An exclusive Travel Associates Signature Itinerary, this 14-day Canadian adventure will showcase the best of Canada.
Canada is a place of stupendous natural beauty, spectacular turquoise lakes, soaring mountain ranges, and lush forests. Go in winter and add yet another layer of beauty, with snow-covered mountains and crisp winter skies providing the perfect palette for the ethereal Northern Lights. This 14-day Winter Wonderland tour will take you from vibrant Vancouver to Jasper, beautiful Banff and into the wilds of The Yukon. This special signature itinerary will unlock many hidden gems in stunning surrounds that will live long in your memory.
DAY 1 – VANCOUVER
Arrive in Vancouver and recover in luxury and within walking distance of the downtown sights of what is one of the most beautiful harbour cities in the world.
ACCOMMODATION: The Fairmont Hotel Vancouver
DAYS 2 – VANCOUVER & VIA RAIL
Go for a morning stroll around Stanley Park or visit Granville Island for coffee and breakfast at this iconic market. In the afternoon it’s all aboard VIA Rail’s Snow Train for an overnight journey to Jasper. Comfortably settled in your Prestige Class cabin, you can relax on the leather corner lounge during the day and at night, when it has been transformed into a double bed, enjoy being rocked to sleep in comfort. Your cabin also has a private ensuite and fully stocked minibar. Delicious meals in the dining car are included and you have access to the exclusive lounge car.
SIGNATURE EXPERIENCE: Travelling onboard Via Rail in their Prestige Plus Cabin
ACCOMMODATION: VIA Rail Presige Plus Cabin
DAY 3 AND 4 – JASPER
Alight from the train in Jasper late in the morning and check into the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge that wraps around the shores of Lac Beauvert in the heart of Jasper National Park. The next day, adventure out to spectacular Maligne Canyon and strap on ice cleats as you take a guided walk along the frozen canyon floor.
SIGNATURE EXPERIENCE: The Maligne Canyon Ice Walk. Take a fascinating three-hour tour through the deepest canyon in Jasper National Park while walking on the frozen floor of the canyon and stopping for photos of the Queen of Maligne and Angel Icefalls.
ACCOMMODATION: The Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge
DAY 5 – LAKE LOUISE
Travel by road along the remarkable Icefields Parkway to Lake Louise, surrounded by awe-inspiring scenery. The jewel in the crown is your accommodation, a night in the incredibly beautiful Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise. Located in Banff National Park, your prestigious accommodation is surrounded by soaring mountain peaks, the majestic Victoria Glacier and the frozen lake, which is like something out of a postcard. Outside, the opportunities are limitless, from heli-skiing, dogsledding, ice-skating, and sleigh-riding. After a long day in the fresh air, retreat to The Spa at Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise. Enjoy renovated rooms and suites, an expansion to the Fairmont Gold product, six restaurants, a Fairmont spa and easy access to the Lake Louise Ski Resort.
SIGNATURE EXPERIENCE: A stay at Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise. Set in the heart of the stunningly pristine Banff National Park, Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise is a jewel unto itself, attracting snow worshippers, nature lovers and those who love the finer things in life.
ACCOMMODATION: The Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise
DAY 6 – BANFF
This morning travel from Lake Louise, along the Bow Valley to Banff, which has one of the most strikingly beautiful settings imaginable, surrounded by majestic mountains of stone that take your breath away. Banff also has a burgeoning food scene. The castle-like Fairmont Banff Springs is in a beautiful location for walks along the Bow River.
SIGNATURE EXPERIENCE: Banff Gondola. Take the breathtaking ascent to the pinnacle of Sulphur Mountain for an awe-inspiring 360 degree panorama of sheer mountain majesty. Enjoy the interpretative hiking trails that lead along the ridge of the mountain. After an invigorating hike why not enjoy one of the two excellent restaurants at the summit.
ACCOMMODATION: The Fairmont Banff Springs
DAY 7 AND 8 – BANFF
Over the next two days, there are plenty of activities to soak up the stunning natural beauty of Banff and its surrounds, from a gondola ride to the peak, to wildlife tours, horse drawn sleigh rides, snowshoeing or snowmobiling excursions and more. Visit Yamnuksa Wolfdog Sanctuary for an interactive tour to gain a better understanding about wild wolves and their importance in the natural environment. Do the Johnson Canyon Ice Walk, a roughly four-hour guided walking tour that takes you through the natural wonder of Johnston Canyon in all its winter glory. On this exciting excursion you will trek across steel walkways built into the canyon walls and witness breathtaking views of the gorge below. The catwalks lead you into the frozen lower waterfalls and through a cave before your final stop at the upper falls, framed by gigantic ice pillars and frequented by athletic ice-climbers.
