Grand National Tours

Mountain Quest

2010

From Vancouver or Calgary

2 Days / 1 Night

Package Includes:

Visit Banff, Lake Louise, Lac Le Jeune and Whistler
Hotel accommodation including provincial taxes for 1 night
Exclusive sightseeing between Calgary and Vancouver
1 breakfast, 2 lunches and 1 dinner
Luggage handling at hotel
National Park fees

Not Included

Transfers between airports, hotels and bus depots (unless noted)
Meals (unless noted)
Gratuities to sightseeing motor coach drivers, rail personnel, and taxi drivers

Mountain Quest from Vancouver

Day 1 - Vancouver to Lac Le Jeune (L, D)

Begin your two-day adventure with an early morning departure from the west coast gateway city of Vancouver. Pick-ups are available from listed hotels in the downtown core. Make a dramatic exit from metropolitan Vancouver over the Lions’ Gate Bridge, passing into West Vancouver and onto the magnificent “Sea to Sky” highway. The route to Whistler on Highway 99 is intensely scenic and crosses paths with two historic routes, the Pemberton Trail and the Gold Rush Heritage Trail, which linked the coast with the interior in the days before the automobile. Along these ancient pathways, generations of Coast Salish people traded with their relations in the Fraser Canyon, while in the 1850s, prospectors stampeded north towards the Cariboo gold fields. Time is allowed for a picture stop at Shannon Falls on the way. A short stop in Whistler provides time for passengers to walk around the village before continuing on into the Coast Mountains. Travelling Duffey Lake Road through a high mountain pass gives close up views of towering peaks, sparkling lakes and waterways.

Breathe in the fresh mountain air as you stand on the shores of Duffey Lake with glacier-covered Mt. Rohr as a backdrop. Following this two-hour trip through the mountains waits lunch (included) in the historic town of Lillooet. Known as the land of the Gold Rush Trail, Lillooet was “Mile Zero” of the Old Cariboo Wagon Road during the gold rush years. Continue on your way to central British Columbia, passing into a completely different climate region where the landscape changes by the minute. After starting today’s journey in lush coastal greenery, and passing through mature forests, you are now entering a semi-arid desert region that supports hardy pines, sagebrush and wild grasses on rolling hills. Follow the turbulent Fraser River before passing through Ashcroft (a stop will be made at a scenic river lookout followed by a refreshment break) before arriving at Lac Le Jeune Resort in the early evening for your overnight stay. Disembark from your coach and meet in the lobby for a welcome reception and refreshing beverage. Enjoy your dinner tonight (included) at the resort. The lobby lounge is open nightly and a television room is also available to all guests.

Overnight in Lac Le Jeune

Day 2 - Lac Le Jeune to Calgary (B, L)

takes place. Continue through the town of Salmon Arm, a picturesque community on Shuswap Lake.

Travel further east through Sicamous, past Craigellachie (home of the last spike of the CP Railway) and into the mountain town of Revelstoke. Here, enjoy the scenic backdrop of Mount Begbie as you eat lunch (included). Departing Revelstoke, the road begins a steady incline to the summit of infamous Rogers Pass. Be ready for the highlights of the trip this afternoon! Upon entering the Rocky Mountains, scenery changes dramatically to raging rivers, waterfalls, towering mountain

peaks and glaciers. Stand amongst the rugged mountains and glaciers at the summit of Rogers Pass, 1382 metres/4534 feet in elevation. Leaving the summit behind, start a long descent to the town of Golden and then onto Kicking Horse Pass (1,643 metres/5390 feet) located in Yoho National Park. Stop at the Spiral Tunnels to witness an engineering marvel that uses two tunnels cut into two mountains in a spiral to reduce the grade (angle of descent) of the railway tracks. Previous to this modification of the rail line, the perilously steep gradient of the tracks caused many incidents of runaway trains. Now in the heart of Banff National Park, take a brief stroll to famous Lake Louise, “Jewel of the Rockies”, renowned for the glacial blue color and spectacular backdrop of Victoria Glacier. Continue to the town of Banff for a brief dinner stop in town (meal not

included) before concluding your journey in Calgary. The coach arrives at Calgary International Airport in the evening and will make drop offs at downtown hotels afterwards

Mountain Quest from Calgary

Day 1 - Calgary to Lac Le Jeune (L, D)

An early morning pick up in downtown Calgary starts your western Canada excursion over the Rocky Mountains, through the heart of British Columbia and onto the Pacific Coast city of Vancouver. Your first stop on this two-day journey is the town of Banff, situated in Banff National Park. A few minutes in this quaint alpine town provides opportunity for photos before continuing on to the famous Lake Louise. Known as Alberta’s “Jewel of the Rockies”, Lake Louise is renowned for its glacial blue color and spectacular backdrop, Victoria Glacier. Stroll alongside the lake for some exceptional photo opportunities.

