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Day1 - 2
Calgary
We've arranged a hire car so you can explore at your own pace and head off the beaten track when you feel like it –we think this is the best way to see Canada. Collect your hire car from the airport on arrival and get straight into the action in Calgary as you check into the stylish Kensington Riverside Inn for the night. Just steps from the Peace Bridge it's the ideal base for exploring the city.
Room Only
Kensington Riverside Inn
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Day2 - 3
Banff
Leaving the Stampede City you've got two routes to choose from: take the iconic Trans-Canada highway or the more scenic 1A Highway, which wends its way between mountains and canyons, with marked pullovers along the route to educate visitors about the region. At just two hours to Banff it's a great introduction to the area. Your home for the next two nights is the stunning Rimrock Resort Hotel, a mere five minute walk from the hot springs and the gondola.
Room Only
Rimrock Resort Hotel
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Day3 - 4
Your day is free to explore Banff and the surrounding national park at your own place in your hire car. The town offers plenty of excitement, with shopping, cafes, nightlife and museums. We'd recommend taking a ride on the Banff Gondola, where you'll have panoramic views of the Bow Valley.
Room Only
Rimrock Resort Hotel
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Day4 - 5
Moraine Lake
Another leisurely drive is on the cards: set off along the Bow Valley Parkway, where you'll have the option to stop at Johnston Canyon and walk along the the paved footway to either the lower or upper waterfalls before continuing to Moraine Lake Lodge. As hotel settings go, this one is truly spectacular: known for its iridescent turquoise colour, Moraine Lake is known as the 'jewel of the Rockies', and the lodge nestles up against the shores with incredible views.
Room Only
Moraine Lake Lodge
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Day5 - 6
Jasper
Head along the spine of the Canadian Rockies, traversing the amazing Icefields Parkway, which features more than 100 ancient glaciers, waterfalls cascading from dramatic rocks and shimmering emerald lakes flashing past your window. Make sure you stop in at Peyto Lake, a glacier-fed expanse of mirror-like turquoise water –one of the most picturesque lakes in Canada. At the Columbia Icefield, hop aboard an Ice Explorer to take a ride on the Athabasca Glacier, one of the six principle 'toes' of the Columbia Icefield. The mountain lakes in this region will be frozen through to mid-June, though no less spectacular in the winter. Head to Jasper for the night, and the next day explore Jasper National Park. In the evening you'll take a wildlife tour to seek out the park's most iconic creatures, from bears, elk, coyotes and beavers.
Room Only
Fairmont Jasper Park
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Day6 - 7
Jasper is the largest national park in the Rockies, and home to some of its wildest landscapes. Take a drive – there are so many worthwhile corners to discover, not least crystal-clear Maligne Lake, where motorboat and canoe trips can offer a waterborne perspective. The park is also home to many of Canada’s iconic species, including healthy populations of grizzly bear, moose, caribou and wolf. Take an Evening Wildlife Tour for a chance to see them up-close.
Room only
Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge
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Day7 - 8
Kamloops
All aboard the Rocky Mountaineer for a scenic rail journey to Kamloops in the interior of British Columbia. Leaving Jasper National Park, you'll pass along the Yellowhead route past the sprawling grandeur of Mount Robson, the highest peak in the Canadian Rockies, and follow the mighty Thompson River, the route of early fur traders, before arriving in Kamloops, where you'll spend the night in a hotel.
Hotel on arrival
Rocky Mountaineer Gold Leaf
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Day8 - 9
Boarding the train again you'll leave Kamloops and follow the Thompson River through Ashcroft, one of Canada's driest towns, with an average rainfall of just 20 centimetres each year. Pass through Rainbow Canyon, named for its cliffs striped with pinks, greens and greys, creating a stunning rainbow effect. Continue on to Fraser Canyon, where at Hells Gate you can watch water torrent past the canyon walls at its narrowest point. The last leg of the journey takes you through the fertile farming region of the Fraser Valley to arrive in the Pacific port of Vancouver in the late afternoon. Check in at the chic Rosewood Georgia for the next few days.
Room Only
Rosewood Georgia
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Day9 - 11
The next two days you are free to enjoy the sights of the city. Canada's third-largest city, Vancouver is a busy port city with a thriving multi-cultural ambiance. The city is located in a spectacular setting with the Coast Mountains across the Burrard Inlet to the north, and the waters of the Strait of Georgia to the west. Restaurants, shopping, nightlife, a mild climate and a cosmopolitan atmosphere make Vancouver a favourite destination. We highly recommend taking the sightseeing tour of the North Shore which will take you from sea level to 1,250 metres above Vancouver for sensational views of the city, the ocean and the surrounding mountains.
Room Only
Rosewood Georgia
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Day11 - 12
Head to Vancouver International Airport for your flight home.