Ideal for the individual or family - this is a small group tour 6 - 10 guests. Welcome to Canada and be prepared to see sights not every tourist to Canada has the opportunity of seeing. Our twenty day tour is for the average hiker who is looking to explore the beauties of the Canadian Rockies and Western Canada with an experienced guide. Learn all about our flora and fauna while enjoying the wonders mother nature has to provide. This tour is ideal for you if you want to spend 4 days in a comfortable shared lodge, 3 nights camping in the Rockies, 3 nights canoe camping at a completely secluded lake, 2 nights at a rustic ranch with meals included, 2 nights in the world famous ski resort Whistler, where we will spend a full day hiking through a temperate rain forest, 3 nights camping in the rainforest of the Pacific Ocean, and lastly, 2 nights in one of the most beautiful cities in the world - Vancouver. This is an active experiential tour. All of our group members are expected to take part in the set up/ take down of camp, preparation of meals and group activities. Enjoy - this is designed for you! A hotel version of this tour exists. Please enquire for further information.


Itinerary Day One - Calgary
Arrival at Calgary International Airport. Our guide will greet you and bring you to our lodge Rocky Mountain Ski Lodge in the Canadian Rocky Mountains in Canmore (150 km drive). Check in and receive all tour information during a cosy, group dinner at the barbeque.

Day Two - Kananaskis Warm up hike
Why not avoid the regular tourist traffic and begin with a warm up hike in Kananaskis? Today our journey will take us to Burstall Pass on the border of Banff National Park. Enjoy the majestic scenery of the Rocky Mountains. Those who are still up for adventure in the evening may wish to try to reach the summit of Ha Ling Peak with our guide.

Day Three - Lake Louise, Moraine Lake and sightseeing
Today we'll see the other tourists about, but let's go the extra distance beyond them. Our hike will take us around Lake Louise to the Plain of the Six Glaciers. At the teahouse, relax and enjoy lunch. In the afternoon we'll have time for a hike at Moraine Lake followed by dinner and sightseeing in Banff.

Day Four - Yoho National Park - Mt Burgess
This is one of my favourites. Today we'll hike from Emerald Lake early in the morning. After circling the lake, we'll head up the slopes of Mt Field to Mt Burgess. Here we'll learn all about the discovery of the Burgess Shales, one of the most important fossil finds in the world. Following this, we'll head for the summit of Mt Burgess, offering us some of the most fantastic scenic views in the Canadian Rockies. Upon our descent we'll head straight to the town of Field to a classic Rockies cafe. If you weren't up for a big hike today, feel free to relax and do some local sightseeing in Banff.

Day Five - Moving house: Lodge to Tent
Our tour today takes us along the Icefield's Parkway, known as one of the most scenic highways to travel worldwide. Although we have a distance of over 300 km to cover we'll still make time for two hikes - Parker Ridge and Wilcox Pass. We'll see all of the famous sights of the Icefield Parkway including Bow Lake, Peyto Lake, Columbia Icefield, the Saskatchewan Glacier and the Athabasca Glacier. At night we'll get familiar with our tents and wilderness surroundings in Jasper National Park.

Day Six - Maligne Lake and Canyon
This is a good day for viewing wildlife along the Maligne Lake Road. In the morning we'll begin with a walk at Maligne Canyon. The afternoon will be spent hiking the Bald Hills above Maligne Lake followed by a relaxing soak in the natural hot springs at Miette Hot Springs.

Day Seven - Mt Edith Cavell
In the morning we'll drive to Mt Edith Cavell and do a nice two hour hike to the Cavell Meadows and the Angel Glacier. In the afternoon we'll ride the gondola to the top of Whistler's Mountain and enjoy a nice view above Jasper.

Day Eight - Mt Robson and Bowron Lakes
Today we'll leave Jasper National Park. Our first stop is Mt Robson, the tallest mountain in the Canadian Rockies. We'll have time to do a short hike to our lunch stop at Kinney Lake. We'll then carry on along the western flanks of the Canadian Rockies to Bowron Lake Provincial Park. Here we'll set up camp for the next three nights and get acquainted with our canoes.

