SKI CANADA
Overview
Love the mountain life, but love exploring too? This group adventure is a holiday plus ski or boarding trip all rolled into one epic trip – the perfect winter experience at some of Canada’s best winter destinations. Carve it up!
Included/Excluded
- Your accommodation, essential trip transport, and a good handful of meals are included in the cost (on most trips we offer breakfast every day, plus a hand-picked selection of authentic and tasty meals)
- A number of meal times are left open for you to explore a region and its foodie offerings in greater detail, so budgeting for your taste in non-catered meals is important.
- Travel insurance and visas
- Flights to and from your starting and ending points
- We offer Free Time Add-Ons, which are additional experiences
- Meals not mentioned
Day 1: Start Vancouver
Vancouver:
- We’ll start out with a guided tour of Vancouver (including visits to Stanley Park and the legendary Totem Poles.) You’ll then have free time to explore the city, plus the chance to experience FlyOver Canada, Canada’s ultimate flying ride. In the afternoon, we’ll visit the mighty Capilano Suspension Bridge (tickets included) and then take a walk amongst the treetops of a magical old-growth forest – soothing our minds and souls with that fresh Canadian mountain air. After that, Vancouver is yours to lap up as you please. Get to know the squad over dinner tonight, then if you’re in town at the right time, we might head to the hockey rink to watch the Vancouver Canucks do their thing on the ice.
YWCA Hotel Vancouver
Included Meals: Dinner
Included Experience:
- See Totem Poles in Stanley Park
- Get to know Vancouver
- Brave Capilano Suspension Bridge
Additional Cost Applies:
- Experience FlyOver Canada
Day 2: Vancouver to Whistler
Vancouver:
- Out of Vancouver, we journey north in search of the mecca of snowsports that is Whistler, via the stunning Sea to Sky Highway.
Whistler:
- As gondolas float between snow-capped mountain peaks, this cosy village buzzes with life and powdery flakes coat everything in sight. We’ll have the chance to explore the wondrous slopes by snowmobile too. Spend the afternoon getting acquainted with what is essentially North America’s largest ski resort, before tucking in to a scrumptious (if we do say so ourselves) dinner with the crew.
Pangea Pod Hotel (Multi-Share)
Included Meals: Dinner
Included Experience:
- See the Whistler & Blackcomb Mountains
Additional Cost Applies:
- Explore the Wilderness in a Snowmobile
Day 3: Whistler
Whistler:
- It’s slopes o’clock! Whether you’re a beginner bound for the bunny hill or a blackcomb bandit who owns the terrain park, Whistler’s diverse grounds have you covered. Rent a board or a set of skis (or if you’ve brought your own then that’s cool with us), then get ready to shred. If you’ve got the energy for après, there could even be a pub crawl on the cards tonight.
Pangea Pod Hotel (Multi-Share)
Included Meals: Breakfast
Additional Cost Applies:
- Vallea Lumina Multimedia Experience
Day 4: Whistler
Whistler:
- If you’re not keen to drag your aching body back up the mountain today, there’s plenty to do downtown. Take a stroll through the snow, pamper yourself at a day spa or just maintain a steady flow of hot chocolates and watch the world go by. For those back up the mountain, the same deal as yesterday applies, pow pow! If you want a great view and an adrenaline rush, then choose to fly through the skies on a zipline. Tonight, enjoy free time to find a spot for dinner and reflect on just how awesome this mountain playground is. Tomorrow, a new spot beckons… let’s do this.
Pangea Pod Hotel (Multi-Share)
Additional Cost Applies:
- Zipline Eagle Tour
Day 5: Whistler to Banff
Whistler:
- It’s time to say goodbye to Whistler’s perfect powder and jump on a plane to Calgary so we can head to the other-worldly beauty of Banff National Park.
Via Vancouver:
- Flight time. With heads full of breathtaking British Columbian scenery, we’ll board a quick flight to Calgary.
Via Calgary:
- Almost there. Just a picturesque drive to go before we touch down in Banff.
Banff:
- You may have seen photos of Banff on your computer’s desktop background, but nothing can prepare you for how ridiculously good-looking it is in real life. It’s been a long day of travel, so dinner’s on us – eat up and get some rest so you can jump out of bed early tomorrow and explore.
Tunnel Mountain Resort (multi-share)
Included Meals: Dinner
Included Experience:
- Visit Banff National Park
Day 6: Banff
Banff:
- Banff is nestled in the Rocky Mountains, so if you feel like exploring, you have three resorts to choose from – Mt Norquay, Lake Louise and Sunshine Village. Don’t miss the opportunity to travel by dog sled today too. And if you’re keen to burn the candle at both ends, you can spend tonight exploring Banff’s epic range of bars.
Tunnel Mountain Resort (multi-share)
Included Meals: Breakfast
Additional Cost Applies:
- 1-day lift pass Ski or Boarding
- 2-day lift pass – Ski or boarding
- Dog Sledding
Day 7: Banff
Banff:
- Soak up Banff’s beauty from another angle today – perhaps take a helicopter ride over the snow-laden mountains, or go for a hike on the Johnston Canyon Icewalk which can only be described as spectacular. With thundering waterfalls, imposing cliffs and ice tenticles everywhere, it’s a perilous nature lovers paradise. Of course for some the mountain is always going to call, so try out a new resort or head back to one of your favourites. Come the evening, we could regroup and swap stories of our day.
Tunnel Mountain Resort (multi-share)
Included Meals: Breakfast
Additional Cost Applies:
- Johnston Canyon Night Icewalk
- Ride in a Helicopter over Mt. Assiniboine
- Take a Royal Canadian Helicopter Ride over Banff
Day 8: Banff
Banff:
- Those sick of riding downhill will be pleased to note they can give ice skating a whirl in town. Get arty in the afternoon at one of the town’s many galleries. Over a drink tonight we will contemplate some seriously epic days of wintery wonder.
Tunnel Mountain Resort (multi-share)
Included Meals: Breakfast
Day 9: Banff to Calgary
Banff:
- What better way to bid Banff farewell than a group gondola ride up to Sulphur Mountain? This could possibly be one of the best views you’ll ever see, and the highest views in the Rockies at 2281m overlooking the Bow Valley.
Calgary:
- We’ll stop for a visit to the Yamnuska Wolfdog Sanctuary – a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience designed to leave you feeling as wholesome as can be at the end of your Canadian adventure. Afterwards, we’ll hit the road again and head to Calgary where we’ll say it’s not farewell, it’s just see you later.
Included Meals: Breakfast
Included Experience:
- Hang with Wolfdogs at Yamnuska Sanctuary MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience
Additional Cost Applies:
- Banff Gondola