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The Northwest Teritories & Canada’s Arctic / Herschel Islands
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Itinerary
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Calgary
All of our guests arriving into Calgary’s International Airport will be transferred to their hotel by our Airporter Bus Service. This evening, join your fellow travelers for a welcome dinner. (D)
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Calgary - Edmonton
Heading North, watch as the rich rolling farmlands suddenly break away to reveal an astonishing, twisting, turning canyon walled with multi-colored layers of sandstone, mudstone and coal. This landscape is the Drumheller Badlands, and here we will visit the Royal Tyrrell Museum of Paleontology; home to the world’s largest collection of fossils and even complete dinosaur skeletons. After lunch, we will stop in at the Petroleum Interpretive Centre near Devon. This historical site salutes the history, technology and progress of the Alberta oil patch; an important economic influence in this province. ( B)
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Edmonton – Peace River
This morning you will have a chance to take in the world’s largest shopping mall; West Edmonton Mall. Enjoy the many attractions such as the submarine ride, dolphin show, amusement park and of course the hundreds of shops. After lunch we will travel North through central Alberta’s farm country. As we journey towards our overnight destination, you will see the landscape change from grasslands to lakes and forests.(B,L)
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Peace River – High Level
Traveling west to Grimshaw, we arrive at Mile `O’ of the Mackenzie Highway: an important transportation route to the North. We will cross the might Peace River by ferry before visiting visit Fort Vermillion – Alberta’s oldest community. Our final destination today is High Level for the night.(B, L)
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High Level – Fort Smith
After crossing the 60th parallel today, stop for a picnic lunch and then continue along the “Waterfalls Route” of the Mackenzie Highway. We will view Alexandra Falls and Louise Falls. Today’s destination is historic Fort Smith. Here you will meet some of the North’s most interesting personalities – all with their own tales to tell. (B, L)
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Fort Smith – Wood Buffalo National Park
Today the group will travel into Wood Buffalo National Park which was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983. You will see karst sinkholes at the Angus Fire Tower, The Salt Plains, Wood Buffalo Interpretive Centre and herds of bison. With 230 species of birds including the Whooping Crane, binoculars are a must. Our local guide will ensure you get an informative tour, as well as an authentic fish barbecue dinner. (B, D)
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Fort Smith – Fort Providence
Return today to Wood Buffalo National Park, stopping at Lady Evelyn Falls and the small community of Kakisa. A short ferry ride brings you to Fort Providence where a delightful evening awaits you with a demonstration of Moose Hair Tufting and Porcupine Quill Art by a local Dene artist. (B)
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Fort Providence - Yellowknife
Our day starts by traveling through Mackenzie Bison Sanctuary and from there, by Rae-Edzo; the largest Dene community in the Northwest Territories. On arrival in Yellowknife early this afternoon, a city tour will introduce you to the city built on dreams, perseverance and ingenuity. (B, D)
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Yellowknife
Today we will visit the Legislature and the Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre. This afternoon is yours to explore Yellowknife at your own leisure. (B)
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Yellowknife – Inuvik / Polar Circle
A mid-morning flight from Yellowknife, across the vast northern landscape, takes you to Inuvik in time to enjoy the “Great Northern Arts Festival”. This afternoon a town and tundra tour will demonstrate the unique experience of living at latitude 680 North. (B)
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Inuvik
Today is a free day at leisure to enjoy Inuvik and more of the Arts Festival. (B)
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Tuktoyaktuk & Herschel Island (Included)
A morning flight brings you to Tuktoyaktuk – in the land of the pingos – located some 80 air miles north of Inuvik. Local Inuvik culture, unique churches and craft shopping await. Try a Polar Bear Swim, or qualify for an “Arctic Ocean Toe Dipping Certificate” Return to Inuvik this afternoon. Noon: flight tour to Hershel Islands. Join this Arctic safari into a land of pristine wilderness. Fly with us across the Mackenzie Delta, Yukon coast, Ivvavik National Park and Beaufort Sea until we reach our destination, Herschel Island. Lush by Arctic standards, Herschel has over 135 kinds of plants and flowers and over 70 species of birds. History awaits discovery at Herschel. Buildings and graveyards stand in silent reminder of a once active whaling station. Park staff will be available to answer questions. (B)
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Yellowknife
The morning is free to take in the last of your time in Inuvik before our early afternoon flight back to Yellowknife. (B)
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Yellowknife – Fort Simpson
We head south today through Fort Providence, stopping at Whittaker Falls for photos. Fort Simpson is a community dating back to 1804. While we are here, we will pay a visit to the Papal Grounds; built for the visit of Pope John Paul II in 1987. Tonight we will enjoy an evening town tour with a local historian and a stop in at the Nahanni National Park Visitor Centre. (B)
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Fort Simpson – Fort Nelson/Alaska Highway
Travelling along the Liard Highway, you find yourself in the “Tropics of the North” Fort Liard is set among a lush forest of poplar and birch trees on the banks of the Liard River. A stop at the Acho-Dene Native Crafts illustrates why locally made birchbark baskets are famous. Later cross the British Columbia Border and connect with the Alaska Highway into Fort Nelson. (B ,L)
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Fort Nelson – Grande Prairie
Following along the Alaska Highway, a stop will be made at the Alaska Highway Mile “0” in Dawson Creek, which is also the official end of the “Deh Cho Connection. (B)
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Grande Prairie – Jasper National Park
Travel south through Grande Cache to Jasper, where you will have time to explore the town and some of its most scenic attractions, such as Maligne Canyon. Later, you will travel a short distance south of Jasper to Sunwapta Falls Resort. Spend the evening sharing tales, tall and short, of your “Northern Adventures” with your fellow passengers at a BBQ Dinner. (B,D)
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Jasper – Icefield Parkway - Banff
Embark this morning on one of the most spectacular roads in the world – a sweeping expanse of scenic beauty – the Icefields Parkway. A ride on the SnoCoach at Columbia Icefields is certainly a highlight of the day! Enjoy breathtaking views as you travel through Lake Louise and Banff National Park. (B)
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Banff - Calgary
Enjoy a leisurely morning on your own in Banff; then join your Tour Director and traveling companions for a sumptuous “Farewell Luncheon” at the historic Banff Springs Hotel. Later, a brief guided tour of the hotel will introduce you to some of the folklore and history of this famous “Castle in the Rockies”. Your “North of 600” experience concludes today, with the transfer back to Calgary International Airport arriving there at approximately 3:30pm for your journey home. (B,L)
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