Mountains, Lakes and Dinosaurs

Itinerary

DAY 1 – Calgary - Banff

Take the short drive, approximately one and one-half hours, from Calgary to Banff National Park. Spend your afternoon at leisure visiting or shopping in Banff town site. Overnight in Banff.

DAY 2 – Banff

In Banff, you'll find lots of excitement - shopping, cafes, nightlife, museums and art galleries. Check out the Cave and Basin National Historic Site, birthplace of Banff and the Canadian national parks. A ride up the Banff Gondola will lift you high over Banff for an incredible panoramic view. Try the thrill of white-water rafting or kayaking followed by a dip in the hot mineral pools at the newly-renovated Upper Hot Springs. Overnight in Banff.

DAY 3 – Banff - Jasper

Another great day in the Rocky Mountains - travel from Banff to Jasper along the amazing Icefields Parkway. You're sure to be enthralled by the scenery, wildlife, incredible blue lakes and sparkling waterfalls enroute. Stop for a self-guided interpretive walk at Peyto Lake, don't miss the Columbia Icefield Visitor Centre and a ride onto the Athabasca Glacier via the Ice Explorer, and take time out to visit Sunwapta and Athabasca Falls. Overnight in Jasper.

DAY 4 – Jasper

Welcome to Jasper, a charming mountain village close to many scenic highlights. Take a tram ride up Whistlers Mountain a boat cruise on Maligne Lake, soak in the pools at Miette Hot Springs or hike Maligne Canyon. Enjoy watching the sunset over Pyramid and Patricia lakes. Then, after the sun sets take a stroll and perhaps you’ll be fortunate enough to witness the greenish white beams of the Northern Lights illuminating the night sky. Overnight in Jasper.

DAY 5 – Jasper - Lake Louise

Follow the majestic Icefields Parkway from Jasper to Lake Louise. Along the way you can make a slight detour to Cline River to take a helicopter glacier tour or join a heli-hiking visit to an isolated Alpine meadow. Overnight in Lake Louise.

DAY 6 – Lake Louise

At Lake Louise there are plenty of outdoor activities available - rent a canoe, take a lakeside stroll or a longer hike, go horseback riding or simply relax and contemplate the lake's remarkable emerald colour! A short drive to Moraine Lake is always enjoyable – both the drive and the lake – and a journey up the Lake Louise gondola to visit the Interpretive Centre is a fascinating experience. Overnight in Lake Louise.

DAY 7 – Lake Louise - Calgary

Make your way slowly along your route to Calgary, or spend the day in Calgary to check out the shopping, restaurants, cafes and nightlife. Perhaps you’d prefer something more exciting? Visit Canada Olympic Park (Home of the 1988 Winter Olympics) and ride the Bobsleigh Bullet! Want to try authentic western cuisine for dinner tonight? Mosey on over to Buzzard’s for some great cowboy cookin’ or Ranchman’s restaurant and bar for some country line dancing and two steppin’! Overnight in Calgary.

If you only have seven (7) days, then this will be the end of your journey, and you will depart Calgary today.

Separate prices are available for this 7-Day component of the Mountains, Lakes & Dinosaurs itinerary.

Please note that prices do not include GST and will vary depending on rental car selection, accommodation choices, travel dates and number of individuals travelling together. (All prices in Canadian Dollars)

Contact our knowledgeable staff today to discuss making your western experience holiday a reality.

DAY 8 – Calgary - Waterton Lakes National Park

Why not enjoy an amazing panoramic view over the city while you eat a delicious breakfast atop the Calgary Tower’s revolving restaurant. Then saddle up and head down The Cowboy Trail along the foothills of Alberta’s Rocky Mountains. On the way, you may see cowboys out herding cattle and families out for a horseback ride. This area attracted First Nations peoples thousands of years ago and Alberta’s first ranching families settled here in the 1880s, transforming the rolling grasslands into cattle country. Overnight in Waterton town site.

