Best of the Rockies

Our tour starts at 7:30 am at the Clarion Hotel Seattle International Airport in Seattle. As this is an early start we recommend that you book a night's pre-tour accommodation at this hotel, which can be booked at the same time you book this tour. After leaving Seattle, we drive a short distance west to Olympic National Park. A visit to this beautiful national park is the perfect way to start our journey. From the crashing waves of the Pacific coast through coastal rainforests to glacier capped peaks this is a primeval sanctuary for humans and wild creatures alike. Over 95% of Olympic National Park is a designated wilderness area and the park was designated a World Heritage site in 1981. We set up camp for our two-night stay amongst nature.

We have a whole day to enjoy the delights of Olympic National Park including strolling through the Hoh Rainforest, relaxing in Sol Duc Hot Springs and witnessing a magnificent sunset over the spectacular Lake Crescent. There are many optional walks on offer and the choice is yours – you can do as much or as little as you please.

We continue on to the stunning snow-covered peak of Mount Rainier, still in the State of Washington. At 4392 metres (14,411 ft) this iconic volcano looms large in the Pacific Northwest. Draped in snow, Mount Rainer has the greatest single peak glacial system in the United States, covering over 57 square kilometres (36 square miles) of the mountain with sheer ice! With over 416 kilometres (260 miles) of well-maintained trails winding through a varied terrain, from old growth forest to subalpine meadows, there are plenty of different hiking options available.

Snake River is a major waterway that stretches for 1735 kilometres (1078 miles). It is the main tributary of the Columbia River, which is in turn the largest river in North America that flows into the Pacific Ocean. In the mid 19th century, pioneers headed out west in droves, following a route that became known as the Oregon Trail. Much of this trail followed the course of Snake River, which became a trail in its own rights as steamboats were used to transport goods along the river. Tonight is the first of our nights spend in a hotel as we overnight in Baker City.

We follow Snake River into the State of Idaho and visit the Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve. This volcanic area is one of the best preserved basalt lava fields in USA. NASA’s Apollo astronauts used to do some of their training in this area because of a perceived resemblance to the surface of the Moon. We stop off for a night of camping.

Continuing our journey in Wyoming, we travel past Grand Teton National Park and visit Jackson to enjoy a truly friendly and authentic western town experience. Once home to trappers and a hideout for outlaws and rustlers, Jackson is now the base for hikers to take on some lovely hiking trails as well as a town renowned for its cafes and western style saloons! With a permanent population of around 8,600 people and a far greater transient tourist population, it attracts many of the rich and famous and is a great base for exploring the Teton Mountains. Surrounded by beautiful scenery you can spend your days hiking, mountain biking, rafting and more! It is also in close proximity to many ski resorts. The most famous is Jackson Hole, which has a lot of steep ski runs and one of the world’s most famous vertical drops, at 1262 metres (4139 feet)! In the evening we can steady our nerves with a relaxing drink at the Million Dollar Cowboy Bar.

Our next destination, Yellowstone National Park, is the world's first national park and home to a large variety of wildlife including grizzly bear, wolf, bison and elk. This park is so large that its boundaries cross into three states. Most of it is in Wyoming, but parts of the reserve extend into Idaho and Montana. Yellowstone has one of the highest concentrations of geothermal activity on the planet. Herds of bison roam amongst the erupting geysers and steam rises from the various rivers running through the park. A fire in the 1980s ravaged much of the park, but it has recovered to the extent that it is now a living monument to nature’s power of regeneration. We have a full day to enjoy Yellowstone National Park’s majestic wilderness and witness its extraordinary geysers.

Our next stop is a hidden secret, nestled deep in the wilderness of the Tobacco Root Mountains. This is an authentic working guest ranch, complete with on-site taxidermy! After an optional horseback ride around the wide expanses where we get a chance to absorb the tranquillity of the great outdoors, we fill our bellies with an old-fashioned home-cooked cowboy meal and enjoy a camp fire under Montana's ‘big sky country’!

