British Columbia and Safari Grand Tour
First Day Arrival in Vancouver
Meeting and transfer to a hotel of chosen category, Westin Bayshore or Sheraton or Century Plaza, a double room with breakfast.
Second Day Visit of Vancouver
Tour pickup and a guided tour with a visit to the main areas of Downtown Vancouver.
Guided tour and a visit to Suspension Bridge, guided tour to Capilano Hatchery (salmon hatchery); visit to the parks of West Vancouver and the giant trees of Light House and Dundrave Park with picnic on the beach. Visit to Stanley Park and Aquarium. Upon request, sightseeing flight over Vancouver Bay and Georgia Strait. Optional guided visit to the M.O.A. Museum of Antroplogy at the U.B.C. University of British Columbia. Dinner indicated by our road book. Overnight at your Hotel
Third Day Vancouver Island – Tofino
Departure in the morning, towards the town of Tsawwassen and embarking for Vancouver Island. Landing in Victoria, the Victorian State capital and a visit to the magnificent Butchart Gardens and Inner Harbour. Immediately after you heading north to Nanaimo, stopover in Chemanius to see beautiful Murals. Alternatively: direct ferry to Nanaimo, embark in Horseshoe Bay: From Nanaimo, going westward, toward the Pacific Rim, with an “obligatory” stop at Cathedral Grove, with its centuries-old cedar trees. Arrival in Tofino, magnificent Ocean Village Resort (the featured image) in front of the Pacific Rim. No breakfast
Fourth Day Excursion Tofino – Meares Island
Today you will be introduced to the Pacific Rim through your first boat trip to Meares Island where you will discover the primordial forest of this island in front of the Bay of Tofino. Then you will take a trip to Long Beach, the longest beach of the island, where surfers from all over the world congregate in all periods of the year. DO NOT TRY IT, if you don’t have experience with Arctic waters!!! Finally, seeing the sunset along the West Coast Trail of Ucluelet. Dinner is included, in front of the beautiful Bay of Tofino.
Fifth Day Pacific Rim, whales and sea lions
Spectacular whalewatching tour to the Pacific Rim and the Broughton Group Archipelago among blue and grey whales and as beautiful as giant sea lions colony. After this excursion, in the afternoon, departure to the North-East and arrival at Campbell River. Accommodation at the Painter’s Lodge in Quadra Island (half board).
Tofino – Campbell River 270 Km
Sixth Day Great Bear Rainforest, Grizzly & Orcas
Departure from your lodge for a 2-day trip by super-rafts to Knight Inlet, which is in the Great Bear Rainforest. Watching grizzlies, beautiful orcas and lots of dolphins. Return to the lodge – dinner included
Seventh Day At Knight Inlet
Another excursion by boat to observe the wildlife, including black bears, grizzly bears, whales, killer whales and other animals in the Park. In the evening you will have dinner in a spectacular sunset setting at your magnificent Painter’s Lodge in front of the Bay.
Eighth Day Johnston Straight’s killer whales
Departure towards the North, to Telegraph Cove. The excursion you will have today is listed by large international networks of adventure travel as N° 1 of this kind in the world. You’ll see orcas, the killer whales, as they are not seen anywhere else in the world. You will see groups of 4-6 or even 8 of these wonderful and awesome creatures of the waters of the North Sea.
Overnight accommodation in a cabin, along atmospheric sea boardwalk.
Campbell River- Telegraph Cove 201 km
Ninth Day Towards the Inside Passage
Transfer to Port Hardy. On the way, a visit to the village of Port McNeill.
Overnight in Port Hardy at Glen Lyon Hotel, with breakfast included.
Telegraph Cove – Port Hardy: 64 Km
Tenth Day Beautiful Inside Passage by Ferry – 17 hours
Departure at 7.30 for the spectacular Inside Passage. Check in 2 hours before boarding!!! During this journey, you will never be tired or bored thanks to 1000 opportunities of observations from the deck of a ship. Fjords and giant canyons, killer whales and dolphins will accompany you in this first great day of sailing. Arrival in Prince Rupert at 23:00. Overnight stay at Crest or Coast Hotel with breakfast.
Eleventh Day Khutzeymateen Sanctuary Terrace – the Indian Nation
From Prince Rupert to Khutzeymateen Grizzly Bear Sanctuary tour, another area for observation of this wonderful corner of paradise: that is the Great Bear Rainforest. The tour introduces you to the ecosystem of the spirit bear or kermode bear: a black bear and recessive character, a unique and wonderful creature.
At the end of this trip back to Prince Rupert, you will head to Terrace to visit Kitselas Canyon with an Indian guide. One night (full board) in a lodge in front of the Skeena River.
Prince Rupert – Terrace 144 Km
Twelfth Day Visit native villages
Today, starting from Terrace and with your road book, you will visit perhaps the most important native centre in Canada: Canyon City and Nass Valley and the villages of Tshimian nation. Proceed then towards the East with stopovers in Morice Town and Smithers, to admire the traditional Indian net fishing. Noght stay at Burns Lake with breakfast included
Terrace – Burns Lake 348 Km
Thirteenth Day Stopover in Prince George
Departure to the East and then arrival in Prince George.
Sandman Inn hotel with breakfast included.
Burns Lake – Prince George 228 Km
Fourteenth Day Arrival to the Rocky Mountains
The view of Mount Robson, the highest peak of the Rockies, will announce that you are coming closer to the Canadian Rockies. You’ll surely see it after a couple of hours of your journey along the Yellowhead Highway, before arriving in Jasper. Keeping on towards Southeast, you will arrive in the beautiful Maligne Lake in one hour: here you will make a small cruise around the Lake. In the area of Maligne Lake you will go on excursion to Maligne Canyon with its network of underground channels which lead to another lake: one of the natural wonders of this area. Overnight stay in Jasper at Maligne Lodge or Tonquin Inn or similar one.
Prince George – Jasper 376 Km
Fifteenth Day Jasper – Icefield Parkway
Today you will enjoy Icefield Parkway, the road which is so rich in rocky animals to take safari pictures! Dawn is the best time to capture animals at pasture. With the help of our road book you will follow the Backroads to reach a great number of animals. Keep going southwards to reach the most beautiful lakes in North America. We’ll start with reaching the Bow summit, and the spectacular Peyto Lake Viewpoint, which will really take your breath away! Overnight stay at Lake Louise Inn with breakfast included.
Jasper – Lake Louise 231 Km
Sixteenth Day Lake Louise and Fairmont Chateau
In the morning you will visit the famous Lake Louisa, one of the most beautiful, spectacular and photographed one in the world. From here you will take a climb to the plateau of 6 glaciers and Glacier Victoria which dominates the landscape of magnificent Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise. Back to Lake Louise Inn with breakfast included
Seventeenth Day Lake Louise and Moraine Lake
This day will be dedicated to exploring the area around the lakes and ascending the heights around Lake Louise for a tea a a Swiss hut. Then you will reach Moraine Lake and its wonderful silhouette at sunset, a must-visit in good weather. A visit to Banff will follow after that. The Rockies Museum is the oldest one in North America, and can be visited together with other attractions in the village. Then you will see the surroundings of Banff including Lake Minnewanka. Overnight stay at Rimrock Hotel Banff with breakfast included.
Eighteenth Day Final day, then returning back
In the morning you will have some time to breathe with mountain air if you want to make the final ascent with a gondola. Then you will head to Calgary to leave your car at the airport, and to check in for your return flight.
Banff – Calgary 127 Km