Winter Wonders

Begin your wondrous winter escape in Calgary, gateway to the Canadian Rockies. Become acquainted with your Tour Director and fellow travellers over a group welcome dinner tonight. Check into the Fairmont Palliser for your overnight stay. Please book your flight to arrive prior 5pm.

Your home-away-from-home resembles an enchanted castle in the forest. A Mountain or Valley View room for a three night Special Stay at the Fairmont Banff Springs is the best way to embrace your magical winter wonderland adventure ahead.

Freechoice Dining: Indulge your tastebuds as you please tonight with your choice of restaurant at your hotel.

Winter splendour of the Canadian Rockies will astound you as you ascend to the top of Sulphur Mountain on the Banff Gondola.

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Enjoy a rare opportunity to meet a retired member of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

Freechoice: Continue your incredible Canadian winter experience with a trip to visit the Wolfdog Sanctuary, or icewalk into Grotto Canyon. Alternatively,  combine a taste of dogsledding with a cultural experience at a Native Indian village, or perhaps discover local landmarks and wildlife on a guided tour, or see the mountaintops from above in a helicopter. If you prefer, you can stay cosy in your ‘castle in the Rockies’ and rejuvenate in the mineral pools of the Willow Stream Spa.

Freechoice Dining: Fine or casual dining and a variety of restaurants to tempt your palate are on offer this evening.

Retire to your Lakeview room for your two night Special Stay at the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise.

Freechoice: Enjoy a full day in Lake Louise and you can spend it however you choose. Your choices for activities include iconic Canadian winter experiences such as dogsledding or a sleigh ride. Perhaps you’d like to try snowshoeing, or savour afternoon tea in the warmth of the hotel.

Travel north along one of the most spectacular drives in the world, the Icefields Parkway. Arrive into Jasper and check into the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge, your home for the next two nights.

Freechoice Dining: Canadian or Italian cuisine are among your choices for dinner tonight.

Freechoice: Select your adventure today. Try something new, such as a Maligne Canyon icewalk, or put on your snow shoes and stroll with an experienced guide through the pristine Jasper National Park. Alternatively, learn about the friendly (and not so friendly) locals on a wildlife discovery tour. Or if you’ve always wanted to try the popular winter sport of curling, now is your opportunity.

Enjoy some free time at your lodge this morning. With 700 acres wrapped around pristine Lac Beauvert, exploring the grounds of the resort alone offers remarkable scenery and plenty of photo opportunities. This afternoon, board VIA Rail’s ‘The Canadian’ and discover the romance of rail as you sleep tonight in your private cabin.

Arrive into Vancouver this morning after breakfast on board the train. Enjoy a city tour highlighting areas such as Stanley Park, Gastown and Canada Place. All before heading north to the winter playground of Whistler, a quaint alpine village nestled beneath Whistler and Blackcomb Mountains.

Freechoice Dining: Enjoy your choice of restaurants for dinner in Whistler tonight.

The wonder continues with a two night Special Stay at the exclusive Fairmont Chateau Whistler.

Freechoice: There is certainly no shortage of winter activity options in Whistler. We have made a shortlist and have arranged for your options to range from exciting and adventurous to relaxing and slow-paced. Perhaps fly high with a helicopter ride or on board the famous Peak 2 Peak Gondola, or take control on a snowmobile. Or if you’ve always dreamt of that magical winter experience of dogsledding through the snow, those are both on offer too. Perhaps you would just like to soak it all up, literally, with a visit to the Scandinave Spa.

Travel to Vancouver and enjoy a stroll around Capilano Suspension Bridge Park, which is even more mystical in winter. Enjoy some free time to explore cosmopolitan Vancouver before you check in to the centrally located and exclusive Fairmont Hotel Vancouver for your overnight stay.

Transfer to Vancouver Airport for your flight to Whitehorse, home to some of the best Northern Lights viewing in the world. Your local Yukon guide will meet your group at the airport and bring you into town. Check into the Best Western Gold Rush Inn, perfectly located on the main street of downtown Whitehorse for a four night stay. Even the most acclimatised will be glad for the winter clothing arranged for this portion of the trip, including pants, jacket, boots, gloves and a beanie, or ‘tuque’ as the locals call them. We recommend resting up for the remainder of the day as it is a late night tonight.

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Rug up inside a cosy, heated cabin at the Aurora viewing site, sip hot chocolate and treat yourself to late night snacks while gazing out at the mystical Aurora Borealis dancing across the night sky.  You will be assisted with your camera by a professional photographer to get the best photo opportunities of this natural phenomena.

Discover the sights of the capital of the Yukon with some leisurely free time. Late tonight, depart for Aurora viewing. Ponder over the scientific explanation behind this phenomenon, wonder at the magic of the vast universe from your cosy nook, or just relax and behold the spectacle occuring before you. This is your once-in-a-lifetime moment to spend however you wish.

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Today you will get to try your hand at a range of incredible winter activities. Walk like the old-timers and trappers do, and you’ll see that snowshoeing is lots of fun – and hard work. The home of the Yukon Quest is the perfect place to ride with an experienced dog musher and enjoy the beautiful winter landscape from your dogsled, and you’ll also get to be driven on a snow machine along the groomed trail. Today is a wonderful winter adventure all on its own.

Enjoy a third night of Aurora viewing tonight. The viewing site is away from the city lights of Whitehorse, a dark, clear sky is your friend when viewing the Northern Lights. It is not always easy to see the Aurora, being a spectacular natural phenomenon, but you have a very good chance on this itinerary with four nights in the Yukon and the assistance of our local guide and expert.

Travel to the Yukon Wildlife Preserve, where you can see wildlife in their natural habitat, including moose, caribou, lynx, bison to name a few. Moose actually outnumber humans in the Yukon (almost two to one), and here’s your chance to see the notoriously shy mammal up-close. Then, visit the Takhini Hot Springs for a relaxing dip in the warm pools. Enjoy an early farewell dinner, before venturing out for your last night of viewing the resplendent Northern Lights. A truly unforgettable experience.

Savour a well-deserved sleep in today. Depart early afternoon to the airport for your flight to Vancouver. Extend your stay in Vancouver or bid a fond farewell to Canada. We hope you’ve enjoyed your Canadian winter adventure and leave with wonderful memories (and photos).