| ITINERARY |
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Arrive in Vancouver, pick up your rental car and check in at your downtown hotel for the next two nights. Surrounded by the Pacific Ocean and nestled alongside the Coast Mountain Range, Vancouver is home to spectacular natural setting and many attractions.
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Spend the day to visit the sights & attractions of Vancouver including Stanley Park, the vibrant shopping district along Robson Street, the historic Gastown, Chinatown and the Capilano Suspension Bridge. Grouse Mountain offers at an elevation of 1200 m incredible views of the city.
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On the way to the southern park of the Okanagan Valley stopover at Manning Park. With its crystal-blue lake, the Okanagan Lake area is a favourite spot for golfers, wine lovers and water sport enthusiasts.
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With more than 2,000 hours of sunshine every year, the Okanagan offers the longest, sunniest and driest summer season in Canada. Spend some time to visit fruit orchards, vineyards or play a round of golf. To freshen up head out for a sailing trip or a swim in Okanagan Lake.
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Travel towards the Canadian Rockies. You travel through Revelstoke National Park and arrive in Golden for your overnight. The area offers glorious scenery within the Purcell Mountain Range. From here it is just a short travel distance to Yoho and Banff National Park.
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Stopover at Emerald Lake, Natural Bridge and Takakkaw Falls within Yoho Park. Continue your journey past Kicking Horse Pass and the Continental Divide into Banff National Park - part of UNESCO heritage site. Your first stop should be Lake Louise. The remaining park offers many attractions and spectacular mountain scenery. Visit today the Upper Hot Springs, Bow Falls and the Hoodoos.
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Time for a side trip into the Kananaskis area – home to the 1988 Winter Olympics or explore more of Banff National Park. Visit the Whyte Museum, Banff Park Museum or just stroll along Banff Avenue with its many unique shops.
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| 08 |
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One of the world's greatest mountain highways - the Icefields Parkway - offers outstanding views and excellent wildlife viewing. Stopovers should include Peyto Lake, Columbia Icefield and the Sunwapta & Athabasca Falls.
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| 09 |
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Jasper National Park is located amidst the most beautiful wilderness of the Rocky Mountains. Visit Maligne Canyon and glacier-fed Maligne Lake. From here take a cruise to enchanted Spirit Island. The top of Whistlers Mountain promises the best 360-degree views of the rockies.
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Leave Jasper and follow the Miette River to Mt. Robson, the tallest mountain of the Canadian Rockies. At Tete Jaune Cache hike to the Rearguard Falls where salmon attempt to leap the falls. Continue your journey through scenic mountain ranges south to Blue River and Clearwater.
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Wells Gray is known as the waterfall park as there are over 250 waterfalls located within the area. Take a day trip into the pristine beauty of Wells Gray Park and hike to Dawson Falls and the spectacular Helmcken Falls - Canada's fourth highest waterfall. If you are here in July/August don’t miss the flower meadows of the Trophy Mountain region.
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| 12 |
Wells Gray Park - Whistler
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Travel through real Cowboy Country with large cattle ranches, pine trees and sagebrush to 100 Mile House. While crossing through the coast mountains along the Duffy Lake Road you will leave the dry interior and enter the wet coastal forests. Whistler will be the host of the 2010 Winter Olympics.
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Spend the day in Whistler. The area offers many outdoor activities: try the Mountain Bike Park, take the tram into the alpine area and hike a variety of trails, how about glacier skiing, fishing, wildlife viewing or shopping?
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| 14 |
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Travel on the Sea-to-Sky Highway to Garibaldi Park. Visit Shannon Falls and continue your journey along Howe Sound back to the BC ferry terminal at Horseshoe Bay (approx. 3-hour drive). Take a ferry to Vancouvers Sunshine Coast - and drive via Earls Cove and Saltery Bay to the northern coastal regions at Powell River. Overnight.
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Enjoy the year-around sea to mountain recreational area. Miles of hiking trails, boating, sport-fishing and diving are very popular outdoor activities. In addition the area provides remote beaches to explore, logging roads to drive into the wilderness and bird watching opportunities.
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Powell River - Parksville
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Take the scenic ferry connection from Powell River to Comox and drive south to Parksville – a popular beachfront community on the shores of Georgia Strait. Time to relax.
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Scenic drive to Vancouver Islands West Coast. Tofino and Ucluelet are two gems and gateway to one of British Columbia's most prized nature reserves, Pacific Rim National Park. Experience the pristine wilderness first hand by walking along Long Beach or the Wild Pacific Trail.
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The Pacific Rim offers a variety of outdoor activities. Whale watching, hiking, surfing, hot springs excursions and beach combing just to name a few. Take a stroll along the beach watching the sunset and enjoy a delicious dinner at one of the famous restaurants.
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Leave Pacific Rim and drive to the southern tip of Vancouver Island. The "Garden City" Victoria sparkles in one of Canada's mildest climates and still shows it's unique British character. Stroll along Inner Harbour where the impressive Empress Hotel is presiding.
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Leave Victoria during the afternoon. Stopover at famous Butchart Gardens on your way to the ferry terminal in Swartz Bay. The Gardens have several theme areas including: Japanese Garden, Rose Garden and a Sunken Garden. Take the ferry from Swartz Bay to Vancouver.
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Your last day on Canada’s West Coast. Explore the city, do some last minute shopping or relax. Return your rental car at the airport. End of Tour.
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