Stay : Long stay in Canada
British Columbia, Alberta, Quebec. Note that it might be interesting to shorten your stay in some destinations in order to enjoy a 2 or 3 day stop in Toronto and Niagara Falls.
Summary of the stay
Best time to go
29 days
€€€ - Luxury
Detail of the stay : Long stay in Canada - 29 days
Day 1: Arriving in the city of Vancouver
Dinner and overnight in the city centre.
Day 2: Visit to Vancouver
Steps: Vancouver, North Vancouver, Grouse Mountain
Breakfast on Water Street. Walking tour of Gastown, the city's oldest neighborhood with its famous steam clock. Walk along Water Street to Canada Place. On the west side of Canada Place begins the Coal Harbour Quay, a charming wharf that allows you to reach Stanley Park in a few minutes. On the way, have lunch on one of the Coal Harbour Quay terraces. Guided carriage tour of Stanley Park and visit to theVancouver Aquarium and its porpoises, in the heart of the park. Walk back to downtown and have dinner on Granville Street.
option2: Breakfast downtown. Walk to Canada Place to catch the ferry to North Vancouver. From the station, take the bus to the Capilano Bridge site. Cross the famous suspension bridge and visit the First Nations Sculpture Centre. Take the bus back to Grouse Mountain. Lunch on the go in the cable car waiting line. Visit the various observation centers on the mountain and dine on the restaurant's terrace while watching the sun set over the city.
STANLEY PARK / STEAM CLOCK / VANCOUVER AQUARIUM / CAPILANO SUSPENSION BRIDGE PARK / CANADA PLACE
Day 3: Strolling through Vancouver
Steps: Mayne Island, Vancouver
Visit the Kitsilano area which has some beautiful beaches, the University of British Columbia and the Museum of Anthropology with its collection of Native American art. Visit Granville Island and its huge Granville Island Public Market, where you can buy and sample the regional cuisine. Visit some of the many art galleries on the island. To get there, take the 50 bus from Canada Place.
Day 4: Head for Victoria
Breakfast in the city of Vancouver. At the central station, buy a ticket from Greyhound towards Victoria; The bus ticket includes the ferry transfer, which sometimes makes it possible to observe the whales. Lunch and stroll along Government and Douglas streets, the main shopping streets in the city.
Day 5: Visit of downtown Victoria
Steps: Toronto
Breakfast at Market Square in the city centre. Visit of the neighbourhood and its many historic buildings. Shopping and lunch in the inner courtyard of the square. Visit and dinner in the Chinese district, next to Market Square. Night in the city centre.
Day 6: Victoria's Butchart Gardens
Steps: Victoria, Brentwood Bay
Breakfast in downtown Victoria. From downtown, take the bus to Butchart Gardens. This garden is probably the major tourist attraction in the city. Its neighbor, the Victoria Butterfly Gardens, is also worth a visit. Dinner and overnight in the city center
option2: Breakfast and lunch downtown. Whale watching cruise aboard a zodiac. Several companies offer different packages and they are all located in the city's port. Dinner on the harbour and overnight stay downtown.
Day 7: Transfer to Nanaimo
Breakfast in Victoria and departure to the city of Nanaimo. Take the bus at the station on Terminal Avenue. Arrival in Nanaimo in the afternoon, lunch and dinner in the city centre, stroll on the quay. Overnight in Nanaimo.
Day 8: New Castle Island
Steps: Nanaimo, Newcastle Island
Breakfast in Nanaimo. Take the ferry, in the port of the city, towards New Castle Island. A trail allows you to tour the island on foot and thus explore the flora and fauna. Overnight in one of the island's campsites, accompanied by bears and deers.
NEWCASTLE ISLAND MARINE PROVINCIAL PARK
Day 9: From Nanaimo to Whistler
Steps: Nanaimo, Vancouver, Whistler, Stewart
Breakfast in Nanaimo. Take the ferry north on Stewart Avenue to Vancouver (1.5 hours). In Vancouver, take the bus from the main station to Whistler, one of the most popular ski resorts in the world. Tickets can be purchased at the terminal and there are several departures per day. Dinner and overnight stay in Whistler Village.
Day 10: Hiking in the Whistler Mountains
Steps: Whistler
Breakfast in the village at the foot of the mountain. The Whistler mountain offers about fifty kilometres of hiking trails. The location is ideal for a picnic as way of lunch. Dinner and night outing in the village.
Day 11: Various activities in Whistler
Steps: Whistler
Breakfast in the village. The foot of Blackcomb Mountain offers a wide range of sporting activities of all kinds: golf, climbing, horseback riding... Dinner and night in the village.
BLACKCOMB PEAK
Day 12: Leaving Whistler for Okanagan Valley
Steps: Vancouver, Whistler, Kelowna
Breakfast in the village of Whistler. No bus links Whistler to Okanagan Valley, so you have to go back to Vancouver to take the bus to Kelowna (about 6-hour journey). Lunch at Vancouver train station and dinner in Kelowna. Overnight in Kelowna.
Day 13: Visit of Kelowna
Breakfast on a terrace of Rue Water. The city centre can be visited quite quickly. Knox Mountain is about a 40-minute walk from downtown and offers a stunning view of the lake and the valley. Enjoy the summit for a lunch picnic. After so much exercise, the beach of the city centre is the perfect place to end the day.
