drawn to Banff National Park each year. They venture into the area looking for their slice of the Banff experience, whether it's in restaurants, shops, museums, cultural activities, or adventures in the wilderness. On Banff's bustling main avenue, virtually every language from German and Japanese to French and Spanish can be heard. Yet only minutes away from all the action, a quiet walk along the banks of the Bow River is a reminder the town is located inside Canada's premier national park and a United Nations World Heritage Site!
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Destination Guide
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Sun Peaks, B.C.
Sun Peaks, B.C.
Sun Peaks is located in British Columbia, approximately 50 km northeast of Kamloops. It is known for its alpine ski resort with long runs, excellent terrain and cross country trails, and an average of 2,000 hours of sun a year. The village offers shopping, excellent dining and night life, spas and accommodations and services for the whole family.
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Whistler
Whistler
Nestled in the spectacular Coast Mountains of British Columbia, just 75 miles north of Vancouver, lies Whistler Resort, a charming alpine village, and the Home of Whistler and Blackcomb Mountains. Rising one vertical mile from a village of award-winning West Coast architecture, Whistler & Blackcomb Mountains offer the greatest vertical rise of any ski area in North America, and its massive high-alpine terrain rivals the major ski resorts of Europe. Whistler is also a popular summer destination as well, with many recreational activities for the whole family.
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Destination Guide
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Kamloops
Kamloops
The popular interior city of Kamloops is in the heart of High Country. Visitors to the city can choose to learn more about the intriguing history of the area or take advantage of the abundance of recreational facilities and opportunities in the area. The city itself is located where the South and North Thompson Rivers meet, hence the name "Kahm-o-loops", the Shuswap Indian word for "meeting of the waters". The surrounding countryside is a combination of dry forests, grasslands and desert like hills. While forestry has now surpassed ranching as the primary industry, ranching is still an important component in the makeup of the area. Kamloops can be used as a headquarters for exploring nearby wilderness areas such as Wells Gray Park to the north and the grasslands of the Nicola Valley in the south or the numerous fishing and recreational lakes surrounding the entire area.
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Destination Guide
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Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a thriving metropolis surrounded by natural beauty. With parks, beaches, gardens, museums, art galleries and the second-largest Chinatown in North America, Vancouver lives up to its promise of offering something for everyone. With modern buildings set against green, rolling hillsides, this city is breathtaking; no location offers a more spectacular view than Stanley Park - with a zoo, aquarium, totem poles and honking geese. A short walk from the park leads to Robson Street, which offers the town's best window-shopping. Stores with European flavor share the avenue with delicatessens and tea rooms ready to serve. As architectural heart of the city, Robson Square features a central plaza with a food fair and an old provincial courthouse, which now houses Vancouver Art Gallery. Be sure to stop at 8 Pender St. - "the narrowest building in the world." Other points of interest include the Museum of Anthropology; Japanese-style Nitobe Memorial Garden; and VanDusen Botanical Garden. Capilano Canyon is site of the world's longest and highest suspension footbridge.
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Destination Guide
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