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DAY 1 - VANCOUVER AIRPORT/ VANCOUVER
 Welcome to the cosmopolitan city of Vancouver, between the Pacific Ocean and the coastal mountains. Tonight you will be staying at a comfortable hotel, the Coast Plaza Vancouver***. You will receive your Authentik travel book, with all the details of your adventure including a road map indicating your route, as well as a personalised roadbook, a host of practical tourist information, a toll-free assistance number, vouchers...
This evening, take the time to explore some of the city's well-known neighbourhoods: Gastown, English Bay, Robson Street...
Have a great vacation in Canada's wide open spaces!
DAY 2 - VANCOUVER
Breakfast. Vancouver, Canada's most beautiful metropolis and ranked as one of the best cities in the world to live in, will enchant lovers of culture and nature alike. Set out on foot or by Trolley Bus for a tour of the city. Nature lovers won't want to miss Stanley Park and the Vancouver Aquarium! Night at the Coast Plaza Vancouver***.
DAY 3 - VANCOUVER/ VICTORIA (69 km/2 hrs 53 mins)
 You pick up your vehicle downtown after breakfast, and then board the ferry for the charming city of Victoria. With its attractive 19th century architecture, beautiful gardens and waterfront promenades, Victoria is a lovely port city, easily visited on foot.
Optional activity along the way
Butchart Gardens
At the heart of Victoria, in Beacon Hill Park, you will find lovely gardens and a superb view of the ocean and the mountains of Washington State. You will be spending the night at Coast Harbourside***.
DAY 4-5 - VICTORIA / QUADRA ISLAND (279 km/4 hrs 17 mins)
 After spending a pleasant morning in Victoria, you set out for the open spaces of the north part of Vancouver Island. Your final destination: Quadra Island, a 4-hour drive from Victoria.
For your first stop, we suggest that you stop in the village of Duncan.
Also known as the ''City of Totems'', Duncan is a real Indian village, with more that 80 totem poles lining its streets. You will also pass the tourist village of Chemainus, whose history and culture are told through a series of about thirty murals.
Late in the afternoon, you will pass through McMillan Park, one of the last vestiges of the rain forest that covered the island more than 1000 years ago. Inside the park, pay a visit to Cathedral Grove, a magical place where you will find enormous 800 year old Douglas firs. Cathedral Grove was a sacred place for the First Nations people
At the end of the day you will reach an enchanting site on the Pacific coast, the Tsa-Kwa-Luten*** outfitter, run by members of the Kwagiulth Nation.
DAY 6 - QUADRA ISLAND / PORT HARDY (244 km/4 hrs 21 mins)
 Last chance to enjoy the lonely landscape before setting out for a little out-of-the-way paradise on the pacific coast of Vancouver Island, Telegraph Cove!
This small village will charm you with its small old houses built on piles, lined up along the long wooden boardwalk. Without a doubt, the best place in the world for orca (killer whale) watching.
Optional activity along the way
Orca Watching Safari
Your journey continues towards Port Hardy, at the northern tip of Vancouver Island, a village inhabited by fishermen and forestry workers. The surrounding waters and forests are teeming with wildlife; here it is abundantly clear why reforestation is so important. You will spend a short night at the Quarterdeck Inn***.
DAY 7 - PORT HARDY/INSIDE PASSAGE / PRINCE RUPERT
 No driving today! All aboard the ''Queen of Prince Rupert'' very early in the morning, then after three blasts of the ship's horn, you are off on one of the most spectacular cruises in the world, the "Inside Passage" along the Pacific coast! A few hours later the fog rises, revealing stunning views of inlets, fjords, wooded islands and the majestic Coastal Mountains. But all good things come to an end, and 16 hours later and 500 km to the north you arrive in Prince Rupert, where you will spend the night at the Coast Hotel Prince Rupert***.
DAY 8 - PRINCE RUPERT / STEWART (455 km/5 hrs 49 mins)
This morning, you can enjoy the luxury of sleeping in, followed by a hearty breakfast! One "must-see" attraction in Prince Rupert is the picturesque waterfront area of Cow Bay, built on piles and overlooking a pretty marina. And then you are off again for another day filled with discoveries as impressive as they are varied!