DAY 9 – Waterton Lakes National Park

It’s not unusual to spot wildlife roaming through Waterton town site. Enjoy the beautiful nature or, if your feet need a break, take a cruise on the crystal blue waters of Waterton Lakes. There is boating and plenty of water activities or visit a nearby ranch to participate in a trail ride. Overnight in Waterton town site.

DAY 10 – Waterton Lakes National Park - Drumheller

On the first leg of your journey to Drumheller, and not far from Waterton, you can visit the Remington Carriage Museum, The Fort Museum of the North West Mounted Police or Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump. Further along Highway 2 you can stop at Nanton. Here you can wander down the Antique and Art Walk of Alberta, where you will find a variety of antique and art stores. Before reaching Drumheller, you will travel through Native Indian “reserve land” allowing you an up-close look at how our First Nations’ people live. Overnight in Drumheller.

If you only have ten (10) days, then this will be the end of your journey, and you will depart Calgary today.

Separate prices are available for this 10-Day component of the Mountains, Lakes & Dinosaurs itinerary.

Please note that prices do not include GST and will vary depending on rental car selection, accommodation choices, travel dates and number of individuals travelling together. (All prices in Canadian Dollars)

Contact our knowledgeable staff today to discuss making your western experience holiday a reality.

DAY 11 – Drumheller

There is nowhere quite like the Drumheller Valley; Dinosaur Capital of Canada! Being here will take you into another world - the world of startling contrasts between the deep past and the exciting present. Rolling fields suddenly give way to steep, dry coulees ridged with the strata of hundreds of years of erosion by time, wind and water. Don’t miss the Royal Tyrrell Museum of Paleontology - Canada’s largest dinosaur museum – where you can journey through time and come face-to-face with incredible creatures that lived millions of years ago. Overnight in Drumheller.

DAY 12 – Drumheller - Calgary

As you head out of town, don’t forget to stop and view the unique canyons and the hoodoos. Enjoy your journey through fertile farmland as the foothills and the Rocky Mountains rise up on the western horizon. Spend the remainder of your day in Calgary at leisure. Overnight in Calgary.

DAY 13 – Calgary

Spend the day exploring Calgary. Established by the North West Mounted Police in 1875, the city's population now numbers just over 1 Million. Visit the Zoo, take in a football game and/or hockey game, stroll the riverside pathways, dine on the world's finest beef. Don't miss Heritage Park on the city's south side, a "living museum" representing turn-of-the-century Calgary with costumed interpreters, a steam train and scale-model sternwheeler, an old-fashioned candy store and much more. Overnight in Calgary.

DAY 14 – Calgary

Take in some of the attractions that you missed or catch up on some last minute shopping. Today ends your western adventure expedition.

 

14 Day Experience Includes:

• 13 nights accommodation
• One or more activities in each location: Heritage Park, Banff Gondola, Athabasca Ice Explorer Experience, Lake Louise Gondola, Maligne Lake Cruise, Trail Ride, Royal Tyrrell Museum of Paleontology.
• Travel Guide Package (directions, maps, brochures, driving instructions, helpful tips).

OPTIONAL ADD-ONS: Extra Activities and Days

Just tell your personal planning adviser if you would like to stay longer or do more. Your vacation can be tailored to your schedule and interests with additional days and/or activities.

Day	Location	Activities
1	Banff	Travel day
2	Banff	Banff Gondola
3	Jasper	Travel day
4	Jasper	Maligne Lake Cruise
5	Lake Louise	Travel day
6	Lake Louise	Lake Louise Gondola
7	Calgary	Travel day
8	Waterton Lakes	Travel day
9	Waterton Lakes	Trail Ride
10	Drumheller	Travel day
11	Drumheller	Royal Tyrrell Museum of Paleontology
12	Calgary	Travel day
13	Calgary	Heritage Park Historical Village
14		Vacation ends

Separate prices are available for the total 14-Day Mountains, Lakes & Dinosaurs itinerary.

Please note that prices do not include GST and will vary depending on rental car selection, accommodation choices, travel dates and number of individuals travelling together. (All prices in Canadian Dollars)

Contact our knowledgeable staff today to discuss making your western experience holiday a reality.