The Best of Western Canada and Rocky Mountaineer

Tour begins: 1:00 PM, Calgary International Airport. Welcome to Calgary, the gateway to the Canadian Rockies. A transfer is included at 1 PM from Calgary International Airport to the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise in Banff National Park. Guests who have arranged a pre-stay at Tauck's hotel, the Sheraton Suites Calgary Eau Claire hotel in downtown Calgary, will be picked up at the hotel at 12:15 PM and transferred to the airport for our group departure. Enjoy a scenic drive to your acclaimed resort, arriving late afternoon. Join us this evening for a welcome reception and dinner as we share insights about the experiences we have lined up for you in the coming days. Your resort hotel welcomes with a storied history and breathtaking views of Lake Louise and the surrounding mountains.

Wake up to the wonders of the Rockies, heading off into the heart of Banff National Park for a gentle float trip along the Bow River Valley, followed by Afternoon Tea at the venerable Banff Springs Hotel. Renowned as Canada's "Castle in the Rockies," the chateau-style hotel enjoys a spectacular setting at the foot of Sulphur Mountain in the town of Banff; explore the sights this afternoon as you wish, strolling through town and perhaps visiting the Whyte Museum where exhibits focus on the art and culture of the region. Return to Lake Louise in time for dinner at your leisure.

Experience a drive like no other today as you travel along the Icefields Parkway to the Columbia Icefields. A destination within itself, the parkway is rated as one of the top drives in the world by Condé Nast Traveler; it winds along the Continental Divide through soaring rocky mountain peaks and is dotted with more than 100 ancient glaciers, cascading waterfalls, dramatic rock spires, and emerald lakes set in sweeping valleys of thick pine and larch forests. Opportunities for wildlife spotting await around every turn, where you may glimpse marmots, elk, bighorn sheep and mountain goats and perhaps a bear or two. Stop at prehistoric Athabasca Glacier for a ride aboard a specially designed Ice Explorer atop glacial ice some 10,000 years in the making. Enjoy the scenery as you travel the Parkway back to your Lake Louise resort this afternoon and dine as you wish tonight.

An early morning departure brings you to the rail station for the start of your two-day journey aboard the Rocky Mountaineer in premier Gold Leaf seats en route to seaside Vancouver. Immerse in expansive head-turning views of the Canadian Rockies through the panoramic windows of your bi-level glass dome coach, sinking into plush seats on the upper level and enjoying fine gourmet meals in the lower-level dining area. Step out onto an exclusive outdoor viewing platform as you wish, where dramatic scenery and wildlife spotting provide great photo opportunities. Disembark the train in Kamloops this evening for an overnight stay in a Rocky Mountaineer-appointed hotel.

Reboard the Rocky Mountaineer before breakfast, enjoying your morning meal aboard the train. You'll travel through dramatic canyons and mountain passes, past rushing waterfalls and coastal rainforests en route to your evening arrival in Vancouver today. Your accommodations tonight are at The Fairmont Hotel Vancouver, known as "the castle in the city," a landmark of elegance and luxury since 1939, ideally located in the heart of downtown.

Enjoy a guided orientation tour by your tour director this morning, viewing the sights that rank Vancouver as one of the world's most livable cities and the best city to live in North America. Vancouver is celebrated for its striking natural beauty, including a temperate rainforest, sandy beaches flowing into the Pacific Ocean, a mild year-round climate, and over 200 parks. Drive to Granville Island for lunch, with time to explore on your own. Then it's off for a flightseeing adventure aboard a floatplane from Coal Harbour to Victoria, rewarding with aerial views of coastal scenery breathtaking to behold. Touch down on Victoria Island for a two-night stay at The Fairmont Empress, reigning over the waterfront for 110 years. Designated a National Historic Site, it offers stunning views of Victoria's Inner Harbour and a legacy of hospitality favored by a celebrity clientele. Dine at the hotel at your leisure tonight.

Board our private boat for a whale watching cruise out in the Salish Sea with a marine naturalist. Learn about the various whale species found here; its coastal waters are the perfect environment for transient orcas, humpbacks, grey whales, and other marine species. Spend the remainder of the day as you wish, perhaps making time to visit the Royal BC Museum; founded in 1886, it is a showcase of the natural and human history of British Columbia.

A morning ferry ride cruises through the islands in the Strait of Georgia this morning to Horseshoe Bay, promising glorious scenic views on clear sunny days. Disembark the ferry for a drive to Whistler, British Columbia, and check into your Fairmont resort, nestled at the base of breathtaking Blackcomb Mountain, just steps from the Blackcomb Gondola.  Decorated in the style of traditional European alpine chateaus, and with views of the village or the mountain, the resort welcomes with its own golf course, tennis courts, slopeside pools and hot tubs, and is just steps away from Whistler Village. Have dinner at your leisure tonight at the hotel.

Walk to the Squamish Lil-wat Cultural Center for a filmed introduction to the First Nations history of this region, followed by a guided tour of the museum, created to celebrate the joint history of the Squamish and Lil'wat nations; view art and exhibitions that showcase their histories, creative works and cultures. Spend the remainder of the afternoon exploring as you wish; you may enjoy a peak-to-peak gondola adventure that includes a series of gondola rides that bring you to the top of Blackcomb Peak for amazing views of the surrounding mountains. Or, visit the Audain Art Museum, home to an amazing private collection of art, both traditional and contemporary, housed in a world-class architectural building constructed just for this exhibit. Join us this evening for a farewell reception and dinner.