National Parks: Canadian Rockies, Glacier & Yellowstone

Welcome to Canada! Settle in to your hotel. Then, meet your Tour Director and fellow travelers at tonight’s welcome dinner.

With your Tour Director leading the way, head out on a guided sightseeing tour of Calgary, site of the 1988 Winter Olympics.

• Drive by City Hall, Canada Olympic Park, and the winding Bow River
• Pass by Fort Calgary and make a photo stop at the vast Calgary Stampede grounds, where an annual festival and tournament-style rodeo are hosted

Make your way to Banff, a glamorous resort town known for its mix of outdoor activities, art galleries, and vibrant culture. Join your Tour Director to explore the natural wonders in Banff National Park, Canada’s first national park, this afternoon.

• Pass by Bow Falls, the Banff Springs Hotel, and Lake Minnewanka
• Admire Banff’s beautiful landscapes, which are rich in history and home to a wide variety of wildlife
• Enter the Cave and Basin National Historic Site, the birthplace of Canada’s first national park

Sit down for an included dinner this evening.

Journey into Banff National Park to Lake Louise, a mirror-like glacial lake known as Canada’s diamond in the wilderness.

• Discover a landscape rich in wildlife and history
• Stroll along the glittering shores of Lake Louise and take in staggering vistas of the towering Victoria Glacier
• Visit the grand Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise, an iconic hotel located on the lake’s eastern shore

Spend a free afternoon in Banff or add an excursion.

Enjoy a free day in Banff or add an excursion.

Transfer into the United States to Montana today. Before crossing the border, stop to admire some of Alberta’s scenic gems.

• Drive south to Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump, a UNESCO-listed site that serves as a telling remnant from the time of the First Nations people
• Continue on to Waterton Lakes National Park, a picturesque area dotted with rugged mountains and dense wilderness
• Enjoy afternoon tea at the charming Prince of Wales Hotel, which is perched on a bluff and flanked by a curtain of mountains

Travel along Going-to-the-Sun Road, a national landmark considered to be one of the world’s most scenic drives. (Please note: Activities in Glacier National Park may vary depending on the season and weather conditions.)

• Marvel at cedar forests, rocky cliffs, and glacial lakes as you wind your way through Glacier National Park, which makes up a portion of the UNESCO-listed International Peace Park
• Appreciate the wilderness of the park and take in the sight of melting glaciers that experts estimate will be gone within the coming decades

Continue in to Kalispell to enjoy free time for lunch. Then, take in views of the changing landscape as you continue on to Missoula.

(Please note: Early June and September departures may overnight in Kalispell instead of Missoula.)

Learn about the area's culture as you make your way to the Yellowstone region today.

• Stop at the Smokejumper Visitor Center, the largest smokejumper base in the U.S.
• Join a smokejumper for a tour of the headquarters to see the equipment used to fight fires

Continue on to the Yellowstone region and sit down for an included dinner this evening.

Drive into Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, designated the world’s first national park in 1872, to discover its unique landscape and vast array of animal life with your Tour Director leading the way.

• Make a photo stop at the Fountain Paint Pot, a colorful, geothermal mudpot located in the Lower Geyser Basin
• Stroll along the boardwalks around Old Faithful, a famous, frequently erupting cone-type geyser that reaches between 100 and 200 feet high
• Head to the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, which was created by the erosive forces of water thousands of years ago
• Stop at the canyon’s Upper and Lower Falls for sweeping perspectives of the area at Inspiration Point and Artist Point
• Drive further north to spend free time at the ethereal, terraced Mammoth Hot Springs before making your way back to West Yellowstone

Enjoy a scenic drive to Jackson, one of the West’s premier arts communities. Stop along the way for photo ops in Grand Teton National Park, an area that has a human history dating back over 10,000 years.

• Explore the Grand Tetons, the youngest mountain range in the Rockies
• Try to spot elk, coyotes, black bears, wolves, bison and the elusive mountain lion

Then, continue on to Jackson.

Spend a free day in Jackson or add an excursion.

Then, celebrate your trip with your group at a farewell dinner this evening.

Transfer to the airport for your flight home.