Paws for thought: grizzly bear watching is a popular add-on
Paws for thought: grizzly bear watching is a popular add-on
booked with a minimum of two nights’ accommodation. The operator offers a three-night room-only stay in Vancouver from £68 per person twinshare.
Whistler, better known for its first-class skiing, is also worth a couple of nights stay to explore the many summer adventure activities that are available in resort.
VANCOUVER is perhaps best-known as a gateway to the Canadian Rockies and is an agent’s dream thanks to the number of pre-bookable excursions it offers within easy reach of the city.
While traditional short-haul city-break operators have started expanding Vancouver programmes, Canada specialists are adding more options to extend length of stay.
Clients can now combine a Vancouver city stay with a train journey through the Rockies, watch grizzly bears catching river salmon, go whale-watching or join some of the many adventure activities on nearby Vancouver Island.
Travel 4 is one of the tailor-made specialists that has added day tours to its range of three-day wildlife and marine packages.
From Victoria on Vancouver Island, it offers 3hr whale-watching boat trips, as well as a 30min seaplane trip over the Gulf Islands. Excursion prices are from £40 for adults and £20 for children.
Travel 4 has also introduced a four-day independent tour of Vancouver that includes three nights’ accommodation, a 3hr 30min tour of the city, night tour with dinner on the Pacific Starlight Express train, floatplane excursion, dinner on nearby Bowen Island, admission to the city’s Lookout Observation Tower and shopping and attractions discounts.
Prices range from £288 per person twinshare, depending on choice of accommodation. This can be added to a range of other options with British Columbia.
Vacation Canada has also expanded its range of Vancouver add-ons, including a glacier-landing tour; a number of seaplane adventure packages, cruises and a steam train trip.
Those that are up to it can book the 4hr Bungy Zone Adventure package for £89. Clients fly from Vancouver to Nanaimo Harbour for a 140ft jump from a bridge above a river canyon.
Travelpack has introduced more self-drive-only itineraries that can be combined with other flexible arrangements.
These include a more ambitious six-night package from Vancouver with tepee accommodation at the Big Bar Guest Ranch in the Caribou Region. The £537 lead in includes all meals, accommodation, horse-riding and rail transfers.
As well as nightly room rates, Globespan is also featuring six-night breaks in Vancouver including hotel accommodation, limousine transfers and flights from either Gatwick, Manchester or Glasgow.
Prices start from £472, to which a range of city options and excursions can also be added.
Heli-hiking is a fast-growing popular pursuit in British Columbia. All Canada Travel and Holidays features a 4hr trip from Squamish Airport near the resort of Whistler, about 1hr 30mins drive from Vancouver. It costs £128 but must be booked with a minimum of two nights’ accommodation. The operator offers a three-night room-only stay in Vancouver from £68 per person twinshare.
Whistler, better known for its first-class skiing, is also worth a couple of nights stay to explore the many summer adventure activities that are available in resort.