Western Circle Explorer from Vancouver

Prices are per person listed in Canadian dollars. Subject to applicable taxes. Prices listed do not include discounts or promotions - please inquire. Package prices and itinerary are not finalized until confirmed by a Vacations Canada travel planner.  Contact your travel professional or a Vacations Canada travel planner to customize or build your own vacation package. View Terms and Conditions.

VACATION FEATURES:

Accommodations
- 6 nights hotel accommodation
- 1 night aboard VIA Rail

Meals
- 2 Breakfasts
- 3 Lunches

Sightseeing Excursions and Tours
- Overnight VIA Rail Journey from Vancouver to Jasper
- Discover Jasper Tour
- Icefield Parkway & Glacier Experience from Jasper to Banff
- Discover Banff Tour
- 2 Day Journey from Lake Louise to Vancouver
- Winery Tour and Tasting in Kelowna

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

Transfers
- Transfer from Jasper Train Station to Jasper Hotel
- Banff to Lake Louise

Documentation
- Brewster Sightseeing Excursion discount coupon
- Jasper Museum discount coupon
- Icefield Photograph
- Itinerary, brochures, maps and vouchers
- National Park entrance fees
- Hotel luggage handling

ITINERARY:

DAY 1 - VIA Rail's 'Canadian' from Vancouver to Jasper

Transfer to VIA Rail Station on your own. Your vacation begins with an evening departure from Vancouver on VIA Rail's 'Canadian' 'Sleeper Touring' service, with Dome and classic dining car.

DAY 2 - Arriving in Jasper

In the early morning you will enter the Canadian Rockies, traveling in daylight to the resort town of Jasper. Winding through the Yellowhead Pass, view Mt. Robson, the highest peak in the Canadian Rockies. Arrive in Jasper in mid-afternoon to begin a 2 night stay.

DAY 3 - Discovering Jasper

Experience Jasper National Park through the travels of the early explorers and view the unspoiled grandeur! A morning excursion will begin along the mighty Athabasca Canadian Heritage River, learning about David Thompson and the valley ecosystem. Travel above Maligne Canyon, with its narrow gorge and limestone walls created by 10,000 years of water flow. Visit a place of mystery and Indian legend as you continue to Medicine Lake, where sometimes it actually disappears! On your adventure, you are sure to see a variety of mountain wildlife. The rest of the afternoon is free to shop and explore the townsite.

DAY 4 - Jasper to Banff Sightseeing

Tour the Icefields Parkway to Columbia Icefield. Enjoy an Ice Explorer ride onto the Athabasca Glacier. In the afternoon continue along the Icefields Parkway to the alpine town of Banff.

DAY 5 - Exploring Lake Louise and Banff

This morning, take the informative "Discover Banff" excursion with a visit to sights such as Bow Falls and the Banff Hoodoos. In the afternoon, transfer to Lake Louise for time to explore and enjoy this fabulous setting.

DAY 6 - Lake Louise to Kelowna

After a morning departure from Lake Louise, 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 7 - 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.


DAY 8 - Departing Vancouver

Check-out from your hotel this morning to end your Rockies Circle West vacation.


*When day tours or attractions are not operational in the off-season, the price will be adjusted or there will an alternative excursion/attraction made available.