Arrive at your centrally-located hotel. After a checkin the remainder of the day is free. The tour director will contact you in the late afternoon to give details on joining the tour. Explore the Old West at the Glenbow Museum or Fort Calgary, browse through the Eau Claire Market, ride up the Calgary Tower for a great view and savour the great restaurants and dynamic nightlife. Overnight in Calgary.

We begin the day with a city tour of Calgary. Leaving the city, we travel west on the Trans-Canada Highway into the rolling foothills of the Rocky Mountains. The majestic peaks of the Canadian Rockies soon fill the horizon as we approach Banff National Park, our first of several in the Canadian national parks system. We soon arrive in the charming resort town of Banff. Overnight in Banff. Buffet breakfast included.

Today we will enjoy a tour of the region around Banff. The area became Canada's first national park in 1885 to protect its natural hot springs. An optional Helicopter Sightseeing Tour will give you the chance to see the eastern ranges of the Rocky Mountains. Alternatively, you can take part in an optional Nature and Wildlife Tour to scenic Lake Minnewanka or a gondola ride to spectacular Sulphur Mountain. Bring your camera! The rest of the day is at leisure to explore the surroundings of Banff, stroll along Banff Avenue, or relax and enjoy the scenery. Overnight in Banff. Buffet breakfast included.

Today's journey through Banff and Jasper national parks promises to be a highlight of our Rockies Trail programme. Shortly after leaving Banff we visit the famous scenery of Lake Louise, one of the most photographed lakes in Canada. Afterwards, we travel north on the famed Icefields Parkway through a rugged wilderness flanked by dramatic mountain ranges. At the Columbia Icefield we board a specially constructed Ice Explorer to ride on the surface of the ancient Athabasca Glacier. Close to Jasper, you have the chance to go on an optional raft trip on the Athabasca River. Your experienced guide will point out the natural and human history as you raft through short rapids and stretches of calm waters. Overnight in Jasper. Continental breakfast included

Before leaving Jasper National Park this morning, you can take part in an optional Spirit Island Cruise on Maligne Lake, the most picturesque and largest glacier-fed lake in the park. Then we travel west along the Yellowhead Highway and into the heartland of British Columbia. Breathtaking, unspoiled vistas await visitors in every season of the year. The route takes us along the Thompson River through the picturesque Shuswap Highlands. Overnight in Sun Peaks. Continental breakfast included.

We can expect a day of dramatic scenery changes when we drive through the ranch lands and head for the coastal mountains. A journey along the Duffey Lake Road exposes new vistas at every turn. An optional Floatplane Sightseeing Tour over Garibaldi Park gives you an inspiring view of a natural preserve of volcanic peaks, alpine lakes and meadows. Or, discover the mountain ecology on an optional Zipline Adventure and ride on a series of cables and suspension bridges. Enjoy the rest of the day at leisure. Overnight in Whistler. Continental breakfast included

The Sea-to-Sky Highway leads us south today through spectacular coastal scenery. From Horseshoe Bay we cruise by ferry across the Strait of Georgia to Vancouver Island and continue by coach to Victoria, British Columbia's capital city. En route we visit Chemainus, the little town known as the largest outdoor art gallery. It features more than thirty-three historic murals over a 30 minute tour, taken on a horse drawn trolley. Overnight in Victoria. Continental breakfast included.

Proud of her maritime heritage, Victoria has retained a quaint, colonial demeanor evident in the many 19th century landmarks that we pass on our tour of this charming city. You can take part in an optional Floatplane Sightseeing Tour over downtown Victoria and the Strait of Juan de Fuca with the Olympic Mountains in the distance. You can also go on an optional Whalewatching Excursion aboard a Zodiac or a regular vessel. Watch for the infamous orcas and the abundance of marine wildlife. The rest of the afternoon is at leisure to explore the city's delights. Overnight in Victoria. Continental breakfast included.

We travel up the Saanich Peninsula to stop at Butchart Gardens, one of the world's great floral displays set in a reclaimed stone quarry. Time will be allocated here for browsing through the regal gardens before we continue on our way via a pleasant cruise through the resort region of the Gulf Islands to the oceanside city of Vancouver. Upon arrival in Vancouver, we enjoy an interesting tour of the city, including Stanley Park, English Bay, Gastown, Chinatown, and much more. The remainder of the day is free for independent exploration or simple relaxation. This evening features our farewell dinner party at the Capilano Suspension Bridge with a welcome from First Nations carvers. Overnight in Vancouver. Continental breakfast and dinner included.

A time for last-minute shopping and sad farewells. Continental breakfast included.