Canadian Rockies
featuring Banff, Jasper and Lake Louise

2009 Departure Dates
July 11*, 18, 25
August 8



Day One
• Arrive in Calgary, with included transfers to your hotel
• Meet your Tour Manager at 6 p.m. for dining suggestions

Day Two
• Travel the Icefields Parkway, one of the world’s most scenic mountain highways
• See Valley of the Ten Peaks and Moraine Lake
• Dinner at your hotel in Jasper National Park

Day Three
• Breakfast at your hotel
• Tour Jasper National Park
• Cruise Lake Maligne
• Explore the town of Jasper on your own
• Dinner at your hotel

Day Four
• Breakfast at your hotel
• Tour Banff National Park
• Snocoach excursion through Columbia Icefield’s Athabasca Glacier

Day Five
• Breakfast at your hotel
• Excursion to Tunnel Mountain and Bow Falls
• Goldola ride to the peak of Sulphur Mountain
• Enjoy the village of Banff on your own

Day Six
• Breakfast at your hotel
• Visit Chateau Lake Louise
• Farewell dinner

Day Seven
• Breakfast at your hotel
• Group transfer to Calgary Airport for flights after 1 p.m.

*****All itineraries are subject to change without notice.



7 Days • 8 Meals
Towering over the plains of Alberta are the mighty, rugged and exquisite peaks of the Canadian Rocky Mountains.

Calgary High and Low
Our adventure begins in Calgary in the foothills of the Rockies. Our hotel’s central location ends your first travel day on an easy, elegant note. Eau Claire Market with 60 shops and restaurants is just steps away. Chinatown is an easy walk into the ambiance of Asia where Peking ducks hang in windows and lanterns light the streets. A pub night out, a bowl of pasta or steak, have dinner your way before relaxing tonight.

Travel the Icefields Parkway
Aboard our motorcoach, we’ll travel along one of the world's most spectacular mountain highways. Unsurpassed scenery paralleling the Great Divide in the Valley of the Ten Peaks, the Columbia Icefields, Bow and Crowfoot Glaciers, Athabasca Falls and Peyto Lake, come into view. See snow-capped mountains reflected in the turquoise waters of Moraine Lake and watch for black bears, moose and caribou along the way.

Cruise the Lake
We spend two mountain nights at the four-star Sawridge Hotel designed around a three-story fireplace and surrounded by immense forests, pristine lakes, alpine meadows and glaciers. We cruise the glacial waters of Maligne Lake in glass-enclosed boats and learn about the history, geology and wildlife of the lake and Jasper National Park. Some of the world’s most spectacular mountain scenery will slip past your window along with moose and other wildlife. The boat lands at Spirit Island, seen on nearly every postcard rack in Canada. Your own spirit will soar during the short walk to the viewpoint overlooking the mountain-ringed shores. There will be time to explore Jasper’s quaint stores and native crafts before dinner.

Experience the Ice Age
We’ll spend another three mountain nights at the charming International Hotel nestled at the foot of a mountain in Banff, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In the Alpine zone, Banff is Canada’s highest town and our departure point for the Columbia Icefield, the largest icefield south of Alaska. On Icefield Parkway, we pass mesmerizing frozen fields and large upland glaciers, some dating back to the Ice Age. Glacier-fed rivers, majestic peaks and peaceful lakes create scenic wonders and a protected habitat for more than 250 species of birds, bear, elk, wolves, deer and mountain goats. Our “snocoach” will glide over shimmering glacial ice and snow onto the Athabasca Glacier, a tongue of the Columbia Icefield, for an awe-inspiring glimpse of icy crevasses and ice-fed streamlets and a short stroll on ice that froze 400 years ago. We’ll follow the melting ice to Bow Falls to see how the incredible erosive force of water has sliced through rocks and carved out thundering waterfalls.

Touch the Sky
The Banff Gondola provides a comfortable ride up Sulphur Mountain 7,486 feet above sea level, passing over Alpine meadows and bighorn sheep. The summit is the best vantage point in the West, a 360-degree unobstructed view of six mountain ranges. From three observation decks you will see more mountains in a moment than most people see in a lifetime. An elevated boardwalk will lead you along Sulphur Mountain’s summit ridge to the Cosmic Ray Station National Historic Site of Canada and the historic Sanson’s Peak Meteorological Station. After experiencing the wonder of walking above the clouds, you can return to the quaint village of Banff. Join fellow world travelers in exploring charming boutiques and the village’s collection of galleries and cafes.

A Diamond in the Wilderness
Surrounded by snow capped peaks, secluded on legendary Lake Louise, and showcased by a majestic glacier, we enjoy a visit to Chateau Lake Louise. In this haven of Victorian splendor, the ambiance, service and food please the most discerning traveler. Lake Louise is known as the “diamond in the wilderness” and, while irresistible to photograph, may be difficult to describe with mere words. In 1882, the first non-native to view Lake Louise penned, “I never, in all my experience, saw such a matchless scene.”

At our leisurely farewell dinner, we have time to exchange addresses and favorite views and experiences with new friends. Heading home, not all of your treasures will be in your suitcase. Some vistas will arrive like postcards time and again when your mind drifts back to your special days in the Canadian Rockies.



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* Special Calgary Stampede departure add $250 per person