SIGNATURE EXPERIENCE: Discover Banff and its Wildlife Tour. Build a connection to the World Heritage Site as you visit Banff's landmarks, learn its history and view wildlife in their natural winter habitat. The tour will include some of the most scenic and historically significant highlights of Banff such as Bow Falls, Surprise Corner Lookout, Hoodoos Viewpoint and Lake Minnewanka. Snowshoeing to Paint Pots. Snowshoe on an easy trail along a bridge across the frozen Vermilion River and along the snowy path winding through a forest of pine trees to the Paint Pots, a cultural treasure within the National Park. Learn about the history of the fur trade as you explore the fascinating Paint Pots which are mineral deposits once used by First Nations people for rock painting. After this crisp winter walk, enjoy a uniquely Canadian treat: hot maple taffy poured into snow to make a sweet frozen dessert.
ACCOMMODATION: The Fairmont Banff Springs
DAY 9 – CALGARY
Leave the Rocky Mountains behind you and travel by road to The Great Central Plains and Calgary. Enjoy a free afternoon in downtown Calgary, where you can visit Studio Bell, home of the National Music Centre, which is a new state-of-the art international hub for music and technology. Calgary is known for its Calgary Stampede, so it is fitting that you should shop for cowboy boots at The Alberta Boot Company.
SIGNATURE EXPERIENCE: Do a tour at the Alberta Boot Company, to learn how these beautiful, handcrafted boots are made.
ACCOMMODATION: The Fairmont Palliser, Calgary
DAY 10 – WHITEHORSE
Fly from Calgary to Whitehorse and transfer to your hotel. Discover the first nations culture and interesting significance of this region at the McBride Museum. For your entire stay in The Yukon you are provided a set of extra-warm outdoor clothing and in the evening are taken to a viewing site on the city outskirts to seek out the Aurora Borealis. Your guide will assist with photography and aurora information while making sure the fires are lit, and there are plenty hot beverages and fireside snacks.
SIGNATURE EXPERIENCE: Aurora Viewing Tour. This is one of the most sought after Northern experiences, with no Yukon winter vacation complete without viewing the incredible Aurora Borealis cascading across the Yukon night sky. A chemical light reaction caused when solar energy interacts with the Earth’s atmosphere, producing dramatic, dancing waves of green light from one horizon to another, the Northern Lights have captivated viewers since the beginning of time, as evidenced by the many Yukon First Nation legends they have inspired.
ACCOMMODATION: The Raven Inn
DAY 11 TO 13 – TAGISH
After a sleep in from your late-night sky gazing, you are transferred from Whitehorse to Southern Lakes Resort to Tagish where for the next three nights you can enjoy activities at the resort; snowshoeing, dog sledding, and snowmobiling. Situated on Tagish Lake, each cabin has amazing views of the frozen lake and distant mountains, perfect for Aurora viewing.
SIGNATURE EXPERIENCE:
Dogsledding Experience. Enjoy a half day experiencing the Yukon's winter wilderness of Buck and White Fang, as described by famous Klondike Gold Rush author Jack London. After meeting your team of Alaskan huskies, you'll watch the dogs getting harnessed and hooked up to the sled, and then hit the trail. The tour provides a scenic ride through the serene back country, allowing you to take in the majesty and beauty of the Yukon.
A Snowshoeing Experience. Snowshoeing is one of the best ways to enjoy the tranquility of the Yukon wilderness and to photograph the stunning Yukon landscape. On your half day snowshoeing tour, you'll get to strap on a pair of lightweight modern snowshoes and experience the rugged backcountry just like the gold miners, trappers of days gone by. The tour visits a scenic location in the Whitehorse area backcountry. Wildlife such as spruce grouse, foxes, coyotes and snowshoe hares is occasionally spotted at a distance.
ACCOMMODATION: Southern Lakes Resort
DAY 14 – WHITEHORSE
Transfer back to Whitehorse and bid farewell to The Yukon as you depart for the journey home.
YOUR LUXURY INCLUSIONS
- 1 night accommodation at Fairmont Hotel Vancouver
- Overnight accommodation in Prestige Class onboard VIA Rail from Vancouver to Jasper
- 2 nights accommodation at Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge
- 1 night accommodation at The Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise
- 3 nights accommodation at The Fairmont Banff Springs
- 1 night accommodation at The Fairmont Palliser, Calgary
- 1 night accommodation at Raven Inn, Whitehorse
- 3 nights accommodation at Southern Lakes Resort
- 4 breakfasts & 4 dinners
- Maligne Canyon Ice Walk
- Horse Drawn Sleigh Ride
- Banff Gondola Admission
- Choices of winter activity in Banff - Discover Banff & it's Wildlife, Yamnuska Wolfdog Sanctuary, Johnston Canyon Ice Walk or Snowshoeing to Paint Pots
- One way flight from Calgary to Whitehorse
- Aurora Viewing Tour
- Half day dogsledding excursion at Southern Lakes Resort
- 1 - 3 hour snowshoeing excursion at Southern Lakes Resort
- Winter clothing rental in Whitehorse
- Seat in Vehicle transfers between Jasper, Lake Louise, Banff & Calgary
- Seat in Vehicle transfers between Whitehorse & Southern Lakes Resort
- The service of a dedicated travel advisor to manage your booking