CANADIAN ROCKIES FAMILY ADVENTURE
ITINERARY:
Day 1 – Arrive Calgary / Lake Louise
Tour departs: 3:00 PM from Calgary Airport. Your family
adventure in the Canadian Rockies starts with a trip to Lake
Louise, surrounded by peaks that are still capped with snow in
spring. Walk down to the lake and look up; it’s like you’ve
stepped right into a picture postcard, where the forest around
you is reflected in the mirror-like water. Spend your first
night in this magical wonderland at one of the best mountain
resorts in Canada, The Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise. Head out
along some of the resort’s excellent hiking trails, where the
trees are tall, the flowers are colorful and the lake is
inviting. Get things off to a great start at tonight’s welcome
reception and dinner, where you’ll hear more about the
adventures to come in the remarkable Rockies! Meals D
Day 2 – Emerald Lake / Icefields Parkway
Start an amazing day in the Rockies with a drive from Lake
Louise to turquoise-blue Emerald Lake in Yoho National Park. You
just can’t feel any closer to nature as you get acquainted with
the region’s flora and fauna on a guided hike along the lake.
After lunch at Emerald Lake Lodge, set off on an unforgettable
journey along the Icefields Parkway to Jasper National Park.
Look around and you’ll see why this stretch of highway is famous
around the world – there are mountains, glaciers, waterfalls and
snowfields as far as you can see... not to mention the moose,
deer, bighorn sheep, mountain goats, or bears you might spy
along the way! Arrive at your home for the next three nights –
an incredible lakefront resort right in the heart of Jasper
National Park, The Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge. Meals BLD
Day 3 – Hike, bike, canoe... in Jasper National Park
As you wake up charged for a day of fun – your way – in
Jasper National Park, get a good whiff of the wonderful aspen,
fir, spruce, and lodgepole pine. It’s a perfect day to hike,
swim, or – thanks to the Fun Card that each Tauck guest receives
– rent a bike, canoe, paddle boat or kayak, play tennis or
racquetball, or hit a bucket of balls at the driving range; the
card is good for the entire time you’re staying at Jasper Park
Lodge. Or take advantage of other optional activities (available
at an additional charge) at the lodge, such as golf and
horseback riding. You’ll have a great opportunity to talk with a
park official about how wildlife is observed and monitored
during a presentation on the natural history, legends, and lore
of Canada’s national parks. Meals BD
Day 4 – Explore Maligne Canyon / Go river rafting
Check out cascading waterfalls, mysterious potholes, age-old
fossils, lush plant life, and towering, chalky limestone walls
as you explore Maligne Canyon in Jasper National Park today. One
of the most beautiful canyons in the Rockies, it was created
about 160 million years ago by churning waters swirling through
the Palliser Formation, a layer of limestone once covered by a
shallow tropical sea. Look for the ripple marks of ancient waves
imprinted on the rocks, as well as nesting ravens and rare black
swifts. Then take off on an excellent whitewater raft trip along
the glacier-fed Athabasca River; fresh from the massive Columbia
Icefield, these same waters will eventually flow all the way
into the Atlantic, Pacific, and Arctic oceans! Meals BD
Day 5 – Columbia Icefield / Ice Explorer on a glacier
Get set for the ride of your life in the Columbia Icefield
today. As you step across glacial ice more than 400 years old,
look up and you’ll see what look like tiny toy trucks crawling
along the ice. They’re specially designed Ice Explorer vehicles
– and in a few minutes, you’ll be in one of them, climbing up
the surface of Athabasca Glacier! Later, watch for soaring
eagles, hawks, grizzlies and caribou as you return to the
Icefields Parkway; wind your way between snow-domed peaks and
immense hanging glaciers to Banff National Park for a two-night
stay at The Fairmont Banff Springs. Your whole family will feel
like royalty in this “castle in the mountains,” built after
Canadian Pacific Railway workers discovered the Cave & Basin Hot
Springs in the 1880s. Meals BL
Day 6 – Swim, hike, bowl... in Banff National Park
Between Banff National Park’s 2,500 square miles of valleys,
mountains, glaciers, meadows and forests – and a luxurious
resort offering tons of amenities and optional activities –
there’s something sure to please every member of the family
today. Moms, grandmas, and aunts might go shopping in the
charming storybook village of Banff or relax in the world-class
Willow Stream Spa, while dads are getting in a round of golf on
a scenic championship course. And everyone can swim, bike, boat,
hike, or simply enjoy the wonderful alpine scenery. Today, all
guests will ride the Banff Gondola to the top of Sulphur
Mountain for amazing views (not to mention terrific photographs)
of six mountain ranges, and visit the historic Cave & Basin, the
Whyte Museum and the Banff Park Museum – plus receive discounted
admission to the Buffalo Nations Luxton Museum – with an
included Banff Heritage Pass. Tonight’s farewell bowling
reception, featuring Canadian-style five-pin bowling at the
Banff Bowling Center, is a fun way to say goodbye to the
Canadian Rockies and wrap up an unforgettable family adventure!
Meals BD
Day 7 – Journey Home
Travel back to Calgary this morning (approx. 80 miles). Tour
ends: Calgary Airport at 10:00 AM. Allow a minimum of two hours
for check-in; U.S. direct flights clear U.S. customs in Calgary.
Meals B
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