You will follow the ''Yellowhead Highway'' along the scenic Skeena River Valley.
The glaciers become larger and closer as you approach Stewart; some are simply dazzling. Stop to admire the magnificent Bear Glacier, with its magical blue glow.
Today's final destination is the small town of Stewart, at the head of Portland Canal, a deep fjord marking a natural border between Canada and the United States (Alaska). The surroundings are stunning; this is where you will be spending the next two nights, at the Ripley Creek Inn***.
 Before sunset, go and watch the grizzlies at the renowned Fish Creek, recognized as one of the best wildlife observation sites in North America. From July to September, Fish Creek plays host to the largest gathering of pink salmon in Alaska, as they come here to spawn in the fresh waters of the creek. From the safety of a platform and a protected walkway, you can photograph black bears and grizzlies as they gather by the dozens to fish for salmon.
DAY 9 - STEWART (Glaciers, Fjord & Grizzlies)
Today we suggest that you explore this rugged untamed land, with a drive up to the spectacular Salmon Glacier, the fifth largest glacier in the world. But before setting out, pay a visit to the Stewart Information Centre for a map and to find out the present road conditions, or to learn about tours offered by local businesses. And above all, don't forget your camera!
 At the end of the day, stop off in the ''Sealaska Pub'' for a taste of the gold diggers' drink! You could also treat yourself to a meal of Snow Crab at the King Edward Hotel. And why not return to ''Fish Creek'' to take some more sensational photos of the grizzlies as they fish for salmon along the river.
DAY 10 - STEWART / SMITHERS (328 km/5 hrs 7 mins)
After breakfast, you set out to discover the Gitksan First Nation, who have lived in this area forever, and who used the Skeena River as a  trade route. Here you will see fascinating totem poles, especially in the villages of Kitwancool and Kispiox: the oldest one, found in Kitwancool, was sculpted 140 years ago. The nearby village of Hazelton is known as the Totem Pole Capital of the World, and is home to the renowned Ksan Native Village and Museum, a replica of a Gitksan village where visitors can learn about Gixtan culture and watch artists at work.
Along the Bulkley River you will find a fishing site used by the First Nations for thousands of years. Known today as Moricetown Canyon, here you can observe ancestral salmon fishing methods... another photo opportunity not to be missed.
You will spend the night in a superb mountainous setting at Hudson Bay Lodge ***.
DAY 11 - SMITHERS / PRINCE GEORGE (370 km/4 hrs 5 mins)
This morning you will be able to appreciate the singular beauty of the panoramic scenery of this area known as "Little Switzerland". Many Europeans have ended up settling here, seduced by this small town and its way of life.
On the way to Prince George, you will leave the high peaks of the Coastal Mountains for the hills of the Nechako Plateau. In this fur-trade district formerly known as New Caledonia, visit the most important trading post of the Hudson Bay Company Company, at the Fort St. James Historic Site - an authentic fur trading post dating from 1896. Guides in period costumes will help visitors to relive the atmosphere of days gone by.
Night at Coast Hotel Prince George***.
Optional activity along the way
Fort St. James Historic Site
DAY 12 - PRINCE GEORGE / JASPER (376 km/4 hrs 18 mins)
 Today you head for the amazing Jasper National Park. Drink in your fill of the incredible scenery as you follow the tumultuous Fraser River to its source. And, weather permitting, eat your lunch at the foot of the highest peak in the Canadian Rockies, Mount Robson. After lunch, pay a quick visit to the Visitors Centre before setting out on a hike to the lovely Kinney Lake along the popular Berg Lake Trail (3 hours, round trip).
You have a good chance of observing wildlife along the panoramic Yellowhead Highway between Mount Robson and Jasper, especially during the two hours before sunset.
At the end of the day, like a scene from a dream, you find yourself in the heart of the majestic Rocky Mountains! You will be spending the next three nights at the Lobstick Lodge, in the heart of Jasper National Park.
