Alpine Explorer from Calgary

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VACATION FEATURES:

Accommodations
- 3 nights hotel accommodation

Meals
- 1 Breakfast in Kelowna
- 2 Lunches in Revelstoke and Minter Gardens

Sightseeing Excursions and Tours
- 2 Day Journey from Banff to Vancouver
- Columbia Icefield Tour
- Discover Banff Tour
- Winery Tour and Tasting in Kelowna

Admissions
- Banff Gondola Ride
- Columbia Icefield Glacier Adventure
- Minter Gardens with guided Walking Tour

Documentation
- Itinerary, brochures, maps and vouchers
- National Park entrance fees
- Hotel luggage handling

ITINERARY:

DAY 1 - Calgary to Banff

Today, travel through the foothills of the Rockies to the resort town of Banff, in Canada’s first National Park. Upon arrival, enjoy a sightseeing excursion with highlights including a visit to the hoodoos, shaped by centuries of wind; Surprise Corner and Tunnel Mountain Drive, which overlooks Bow Falls. Also, take a ride (included) on a gondola car to the top of Sulphur Mountain. After the excursion, you will be dropped off at your hotel.

DAY 2 - Discovering Banff and the Columbia Icefield

This morning, a Brewster motorcoach and driver will guide you up the Icefields Parkway with a stop at the Columbia Icefield Interpretive Centre. Take time to explore the surface of Athabasca Glacier on board a specially-designed Ice Explorer (included). Return to Banff after your glacier tour.

DAY 3 - Banff to Kelowna

Today, depart Banff and travel westbound for the first sightseeing break of the day at world famous Lake Louise, one of the most stunning emerald green lakes in the Canadian Rockies. It was originally named “Emerald Lake” by Tom Wilson (former member of the North West Mounted Police and CP Rail employee), before being renamed for Princess Louise, the 4th daughter of Queen Victoria. There will be enough time to walk to the lakeshore for your own photo shoot of this famous scene and explore the magnificent Fairmont Chateau Lake on your own.

Ascending Roger’s Pass, the summit of Glacier National Park, this route follows the Canadian Pacific rail line all along the way. One of the highlights of the trip is a stop at the Spiral Tunnels. This unique feature is an engineering marvel that loops into the heart of Mount Stephen. This was created in 1909 in order to reduce the steep grade of the rail line, a hazard of early travel that caused the concern for runaway cars due to the 4.5% grade (2.2% is the desired grade). A lunch break (included) is made in the alpine town of Revelstoke, founded in 1880 when the CP Railroad was built through the area. Today, it’s a growing favorite destination among outdoor enthusiasts for golf, hiking, canoeing, whitewater rafting, skiing and heli-skiing.

Driving further south, the Trans Canada Highway travels past Craigellachie, the site of the last spike of the Canadian Pacific Railway in 1885. This railway system connects Canada from coast to coast. Then the road winds its way out of the Monashee Mountains and you’ll make a quick stop in Sicamous, the “Houseboat Capital of Canada”. The last a stop today is in the small town of Armstrong before continuing on your journey south into the famed wine region of the Okanagan Valley, through the town of Vernon, home of Silver Star ski area.

Kelowna is the overnight destination and is the cosmopolitan and cultural centre of the Okanagan Valley, including five pristine golf courses, white sand beaches, orchards and Big White ski area, in addition to over a dozen local wineries. An evening arrival at your selected Kelowna hotel allows time for dinner (meal not included) and exploration of the lakefront.

DAY 4 - Kelowna to Vancouver

After a hearty breakfast (included), the first stop of the day is at a local winery for an exclusive tour and educational wine tasting. Sample a variety of hand-crafted Okanagan wines in this unique and authentic setting, surrounded by the actual vineyards where the fruit is produced on site.

Depart the Okanagan Valley on the Coquihalla highway which travels through the interior to the town of Merritt. There, time is allowed at the Visitor Centre to stretch and learn about this historic territory, one of the premier ranching settlements in British Columbia from 1880. Then continue your trek on the Coquihalla Highway through the heart of ranching country and back into mountainous territory. Later in the day, a two hour stop at Minter Gardens will feed your body and soothe your senses with a delectable lunch (included) and guided walk through the exquisite gardens.

Following lunch, connect with the mighty Fraser River (named after Simon Fraser, a fur trader who explored the area in 1808), a major salmon spawning route. Up to 10 million fish a year travel up to this waterway each fall to the exact stream bed of their birth where they will complete their life cycle by spawning and dying. This act, in turn, will attract and feed many predators such as eagles and bears who depend on this yearly feast to build body fat that will sustain them during the lean winter months ahead. On the last leg of your journey, you’ll find yourself travelling through the lush Fraser delta region and then into downtown Vancouver, for a late afternoon arrival.


Alpine Explorer is also available from Vancouver, British Columbia.