Western Canada National Parks

Day to explore the city: Chinatown, Gastown, Stanley Park and its famous aquarium, Granville Island Market, MacMillan Planetarium. The city is surrounded by the sea and dominated by mountains. Overnight in the same location.

Departure to Tsawwassen and boarding of a ferry to Vancouver Island. Before arriving in Victoria, stop at the famous Butchart Gardens. Then visit Victoria, especially the very interesting British Columbia Museum and its gallery dedicated to Indigenous culture.
Accommodation downtown.

In the morning, take a whale and orca watching cruise. They are always present in the strait separating Canada and the USA. Then depart north. Stop in Duncan to visit the Totem Museum. Continue to Parksville, where you turn toward the Pacific. Along the way, you will cross Cathedral Grove and its giant pine trees.
Accommodation in Tofino, facing the Pacific Ocean.

Day to discover Pacific Rim National Park and its long beaches. You can hike, kayak or go boating. Possibility to observe gray whales and black bears. Hike in a primitive rainforest: very impressive.
Overnight in the same location.

Drive to Nanaimo, north of Victoria. Take the ferry and, once on the mainland, follow the superb scenic “Sea to Sky” highway to Whistler. Everywhere you will see traces of the Olympic Games. Whistler is lively, with café and restaurant terraces, and especially mountain biking enthusiasts. If you enjoy it, try a downhill mountain bike ride.
Accommodation in Whistler Village.

To return to the mainland, it is possible to make a magnificent detour via the Sunshine Coast. This requires at least one additional night, in Egmont or Halfmoon Bay. You would then see some of Canada’s most beautiful fjords, by car and especially by ferry.
Supplement of approx. €269 per person in double room (1 ferry + 1 extra car day + 1 night in a 4* seaside lodge).
With one more additional day, it is possible to take the beautiful “Princess Louisa Inlet” cruise.

The road leaving Whistler is magnificent. Then, as you cross to the eastern slope, the landscape suddenly becomes more arid. Following Duffey Lake Road, you head toward the Cariboo mountain range and a region of ranches and wooded hills.
Accommodation in a lodge near Clearwater.

Day to visit Wells Gray Park, home to Helmcken Falls and Spahats Falls. Optional lake cruise, rafting, kayaking or horseback riding.
Overnight in the same location.

Head north and pass Mount Robson, the highest peak in the Canadian Rockies (3,426 meters). The canyon is a must-see: you stand above a raging torrent surrounded by high cliffs. You then enter Alberta and Jasper National Park.
Accommodation in a chalet in Jasper.

Full day to explore Jasper National Park: Medicine Lake, Maligne Canyon, Maligne Lake, the summit of Mount Whistler, Mount Edith Cavell. A paradise for hikers.
Overnight in the same location.

Depart early this morning to travel the Icefields Parkway, one of the most beautiful scenic roads in North America. Along the way, admire Athabasca and Sunwapta Falls. We recommend the snowcoach excursion on the Athabasca Glacier. Continuing your journey, you enter Banff National Park. Discover Lake Louise and Moraine Lake. Hotel accommodation in Banff.

Full day to explore Banff National Park: Lake Minnewanka, Two Jacks Lake, hot springs, gondola ride to the top of Sulphur Mountain, Banff Museum. Hiking, rafting…
Overnight in the same location.

Departure south toward Waterton Lakes Park, following the Rockies to the American border. You are now in the great plains. Two historic sites are worth visiting, even briefly; one relates to the conquest of the West, the other to Indigenous history. Soon the mountains rise before you and you enter Waterton Park.
Hotel accommodation in Waterton Village.

Discover Waterton Lakes Park. This park borders Montana’s Glacier National Park. Together they form the first International Peace Park. Hiking and lake cruise. A full-day hike is recommended: Crypt Lake Trail, one of the ten most beautiful hikes in Canada.
Overnight in the same location.

You cross the Rocky Mountains to return to British Columbia. Follow valleys that are sometimes narrow but always wild.
Accommodation in Radium Hot Springs.

You travel through Kootenay National Park and then Yoho National Park. Several short walks are possible along the way to see torrents and waterfalls. Then continue through Glacier National Park via Rogers Pass.
Hotel accommodation near Revelstoke, with mountain view.

Discover the unique flora of Mount Revelstoke National Park on a hike. You can also visit the impressive hydroelectric dam on the Columbia River.
Overnight in the same location.

This entire day follows Lake Okanagan. This region is the “Orchard of Canada.” Visit orchards and vineyards. The landscape becomes gentler and vegetation more sparse.
Hotel accommodation in Kelowna.

Heading south, make a small detour to Okanagan Falls. Then continue to Manning Provincial Park. You are now in an alpine-style mountain range, different from the Rockies.
Accommodation in a log lodge within the park.

Short day to explore the park: hiking trails, canoeing on lakes. Some summits are accessible by car. Many birds and squirrels are not shy... Departure to Vancouver. Overnight in Vancouver, in a different district from your first two nights.

Morning in Vancouver, perhaps for some shopping. Then departure flight home.