Your holiday starts at the group hotel in Vancouver. A free airport shuttle is provided.

This morning we set off to explore the beautiful city of Vancouver. Surrounded by mountains and sea this ethnically diverse city feels modern, fresh and clean. Amidst the modern buildings, there is a fun vibe for music, dance, tradition and good local produce. This is perfectly showcased in the Granville Island area of the city, where there is a large market, cafes and eatery's. We visit Granville Island this morning and maybe have some lunch on the marina.

In the afternoon we enjoy a leisurely bike tour around Stanley Park (3hrs, 12km). This 1000 acre park is quite remarkable and displays striking diverse environments and cultural sights. We bike along the rainforest trails with its vast trees, along the ocean waterfront trail and see the legendary Totem Poles. Our guide is full of knowledge and stories about hidden treasures, history and the ecology. We stop regularly for a chat about the sights and the bike ride is classified as easy.

This is a great introductory day to the city and Canada.

Our journey into some of the world's most beautiful mountains and forests starts today. Our first stop is in North Vancouver where the waterfalls and deep pools of Lynn Canyon provides us with walking trails through the forest and over a 50m high suspension bridge - wobbly fun!

Our route taking us north then follows the coastline of the stunning Howe Sound with its steep sided forest clad mountains plunging into the sea. At the end of the Sound we find the town of Squamish and we take a walk to the high point - Stawamus Chief (702m). The hike takes approximately 3 hours and the summit views of the Sound are a tremendous reward for our efforts.

We then continue in our vehicle for 1 hour to the Coast Mountains and the famous winter resort of Whistler. It's almost more spectacular in the summer months and is a great place to spend a couple of nights. We set up our tents for the first time tonight. Our campsite tonight will reflect those of the nights to come, and is nestled in-between large pine trees, with a fire pit, and good ablution facilities in a purpose built building.

Total drive time approximately 2hrs 30 mins

Learning about the history of the First Nation is vastly important when visiting this area. This morning we spend some time at the Squamish Lil'wat Cultural Centre (which despite its name, is actually in Whistler). The spiritual connections between the land and the people are strong and deep, and we get an insight to the rich and unique culture here.

With our expert teacher we weave our very own dreamcatcher out of feathers, beads, sinew and a suede wrapped hoop. A lovely crafting activity which we can take home to hang on our windows to allow good dreams to pass through while entangling the bad dreams which perish at the first light of dawn.

We have the afternoon free in Whistler. There is a whole host of activities that you can do from this adventure town. The tree top adventure course has different levels of difficulty and various ziplines; it's also possible to go climbing, SUP, canoeing, take the gondola up to the top of Whistler Mountain or even take a bear watching excursion!

There are many different restaurants to choose from for dinner tonight and we camp here in Whistler for a second night.

This morning we leave the Coast Mountains and make our way into the Rocky Mountain Range. The drive is around 6 hours, and albeit long, the scenery is breath taking. On arrival into Wells Gray Provincial Park we visit the immense Helmcken Waterfalls. A multitude of waterfalls grace this area due to the snow melts and rainfall in the high mountains. With a drop of over 140m, The Helmcken is one of the best and the 4th tallest in Canada! We have a short walk around this area. It is then a short distance to our overnight here in Wells Gray Provincial Park.

Total drive time approximately 6hrs 30mins

Rated as one of the best places to canoe in British Columbia, Clearwater Lake has a unique and incredible beauty which brings us closer to nature. It lies in over a million acres of untouched wilderness, which is hard to imagine but stunning to experience. In our classic Canadian canoes we gently paddle near the shores of the lake looking out for white head beady eyed bald eagles, and possibly on the shores moose and even bears. In the late summer (end Aug) we might see the returning Sockeye Salmon from their 3000 mile journey to Alaska and back to their breeding grounds.

This day will stand out as one of the most beautiful of your holiday.

Passing through incredible scenery where the endless green swathes of trees fill our visions and snowy mountain tops pierce the skyline, we pass by stunning turquoise glacial lakes as we make our way to Jasper.

We stop at the view point to see striking Mount Robson, the highest peak (3954m) of the Canadian Rockies. Aptly known by the Texqa'Kallt people as 'striped rock' as it seems to be terraced where snow collects on its contours.