DAY 13-14 - JASPER NATIONAL PARK
Two whole days to enjoy Jasper National Park! Jasper National Park is the largest and the most northerly of Canada's four Rocky Mountain Parks, which comprise a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The fragile and carefully protected ecosystems make up a rugged and mountainous landscape.
Enjoy the most beautiful attractions, including
the picturesque Maligne Lake, the spectacular trails of Maligne Canyon and glacier-covered Mount Edith Cavell, the charming village of Jasper where wapiti wander the streets, sunset from the top of Whistler's Mountain, etc... Nights at the Lobstick Lodge.
DAY 15 - JASPER / LAKE LOUISE (236 km/2 hrs 49 mins)
 After a hearty breakfast, get an early start for the Icefields Parkway, considered to be one of the most beautiful roads in the world. This will be a day filled with rare natural splendours that will remain engraved in your memory for a long time to come.
Plan to stop at Athabasca Glacier and at the Columbia Icefield Interpretive Centre, the focal point of the Icefields Parkway. 
Optional activity along the way
Excursion on Columbia Glacier
Don't miss the serene Peyto Lake and Bow Lake. And for dessert, visit the famous Lake Louise and Moraine Lake - visions that will mark this day which is sure to be one of the highlights of your trip. The sheer magnitude and beauty of your surroundings will instil a sense of awe and wonder at the power and majesty of nature.
After checking into your room at Deer Lodge***, in the village of Lake Louise, you are free to spend the evening as you like.
DAY 16-17 - BANFF NATIONAL PARK
Two whole days to enjoy the vast unspoiled grandeur of Banff National Park, Canada's premier National Park and UN World Heritage Site. Among the stunning natural attractions to be discovered: Johnston Canyon via the Bow River Valley and Minnewanka Lake. You will be sleeping at Banff Caribou Lodge***, in the Town of Banff.
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OPTIONAL STAY IN THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS |
Name of the Outfitter |
Activities |
Destination |
RAFTER SIX RANCH  |
Hiking, horseback riding, swimming, adventure ropes course in the trees, rafting, Rodeo, children's playground, Western Museum, volleyball, etc... |
Canadian Rockies |
DAY 18 - BANFF / REVELSTOKE (281 km/3 hrs 26 mins)
 After breakfast, we suggest that you spend the morning in Yoho National Park.
In the afternoon, you will start the climb towards Rogers Pass in the heart of Glacier National Park. This park, the most rugged in all of the Canadian west, contains over 400 glaciers. It was no easy task finding a route for the railroad through the mountains - discover the fascinating and incredible stories at the Rogers Pass Discovery Centre. Night at Glacier House***.
DAY 19-20 - REVELSTOKE/ ASHCROFT (307 km/3 hrs 36 mins)
This trip would not be worthy of its name, ''The Wild Canadian West'', if it didn't include a stay at a real ranch in the Cariboo area. This is why we have planned a two-day ''cowboy'' experience for you at the Sundance Ranch***.
Optional activity
Historic Hat Creek Ranch
STAY IN AN RESORT BETWEEN ASHCROFT & VANCOUVER (OPTIONAL) |
Resort Name |
List of activities |
Destination |
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Canoeing, fishing, safari, wildlife observation (black bear, grizzly, moose, deer,...), ATV, mountain biking, gold panning, hiking, horseback riding, archery, horseshoes, volleyball, sauna, Jacuzzi,... |
Gold Bridge,
Cariboo Mountain |
DAY 21 - ASHCROFT/ VANCOUVER AIRPORT
(344 km/4 hrs 2 mins)
 Last moments to enjoy the tranquility of the Ranch, before leaving for Vancouver along the raging Fraser River.
Optional activity along the way
Hell's Gate Canyon
Source of life for thousands of salmon, transportation route for the early European travelers and gold diggers, the Fraser River tells the stories of the first conquests of the Canadian West, and continues to impress visitors today with its force and grandeur.
After dropping off your vehicle at the airport, you board your return flight home, full of long-lasting memories of the land of lakes, rivers and mountains!
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