Best of British Columbia

Day 1 : Vancouver > Whistler

This morning collect your rental car and depart Vancouver along the scenic Sea-to-Sky Highway to Whistler. Highlights along the way include the cascading Shannon Falls and the Stawamus Chief Rock where climbers from all over the globe migrate to climb the granite cliffs. Arrive into Whistler by early afternoon.

Day 2 : Whistler

Today you can choose one of 4 excursions:
Option 1. Whistler Guided Lunch Tour
Option 2. River of Golden Dreams Canoe Tour
Option 3. Guided Whistler Valley Bike Tour
Option 4. Whistler Peak 2 Peak Gondola

Day 3 : Whistler > Kelowna

Begin your spectacular drive on the Duffey Lake Road where you will see breathtaking views of Joffre Glacier. Continue on through Lillooet, known as the land of the Gold Rush Trail, and onto Cache Creek where you can opt to visit the Historic Hat Creek. From here travel towards the sunshine and vineyards of Kelowna. With over 2,000 hours of sunshine and only 33 centimetres of precipitation annually this allows for a wide range of outdoor activities and grape growing for various wines.

Day 4 : Kelowna

Tour into the countryside combining the best of the Lake, the Valley and the Vines. Experience the wineries and sample the Okanagan’s finest wines.

Day 5 : Kelowna > Emerald Lake Lodge, Yoho National Park

Your destination today is Yoho National Park. The word Yoho is the Cree word expressing awe. This 1313 sq km national park is filled with gem-coloured glacial lakes and waterfalls, snow-covered peaks and dense forests of western red cedar and western hemlock. Historic railroads, spiral tunnels within mountain sides and steep rock faces where mountain goats roam are just some of the sights to be seen. Other Yoho marvels include a natural rock bridge over the Kicking Horse River, hoodoos, some of Canada’s highest waterfalls and the Burgess Shale fossil find where over 120 marine animal species dating back as far as 530 million years were discovered.

Day 6 : Emerald Lake

Today will be at your leisure to enjoy the various activities in the Emerald Lake area.

Day 7 : Emerald Lake > Radium Hot Springs

Today your destination is Radium Hot Springs, which borders Kootenay National Park and the mighty Columbia River, and offers a recreational playground unparalleled in beauty and amenities. The Columbia River Valley is home to dozens of golf courses, endless hiking and fishing opportunities, and the breathtaking scenery of both the Rocky Mountains to the east, and the Purcell Mountains to the west.

Day 8 : Radium Hot Springs > Nelson

Highway 95 will lead you to Cranbrook, the ‘Key City to the Rockies’. Along the way visit Fort Steele Heritage Town, a local settlement whose name was changed in 1888 to honour Superintendent Samuel Benfield (Sam) Steele of the North-West Mounted Police, who peacefully reduced tensions between the Ktunaxa and the white and Chinese settlers who were relatively new to the area. In Cranbrook, the Canadian Museum of Rail Travel is famous for the restored complete set of the TransCanada Limited, a million dollar train set built in 1929. Continuing on the way into Nelson, take a short detour over to Harrop and back to experience the Harrop Proctor Cable Ferry. Surrounded by the Selkirk Mountains, set on the shores of Kootenay Lake and clustered with some 350 heritage buildings, Nelson’s storybook charm and stunning scenery create the quintessential small town setting. Perhaps enjoy an evening cruise on the S.S. Moyie paddle wheeler.

Day 9 : Nelson > Osoyoos

Today continue travelling westward to Osoyoos, winner of the “Best small-town museum in BC”. Osoyoos is Canada’s only desert town, with a unique interpretive centre to experience this phenomenon. With expanses of orchards and vineyards, lake swimming and boating, this area has all the amenities a visitor could ever want.

Day 10 : Osoyoos

Today is free at leisure. You can explore the desert landscape using the 1.5km boardwalk at the Osoyoos Desert Centre, or perhaps head out for the day to visit the many wineries in the region.

Day 11 : Osoyoos > Vancouver

An amazing trip awaits you today as you travel via the Okanagan Connector to the Coquihalla Highway. Along the way stop at any of the roadside stalls offering cherries, apples, apricots, pears, peaches, grapes and plums for sale during the long summer days. Turning onto the Coquihalla Highway climb to an elevation of 1,244 metres where over 10 metres of snow can fall in an average winter.

You will witness incredible feats of engineering as you travel through the Great Bear snow shed, crossing the Dry Gulch Bridge (over 280 metres long and 175 metres high). Begin descending from the summit pass through some of the most beautiful landscapes in the province. This dramatic change of environment is always exhilarating, as you go from bright sunlight on the high rock faces to misty coastal cedars and tall firs in half an hour. Approaching the Pacific Coast, the canyon opens into the broad, fertile Fraser Valley.

On arrival in Vancouver, return your rental car, where arrangements end.