Journeys: Discover the Canadian Rockies - Westbound
12 days, Calgary to Vancouver
Itinerary
Day 1Calgary
Arrive at any time.
Famed for its entrepreneurial spirit and youthful population, Calgary prides itself on being the heart of the new west while honouring its cowboy heritage.
Please make your own way to the joining hotel. If you are interested in exploring the city and its nearby attractions, it is recommended you book additional pre-trip accommodation nights.
Arrival Day and Welcome Meeting
The adventure begins tonight. Feel free to explore before your welcome meeting, but make sure you’re back in time to meet the group. Check for the meeting time on the welcome note at the hotel. After introductions, your CEO will review the details of your tour. Please note that normal check-in times apply at our start hotels, but you can usually store your luggage for the day if you arrive early.
Day 2Calgary/Banff
Drive to Banff where we take a walk back in time with an expert from the Whyte Museum, exploring the historical town.
Private Vehicle
Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.
Your Journeys Highlight Moment: Banff Historical Walking Tour
Take a walk back in time with an expert from the Whyte Museum, exploring the historical town of Banff. Retrace the history of the riverside site where Tom Wilson established one of the first outfitting operations in the area, then explore St Georges-in-the-Pines Anglican Church, and past the Luxton home and garden. These and many other intriguing stops reveal the fascinating history of this town and the Canadian Pacific railroad, and how it was the stepping stone of opening up western Canada.
Free Time
Explore the town of Banff in your free time.
Optional Activities - Day 2 HideShow
Canoeing
57.75CAD per personRent a canoe and leisurely enjoy the scenery on Vermillion Lakes.
Johnston Canyon Hike
FreeJohnston Canyon is certainly an area that shows the power of nature and time; rushing water carves a path through the limestone canyon and potholes form over the years from plunging waterfalls.
Hot Springs Soak
17.32CAD per personTake a dip in Banff's world famous hot spring mineral pools, which have brought weary travellers to this place since the 1800's. There's no better way to unwind after a long day of exploring than to simmer in these water's with an epic mountain view.
Banff Gondola Ride to Sulphur Mountain
75-90CAD per personTake a gondola to the famous Sulphur Mountain and enjoy the spectacular view of the whole mountain range and the village below.
Tunnel Mountain Hike
FreeHike up the well marked trail for a central view of the town of Banff and the surrounding mountains.
Meals included:
BreakfastDay 3Banff/Lake Louise
Continue to Lake Louise. View the emerald blue waters of this alpine lake and opt to hike to the Tea House.
Private Vehicle
Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.
Lake Louise Visit
Visit postcard perfect Lake Louise and take time to savour the emerald blue waters and breathtaking scenery of the Victoria Glacier.
Optional Activities - Day 3 HideShow
The Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise Visit
FreeVisit one of the most iconic hotels in Canada. This beautiful hotel was rebuilt after a fire in 1924 and stands looking out at the breathtaking Lake Louise and the Victoria Glacier.
Lake Agnes Tea House Hike
Originally built in 1901 by the Canadian Pacific Railway, the Lake Agnes Tea House has been serving fine loose-leaf teas to visitors for over one hundred years. Hike along a forested trail as you make your way past Mirror Lake and cascading waterfalls, to the shores of Lake Agnes. This lovely log building serves up a great cup (over 100 loose-leaf teas!) as well as finger food. The hike to the Tea House is free, but it costs between 5-10 CAD if visitors wish to buy loose-leaf tea while there.
Meals included:
BreakfastDay 4Lake Louise/Jasper National Park
Considered one of the most scenic drives in the world, travel the Icefields Parkway to Bow Lake with a stop at the Columbia Icefield. Walk with an expert guide on the lower Athabasca Glacier to explore and understand the life of this active glacier. Continue on to Jasper National Park.
Along the 300km (186.4 mi) ride, a spectacle unfolds before our eyes: lush coniferous forests, immense mountains, turquoise lakes, high-falling cascades, and humbling glaciers. Numerous stops will be planned along the way for photos, observation, and wildlife encounters.
Columbia Icefields Center Visit
View one of the Rockies' largest and most accessible active glaciers. The Athabasca Glacier recedes at a rate of nearly 5m (16.4 ft) a year. See this natural beauty while you still can.
Private Vehicle
Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.
Athabasca Glacier Ice Walk
At the Columbia Icefields, enjoy a glacier walk with an expert guide on the lower Athabasca Glacier to explore and understand the life of this active glacier. Walking on this glacially carved landscape is an experience you won’t soon forget.
