Explore the very best of Alberta and British Columbia on this 12-day self-drive holiday starting in Calgary and ending in the cosmopolitan city of Vancouver. Discover spectacular mountains, emerald lakes and charming mountain villages, and on Vancouver Island’s rugged West Coast enjoy sensational scenery and an array of wonderful wildlife.
You’ll travel through the heart of the Rockies taking in vivid lakes, vast glaciers, alpine meadows and soaring mountains and then on to Wells Gray Provincial Park with its steep-walled gorges and crashing falls.
After your stay in the alpine resort of Whistler you’ll travel along the scenic Sea-to Sky Highway and journey across to Vancouver Island by ferry. World-famous Pacific Rim National Park is one of the best places in the world to see grey whales, as well as humpbacks, orca and minke whales, and can be reached from Tofino, a laid-back small town that cannot fail to charm.
Enjoy a couple of nights in the quiet, attractive city of Victoria with its turn-of-the-century architecture to conclude your self-drive adventure. Here you can take your pick of included excursions, to view the renowned Butchart Gardens or discover Canada’s food scene.
Itinerary
This morning begin your Rockies adventure. Collect your rental car and make the short (2-hour) drive from Calgary to Banff, where the remainder of the day is at your leisure to explore.
Today you can enjoy your choice of one included experience from the following options:
Banff Gondola Ride, Banff
Lake Minnewanka Cruise, Banff
River Explorer Canoe Tour, Banff
Bow River Horseback Adventure, Banff
On the Icefields Parkway to Jasper, view a never-ending procession of mammoth mountains, jagged peaks, over 100 glaciers and pristine emerald coloured lakes. Along the way see such sights as the Sarbach Glacier, Peyto Lake, Bow Lake and Crowfoot Glacier, before your arrival at the Columbia Icefield. Here you will take an Ice Explorer ride out onto the glacier, and soak up the views from the glass-bottomed Glacier Skywalk (included). Leaving the Athabasca Glacier, keep your camera handy to capture the majesty of the Athabasca Falls prior to your arrival into Jasper.
Ice Explorer Glacier Tour
Glacier Skywalk
Today you can enjoy your choice of one included experience from the following options:
Maligne Lake Cruise
Jasper Rafting Float Trip
Leaving Jasper National Park, travel the historic ‘Yellowhead’ route and take in the magnificent vistas of the steep-walled gorges and crashing falls of the North Thompson River. On your journey today, you can view Pyramid Falls and the expansive glaciers of the Albreda Icefields. You may also catch a glimpse of Mount Robson, the highest peak in the Canadian Rockies.
Continue your drive to Whistler today, a charming alpine resort nestled between world-renowned Whistler and Blackcomb Mountains. Make a stop at Lillooet, known as the land of the Gold Rush Trail and ‘Mile Zero’ of the Old Caribou Wagon Road. Leaving Lillooet travel the Duffey Lake Road to Whistler. Be sure to stop at Joffre Lake for breathtaking views of Joffre Glacier.
Today you can enjoy your choice of included excursion from the following options:
Whistler Guided Lunch Tour – explore the town’s eclectic culinary scene with a delicious multi-course lunch taken at various food spots.
River of Golden Dreams Canoe Tour – take an enchanting paddle from Alta Lake to Green Lake, past wildflower-lined river banks and old-growth forests.
Whistler Peak 2 Peak Gondola – travel to the top of Whistler Mountain for spectacular views of glaciers, extinct volcanoes and snow-capped peaks.
Bear Safari in Whistler Olympic Park (upgrade at extra cost) – Watch wild black bears forage amidst pristine landscapes from your vehicle. Drive up iconic Ski Jumps for breath-taking, panoramic mountain views.