Day Nine - Bowron Lake
A full day canoe trip on Bowron Lake. Enjoy! Lunch and dinner will be at camps along the lake however we'll return nightly to our tents at the end of the lake.

Day Ten - Barkerville and Canoeing
Today you'll have the option to rest aching muscles and enjoy the hay day of the Fraser River Gold Rush recreated at nearby Barkerville. Otherwise the day can be spent in your canoe paddling another route. This is the guide's day to relax. Come back after your day to see what surprise he has on the barbeque tonight.

Day Eleven - Bowron to Springhouse Trails Ranch
After another morning spent canoeing, we'll slowly pack up camp and head to the warmth of the wild west, its cowboy time. Our destination is Springhouse Trails Ranch, a guest ranch located in the heart of British Columbia's Cariboo Country. Here, warm meals are prepared for us, beer is served and our beds are made for us, we can sit back and relax, including the guide. (Tour Operator's note: you may have noticed the amount of free time I give my guides. Yes, I am also a guide and know the importance of time off. We are always in a good mood this way!) Includes two breakfasts and two dinners.

Day Twelve - Cowboy Life
This is an opportunity to get caught up in writing postcards, doing laundry and reciting cowboy poetry. Activities offered include: riding, horse shoe throwing and bird watching. That night we'll read cowboy poetry round the campfire after dinner.

Day Thirteen- Springhouse - Whistler
We are traveling through 8 different bioclimatic zones today from the wetlands of Williams Lake to the semi desert like conditions of Lilloet to the coastal montane valleys surrounding Whistler. Today we'll travel parts of the old gold rush trail and learn about the Shuswap Indians lifestyle and culture. The campground in Whistler is heavily visited, thus we'll only stay two nights here.

Day Fourteen - Singing Pass
We'll spend the day hiking the temperate rainforest of the Coast Mountains above Whistler on Singing Pass.

Day Fifteen - Whistler - Vancouver Island - Pacific Rim National Park
Have you ever heard of Tofino? It's a must-see mecca for anyone coming to Canada. I call it the "end of the world" - and it literally is too - next stop, Japan! Well, l thats near where we are headed today. Our trip takes us from Whistler to Vancouver on the Sea to Sky Highway. Then we have a 1.5 hour ferry sailing, then a 4 hour drive across Vancouver Island. The island, as we westerners call it, is actually 32 000 square kilometres big. That's 450 km north to south, 180 km across. Anyway, its a long travel day but its worth it.

Day Sixteen - Pacific Rim National Park
Today we'll do a series of different hikes in Pacific Rim National Park to learn all about its various flora. There'll be a total of five different walks all covering different components of the natural surroundings. In the evening, dinner will be made on a fire at the beach. We usually have cedar plank salmon with a shrimp salad. Sometimes we'll do a West Coast Seafood Bouillabaise. Our guides are master chefs anyway.

Day Seventeen - Surf and Turf
Most of Pacific Rim National Park is actually offshore. So why not see the wildlife offshore? There are a various selection of tours and excursions offered from Tofino including whale watching, hot springs tours, sea kayaking and surfing lessons. I always recommend the hot springs tours with Remote Passages as they include whale watching, sea lions, seals and birding in addition to the hot springs.

Day Eighteen - Pacific Rim National Park - Vancouver
As of yesterday we are finished with the active portion of the tour. Now it is simply just sightseeing. On route, we'll stop in Chemainus, famous for its murals depicting the area's history. Dinner will be in Victoria and we'll arrive late into Vancouver.

Day Nineteen - Vancouver
We'll spend the entire day exploring the city of Vancouver. Highlights to be seen here include Chinatown, Gastown, Stanley Park, North Vancouver, Queen Elizabeth Park, Granville Island and Robson Street. There is so much to do in this city.

Day Twenty - Return Flights
Bye, thanks for visiting my dream country. Come again soon.


Tour Map