North America: Canadian Rockies - A Connections Boutique Group Journey (2024)

Arrive in Calgary, where you are met and transferred to your hotel. Tonight, gather with your fellow guests for a cocktail reception and welcome dinner.

Fairmont Palliser Hotel | Meals: D

This morning after leaving Calgary, meet your Cree guide of the Kwarakwante people of Jasper for a medicine walk that will teach about how their ancestors survived on the land for millennia. Continue the drive through the Bow Valley to glacially fed Moraine Lake in Banff National Park, where you experience an A&K-exclusive hands-on lesson in wildlife and landscape photography from a professional. Try your new skills on one of the most beautiful lakes in the Canadian Rockies. Finish the day at your historic resort set on Lake Louise.

Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise | Meals: BLD

Travel through serene Yoho National Park, pausing to view the Spiral Tunnel and explore Takakkaw Falls before proceeding to Emerald Lake, vibrantly coloured by glacial sediment. Meet with your expert guide, who reveals the geological and natural forces behind this scenic lake and describes the breathtaking natural surroundings and habits of the endangered grizzly bear. After lunch, weather permitting, view the Kicking Horse Natural Bridge.

Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise | Meals: BL

Travel to the scenic Icefields Parkway for a full day of adventure. Set along the backbone of the Canadian Rockies and named after the area’s sprawling ice fields, the parkway represents one of the world’s great drives. See Crowfoot Glacier and stop at the massive Athabasca Glacier (2,133 metres) for an exciting ride across its surface on a specially designed vehicle. Also visit Sunwapta Falls, followed by a barbecue lunch in a stunning, remote setting before continuing to the town of Jasper.

Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge | Meals: BLD

Cruise along the mile-high Maligne Lake to the famous Spirit Island, a tiny islet surrounded by the towering snow- capped Rockies. You may opt to join your fellow guests for a hike with your Resident Tour Director through the Maligne Canyon, taking in its impressive 60-metre-tall limestone walls.

Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge | Meals: BD

Today, stop for photos of Athabasca Falls and Peyto Lake as you return along the Icefields Parkway to Banff National Park — a UNESCO World Heritage Site established in 1885 as Canada’s first national park — stopping for a picnic lunch en route. Arrive at your extraordinary hotel, which is styled after a Scottish Baronial castle and known as the “Castle in the Rockies.”

Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel | Meals: BL

Bordered on all sides by wilderness, Banff is a national park resort community surrounded by spectacular nature. Embark on a float trip down the majestic Bow River, before ascending to the summit of Sulphur Mountain on the Banff Gondola to take in the striking views. This evening, gather for a farewell dinner.

Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel | Meals: BD

This morning, drive to Calgary International Airport, where your journey concludes.

Meals: B

This journey contains some active elements.
Minimum age is 10 years.
First group event: welcome reception at 6:30 p.m. on Day 1.
Last group event: Calgary International Airport arrival at 10:00 a.m. on Day 8.
Departures are guaranteed to operate with a minimum of 2 guests.

Included with this Connections Boutique Group Journey

• English-Speaking Resident Tour Director and Local Guides
• Hand-Selected Boutique Accommodations
  
• Airport Meet and Greet with Private Transfers
• Full Breakfast Daily; Select Lunches and Dinners
• Internet Access
• Entrance Fees, Taxes and All Gratuities Except Resident Tour Director
• 24/7 A&K On-Call Support
• Guaranteed Departures with Just Two Guests

Talk to one of our expert Journey Designers or your travel agent about booking this tour as a private journey for your own small group with family or friends. Or, if you would prefer to travel privately, find out more about creating the perfect bespoke tailor-made journey based on this itinerary.