Day 14: Departure to Osoyoos
Steps: Mission, Osoyoos, Kelowna
Breakfast in Mission, in the southern part of the city. The legendary Okanagan Mountain Provincial Park is located in this part of the city; several trails in the park date back to the fur trade era, at least it had been the case before the fire in 2003. Lunch in the city centre and departure from the terminal (north of downtown) towards Osoyoos on the south end of Canada. Dinner at the excellent restaurant of the vineyard and Spirit Ridge Resort at NK'MIP Resort holiday resort. Overnight in one of the many hotels on the beach of the lake.
Day 15: Excursion in the desert of Osoyoos and towards Banff
Breakfast on the shore of the lake. The town of Osoyoos includes a desert: the NK'MIP aboriginal tribe has developed a very informative site north of the city, where it is possible to venture into the desert while learning a lot about the environment of the region. At the bus terminal, at the entrance of the city (Husky Gas Station), the Greyhound company offers three departures per day to Banff, in the Rockies (lasting about 15 hours). Lunch at the terminal, dinner and overnight on the bus.
Day 16: Visit of Banff
Steps: Banff
Breakfast in the village of Banff. 4 km south of the village, the cable car that climbs to the summit of Sulfur Mountain is a great way to get in touch with the splendor of the Canadian Rockies. Plan to bring warm clothing. Lunch in the restaurant at the top. After defying the temperature of the snow-capped peak, you can warm up in the natural waters of Upper Hot Springs, a complex adjoining that of the cable cars. To learn more about these waters and on the history of Canada's National Parks, the historic site of Cave and Bassin, southwest of the village, offers picnic tables and many trails. Dinner at the Cave and Bassin site and overnight in the Banff Village.
CAVE AND BASIN NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE / SULPHUR MOUTAIN - BANFF GONDOLA / BANFF UPPER HOT SPRINGS
Day 17: Wildlife viewing at Lake Minnewanka
Steps: Banff National Park, Banff
Breakfast in the village. Northeast of Banff, Lake Minnewanka allows wildlife viewing and gives you the possibility to do a multitude of nautical activities. Lunch in the village. Northwest of the city, on Lynx Street, do not miss the sunset over the fairy and typically Canadian landscapes of Lake Vermilion. Dinner and overnight in the village of Banff.
Day 18: Leaving for Jasper via Lake Louise
Steps: Lake Louise, Banff, Jasper
Breakfast in the village of Banff. 57 km northwest from Banff, Lake Louise is one of the most photographed places in the world, but no photo can really give credit to the wild beauty of the place. Lunch at one of the restaurants of the famous Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise. Departure to Jasper by taking route des glaciers. Dinner and overnight in the village of Jasper.
LAKE LOUISE
Day 19: Ice Age Remains in Jasper
Steps: Jasper National Park, Jasper
The Columbia Icefields cover over 325 km2. A few companies in the village of Jasper offer guided tours of these ice age relics. Near the entrance to the site, via Highway 93A, Athabasca Falls is well worth the trip and is a great place for a family picnic. Lunch at the falls site, dinner and overnight stay in Jasper Village.
Day 20: Departure by train to Montreal
Steps: Jasper, Whistler, Montréal, Toronto
Breakfast in Jasper Village. Weather permitting, Whistler Mountain offers a breathtaking view of the Rocky Mountains. A cable car, located 7 km southwest of the village, goes to the top. The train station is located at 607 Connaught Drive. The trip to Montreal on the VIA Rail train takes 3.5 days, with a change of train in Toronto.
WHISTLER MOUNTAIN
Day 21: Crossing Canada aboard the train
Alberta, Saskatchewan, Saskatchewan, Manitoba.
Day 22: Second day of crossing Canada by train
Watch the landscapes and the great expanses of land go by behind the window.
Day 23: Evening arrival in Toronto
Dinner in Toronto and transfer to Montreal.
Day 24: Visit to Montreal
Steps: Montréal
Breakfast at the hotel. Stroll leisurely around Jacques-Cartier Square (street entertainers, artists...) and visit Old Montreal and its most beautiful museum: Pointe-à-Callière, Museum of Archaeology and History. Lunch in one of the many restaurants in the old city. Walk to one of the terraces on Saint-Denis Street in the heart of the Latin Quarter, probably the best place to contemplate Montreal and its inhabitants. Dinner and a walk in this area and in the Plateau Mont-Royal. Night in Montreal.
POINTE-À-CALLIÈRE CITÉ D'ARCHÉOLOGIE ET D'HISTOIRE
Day 25: Excursion to Mount Royal
Steps: Montréal
Breakfast downtown. From there, Mount Royal is easily accessible by foot or by car. Its belvedere is the most charming place to contemplate the city and its surroundings. Pack a picnic lunch. Take advantage of the fresh air offered by the mountain and, in the evening, stroll downtown along Sainte-Catherine Street. Dinner and overnight stay downtown.
Day 26: Departure to the city of Quebec
Breakfast in Montreal. Lunch in Old Quebec. Guided tour of the city. Dinner and overnight in Quebec.
Day 27: Visit of Quebec
Steps: Québec
Breakfast in Old Quebec. Stroll at Place Royale and in the picturesque Petit Champlain district. Visit of the Musée de la Civilisation. Lunch in a restaurant near the museum. Relaxing on the Plains of Abraham seems to be a great way to end this busy day. Dinner at Grande Allée or in the Faubourg St-Jean.
Day 28: Leaving Quebec to Charlevoix
Steps: Baie-Saint-Paul, Isle-Aux-Coudres
Breakfast in Quebec. Lunch in Baie-Saint-Paul in the region of Charlevoix. Visit of the region's art galleries. Dinner, bird watching and overnight in L'Isle-aux-Coudres.
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