Itinerary Details
Insight Vacations: Canadian Rockies & Pacific Coast - Classic Group
Day 1 - Welcome to Vancouver
Arrive in Vancouver, a haven for sports enthusiasts and keen history buffs alike. This unique city offers something for everyone. From its striking mountains to the bustle of the city’s art and music scene, this British Columbia seaport does not disappoint. Join your Travel Director at 18:00 for a Welcome Dinner and an opportunity to mingle with fellow guests over wine.
Accommodations: Georgian Court, Vancouver
Meals: Dinner with Wine
Day 2 - Cruise the Gulf Islands to Victoria
This morning, enjoy a visit to Capilano Suspension Bridge Park - home to Vancouver's first visitor attraction, the original suspension bridge built in 1889. Today, the park also includes Cliffwalk, a cantilevered walking clinging to the granite cliff and Treetops Adventure, seven suspension bridges through the evergreens taking you up to 100ft above the forest floor. After your visit, head out on an orientation tour of Vancouver, including Gastown, Canada Place and Stanley Park, home to a collection of First Nations totem poles. You’ll have free time to have lunch on your own, with many great eateries to choose from. This afternoon board a ferry and sail through the beautiful Gulf Islands to Vancouver Island, and idyllic place known for its fishing and art communities. You’ll end your day here in British Columbia’s stunning capital city, Victoria.
Accommodations: Grand Pacific, Victoria
Meals: Breakfast
Day 3 - Butchart Gardens
Start your day wandering through world renowned Butchart Gardens, a beautiful natural historical site of Canada featuring beautiful floral displays. After Butchart Gardens, enjoy an orientation tour covering Mount Tolmie, the Inner Harbor and its Parliament Buildings, Canada's oldest Chinatown and view the last remnants of Fort Victoria. The rest of the afternoon is yours to enjoy at your leisure - perhaps you'll want to book onto an optional Whale Watching Excursion. The three-hour expedition boards in the waters of Victoria and while it can't be guaranteed in advance which of the abundant marine wildlife you'll see on your journey, chances are you'll also spot magnificent bald eagles, porpoises or seals.
Accommodations: Grand Pacific, Victoria
Meals: Breakfast
Day 4 - Victoria to Sun Peaks, British Columbia
This morning, ferry across the Strait of Georgia and continue your scenic journey through British Columbia. Travel along Coquihalla highway and climb the summit of Coquihalla Pass and cross Thompson Plateau, passing along forests of Engelmann spruce, lodgepole pine, Douglas firs and ponderosa pines. Enjoy a stop in Hope before continuing to Sun Peaks where you'll end a day of unbelievably scenic travel with dinner.
Accommodations: Sun Peaks Grand & Conference Center
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner with Wine
Day 5 - The Alpine Wonderland of Jasper National Park
After breakfast, your journey takes you along the legendary Yellowhead Highway towards Jasper National Park, part of the Canadian Rocky Mountains Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Enroute, a stop will be made at the Mount Robson Visitor Center in Mount Robson Provincial Park, the second oldest park in British Columbias’ park system and truly one of the world’s crown jewels. Enjoy the best views of Mount Robson, which at 12,972 ft (3,954 meters) is the most prominent mountain in North America's Rocky Mountain range and the highest point in the Canadian Rockies. Arrive in the wonderland of Jasper National Park with its soothing mineral hot springs, rugged glaciers, colorful meadows, and majestic mountain. After a brief orientation tour through town, you'll have the option to explore on our own or book onto an optional Float Trip.
Accommodations: The Crimson, Jasper National Park
Meals: Breakfast
Day 6 - Exploring Jasper and the Columbia Icefield
Start the day with an informative walk on the trails of Maligne Canyon, one of the most beautiful gorges in the Canadian Rockies. Then, embark on a narrated cruise across the serene waters of iconic Maligne Lake (seasonal), one of the jewels of the Canadian Rockies (please note that this activity is seasonal and subject to closure as the lake may be frozen). Stop at Spirit Island, one of the most photographed sites in the Canadian Rockies. Travel along the majestic Icefields Parkway and arrive at the Columbia Icefield for your stay at the Glacier View Lodge, the first and only glacier-view resort in Canada. Venture out onto the amazing Glacier Skywalk where you will be treated to an after-hours visit onto the cliff-edged glass-floored walkway. After enjoying a gourmet dinner with wine, you can step out onto the Viewing Deck, sip a drink in the library or relax inside the Moraine Lounge.
