Canada & the Rockies plus Calgary Stampede

Company : Contiki
Activities: Festival Tours / Tours
Duration: 1 week to 2 weeks
Approx Costs: 1000 to 1500 £ Pound (UK)

Experience the Canadian Rockies, have some fun, chill out & challenge yourself in Canada's dynamic duo of provinces: Alberta & British Columbia.

Their diverse physical beauty - from Whistler to Banff to Vancouver & everywhere between - feature the greatest of the great outdoors. Take a hike or ride a bike along the many scenic, wildlife-laced trails. Better yet, we'll put you on a gondola, horseback or helicopter for the endless to-die-for photo opportunities. You'll also get a taste of the world famous rodeo, the Calgary Stampede.

Itinerary

1. Vancouver to Whistler
Meet up with your fellow travellers, Tour Manager and Driver in gorgeous Vancouver. With beaches, forests and mountains, this town is all about location and fusing big-city living with an outdoor lifestyle. Today we wind our way along the spectacular cliff-top Sea to Sky highway and arrive in Whistler, one of the most popular ski resorts in North America and home to the 2010 Winter Olympics.

2. Whistler
Today, you’ve got time to get into some alpine activities and experience Whistlers’ high-energy action. Choose to have a go with the paddle and get out on the water in a canoe excursion along the River of Golden Dreams. With lots of trails to choose from, Whistler is a hiker’s heaven. For those wanting vistas of the spectacular surrounds but not wanting to work up a sweat, choose a gondola or chairlift ride to the top for amazing views. Otherwise, kick back and take in the natural surroundings back at the hotel or walk around the quaint village of Whistler.

3. Whistler to Kamloops
Leaving the mountains behind, we make our way to the desert and to Canada’s impressive interior. Passing the picture-perfect Seton Lake, we’ll make a stop in Lillooet, a former gold rush town. We travel on to our next night stop, Kamloops, sitting at the confluence of 2 rivers. Once a former meeting point for traders, it continues to serve as a stop over point for travelers and still has touches of the Wild West.

4. Kamloops to Jasper
Sticking to the famous Yellowhead Highway, we stop off at the highest peak of the Rockies, Mt Robson. Get your blood pumping in a thrilling white-water rafting optional on the Fraser River. Then pull into small-town Jasper and kick back in the Rockies’ largest national park – our home for the next two nights.

5. Jasper
We drive through the wild beauty of Jasper National Park to Maligne Lake, known for its stunning scenery and vivid colors. There’s a chance to take in the snow capped mountains from the water and visit iconic Spirit Island on an optional cruise. Use your free time to make the most of lesser-known Jasper Park. With 1000kms of trails, from hour loops to day hikes, it’s easy to get off the beaten track and into nature.

6. Jasper to Banff
Get ready for some sublime scenery as we stick to the Columbia Icefield Parkway, a route that fur traders and native peoples once used during the 19th century. With waterfalls, lakes, meadows, glaciers, towering mountains, and the largest ice-field south of Alaska, this is one fantastic drive. Jump on board the Ice Explorer, a snow coach on tracks, and roll onto the Athabasca Glacier, where you can get out and explore the icy slopes. We continue on to famous Lake Louise.

7. Banff
With loads of activities available in Banff, you can choose your own adventure. There’s the option to get above the Rockies in an unforgettably spectacular helicopter ride or to head up Sulphur mountain by gondola for a slice of remote high country and the chance to see some summit wildlife. Other ideas for your day include checking out Banff’s landmark Banff Springs Hotel. With over 800 rooms, this massive Gothic structure is fun to explore. Otherwise, head downtown for some shopping, where you can pick up cowboy hats, well-known brands and outdoor sporting equipment. Tonight, give our horseback ride optional a go, where you’ll ride into the back country and enjoy a traditional cook-out dinner under the open sky.

8. Banff to Calgary
We travel to the slick city of Calgary, home to what’s known as the greatest show on earth: the Stampede. It’s all about Alberta’s pioneer past and ranching tradition at this massive cowboy carnival. This mind-blowing festival is surely going to be an unforgettable experience, get ready for a whole lot of action over the next two days. From bull-riding to calf-roping, steer-wrestling to cow-tackling, our amazing seats have you up close to these electrifying events at the Rodeo.

This evening we will venture into Stampede Park to catch the Chuckwagon races and round out the evening with an epic grandstand show and prepare for the world’s most unique entertainment doubleheader. First you get to watch the crazy GMC Rangeland Derby which has been described as NASCAR for cowboys, featuring four wagons, nine heats, and excitement that is measured on the Richter Scale. The night will be among the most memorable of your life….and this is only the first night!

9. Calgary Stampede
With a day at Stampede Park, you’ll experience one of the world’s biggest rodeos and get a look into cattle country lifestyle. Today it’s all about the rodeo but if you think that’s means men riding on bulls all day your wrong! You’ll see people hitting the dust in more ways than one. With square dancing, mock gun fights, country bands, bars, restaurants and livestock, there is loads to see. Or why not head to the Teepee village, where the five nations peoples are represented and learn about indigenous peoples’ traditions.

10. Calgary to Vernon
This morning we say goodbye the wild west and the Rockies before cutting across three national parks in a spectacular drive. Things get wilder and a whole lot more rugged in Yoho National Park, where the ice blue Kicking Horse River winds through a valley of waterfalls and meadows. Be impressed by Glacier National Park, home to over 400 glaciers and stop off at Rogers Pass – a place of awesome surroundings. We’ll also see Mt Revelstoke National Park’s towering peaks and surging river.

11. Vernon to Vancouver
Journey through the stunning Okanagan Valley, Canada’s wine country, before returning to laid-back Vancouver, with its friendly locals, sandy beaches and Pacific rim position. In Stanley Park, see the colourful Totem Poles of Canada’s First Nations People and learn about traditional culture as your Tour Manager tells you the stories behind them. Tonight, head out on the town with your friends and experience more of Vancouver’s nightlife. Hit the back streets of Gastown or the alleys of Yale Town for some live music. Otherwise, if you know what you’re after, ask your Tour Manager for tips.

12. Vancouver
Feel the young vibe of this city while exploring its hip shops & cafes. Later, enjoy a dinner cruise around the harbor & head out for a night on the town!

13. Depart
Your Canadian adventure ends this morning and it’s time to say farewell to your new friends. For those who are keen for some more action, there’s the option of a trip to Grouse Mountain or Butchart Gardens.