Stop at the Spiral Tunnels to witness an engineering marvel that uses two tunnels cut into two mountains in a spiral to reduce the grade (angle of descent) of the railway tracks. Previous to this modification of the rail line, the perilously steep gradient of the tracks caused many incidents of runaway trains. Then it’s onto Kicking Horse Pass (1,643 metres/5390 feet), located in Yoho National Park. After passing through the town of Golden, your ascent to the summit of infamous Rogers Pass begins. Be ready for the highlights of the trip this

afternoon! Witness raging rivers, waterfalls, towering mountain peaks, glaciers, and you may even catch a glimpse of the local wildlife. Stand amongst the rugged mountains and glaciers at the summit of Rogers Pass, 1382 metres/4534 feet in elevation. Time is provided to visit the Welcome Centre (featuring a small museum and information on the National Park) and photograph the spectacular scenery. After descending from the pass, stop for lunch (included) in the mountain town of Revelstoke. Continue further west past Craigellachie (home of the last spike of the CP Railway) and through the town of Sicamous, nestled between Shuswap and Mara Lake. Along the South Thompson River, an annual salmon run (spawning) takes place. The scenery of British Columbia’s interior changes to rolling hills and ranchlands surrounding lush river valleys. Pass through the town of Salmon Arm, a picturesque community on Shuswap Lake. Arrive at Lac Le Jeune Resort in the early evening for your overnight stay. Disembark from your coach and meet in the lobby for a welcome reception and refreshing beverage. Enjoy your dinner tonight (included) at the resort. The lobby lounge is open nightly and a television room is also available to all guests.

Overnight in Lac Le Jeune

Day 2 - Lac Le Jeune to Vancouver (B, L)

After starting your day with a hearty breakfast (included) in the dining room, re-board the Brewster coach for another full day of touring with insightful commentary and frequent stops at scenic and historic points of interest. Pass through Ashcroft and follow the turbulent Fraser River (a stop is made for a scenic lookout over the river) before stopping for lunch (included) in the historic town of Lillooet. Known as the land of the Gold Rush Trail, Lillooet was “Mile Zero” of the Old Cariboo Wagon Road during the gold rush years. Continue from the interior of British Columbia, passing into a completely different climate region and watch the landscape change by the minute. After starting today’s journey in a semi-arid desert region that supports hardy pines, sagebrush and wild grasses on rolling hills, pass into mature forests and lush coastal greenery. Travelling Duffey Lake Road through a high mountain pass gives close up views of towering peaks, sparkling lakes and waterways. Breathe in the fresh mountain air as you stand on the shores of Duffey Lake with glacier-covered Mt. Rohr as a backdrop. A short stop in Whistler provides time for passengers to walk around the village before continuing on into the Coast Mountains. The route to Vancouver on Highway 99 is intensely scenic and crosses paths with two historic routes, the Pemberton Trail and the Gold Rush Heritage Trail, which linked the coast with the interior in the days before the automobile. Along these ancient pathways, generations of Coast Salish people traded with their relations in the Fraser Canyon, while in the 1850s, prospectors stampeded north towards the Cariboo gold fields. Time is allowed for a picture stop at Shannon Falls on the way. A dramatic arrival into Vancouver takes you through the suburbs of West Vancouver and over the Lions’ Gate Bridge. An evening drop-off at your selected hotel concludes your event filled day.

Departure Dates From

Vancouver 2010

(Sunday & Tuesday)

May 4,9,11,16,18,23,25,30

June 1,6,8,13,15,20,22,27,29

July 4,6,11,13,18,20,25,27

August 1,3,8,10,15,17,22,24,29,31

September5,7,12,14,19,2126,28

October 3,5,10,12

Departure Dates From

Calgary 2010

(Sunday & Friday)

May 2,7,9,14,16,21,23,28,30

June 4,6,11,13,18,20,25,27

July 2,4,9,11,16,18,23,25,30

August 1,6,8,13,15,20,22,27,29

September 3,5,10,12,17,19,24,26

October 1,3,8,10

Cost does not include 2.5% GST Tax

Rates Per Person-US Dollars	Twin	Single	Triple
Moderate Program
May 1-May 30
June 1-October 3	$898.00	$1329.00	$839.00
October 5-October 12	$985.00	$1429.00	$896.00

City	Moderate Accommodation
Lac Le Jeune	Lac Le Jeune Resort