British Columbia Wilderness Explorer

After enjoying your complimentary airport lounge access, you’ll fly to Vancouver, arriving the same day. Here, your centrally located hotel – with its handcrafted furnishings – places you perfectly to explore the city, where the renowned dining scene, art galleries and microbreweries all compete for your attention. The sea views and harbour-side charm of the nearby waterfront walk are an added highlight.

Stay: The Wedgewood, Vancouver (Superior)

Today, pick up your hire car and set off for Vancouver Island, including a scenic ferry crossing to Victoria – Canada’s most English city. This influence is evident in its leafy parks, Victorian mansions and colourful boutiques, all set against idyllic coastal scenery.

Entrance to the nearby Butchart Gardens is included – one of the world’s most impressive botanical gardens, showcasing vibrant flora from around the globe. You'll also stay in one of Victoria’s finest hotels, where each room features harbour views from a private balcony.

Leave the city behind as you journey north, driving through verdant forests and tracing the rugged coastline to Campbell River – known as the “Salmon Capital of the World”.

During your stay, enjoy an included whale-watching and wildlife excursion through the rich waters of the Salish Sea, Discovery Passage and Johnstone Strait. This region is home to humpback whales, killer whales, Pacific white-sided dolphins, bears and Steller sea lions. While sightings cannot be guaranteed, expert guides will ensure you have the very best chance of encountering them.

(From mid-August to late October, this experience can be exchanged for a bear-watching tour.)

Stay: Painter’s Lodge, Campbell River (Superior)

Continue north, heading inland through forested hills before returning to the coast to reach Port Hardy. Located just back from the marina, the town offers scenic seawall walks, quiet beaches and a rich First Nations heritage, visible in totem poles and traditional “big houses”.

Stay: Glen Lyon Inn & Suites (Superior)

Spend the day exploring the wildlife-rich waters, islands and shorelines of northern Vancouver Island. Look out for sea otters, Dall’s porpoises and bald eagles, surrounded by dramatic ocean and coastal forest scenery. Lunch and hot drinks are included.

Stay: Glen Lyon Inn & Suites (Superior)

Today’s ferry journey is a true highlight. Departing Port Hardy, spend the day weaving through wilderness islands and forested bays along the famous Inside Passage route towards Alaska. You'll then arrive for a two-night stay in Prince Rupert, a small coastal town on Kaien Island and a gateway to vast wilderness areas.

If travelling in May, June or July, the next day you may have the opportunity to join a grizzly bear tour to the renowned Khutzeymateen Valley – home to one of the densest natural populations of grizzly bears in North America. Alternatively, explore scenic walks and drives through stilted fishing villages and ancient old-growth forests.

Stay: Crest Hotel, Prince Rupert (Superior)

Having dropped off your hire car the previous day, you’ll depart this morning on the Skeena train line, travelling through spectacular landscapes along the Skeena River and mountain ranges. This relaxed daytime journey to Prince George lasts just over twelve hours.

Located at the confluence of the Fraser and Nechako rivers, Prince George is often referred to as the province’s “northern capital”. Its origins date back to the North West Company trading post of Fort George, established in 1807.

Explore the city, enjoy tastings at Northern Lights Estate Winery – set on scenic cutbanks overlooking the Nechako River – or visit a selection of museums and provincial parks.

Stay: Prestige Hudson Bay Lodge (Superior)

Collect your hire car and travel south to Williams Lake, situated on the traditional lands of the T’exelcemc people. Surrounded by lakes, rivers and wilderness, it offers charming eateries and a relaxed frontier feel. The town also hosts its own annual Stampede each June.

Stay: Sandman Hotel Williams Lake (Superior)

Today’s journey reveals a changing landscape, where dense forest opens into lakes and remote meadows dotted with traditional ranches. Continue along historic routes once used during the Gold Rush, particularly near Gold Bridge.

Arrive at your wilderness lodge on the shores of Tyaughton Lake, surrounded by dramatic, snow-capped peaks rising to over 10,000 feet. Here, rustic charm meets comfort, with hot tubs, fine dining and spa experiences included during your two-night stay. You’ll then enjoy a full day at leisure to take advantage of the lodge’s activities and spectacular surroundings.

Stay: Tyax Lodge, Gold Bridge (Superior)

En route, consider a stop at Historic Hat Creek before continuing to Lillooet, a former Gold Rush trading hub now gaining recognition for its emerging wine scene. Travel along the spectacular Duffey Lake Road, one of British Columbia’s most scenic routes, with highlights including magnificent views of Joffre Glacier, before arriving in Whistler for a two-night stay.

Although Whistler rose to fame as the host of the 2010 Winter Olympics, it is now equally renowned as a summer destination. Ski slopes give way to excellent hiking trails, the Peak 2 Peak Gondola offers breathtaking views, and local microbreweries serve some of the finest craft beers in the region.

Stay: Delta Whistler Village Suites, Whistler (Superior)

Travel south along the world-famous Sea to Sky Highway, descending through the mountains alongside Howe Sound. Stop in Squamish to experience the Sea to Sky Gondola, rising 885 metres above sea level with sweeping views over the fjord, coastal forest and surrounding peaks.

At the summit, enjoy access to restaurants, walking trails, viewing platforms, the Sky Pilot Suspension Bridge and a network of scenic hikes. You'll then continue to Vancouver, where you'll drop off your hire car at the airport before boarding your overnight flight home.