Canada family holiday, Western Pioneer
| country: | Canada |
| location: | Canadian Rockies, Alberta, Kootenay National Park |
| departures: | 2009: 18 Jul, 1 Aug, 15 Aug |
| price: | From £2099 - £2169 (16 days) per adult and £1849 - £1919 per child (up to 11 yrs) including flights from the UK, from £1225 - £1325 excluding flights |
the amazing things you'll be doing
Embark on a trip to emerald-green lakes and snowy mountain tops - an expedition into some of the most astonishing scenery anywhere. As you head down trails first used by Amerindian native hunters, you will discover remote mountainous areas featuring rolling cascades, ice-age glaciers and majestic forested valleys abundant with plant and animal life.
You will be transported back to our nation's pioneering era of discovery in a larger-than-life natural setting, with its bears, elk and mountain goats. This is the authentic western Canadian journey.
Minimum age: 6 years.
Walking with Dinosaurs: Arriving in Calgary, we first head east to the badlands, an other-worldly landscape where over 300 complete dinosaur skeletons have been found. Exploring this incredible region on foot with a park ranger, keep your eyes peeled for dinosaur fossils. Leaving the prairies we climb into the Rockies stopping at Banff, a village steeped in cowboy and pioneer heritage. Here there's the chance to ascend Sulphur Mountain by aerial tram for amazing panoramic views of the snow-capped summits and take a walk above the rushing falls in Johnston Canyon.
Hoodoos & glaciers: Travelling north along the Icefields Parkway, we will experience one of the world's most scenic drives on our way to Jasper. En route we plan to visit the Athabasca Falls and take a walk along the base of the Columbia Glacier. Continuing on to Yoho National Park, we discover some of the most stunning scenery and landscapes in the country. After crossing natural rock bridges over tumultuous rivers, feeling the spray in your face at Takakkaw Falls and exploring the Hoodoos, you can wrap it all off with an unforgettable whitewater adventure on the Kicking Horse River.
Grizzly bears & Pacific Coast: Today we are whisked high into the mountains on chair lifts to the Kicking Horse Grizzly Bear Sanctuary where we have the chance to observe bears in their natural habitat and learn about the good work the refuge does. Heading further west, we make stops at Kamloops and Whistler where we follow trails to emerald lakes and have the chance to go horse riding, mountain biking or canoeing. Arriving in Vancouver, our last days are spent discovering this laid-back city and you have the opportunity to take a trip across incomparable Vancouver Island.
You will be transported back to our nation's pioneering era of discovery in a larger-than-life natural setting, with its bears, elk and mountain goats. This is the authentic western Canadian journey.
Minimum age: 6 years.
Walking with Dinosaurs: Arriving in Calgary, we first head east to the badlands, an other-worldly landscape where over 300 complete dinosaur skeletons have been found. Exploring this incredible region on foot with a park ranger, keep your eyes peeled for dinosaur fossils. Leaving the prairies we climb into the Rockies stopping at Banff, a village steeped in cowboy and pioneer heritage. Here there's the chance to ascend Sulphur Mountain by aerial tram for amazing panoramic views of the snow-capped summits and take a walk above the rushing falls in Johnston Canyon.
Hoodoos & glaciers: Travelling north along the Icefields Parkway, we will experience one of the world's most scenic drives on our way to Jasper. En route we plan to visit the Athabasca Falls and take a walk along the base of the Columbia Glacier. Continuing on to Yoho National Park, we discover some of the most stunning scenery and landscapes in the country. After crossing natural rock bridges over tumultuous rivers, feeling the spray in your face at Takakkaw Falls and exploring the Hoodoos, you can wrap it all off with an unforgettable whitewater adventure on the Kicking Horse River.
Grizzly bears & Pacific Coast: Today we are whisked high into the mountains on chair lifts to the Kicking Horse Grizzly Bear Sanctuary where we have the chance to observe bears in their natural habitat and learn about the good work the refuge does. Heading further west, we make stops at Kamloops and Whistler where we follow trails to emerald lakes and have the chance to go horse riding, mountain biking or canoeing. Arriving in Vancouver, our last days are spent discovering this laid-back city and you have the opportunity to take a trip across incomparable Vancouver Island.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Fly London/Calgary |
| Day 2: | Drive to Dinosaur Provincial Park; fossil hunting with Park Ranger. |
| Day 3: | Drive to Banff; optional ascent by aerial tram up Sulphur Mountain. |
| Day 4: | In Banff; walk through Johnston Canyon; optional horse riding. |
| Day 5: | Drive along Icefields Parkway to Jasper via Athabasca Falls and Columbia glacier. |
| Day 6: | In Jasper; walking at Maligne Lake and Canyon; optional canoeing. |
| Day 7: | Drive Yoho NP via Lake Louise; explore Hoodoos. |
| Day 8: | In Yoho NP; visit Takakkaw Falls and Emerald Lake. |
| Day 9: | Visit Kicking Horse Grizzly Bear Sanctuary; drive Galcier NP. |
| Day 10: | Explore Glacier NP; drive Kamloops. |
| Day 11: | Drive Whistler; walk amongst mountain lakes. |
| Day 12: | In Whistler; optional horse riding, mountain biking or canoeing. |
| Day 13: | Drive Vancouver; orientation tour, free afternoon. |
| Day 14: | Free day, optional trip to Vancouver Island. |
| Day 15: | Fly London. |
| Day 16: | Arrive London. |
small group family holiday
This is a 'small group family adventure' - typically you will join several other families and travel in a group of approx. 16 people. The trips are great value and a great way for you and your children to meet new people! While itineraries are pre-planned there is some flexibility and you'll have plenty of time to yourselves. Most adventure kids tend to be aged between 7 and 15, but some are younger (minimum age is usually 5) and some older (perhaps travelling as part of a larger family group). Please check with the operator to confirm the minimum age for this trip how this holiday makes a difference
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This family adventure tour visits some of the most impressive conservation areas of the Canadian Rockies, namely the Waterton, Hootenay, Banff and Jasper National Parks as well as some equally majestic provincial parks. Here we will see at first hand how responsible tourism can be a force for good as it provides a valuable contribution to wildlife and environmental conservation and education.
The tour also supports many small local businesses – from the purchase of camp provisions to opting for small-scale accommodation. On most nights we camp – a lower impact option than staying in hotels – and make a point of adhering to the strict guidelines laid down by the environmental authorities here. We recommend that travellers bring biodegradable soap to minimise their own impact too. We are also careful to avoid disrupting the wildlife we come into contact with, and for this reason limit our group size to just 12 persons. Our local guides are able to give us a unique insight into the area’s traditions, history and wildlife. Our Tour Leaders are all trained by us in the importance of responsible tourism with guidance given on how they can make a difference. This then percolates down through those they deal with. As well as the above, we support a variety of charities and projects worldwide which support vulnerable communities and habitats including Friends of Conservation, Hope Worldwide and Send A Cow. We are also actively engaged with UK travel industry bodies which promote best practice in responsible tourism, such as Tourism Concern, The Travel Foundation and AITO. Our commitment to responsible tourism is not limited to our overseas operation and we have measures to ensure our UK office operates according to our responsible tourism policy. Carbon offsets for all flights booked with us are included in the tour cost. |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |