CANADA calling
Whether you’re after scenery, wildlife, city life or a holiday full of activities, David Wickers explains why Canada should be your next port of call
Whether your passion is for seafood or scenery, cultural heritage or vibrant cities, whales or bears, outdoor activities or must-see events, Canada offers a whole heap of pleasures. Its wild west, in particular, showcases an irresistible combination of mountains, a dramatic coast, islands, lakes, forests, vineyards, wildlife and the lively waterfront city of Vancouver.
Linked by nonstop flights to the UK, Vancouver, which stands with its feet in the Pacific and its head in the mountains, has a rich stock of attractions, including the 1,000-acre Stanley Park, Granville Island, with its artisan studios and eclectic market, the funky Yaletown warehouse district and one of the largest Chinatowns in the west. It is also the perfect gateway for touring.
The interior of the west is dominated by the Rockies. First stop, after a drive along the Sea-to-sky highway, is Whistler, best known as Canada’s top ski resort, but also a hive of activities in summer. Don’t miss a ride on the Peak 2 Peak gondola.
After a night in the car-free mountain resort of Sun Peaks, your tour continues to Jasper, a small, peaceful town with staggering scenery all around.
From Jasper, you’ll follow the Icefields Parkway, which runs cheek by jowl with the highest peaks and menacing tongues of glaciers, following a valley studded with lakes like spillages of brilliant paint. Along the way, take a ride on a specially designed ‘snowcoach’ on the Athabasca Icefield. The resort town of Banff, in the heart of a National Park, is hemmed by 25 peaks, each rising above 3,000m. Among a broad menu of activities is the gondola ride to the top of Sulphur Mountain and the Cave and Basin hot springs.
From one of the planet’s most scenic road trips, you’ll enjoy one of its most stunning rail journeys. From Banff, you’ll board the Rocky Mountaineer, a two-day journey with an overnight stop in Kamloops, which will carry you up and over the Continental Divide. The big carriage windows (or the glass-domed ceiling, if you travel in Goldleaf class) are a gently moving canvas of some of the most magnificent mountainscapes on the planet.
The final highlight is Victoria on Vancouver Island, the state capital of British Columbia and just a short ferry ride from the city of Vancouver (keep a look-out for whales). With its very British feel, charming Victoria is also home to the unmissable Butchart Botanic Gardens.
• A two-week Canadian Rockies Grand Circle tour with Titan Travel, based on the above itinerary, costs from £4,499pp and includes flights, seven excursions and Titan’s VIP door-to-door transfer service. The tour can easily be combined with a cruise to Alaska along the fabled Inside Passage or extended to include the eastern seaboard; titantravel.co.uk.