Welcome to Canada! Transfer to your hotel and get settled in. 

With your Tour Director leading the way, head out on a guided sightseeing tour of Calgary. While this part of Alberta turns into a winter wonderland for large swaths of the year—Calgary hosted the 1988 Winter Olympics—it’s warm and mild in the summer. 

• Drive by the Calgary City Hall, the seat of the Calgary City Council. Built in 1911 in the Richardsonian Romanesque architectural style, it sits next to the newer Calgary Municipal Building—whose mirrored glass facade was dubbed “a monstrosity” by rivaling members of the Toronto City Council.  

• Pass the Canada Olympic Park (many of the nation’s top athletes still train there) and the winding Bow River, a popular recreation destination for locals.  

• Pass by the Confluence Historic Site & Parkland (formerly Fort Calgary) and make a photo stop at the vast Calgary Stampede grounds, home to the largest outdoor rodeo event in the world. (No wonder Calgary is known as “Cowtown”!)  

• Travel to Banff, a glamorous resort town inside the eponymous national park known for its mix of outdoor activities, art galleries, and take-your-breath-away sights. 

• Enjoy views of the Canadian Rocky Mountains as you head west through Alberta. Sharp peaks of limestone and shale, deep valleys, and crystalline lakes await. 

• Stop in Canmore and enjoy free time to explore and eat lunch downtown. This charming mountain town has featured prominently in film and television and boasts incredible views of Ha Ling Peak and the Three Sisters.

Join your Tour Director and fellow travelers for tonight’s welcome dinner, served with beer or wine.

With your Tour Director as your guide, set out into Banff National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a postcard-perfect Alpine slice of the Canadian Rockies.

• Pass by the roaring churn and spray of Bow Falls, the castle-like grounds of the Fairmont Banff Springs hotel, and the 13-mile-long Lake Minnewanka.
• Enter the Cave and Basin National Historic Site, the birthplace of Canada’s first national park at the foot of Sulphur Mountain. Home to hot springs and spectacular wildlife, the area was inhabited by Canada’s indigenous First Nations peoples for more than 10,000 years and remains a sacred place to this day.

Experience the towering majesty of the Canadian Rockies from the water as you float down Bow River on a river raft if you choose to add on this afternoon’s excursion. You’ll drift past mountain peaks, evergreen trees, and Banff’s abundant bird life. Prefer to stay on land? You can use the Roam public transit system to explore more of the park’s attractions. The weather in Alberta can turn quickly, so pack a warmer layer with you, just in case.

Soak in the beauty of one of the most scenic drives in North America as you journey along the Icefields Parkway to see the Athabasca Glacier. This stretch of road, which takes you from Jasper to Lake Louise, dazzles with waterfalls, pristine lakes, and a thicket of forests.  

• Keep your eyes open for a variety of wildlife such as bears, elk, and moose as you drive past emerald glacial pools, jagged mountain peaks, and sweeping valleys.  

• Stop to admire the impossibly blue Peyto Lake before arriving at the Columbia Icefield Glacier Discovery Centre, where you’ll learn more about Yoho National Park on the western slopes of the Great Divide. The national park is located within the traditional lands of the Ktunaxa and Secwépemc peoples and is a vital habitat for mountain goats and grizzlies.  

• Board a snow coach—a special passenger vehicle designed to traverse expanses of snow and ice—to travel up the Athabasca Glacier and take a short walk on the ice. The glacier is a remnant of the ice mass that once covered most of the Canadian Rockies and has experienced a rapid retreat over the last century due to climate change.

Please note: Mountain weather changes fast, and the stop at Peyto Lake is weather-dependent. We recommend wearing extra layers and walking shoes or sneakers, as your route may include steep inclines. 

Make your way to one of Canada’s most beloved, and most photographed, landmarks: Lake Louise. From November to late-June, this glacial lake lies frozen, but come the thaw, visitors are treated to shimmering, electric blue water. 

• Pass through the Valley of the Ten Peaks in Banff National Park to stop at Moraine Lake and take in its beautiful turquoise water. Just like Lake Louise, Moraine Lake owes its crystalline, azure appearance to sunlight refracting off the rock sediment left behind by the surrounding glaciers.  

• Soak in panoramic mountain views and enjoy an included lunch while you ride the Lake Louise Gondola. From your perch, keep an eye out for the grizzly bears, moose, lynx, and mountain goats that roam the Alpine landscape.  

• View the historic, 19th-century Château Lake Louise resort, then spend your free time canoeing or walking around the lake.

Later tonight, gather with your group for an included dinner, served with beer or wine. 

Please note: Moraine Lake is accessible seasonally from June to September. 

Board a vintage Rocky Mountaineer train in Banff for a full-day ride through the untamed beauty of the Rockies to the city of Kamloops in British Columbia. You’ll traverse some of Canada’s wildest scenery aboard a glass-domed coach for nonstop panoramic views.  

Admire glacial lakes, towering mountains, and raging rivers on your daylong journey, with the train’s gentle sway as your companion. Listen as the Rocky Mountaineer’s hosts regale you with stories about the natural wonders that surround you. Need to stretch your legs? Step into the train’s unique outdoor viewing area and fill your lungs with crisp mountain air. 

Enjoy an included lunch aboard the train. This evening, you’ll disembark in Kamloops and get a good night’s sleep before resuming your trip tomorrow.  

Continue your journey on the Rocky Mountaineer with another scenic, daylong trek. Make your way south to Vancouver, crossing through the peaks of the Coast Mountains of British Columbia, over the rushing might of the Fraser River, and across the thrilling whitewater of Hells Gate. Enjoy an included lunch aboard the train as you make your descent into the Fraser Valley, where Vancouver awaits you.  

Today, tour the multicultural city of Vancouver with a local guide before enjoying a free afternoon to explore the city on your own. As you go, you’ll learn more about Canada’s third-largest metropolitan area, initially settled by the Squamish people some 10,000 years ago.

• Drive through Downtown Vancouver, passing the Romanesque-Renaissance-style public library. If you look closely at its stained-glass windows, you’ll spot literary giants such as John Milton and William Shakespeare.
• Head to the waterfront to see Canada Place. It houses the Vancouver Convention Center and World Trade Center, and is covered by a series of fabric roofs resembling sails on a ship.
• Visit Stanley Park, a 1,000-acre public space featuring First Nations art, including totem poles and gateways. Sea, sky, mountain, and trees converge in Vancouver’s largest urban park, replete with manicured gardens and ocean views.
• See the Gastown district, filled with historic charm, delicious restaurants, and one-of-a-kind shops. As Vancouver’s oldest neighborhood, the area retains its character through Victorian buildings, cobbled streets, and lampposts.
• Enjoy Queen Elizabeth Park, Vancouver’s horticultural gem. You’ll stroll among exotic trees in the arboretum, sculpture garden, and the Bloedel Conservatory, taking in views of the city as you go.
• Use your free time to explore Granville Island, located directly across the water from Downtown Vancouver. This outsized sandbar is home to a thriving shopping district teeming with artisanal shops, quaint eateries, and cultural venues.

This afternoon, celebrate your trip with your group at a farewell lunch, served with beer or wine.

Transfer to the airport for your flight home or stick around to continue exploring British Columbia’s lower mainland. You’ll get even more time in Vancouver and an opportunity to join day trips to the city’s picturesque neighbors.