Leave Whistler and travel along the scenic Sea to Sky Highway to Horseshoe Bay. Highlights along the way include the cascading Shannon Falls and the striking granite cliffs of Stawamus Chief Rock, which attracts climbers from all over the world. At Horseshoe Bay, take the ferry across the Strait of Georgia to Vancouver Island. Continue your drive to Tofino, pausing en-route at Cathedral Grove to enjoy the splendour of 800 year old Douglas Fir and Cedar trees. Perhaps stop at Sproat Lake to visit the Mars Water-Bombers at, the world’s two largest water-bombers used for the sole purpose of putting out forest fires. Pass through the majestic Sutton Pass and the Sawtooth Range of the Cascade Mountains, before arriving into Tofino around late afternoon.
Today you can enjoy your choice of one included experience from the following options:
Whale Watching Cruise – cruise through the pristine waters of Clayoquot Sound to view beautiful scenery and wildlife. Depending on the time of year, you may encounter gray whales, humpback whales, sea lions, sea birds and resident bald eagles.
After your excursion enjoy some time at leisure – you may wish to walk along the famed Long Beach, with its miles of pristine sandy beach and pounding surf, or explore the coastal rainforest on a selection of well-marked hiking trails.
Coastal Bear Watch Cruise, Tofino
Make your way back to the eastern side of Vancouver Island and head south to Victoria. En-route you may wish to stop at the artist community of Chemainus, to admire the giant murals which adorn the exterior walls throughout the town, and at Duncan, the ‘City of Totems’. If time permits visit the Quw’utsun Heritage Village which provides you with an insight into the lives of the northwest coast people (admission not included).
Today you can enjoy your choice of one included experience from the following options:
Butchart Gardens Admission – this National Historic Site of Canada is renowned for its stunning floral displays set over 55 acres of gardens.
Whale Watch Cruise – search for orcas on the Salish Sea on a 3.5 hour guided whale watching cruise, complete with hydrophones to bring the underwater world to life.
High Tea at the Fairmont Empress Hotel – Indulge in a lavish array of tea, finger sandwiches, pastries and scones, served in the elegant setting of this historic landmark.
The rest of the day is free to explore Victoria at your leisure, with its turn of the century architecture and strong British traditions.
Eat Like a Canadian, Victoria
Leaving Victoria drive north to Swartz Bay Ferry Terminal for a 90 minute ferry journey to Tsawwassen. Enjoy the scenery of the Gulf Islands as you cross the Strait of Georgia. From Tsawwassen continue on to downtown Vancouver where your fabulous Western Canada self drive comes to an end.
Prices & departures
What's Included
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Accommodation in rooms with private bathroom
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Car hire including unlimited mileage, 2nd driver, loss damage waiver and third-party liability
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Choice of excursion in Banff: Banff Gondola / Lake Minnewanka Cruise / River Explorer Canoe tour / Bow River Horseride
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Ice Explorer Ride & Glacier Skywalk
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Choice of experience in Jasper: Maligne Lake Cruise / River Raft Float
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Choice of experience in Whistler: Guided Lunch Tour / River Canoe tour / Peak 2 Peak Gondola / Bear Safari in Whistler Olympic Park (upgrade additional cost)
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Choice of experience in Tofino: Coastal Bear Watch Cruise / Whale Watching Cruise
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Choice of experience in Victoria: Admission to Butchart Gardens / Eat Like a Canadian Food Tour / Whale Watch Cruise / High Tea at the Fairmont Empress Hotel
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Ferry from Horseshoe Bay to Nanaimo
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Ferry from Victoria to Vancouver
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24 hour emergency assistance from our team during your holiday
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No surcharge guarantee
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Full financial protection
From £2114 Excluding Flights
11 Nights
May-Oct
Prices are per person based upon 2 sharing, subject to availability. Your Travel Specialist will confirm the exact price based upon your tailored requirements, inclusions, and travel dates.
Make this trip yours
Every trip you see here can be adapted to suit you using inside-out knowledge to create one-off experiences created just for you.
Doug
Polar bears spotted in Spitsbergen
Species of whale seen
We create holidays that are as individual as you are. And we’ve been doing it for 40 years, crafting each and every holiday using our in-depth knowledge and enthusiasm for our destinations. Whatever your brief, we’ll create an amazing trip for you to get excited about. That might mean adapting one of our existing itineraries or we’ll build you one from scratch.