Day 1
Seattle arrival
Fly to the Pacific Coast city of Seattle, and transfer independently to your hotel where you will meet your tour director. We love Seattle and recommend that you fly out a day early to give you time to explore – a walk around lively Pikes Place Market is a great way to shake off the jet lag and sample some of the great food and drink of the region.
Overnight: Hotel 116, a Coast Hotel or similar
Day 2
Seattle – Mount Rainier – Mount St Helens - Portland
This morning you’ll drive to Mount Rainier National Park and Mount St Helens – both active volcanoes and part of the Northwest “Ring of Fire”. Continue onto the vibrant city of Portland, which has a fabulous downtown for strolling with lovely coffee shops and ice cream palours.
Overnight: The Benson Portland, Curio Collection by Hilton or similar
Day 3
Portland – Cannon Beach – Tillamook - Newport
Take the short drive to the long stretch of Cannon Beach where you can stroll to iconic Haystack Rock. Then onto the town of Tillamook, home to one of America’s best cheese factories. Your destination today is Newport, a lovely place nestled between the Coast Mountains, Pacific Ocean and Yaquina Bay. Visit the Bayfront area to browse the shops, galleries, chowder houses and restaurants in characterful turn-of-the-century storefronts. You’ll see sea lions basking on the sunny docks and the 93 foot tall lighthouse built in 1871.
Overnight: Elizabeth Oceanfront Suites, an Ascend Hotel Collection or similar, breakfast included
Day 4
Newport – Willamette Valley – Bend
This morning you’ll drive inland to the Willamette Valley, where you’ll discover one of the world’s most renowned regions for Pinot Noir wine, home to 500 wineries. Enjoy a tour of one of the many renowned wineries. Afterwards you will continue inland on a scenic drive to Bend, Oregon, which is well known for its craft beer and regarded as the microbrew capital of the West. Here you can take a self-guided tour of the craft breweries.
Overnight: Campfire Hotel or similar, breakfast included
Day 5
Bend – Boise
Head east across Oregon’s countryside into the state of Idaho, known as the “Gem State” because of its natural beauty. Arrive into the state capital of Boise, where the Rocky Mountains serve as a backdrop, the Boise River and its riverfront paths wind through the city. Take a walking tour through the Boise neighbourhoods with your guide and enjoy dinner at one of its trendy restaurants.
Overnight: Fairfield Inn & Suites Boise West or similar, breakfast included
Day 6
Boise – Craters of the Moon National Park – Jackson Hole
Continue our eastward to explore the Craters of the Moon National Monument, which features an otherworldly moon-like landscape created by 15,000 year old volcanic activity and lava flows. Then head onward to famous Jackson Hole, located in the valley between the Teton Mountain Range and the Gros Ventre Range in Wyoming. Explore Downtown Jackson filled with local art, jewellery, fashion and unique souvenirs. Walk through the Antler arch monument and afterwards immerse yourself in the Town Square Shootout. This Wyoming tradition attracts visitors from around the world who gather to witness the longest gunfight in the USA. In the evening, visit the Million Dollar Cowboy Bar or perch yourself on a saddle-style bar stool and enjoy dancing and live entertainment.
Overnight:49'er Inn & Suites / The Virginian Lodge or similar, breakfast included
Day 7
Jackson Hole – Grand Teton National Park – Yellowstone National Park
From Jackson, you will stop at the awe-inspiring Grand Teton National Park along your 57-mile drive north on the John D. Rockefeller Jr. Highway up to Yellowstone. Grand Teton is one of America’s finest National Parks and a hiker’s paradise. It exudes a sense of tranquility and is home to bears, elks and other extraordinary wildlife. The snow-capped Teton Range dominates the park’s skyline and stands as a monument to the people who fought to protect it.
Overnight: Gray Wolf Inn or similar
Day 8
Yellowstone
Head out on a driving tour of Yellowstone National Park, America’s first National Park, where you will capture all the stunning scenery natural wonder has to offer, from cascading waterfalls to picturesque lakes, hot springs to explosive geysers. Look out and you might see grey wolves, grizzly and black bears, bisons, elks, wolves, eagles and much more. Along the way you will get to experience the iconic spots – Old Faithful geyser, Mammoth Hot Springs, the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone, Lower Falls, Upper Falls, boiling mud pots and other thermal features along the trails or boardwalk. It is truly a unique national park.
