Heart of the Rockies
12 days from £2,799 per person
Summary
Beauty and wonder unfold at each turn of this 12-day exploration of Alberta and British Columbia. Vast areas of prairie give way to the magnificent Rocky Mountains. Mountain wilderness is brought to life by the trickle of melting glaciers; and cool mountain rivers quench the thirst of Canada’s beautiful beasts, including bears and wolves. Taste cool glacial water, feel an ancient ice field beneath your feet, and experience the lifestyle of the First Nations and gold rush pioneers as we explore.
Your holiday includes:
6 excursions and visits
- Guided visit to Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump
- Cruise on Waterton Lake
- Tour of Three Valley Ghost Town
- Safari on the Blue River
- Maligne Lake cruise
- Columbia Icefields Glacier Adventure
Plus:
- 10 nights in hotels and 1 in flight (accommodation as specified or similar)
- International flights. Prices are based on return flights with Air Canada from London Heathrow. Supplements may apply from other airports
- 7 meals: 4 breakfasts (days 2 and 5-7) 2 lunches (days 5 and 7) 1 dinner (day 6)
Plus
- Titan’s VIP door-to-door travel service
- Titan tour manager
- Travel in destination by coach
- Porterage
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UK - Calgary
Titan’s VIP door-to-door travel service collects you from home for flight to Calgary. On arrival, we’ll transfer to the Hilton Garden Inn Calgary Downtown (4-star) or Residence Inn Downtown Calgary (3-star).
Hilton Garden Inn Calgary Downtown (4-star) or Residence Inn Downtown Calgary (3-star)
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Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump - Waterton
Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump exemplifies the ancient hunting practice of aboriginal plains tribes corralling and stampeding buffalo off a cliff and harvesting the animals below for food, shelter, weapons and tools. On our way to Waterton, we’ll visit this UNESCO World Heritage Site; one of the oldest, largest and best preserved of hundreds of buffalo jump sites across the western Plains. We’ll explore the Interpretative Centre which documents the buffalo hunting culture of the Plains Indians from ancient times to the arrival of the Europeans. We’ll stay for two nights at the Bayshore Inn Resort & Spa (3-star).
Bayshore Inn Resort & Spa, Waterton (3-star)
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Waterton
Enjoy some of the most spectacular mountain scenery the Rocky Mountains have to offer on a scenic cruise, venturing across the border into the United States. Our boat stops regularly to photograph the beautiful waterfalls and wildlife. Bald eagle, bear, moose, deer, mountain sheep and mountain goats are often seen.
Bayshore Inn Resort & Spa, Waterton (3-star)
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Radium Hot Springs
Enjoy the scenery as we travel to Radium Hot Springs, a beautiful village on a high ridge in the Columbia Valley, on the edge of Kootenay National Park and with views towards the Purcell Mountains. First Nations people consider the hot springs at the base of Redstreak Mountain a spiritual place, and have used the water as a source of rejuvenation and healing. We’ll stay overnight at the Best Western Plus Prestige Inn (3.5-star).
Best Western Plus Prestige Inn, Radium Hot Springs (3.5 star)
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Three Valley Ghost Town - Chase
Three Valley Ghost Town recreates the colourful pioneer days, when thousands sought fortune in the gold rush. Enjoy a BBQ lunch and tour the small town of wooden-clad shops rescued from various locations and restored to their former glory. The old blacksmiths, watchmakers, saloon and jail are complimented with a collection of antique cars and the grand Railway Roundhouse, home to the largest fully operational covered turntable in North America, and a collection of pristine steam locomotives. We continue to Chase and the Quaaout Lodge & Spa at Talking Rock Golf Resort (4-star), our hotel for two nights.
Quaaout Lodge & Spa at Talking Rock Golf Resort, Chase (4-star)
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Chase
Our lodge is located in a beautiful spot on the quiet shore of Little Shuswap Lake - within the territory of the Little Shuswap Lake Indian Band, known as Skwlax (black bear). Your day is free to spend as you wish, or join an interpretative walk to learn more about the First Nations in this part of British Columbia. This evening we’ll enjoy a First Nations-inspired dinner.
Quaaout Lodge & Spa at Talking Rock Golf Resort, Chase (4-star)
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Blue River - Jasper
Experience the breathtaking wilderness of Grizzly Bear Valley on an unforgettable guided river safari. We’ll journey through the heart of the world’s only inland temperate rainforest, where bears, moose, eagles and osprey, to name only a few, take advantage of the jade-coloured glacial waters; and photos of glaciers and many waterfalls tumbling from the snow-capped mountains are sure to fill your camera. We take lunch here before our journey continues to Jasper and our hotel for two nights, the Chateau Jasper (3-star), Marmot Lodge (3-star) or Jasper Inn (3-star).
Chateau Jasper (3-star), Marmot Lodge (3-star) or Jasper Inn (3-star)
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Jasper
Jasper National Park is one of Canada’s oldest and largest, full of great creatures such as elk, bears and wolves, and many smaller ones too. It is also full of unique geological treasures. We head into Maligne Valley, home to a wide range of flora and fauna, and a breathtaking icon of world travel - Maligne Lake. The blue-green waters from the surrounding mountains and glaciers sit almost unmoving around tiny Spirit Island. A cruise on the lake allows you plenty of opportunities to photograph this beautiful spot.
Chateau Jasper (3-star), Marmot Lodge (3-star) or Jasper Inn (3-star)
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Columbia Icefield - Banff
Today we see another of the National Park’s magnificent landmarks - the Columbia Icefield. The rugged icefields of an ancient glacier are stunning and we take a closer look, boarding a massive Ice Explorer vehicle to the Athabasca Glacier, one of the largest non-polar ice fields in the world, for the opportunity to walk on the ice and taste its cool water. A walk along the Glacier Skywalk, a glass-floored walkway that extends over the Sunwapta Valley, is also recommended for great views of the huge glaciers above, and the craggy canyon below. Keep your camera close at hand for wildlife as we continue to Banff. We’ll stay at the Royal Canadian Lodge (4-star).
Royal Canadian Lodge, Banff (4-star)
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Lake Louise
Banff sits within its own national park, best known for stunning Lake Louise. Today we see why this mesmerising emerald green lake, fed by the hanging Victoria Glacier, and mirroring the surrounding pine forests and mountain peaks, is considered the world’s most picturesque body of water. You are free this afternoon to perhaps join an optional excursion on the Banff Gondola.
Royal Canadian Lodge, Banff (4-star)
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Day 11 Calgary - In flight
Enjoy a free morning before we transfer to the airport for your overnight return flight to the UK.
In flight
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Day 12 UK
Upon arrival, your Titan vehicle will be waiting for the journey home.
Arrive Home
