Canada's western wilderness & wildlife self-drive

For your full day in Vancouver, you’ll be able to get your bearings with a bicycle tour of the city. Your local guide will take you through some of Vancouver’s main highlights including; Stanley Park, with a stop to see its famous totem poles; Granville Island Market for a taste of local food and artisan stalls; Chinatown and historic Gastown. The tour is about five hours, including a stop for lunch, and there is the option to upgrade to an electric bike.

This morning, make your way to the downtown car hire depot to collect your car. You have all the necessary insurance and an additional driver. Leave the city behind for your journey to Vancouver Island, enjoying the views and searching for whales on the 90-minute ferry crossing. Your destination is the small town of Campbell River. This afternoon, we recommend a walk along the waterfront to get to know the town.

Sitting on the Salish Sea in the region of the Gulf Islands, Campbell River has some fantastic wildlife viewing opportunities. Included today is a full-day whale-watching experience. The tour begins with kayaking and ends with a covered boat trip, maximising your chances of seeing dolphins, whales, orcas and bears. At the right time of year, this tour can be substituted for a day trip into traditional Klahoose First Nations territory for grizzly bear viewing.

You leave Campbell River today and drive south to Comox, taking the ferry to the Sunshine Coast. Continue to Egmont for your wilderness lodge experience, surrounded by waterways, forests and mountains. Just a short distance from Vancouver Island, this region of British Columbia is much less explored without missing any of the scenery. On arrival at the lodge, settle in and, depending on when you arrive, take the boat trip into Princess Louisa Inlet, passing waterfalls and searching for wildlife on the way. You have breakfast and dinner included during your stay here.

You have a day at leisure at the lodge. Tucked away in the wilderness, the lodge offers many activities in the region. Just three kilometers from the lodge are the Skookumchuck Rapids, the fastest saltwater rapids in North America. There is a short hike to the rapids or, for the more adventurous, a boat tour of the waters. There are also Zodiac tours of Jervis and Princess Louisa Inlets to see the craggy cliffs, blue waters and, hopefully, bears along the shore.

You have another day at your leisure at the lodge. To explore on your own, we recommend making use of the kayak and jet ski rentals or taking one of the hiking trails to Mount Daniel or Pender Hill for views over the bay. Eagles are prevalent in the area, so keep an eye out for them and listen for their calls as they soar above. If you want to venture further from the lodge, the small town of Sechelt is just an hour away, with artisan boutiques and art galleries.

Today, you will continue south along the Sunshine Coast, heading for the ferry at Langdale. Once on the mainland, drive north on the scenic Sea to Sky Highway to Whistler. The route follows the coastline and is surrounded by mountains, hence its name. Once you arrive in Whistler, we recommend walking the pedestrian route to the base of the mountains and getting to know the area. In the winter Whistler becomes a lively ski resort, but many people skip it in the summer unless avid mountain bike experts. We find that it's well worth a stop with many activities on offer.

This morning, you have a private guided 4x4 tour of the backcountry in search of the black and grizzly bears that call the Olympic Park home. You learn more about the history and wildlife of the park en route. This afternoon, we recommend taking the gondola to the summit of Blackcomb and Whistler Mountain for panoramic views of the valley and taking a canoe out on one of the nearby lakes during golden hour.

Today, you depart Whistler for a long drive through the arid ranch lands of British Columbia's interior. We recommend stopping in Kamloops, the largest town in the area, for lunch and any provisions. You may also be able to stop at one of the parks or even one of the wineries. Passing the mighty Fraser River, you continue toward Sun Peaks, another mountain town, though much smaller than Whistler.

There are many hiking and biking trails here, along with the province’s highest golf course. Included in your day is a guided nature hike with a local guide. You’ll begin the hike with a ride on the Sunburst Chairlift, which takes you to the start point of many trails. Your guide will choose the right trail for you and your group based on your ability. As you hike the ‘Top of the World Trail', you’ll be surrounded by views across alpine meadows to the peaks marching into the distance. The rest of the day is yours to relax in the fresh mountain air.

Your journey today sees you join the Trans-Canada Highway venturing into the Kootenay region of Canada, and the mountains that gradually get taller and craggier as you go. You'll pass through Revelstoke where you might like to stop at the Railway Museum, before continuing through Glacier National Park to the small town of Golden, at the bottom of Kicking Horse Mountain Ski Resort. Settle into your lodge set just outside the town.

You have a full day at your leisure today to explore Golden and the surrounding area. The town enjoys a convenient position between Glacier and Yoho National Parks. Despite only being about an hour from the Rockies and Lake Louise, this area and these parks see much fewer visitors, so you’re less likely to bump into people while exploring. Along with visiting the national parks, we recommend taking a white-water rafting trip on the Kicking Horse River, one of the wildest and most intense waterways in Canada. For a less intense experience, we suggest a paddle on Reflection Lake, or the Columbia Wetlands, home to a multitude of wildlife.

A shorter drive awaits today as you make your way across the provincial border into Alberta. We suggest a stop in Yoho National Park to see Takakkaw Falls, the second-highest waterfall in Canada and accessible by a short paved path. Shortly after Field, you also reach a viewpoint for the engineering feat of the Spiral Tunnels. You then continue your journey to just north of Lake Louise, before turning north onto the scenic Icefields Parkway to reach Bow Lake. This is your stop for the night, which most people will only get to experience for a short time on their journey on the parkway. All meals and non-alcoholic drinks are included in your stay.

At Bow Lake, you can experience the bright turquoise lakes of the Canadian Rockies without the bustle found at nearby Lake Louise, along with the hiking trails and panoramic viewpoints found on the Icefields Parkway, all while still being within an hour of Banff. We suggest the lakeshore trailhead to the base of Bow Glacier Falls with surrounding views of Bow Lake and the mountains. If you want to go a little further up the parkway, you can visit the Columbia Icefields, where you can take a guided hike onto the Athabasca Glacier.

Today you make the 30-minute drive north to Saskatchewan River Crossing where you’ll join your final adventure, this time taking to the skies. Against the azure Albertan sky, you have a 20-minute helicopter ride over the immense and stark mountain landscape. High alpine lakes and deep mountain passes roll away beneath you, giving way to the cresting plateau of the Cline Icefield. You land near the Lion and Lioness glaciers, where you’ll take a one-hour hike to Twin Falls, enjoying a snack in the wilderness before returning to the base by helicopter. The rest of the day is yours to relax and explore the area.

This morning is free to do any last-minute exploring in the Rockies before making your way about two and a half hours south to Calgary for your onward journey. On the way, you pass through Banff, where you might like to stop to take the gondola to the top of Sulphur Mountain for one final viewpoint.