Accommodations: Glacier View Lodge, Jasper National Park
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner with Wine
Day 7 - Icefields, Glaciers and Lakes to Banff National Park Relaxed Start
Following a hearty breakfast, your Local Expert will escort you to a special before-hours glacier tour. Venture out onto Athabasca Glacier in an Ice Explorer. Then, join your guide for a stroll atop the ice and discover the beauty and immensity of the glacier. Learn about the history and geology of the region and enjoy a warm beverage out on the glacier itself. After this morning's icy adventure, continue south to Lake Louise and admire its blue waters and Victoria Glacier. You'll have the opportunity to feel truly immersed in nature as you spend a portion of your afternoon here. Journey on to the resort town of Banff, your home for the next two nights. This evening, dine in town and unwind in your stunning natural surroundings.
Accommodations: Fairmont Banff Springs, Banff National Park
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner with Wine
Day 8 - The Unspoiled Wilderness of Banff National Park Relaxed Start
Today is yours to spend exploring the rugged charms of the park. Choose from several optional experiences, including a once in a lifetime helicopter flight over the magnificent Canadian Rockies, or a ride onboard the Banff Gondola, a scenic cableway that can take you to the summit of Sulphur Mountain. If you'd rather spend the day on your own, join your Travel Director on a Banff Orientation Tour covering Bow Falls, Surprise Corner and a few other local sights.
Accommodations: Fairmont Banff Springs, Banff National Park
Meals: Breakfast
Day 9 - Glacier National Park
From craggy plains to mountainous landscapes, after a stop in Calgary, today you’ll cross the U.S. border into Montana to Glacier National Park. Revel in your first encounter with the park, a region encompassing over 1 million acres -- including parts of two mountain ranges, over 130 named lakes, more than 1,000 different species of plants and hundreds of species of animals. This vast pristine ecosystem is the centerpiece of what has been referred to as the "Crown of the Continent Ecosystem," a region of protected land encompassing 16,000 square miles. Settle in for the evening and look forward to tomorrow’s day of exploration.
Accommodations: Many Glacier, Glacier National Park
Meals: Breakfast
Day 10 - Going-to-the-Sun and Glacier National Park
Board a private Red Jammer bus to cruise along the Going-To-The-Sun Road in style. The Going-to-the-Sun Road is the only road that traverses through Glacier National Park and the first to have been registered in all the following categories: National Historic Place, National Historic Landmark, and Historic Civil Engineering Landmark. During your narrated trip you'll witness stunning views from Logan Pass (seasonal) and the marvels of the park's wild interior. Disembark at Lake McDonald, the largest lake in Glacier National Park. Over an insightful Legends of Glacier MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience, join performing and recording artist and enrolled citizen of the Blackfeet Nation in Western Montana Jack Gladstone. Jack will illuminate the chronological history of Glacier National Park through an interweaving of story and song. Tonight, rest up in a classic Swiss-chalet-style lodge with spectacular mountain views.
Accommodations: Lake McDonald Lodge, Glacier National Park
Meals: Breakfast
Day 11 - Lake Coeur d'Alene and Spokane
Today you'll continue on to the beautiful shores of Lake Coeur d'Alene, one of America's most beautiful lakes, and arrive in Spokane to stay at The Historic Davenport, Autograph Collection hotel. This is Washington State's grandest hotel, listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It has welcomed a number of famous faces including Amelia Earhart and Clark Gable. End the night with dinner at a local restaurant.
Accommodations: The Historic Davenport, Autograph Collection, Spokane
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 12 - Wonderful Wines en route to Seattle
Wine connoisseurs rejoice. Today, you'll head through the wide, endless horizons of the wine-producing area of Washington State. Visit Friends Garden Restaurant & Wine Bar, a local favorite, where you'll enjoy a Highlight Lunch focusing on fresh, local and artisanal ingredients. Then it's on to Seattle for an evening of leisure at your hotel.
Accommodations: The Charter, Seattle
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch with Wine
Day 13 - The Soaring Sights of Seattle Relaxed Start
This morning head out on a Seattle Orientation tour where you'll see Puget Sound, Pioneer Square and Pike Place Market, where you should watch out for flying fish! The afternoon brings you an Insight Choice. Either head to the Space Needle, with its jaw-dropping panoramic views of the unique skyline or the Chihuly Gardens and Glass exhibit, where the work of world-renowned glass artist Dale Chihuly is housed. In the evening, join your Travel Director and fellow guests for a Celebration Dinner with wine at Ivar's Salmon House. Here you'll find the Northwest's best dining, as you take in the views on Seattle's waterfront.
Accommodations: The Charter, Seattle
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner with Wine
Day 14 - Depart Seattle
Travel to Seattle SeaTac International Airport at your leisure.
Meals: Breakfast