Meals included:
BreakfastDay 5Jasper National Park
Spend the day at leisure with the option to hike at Maligne Canyon, enjoy a boat cruise, or check out some whitewater rafting. In the evening, we have an included visit to Miette Hot Springs.
Jasper's friendly mountain hospitality, peaceful atmosphere, and the promise of real adventure make any visit unforgettable.
Free Time
An exciting day ahead! Whatever you choose, the scenery will be stunning and the excitement of these optional activities will make this day unforgettable.
Your Wellness Moment: Miette Hot Springs Visit
Enjoy the stunning landscape of lakes and mountains as you drive to the hot springs. Soak in one of the four pools as you take in the peaceful panoramic views.
Optional Activities - Day 5 HideShow
Whitewater Rafting on Athabasca River
65-110CAD per personPass through many small sets of rapids and calm stretches, which allow your National Park Licensed guide to point out the natural and human history of Jasper. The Athabasca River is the same route that was used by the fur traders many years ago.
Bald Hills Hike
FreeThe Bald Hills hike has a fairly steep incline. The 10km (6.2 mi) round trip will showcase the best panoramas of Maligne Lake and numerous mountains surrounding the lake.
Maligne Lake Cruise
65CAD per personGlide across the beautiful blue waters of Maligne Lake, the Canadian Rockies' largest glacial fed lake, on your way to the famous Spirit Island.
Boat Cruise to Spirit Island & Maligne Lake
75.60-109.20CAD per personGlide across the beautiful blue waters of Maligne Lake, the Canadian Rockies' largest glacial fed lake, on your way to the famous Spirit Island.
Maligne Canyon Hike
FreeMalinge Canyon follows an interpretive trail with several bridges. Hover over the Malinge River that, over thousands of years, has eroded the canyon to over 60m (197 ft) in some spots.
Canoe Ride
84-215.25CAD per personRent a canoe from the longstanding Boathouse on Maligne Lake.
Meals included:
BreakfastDay 6Jasper National Park/Blue River
View the highest peak in the Rocky Mountains, Mt Robson, with a stop at the visitor centre before crossing the Rockies to reach Blue River. Enjoy a river safari tour through Grizzly Bear Valley and the world’s only inland temperate rainforest. Look out for wildlife, which can include grizzly bears, moose, and eagles.
Private Vehicle
Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.
Mount Robson Visit
Stop at the visitor centre and, if it’s a clear day, see the top of the Mount Robson, the tallest peak in the Canadian Rockies.
River Safari Tour in Grizzly Bear Valley
Hop on a river safari tour for an unforgettable one hour adventure through Grizzly Bear Valley, right in the heart of the world’s only inland temperate rainforest. On top of glimpsing grizzly bears in their natural habitat, we can observe moose, eagles, and many others wild animals.
Meals included:
Breakfast | DinnerDay 7Blue River/Whistler
Pass through the Caribou Mountains into the Coastal Mountains, and enjoy stops at the emerald coloured Joffre Lake and Marble Canyon before arriving to the village of Whistler, host to some of the events of the 2010 Winter Olympics.
Following this extraordinary route, once marked by the gold prospectors, we leave the arid and dry land of the Thompson Okanagan region into the Coastal Mountain Range. We drive through the region where aboriginal peoples led a semi-nomadic life moving between hunting and fishing grounds in the summer and settling into pit houses for the winter. Europeans came at first for fur trading and later on to establish cattle ranches, farms, and mining operations. The scenery changes dramatically and could even make you feel as if you were in a western movie.
Private Vehicle
Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.
Joffre Lakes Visit
The three Joffre lakes, Upper, Lower, and Middle, are emerald in colour and set against the backdrop of the Coastal Mountain Range.
Marble Canyon Visit
The clear waters of Turquoise Lake in Marble Canyon PP make it an ideal spot to stop for a swim in the summer.
Orientation With CEO
Enjoy a brief walk with your CEO. He/she will give you some tips on finding things like supermarkets, main squares, and ATMs. For more specific or in-depth information, an official guided tour is recommended.
Meals included:
BreakfastDay 8Whistler
Today is at your leisure. Take a walk through the village with options to ride the gondola up the mountain, hike, or go ziplining.
Whistler and its surrounding provincial parks are places you must discover. It is also a great place to try one of the many optional mountain activities.
Free Time
Enjoy this stunning mountain town.