We continue northeast further into Montana and arrive at Glacier National Park - the ‘Crown of the Continent Ecosystem’. This park crosses two mountain ranges and one international border. It is spread over one million acres, contains 130 lakes and is home to abundant wildlife including the world renowned grizzly bear. With surrounding towering glacial peaks, this park is sure to leave most visitors speechless! In our time here we get to jump on board the free shuttle bus and enjoy the spectacular glacial scenery or partake in some wildlife viewing. Walking opportunities include the trail over Swiftcurrent Pass as well as an amazing hike leading to Iceberg Lake.

From Montana we cross the border into the province of Alberta, in Canada, and continue to Banff National Park. Located in the heart of the Canadian Rockies, Banff National Park was established in 1885 and is Canada’s oldest national park. Its mountainous terrain encompasses coniferous forests, alpine meadows, icefields and glaciers. It is the veritable outdoor enthusiast’s paradise with opportunities for canoeing on Bow River, white water rafting on Kicking Horse River, mountain biking or a ride up the gondola to the top of Sulphur Mountain. Another exciting optional activity is to view all this scenic grandeur from a helicopter. Outstanding hikes are available and, with an abundance of wildlife around, there is always a chance of seeing something. There is nothing better after a hard day of fun than a soak in the Sulphur Mountain Hot Springs. Banff’s nightlife offers great live music and a fine selection of restaurants.

With its snow-capped peaks, ancient pine forests and aquamarine waters, Lake Louise is ‘the gem of the Canadian Rockies’. Lake Louise has always been a popular tourist destination, so it is no surprise that it is the most photographed destination in the Canadian Rockies! We travel to Lake Louise and enjoy a full day either hiking up the Plain of Six Glaciers or up to Lake Agnes, before returning to Banff for the night.

We travel on the Icefields Parkway (Highway 93), a scenic road that cuts through the heart of the Rockies and offers surely one of the world’s most spectacular drives. It links Banff National Park with Jasper National Park. We have a chance to traverse a portion of the imposing Athabasca Glacier on a guided glacier hike. Peyto Lake's turquoise hues are sure to startle us with their brilliance. We end our day by continuing to Jasper National Park and setting up camp for a two-night stay.

Jasper National Park is the largest national park in Canada, covering an area of 18,878 square kilometres (4200 square miles). It is much less developed than other areas of western Canada and offers a true wilderness feel. There are several options on offer in Jasper. We can start by taking the cable car to Whistler Mountain for a bird's eye view of this splendid park. There are also opportunities for mountain biking or hiking amidst glorious lakeside scenery, or visit Mount Edith Cavell for tremendous views of Angel Glacier and various other hiking options.

We make our way to west to British Columbia and make a stop at Fraser River Canyon that separates the province’s arid centre with its lush western coastal region. This canyon is 84 kilometres long and is a section where the Fraser River descends through a series of gorges from the plateau into the Fraser Valley. After our stint of camping we revert tonight back to staying in a local motel/hotel.

On the edge of the Canadian wilderness lies the cosmopolitan city of Vancouver. With a metropolitan population of over 2.3 million, this is one of the most attractive cities in the world, surrounded by water on many sides. Native American culture is very much alive here as evident by totem poles in the famous Stanley Park. We enjoy a short orientation tour of the city that takes us to the thriving Chinatown as well as Stanley Park. Our tour concludes upon at our gateway hotel at approximately 5 pm. Optional post-tour accommodation is available at our gateway hotel. Please inquire when booking your tour. If you are planning to fly out of Vancouver tonight, please do not book a flight that departs before 9 pm (21:00 hrs). You may wish to extend your tour by adding on post tour accommodation to make your own discoveries and further enjoy the delights of Stanley Park by hiring a bicycle or some roller blades. In the park is also the fascinating Vancouver Aquarium - home to playful sea otters. Other options include strolling around the shops in the popular Gastown area, visiting the excellent Museum of Anthropology at the University of British Columbia and learning more about Native American culture, and sampling the excellent dining options and nightlife that this vibrant city has to offer.