Overview

1. Day 1: Arrive Vancouver

   Welcome to Vancouver! Get settled in at your hotel before meeting your Travel Director this afternoon.

   hotel:Georgian Court

2. Day 2: Vancouver – Victoria (2 Nights)

   Start your day with a sightseeing tour of Vancouver, one of the world's most naturally beautiful cities. Explore historic Gastown, the city's oldest neighborhood, designated a National Historical Site in 2009. At Stanley Park, view the famous collection of totem poles and enjoy lovely views from Prospect Point. Reach the coast and board the ferry for the crossing to Victoria on Vancouver Island. Enjoy picturesque views of the many islands dotting the Strait of Georgia before docking at Swartz Bay. A short drive takes you into charming Victoria, the capital City of British Columbia. Your introductory sightseeing tour takes you along the waterfront district, past the Parliament Buildings and Government Street.

3. Day 3: Victoria Sightseeing and Free Time

   This morning, head for Butchart Gardens and start with an Iconic Breakfast at the Blue Poppy Restaurant with its conservatory atmosphere where light pours in through skylights and windows face the stunning gardens. Then roam one of the world's greatest floral displays in the amazing 55 magnificent acres of flowers and show gardens. The rest of the day is free to enjoy the many delights Victoria has to offer. Perhaps visit The Royal BC Museum, one of the finest in Canada. Another popular option in Victoria is whale watching as you cruise along the protected waters of Haro Strait and the Strait of Juan de Fuca for the best views of whales and fantastic photo opportunities, all the while being entertained and educated by the industry's best marine adventure guides.

   meal(s):Iconic Breakfast

   hotel:Comfort Inn and Suites

4. Day 4: Victoria – Whistler (2 Nights)

   Travel to Chemainus, a seaside community that is renowned for its Mural Project–a series of giant outdoor wall murals. Then ride the ferry across the Georgia Strait back to the mainland at Horseshoe Bay. Travel along the Sea-to-Sky Highway offering stunning scenic ocean vistas of Howe Sound, soaring mountains, dramatic waterfalls and bustling communities. Stop at Shannon Falls Provincial Park to view the spectacular waterfalls, the third highest in the province of British Columbia. Arrive at the quaint alpine village of Whistler, co-host to the 2010 Winter Olympics.

   meal(s):CB

   hotel:Pinnacle Hotel, Whistler Village

5. Day 5: Whistler Free Time

   Spend a full day at leisure in the alpine resort of Whistler, nestled between the breathtaking Blackcomb and Whistler mountains. Explore the village at your own pace and relax at one of the many outdoor venues; perhaps visit the excellent Squamish Lil'wat Cultural Center, where the Squamish and Lil'wat people invite you to learn about the cultures of the First Nations of BC. Join one of the many optional excursions, including ziplining, white water rafting, or a thrilling ride aboard the Peak-to-Peak Gondola, as you glide along the world's longest unsupported span—the gondola is also the highest elevator of its kind, linking the Roundhouse Lodge on Whistler Mountain and the Rendezvous Restaurant on Blackcomb Mountain. Other activities include flightseeing over the lakes and glaciated peaks of Garibaldi Provincial Park.

6. Day 6: Whistler – Sun Peaks

   Follow the scenic Duffy Lake Road along the shores of Duffy and Seton Lakes via Lillooet, “Mile 0” of the Gold Rush Route. Follow the once treacherous Cariboo Wagon Trail, one of the most difficult construction jobs in the British Empire, before reaching Sun Peaks, British Columbia's premier sky resort.

   hotel:Sun Peaks Lodge

7. Day 7: Sun Peaks – Jasper (2 Nights)

   Drive through white-fenced ranch lands and follow the Yellowhead Highway, catching a glimpse of the snowcapped Columbia Mountains in the distance. Enjoy views of Mount Robson, the highest peak in the Rockies and enter Jasper National Park. Arrive in the township of Jasper, nestled inside Jasper National Park. A brief tour gives you an overview of this charming laid back mountain resort.

   hotel:Marmot Lodge

8. Day 8: Jasper National Park Free Time

   Enjoy a full day at leisure in the largest National Park of the Canadian Rockies. The beauty of the area will leave you breathless. Optional activities abound—from a gentle float trip on the scenic Bow River, to a glacier hike on Mount Edith Cavell, or a scenic cruise on Maligne Lake to iconic Spirit Island. The choice is entirely yours and your Travel Director is on hand to help you plan your day's activities.

9. Day 9: Jasper – Icefields Parkway – Lake Louise – Banff (2 Nights)

   Proceed along the world-renowned Icefields Parkway amidst stunning vistas of deep green forests, snow covered mountains, hanging glaciers and towering peaks. Sightseeing stops along this beautiful highway include Athabasca Falls, the Columbia Icefield, Bow and Peyto Lakes and Crowfoot Glacier. Keep your camera ready as you look for wandering wildlife. Stop at the Columbia Icefield for a ride on a specially designed Ice Explorer. Wind your way along Glacier Trail and drive right on to the surface of the massive Athabasca Glacier. Learn about the Columbia Icefield, the power of glaciers and the early explorers who discovered them. Another stop is at the “Jewel of the Canadian Rockies”—exquisite Lake Louise, offering quintessential Canadian Rockies scenery with its sparkling blue water lake, nestled at the base of the impressive Victoria Glacier. Continue along the scenic Bow Valley Parkway and arrive at the quaint township of Banff, inside Banff National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

   hotel:Banff Voyager Inn

10. Day 10: Banff Sightseeing and Free Time

    Your morning sightseeing tour of Banff includes the sights of Bow Falls and Tunnel Mountain. Few towns in the world boast as beautiful a setting as Banff. The mighty Bow River courses right through town, while massive mountains rear up around the outskirts of the township. The rest of the day is free for you to pursue your own interests. To see more of this beautiful area, perhaps take an optional gondola ride up Sulphur Mountain to experience stunning views of six mountain ranges and the village below or ride aboard a helicopter for one of the most epic adventures in the Canadian Rockies.

11. Day 11: Banff – Kelowna

    Drive across the Continental Divide at Kicking Horse Pass and stop at Spiral Tunnels, a feat of early engineering for one of the steepest railroad stretches in the world. Then, it's on through Yoho National Park and across Roger's Pass in Canada's Glacier National Park. Pass Mount Revelstoke National Park, wind your way down the mountains and enter what is known as Canada's “fruit basket”—the Okanagan Valley. Stop at a local winery for a tour and tasting before arriving at your hotel in Kelowna.

    hotel:Ramada Kelowna Hotel

12. Day 12: Kelowna – Depart Vancouver

    Make your way across the Cascade Mountains and through the Scenic Fraser River Valley to arrive back in Vancouver where your Canadian adventure comes to an end. For guests continuing on Holland America Line's Alaska cruise, you will be dropped off at Canada's Place to board the ms Nieuw Amsterdam.