Overnight: Gray Wolf Inn or similar
Day 9
Yellowstone – Flathead Lake - Kalispell
Crossing the Continental Divide, you’ll leave the wonder of Yellowstone behind as you make your way alongside the impressive Mission Mountain Range and beautiful shore of Flathead Lake to Kalispell. Explore Kalispell’s Main Street, and the vintage signs and rustic storefronts that scream history. The oldest buildings on Main Street date back to 1891 and you will find myriad opportunities for dining, shopping or enjoying a pint at Kalispell Malting and Brewing Company.
Overnight: Red Lion Kalispell or similar
Day 10
Kalispell – Glacier National Park - Calgary
This morning you will visit Glacier National Park. Travel along the famed 50-mile Going-to-the-Sun Road, a National Historic Landmark and one of the most epic engineering feats in the World, before crossing the U.S./Canada border into Calgary. Set dramatically between prairies and peaks, Calgary is surrounded by incomparable natural grandeur.
Overnight: Best Western Premier Calgary Plaza Hotel & Conference Centre or similar, breakfast included
Day 11
Calgary – Banff – Lake Louise - Jasper
Ascend into the mountains during a short drive to Banff, passing pristine lakes framed by stunning peaks. In all directions you’re surrounded by strikingly beautiful and rugged mountains. Afterwards you will visit Canada’s “Diamond in the Wilderness,” Lake Louise. Set against the stark backdrop of Victoria Glacier the emerald colours and grandiose setting of Lake Louise make it Canada’s most famous lake, and probably the most photographed scene in the Canadian Rockies. Continue along the Ice fields Parkway, one of the world’s most stunning roadways, to Jasper National Park.
Overnight: Best Western Plus Hinton Inn & Suites or similar, breakfast included
Day 12
Jasper – Mount Robson – Sun Peaks
In the morning take a ride in the Jasper Sky Tram, the longest aerial tramway in Canada for incredible views of six different mountain ranges, town of Jasper, lakes and the Athabasca River. Afterwards journey along the Yellowhead Highway that allows you to enjoy British Columbia’s stunning scenery the moment you cross the provincial border and enter Mount Robson Provincial Park. Mount Robson is the second oldest park in British Columbia’s park system and the highest peak in the Canadian Rockies. Continue to Kamloops and the stunning mountain paradise of Sun Peaks.
Overnight: Sun Peaks Lodge or similar
Day 13
Sun Peaks - Whistler
Traverse the mountain passes south toward famed Canadian mountain resort, Whistler, where upon arrival you can enjoy free time at the charming village exploring the bustling hub of shops, plenty of bars, cafes and restaurants. Take the Peak 2 Peak gondola to enjoy unparalleled views of towering volcanic peaks and surrounding forest on the world’s longest and highest lift. You might be lucky and see some of the local black bears along the way.
Overnight: Aava Whistler or similar
Day 14
Whistler - Vancouver
Continue through the lower Fraser Valley to the port city of Vancouver. Nestled between the mountains and the ocean, Vancouver offers visitors an exciting cityscape set within a landscape of stunning, rugged beauty. After shopping and visiting one of the vibrant coffee shops, experience the deep valleys through which wild rivers rush with FlyOver Canada’s Flight simulation ride. Feel the wind in your hair as you glide over magnificent prairies. Gaze at snow-capped mountains that tower above the land. Seek the thrill of buzzing urban environments that pulse from morning till night. Afterwards head to Granville Island – a great neighbourhood of cafes, theatres, artisan workshops and craft studios.
Overnight: Sandman Vancouver Airport or similar
Day 15
Vancouver (Optional trip to Victoria, Vancouver Island)
A full day at leisure to explore this great city at your own pace. Or you can take an optional day trip boarding the ferry to cross the Strait of Georgia to Vancouver Island. The capital city of British Columbia, Victoria is a unique blend of old world charm and new world experiences. Combined with the beauty of the Pacific Ocean and rain-forest set against a backdrop of the Olympic Mountains, a visit to the world famous Butchart Garden and whale watching makes a perfect day trip.
Overnight: Sandman Vancouver Airport or similar
Day 16
Vancouver - Seattle
Our journey today takes you across the Canada/U.S. border back to the jewel of the Pacific Northwest, Seattle.
Overnight: Hotel 116, a Coast Hotel or similar
Day 17
Seattle Departure
Today it’s time to take your flight home. Alternatively book an additional night to give you chance to explore more of Seattle, such as the Space Needle or Chihuly Garden & Glass Museum.
