Canadian Rockies and Sonora Resort Road Trip Holiday

Day 1 - Fly to Calgary and drive to Banff

Fly from the UK to Calgary, where your SUV is ready to collect at the airport. The drive west to Banff takes around 90 minutes, with the Rockies rising ahead of you as you go. Your lodge sits on the slopes of Tunnel Mountain, an easy walk from the centre of town.

Day 2 - Banff

We've kept today free so you can recover from the flight and settle into mountain life. Banff is compact and easy to explore on foot, with the Bow River and Bow Falls close to the centre. If you'd like to go further, Lake Louise is around 45 minutes' drive away. Early in the season the lake is often still frozen, which has a beauty of its own.

Day 3 - Banff Gondola

Your Banff Gondola admission is included today. The ride takes around eight minutes to the summit of Sulphur Mountain, where the views stretch across the Bow Valley and six surrounding mountain ranges. At the top, walk the boardwalk to Sanson's Peak, take in the scenery from the mountaintop deck and visit the Above Banff Interpretive Centre.

The rest of the day is yours. You might take the short scenic drive out to Lake Minnewanka, or simply enjoy a relaxed evening in town.

Day 4 - Icefields Parkway to Jasper

Today is one of the great drives of the trip. The Icefields Parkway runs north through Banff and Jasper National Parks past glaciers, turquoise lakes and a long chain of peaks. We suggest an early start, as your Columbia Icefield Adventure begins in the late morning, roughly halfway along the route.

An Ice Explorer takes you across the glacial terrain onto the Athabasca Glacier, where you can step out onto the ancient ice itself. Afterwards, the Columbia Icefield Skywalk leads you along the cliff edge to a glass floored platform suspended high above the Sunwapta Valley.

Continue north to Jasper, allowing time to pause at the roadside viewpoints along the way.

Day 5 - Maligne Valley

Your Maligne Valley Sightseeing Tour with Walk begins in the morning with a short tour of Jasper before crossing the Athabasca River into the Maligne Valley. The first stop is Medicine Lake, which drains away each year through underground channels, and your guide will explain the karst landscape behind this unusual sight. Keep a look out for wildlife as you travel the valley.

The highlight is Maligne Lake itself, where you'll join a guided walk on the Mary Schäffer Loop, named after the explorer who reached the lake over a century ago. The walk covers just over 3 km and takes around 90 minutes, weather permitting. You'll be back in Jasper by mid afternoon, with the rest of the day free.

Day 6 - Jasper to Wells Gray

Leaving the Rockies behind, you'll follow the Yellowhead Highway west past Mount Robson, the highest peak in the Canadian Rockies, and down the North Thompson Valley to Clearwater. Allow around four hours of driving. Your chalet sits beside Hallamore Lake, about 25 minutes east of Clearwater, and a light breakfast is included each morning

Day 7 - : Wells Gray Provincial Park

We've included two nights here to break the long journey to the coast and give you a taste of BC's quieter interior. Spend a free day exploring Wells Gray Provincial Park, best known for its waterfalls. Helmcken Falls, which drops 141 metres into a deep canyon, is easily reached by road. Or simply stay put and enjoy the peace of the lake.

Day 8 - Wells Gray to Whistler

A longer driving day takes you south and west into the Coast Mountains, with the landscape changing from open interior country to steep, forested valleys. Allow most of the day, with time for stops along the way. Your lodge sits on the shore of Nita Lake, close to Whistler Creekside.

Day 9 - Whistler

A free day in Whistler. The pedestrian village is a pleasant place to wander, and the Valley Trail links the lakes and neighbourhoods around the valley for easy walking or cycling. In summer, the PEAK 2 PEAK Gondola between Whistler and Blackcomb mountains offers a memorable view of the peaks.

Day 10 - Whistler to Campbell River

Drive south on the Sea to Sky Highway, following the shores of Howe Sound, to Horseshoe Bay for your BC Ferries sailing to Nanaimo on Vancouver Island. The crossing takes around 100 minutes, and it's worth heading out on deck to look for eagles, sea lions and perhaps whales. From Nanaimo, it's around two hours' drive north to Campbell River, where your lodge looks out over the water.

Day 11 - Water taxi to Sonora Resort

Enjoy a relaxed morning in Campbell River before your afternoon water taxi to Sonora Island. The crossing takes around 90 minutes through the channels of the Discovery Islands, with comfortable seating on board to enjoy the view as you leave the road network behind.

Once you arrive, there's time to settle in and explore before a Pacific Northwest dinner. Your stay includes gourmet meals, house wine and beer, and use of all the resort's indoor and outdoor facilities.

Day 12 - Sonora Resort

A whole day to enjoy Sonora Resort and its island setting. With no roads in and nothing to organise, this is the time to slow down. Take in the views across the water, make the most of the resort's facilities and leave every meal to the kitchen. Look out for eagles overhead and, if you're lucky, seals or whales in the channels. Guided excursions and spa treatments can be arranged at the resort at an extra cost.

Day 13 - Sonora Resort to Vancouver

After a final morning on the island, your water taxi leaves in the early afternoon for the return to Campbell River. Collect your car and drive south to Nanaimo for the ferry back to Horseshoe Bay, then continue the short drive into the city for two nights in Vancouver. It's a full travel day, so you'll arrive in the evening.

Day 14 - Vancouver

Return your car in downtown Vancouver this morning, then enjoy a free day in the city. Stanley Park, Gastown and Granville Island are all easy to reach from the centre, whether on foot, by bike or on the small ferries that cross False Creek.

Day 15 - Fly home

Spend your last morning in Vancouver before heading to the airport for your overnight flight to the UK.