Leaving the glaciated Mt Robson behind us, we continue to Jasper. Before arriving we have a chance to stretch our legs for a 1-2hrs walk at Maligne Canyon. A good trail runs alongside the river and several bridges give us outstanding viewpoints into this deep and narrow canyon. On calm days the glacial waters are turquoise making it surreal as it runs through the canyons. On wet days the river below is wild and dramatic as it passes through the forest in the ravines.

We arrive into Jasper and set up camp for the next two nights in our campground just outside town.

Total drive time approximately 2hrs

A stunning day today as we hike out along the Edith Cavell Meadows Trail. The well marked trail starts ascending on a switch back path over the glacial moraines and into the forest. Along the path we can might see pika (a small mammal, which is in fact from the rabbit family, but has small ears) and marmots. We pop out into the steep wildflower mountain meadow with fabulous views of the high mountains, glacier and turquoise lake. The walk is around 6km and 2-3hrs.

In the afternoon our guide can take us for another walk in the Valley of the Five Lakes, or you may wish to spend some time in Jasper Town itself. There are also various optional activities such as paddle boarding on Beauvert Lake which you might be interested in. The walk at the Valley of the Five Lakes takes around 2hrs, which as the name suggests passes by crystal clear lakes which are shades of jade and blue. Abundant berry crops in the area are a favourite for bears, so we need to keep an eye out and listen to our guide!

This evening we have a free evening in Jasper. There are a number of restaurants and eateries in Jasper to serve all palates.

We drive from Jasper to Lake Louise and Banff along the route known as Icefields Parkway - said to be one of the most beautiful journeys on the planet. Winding along the Continental Divide we pass the soaring mountains, tree filled valleys and icefields. We have stops aplenty for photos.

A highlight of this holiday is the walk that we have on the ice of the massive Columbia Icefield at the Athabasca Glacier. We are supplied with lightweight micro crampons which fit easily over our walking boots. And we are off on our walk on the glacier. It's such an experience walking over the ice slopes and peering into the blue ice caves and canyons. Our guides are ACMG certified are experts in ice and very knowledgeable about the area.

Tonight we overnight in the heart of the Icefield Parkways in a wilderness hostel.

Total drive time approximately 2hrs.

Leaving the Parkways we head to the famous Lake Louise on the road to Banff. This is a well photographed lake, and rightly so as it is beautiful with the glacial lake and steep sided mountains. We enjoy a walk by the lake this morning (approximately 1 hr).

This afternoon we drive past Yoho National Park and through Golden to our campsite for the next 2 nights next to the Columbia River. Here we camp nestled between the trees with great views of the Rocky and Percell mountains. From here we go out paddle boarding on the lake and wetlands. It's so peaceful paddling on the waters. The wetlands are home to hundreds of bird, animal and fish species.

This evening we have a BBQ on the decking by the water. A super relaxing end to a gorgeous day.

Total drive time approximately 2hrs 30mins

This morning we have an insight into the lives of wolves. We visit a wolf sanctuary which supports local educational and conservation of the wolf. It's an interesting visit and we will learn about how they help maintain a healthy environment in the wild.

This afternoon we have the option to experience the adrenaline and thrill of some classic Canadian white-water rafting.

Alternatively we can hike with our guide in the Yoho National Park and see the huge Takkakaw Falls.

We return to our campsite for dinner and overnight. Total drive time approximately 2hrs.

A day fit for the grand finale! We transfer to Banff where we take the 8-min gondola ride up Sulphur Mountain. The views are impressive from here and we continue to enjoy these as we stroll along the elevated board walks to further view points. From here we can see the Bow Valley and the Sundance Mountain Range. Back at the centre there are interpretive exhibits including a short drone video of the Canadian Rockies.

Back down in the valley we go to the Banff Upper Hotsprings were we can enjoy a soak and a play in the large pool of hot water. The views are super from the pool and it's a true delight.

We return to the campsite before setting off for our final evening of enjoyment in Canada. After some pizza, we take to the alleys to see if the kids can win against the adults in a fun evening of bowling.

Total drive time approximately 2hrs.

Our holiday finishes after breakfast with a transfer to Calgary Airport. Depending on flight times you'll have some free time in Banff this morning. The drive to Calgary Airport is approximately 1hr 30mins.