Optional Activities - Day 8 HideShow
Ziplining and Treetop Adventures
155.68CAD per personSpend the day in the sky, floating through Whistler's rainforest on one of Canada's longest ziplines.
Whistler Hike
FreeHike on your own along one of the many beautiful trails in the Whistler area. The scenery here is stunning. You can also opt for the Train Wreck Trail or take the peak to peak gondola to hike one of the many alpine trails accessible from the summit. Your CEO will NOT be guiding you on this hike. You can opt to do it solo or with your group. Ask your CEO to point you in the right direction.
Rafting
145.60-196.00CAD per personGet your adrenaline fix on on this exhilarating white water rafting trip. Enjoy the amazing scenery along the way, and keep your eyes peeled for bears.
Peak 2 Peak Gondola Ride
95.20CAD per personSoak up the scenery with 360-degree views of mountains, lakes, and glaciers. Hop out at the top and take a short hike or grab a coffee and snack at the mountaintop restaurant. Catch a glass bottom gondola to get an even better view.
Meals included:
BreakfastDay 9Whistler/Victoria
Visit the Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre on a G Adventures for Good experience. Enjoy a traditional tea ceremony with bannock and explore the grounds and museum with an Indigenous guide who has come through the centre’s training program. After, drive the scenic Sea-to-Sky Highway and catch the ferry to Vancouver Island to reach Victoria, where we take an orientation walk with our CEO.
Your G for Good Moment: Squamish Lil'wat Cultural Centre Visit
In the picturesque setting of Canada’s Coast Mountains, the First Nations people have come together to establish the Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre. This facility showcases unique customs, art, and music and provides opportunities for local youth to train in the tourism industry. As a non-profit organization, the centre relies on visitors to help fund their ongoing programs, meaning everyone who comes here helps make this important work possible.
Your Journeys Highlight Moment: Indigenous Cultural Experience
Explore the beautiful grounds of the Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre during this National Geographic Exclusive experience and discover the museum with an indigenous guide who has graduated from the training program here. Take an interpretive walk through the forest to understand how the Indigenous ancestors lived, while learning about plant species used for food and medicine. After, join a tea ceremony to sample traditional teas and bannock while listening to ancestral stories and legends.
Private Vehicle
Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.
Ferry
Hop on a ferry from Horseshoe Bay to Nanaimo.
Private Vehicle
Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.
Orientation With CEO
Enjoy a brief walk with your CEO. He/she will give you some tips on finding things like supermarkets, main squares, and ATMs. For more specific or in-depth information, an official guided tour is recommended.
Meals included:
BreakfastDay 10Victoria
Today is free for optional activities such as a zodiac whale watching cruise, exploring Butchart Gardens, or enjoying high tea at a historic hotel.
Free Time
Enjoy some optional activities but also take time to just wander along the waterfront.
Optional Activities - Day 10 HideShow
Butchart Gardens Visit
44.24CAD per personVisit this famous National Historic Site of Canada. The Butchart Gardens are absolutely stunning floral show gardens.
Miniature World Visit
20CAD per personDescribed as the "greatest little show on earth," this place is filled with miniatures of train sets, movie sets, and fairy tales.
Royal British Columbia Museum Visit
20.16CAD per personFilled with local human and natural British Columbian history, the BC Royal Museum always has a unique cultural and artistic exhibit on showcase.
Zodiac Whale Watching Cruise
173.60CAD per personCruise the sea in a Zodiac boat in search of marine wildlife such as gray whales, sea lions, otters, seals, porpoises, and killer whales.
Meals included:
BreakfastDay 11Victoria/Vancouver
Board the scenic ferry to Vancouver. Here, discover highlights like Stanley Park and Gastown.
Private Vehicle
Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.
Ferry
Get to the next spot on your route aboard a convenient and efficient ferry boat.
Private Vehicle
Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.
Stanley Park Visit
Often voted as one of the greatest city parks in the world, this 1,000-acre peninsula filled with luscious gardens, beaches, woodlands, and miles of trails is a highlight of Vancouver's downtown.
Gastown Visit
Vancouver's oldest neighbourhood, filled with Victorian buildings and cobblestone streets, is one of the liveliest in the city. It's rich in Canuck culture, food, and fashion.
Meals included:
BreakfastDay 12Vancouver
Depart at any time.
If you are interested in exploring the city and its nearby attractions, it is recommended you book additional pre-trip accommodation nights.
Departure Day
Not ready to leave? Your CEO can help with travel arrangements to extend your adventure.