Day 1 – Fraser Canyon and Kamloops
Your journey departs from Vancouver’s Pacific Central Station by chartered motorcoach and travels through the lush farmland of the Fraser Valley. You’ll cross the Fraser River at Mission and follow its banks to Agassiz, stopping to visit a museum housed in the oldest wooden Railway Station in BC. The canyon soon narrows and you begin following the rugged route taken by the early Gold Miners as they sought their fortune. A lunch stop at the Hell’s Gate Air Tram will take you down into the canyon where you can walk over a suspension bridge and watch the salmon working their way upriver on the fish ladders. Soon you leave the Fraser and follow the rugged canyons of the Thompson River. A scenic stop at Skihist Park will give you a great view of Rainbow Canyon and treacherous route of the railway below. The simmering waters of Kamloops Lake herald or arrival in the bustling city of Kamloops. Tonight enjoy a get-acquainted dinner. (Snacks & Dinner)
Moderate: Overnight at The Plaza Heritage Hotel
Day 2 – Steam Train & Penticton
After a satisfying Continental Breakfast you will be transferred to the Kamloops Heritage Railway’s Steam train. This exciting trip will take you along Campbell Creek and up into cattle country on your way to the community of Armstrong. All too soon your rail journey ends as Locomotive 2141 pulls into the station and you board your motorcoach for a short ride to the famous O’Keefe Ranch. After lunch and a tour through the historic ranch, you travel south to the bustling Okanagan city of Kelowna. After touring the city we’ll follow the shores of Lake Okanagan. Along the way you’ll stop to view the fish spawning in Hardy Creek before traveling on to Penticton, home of the “Peach Festival”. Your accommodation for the next two nights is located on the south beach of Okanagan Lake. (Continental Breakfast & Lunch)
Moderate: Overnight at Penticton Lakeside Resort
Day 3 – Steam Trains and Paddlewheelers
This is an exciting day that includes two transportation giants from the age of Steam. You will make a leisurely departure at 9:45 am for your journey on the Kettle Valley Steam Railway. Your train takes you along the hills overlooking Summerland and across the Trout Creek Bridge, highest on the former Kettle Valley Railway. Traveling back to Penticton you’ll board the stately SS Sicamous for lunch and a tour of this beautifully restored lake steamer, beached on the shores of Okanagan Lake. The afternoon will come to a relaxing end as you visit a local winery and sample some of the fine wines produced in the area. (Breakfast and Lunch)
Moderate: Overnight at the Penticton Lakeside Resort
Day 4 – Osoyoos & Vancouver
An early morning departure (8:30 AM) gives you a good start to a great day! Your journey today takes you south to Osoyoos and Canada’s only official Desert. In Osoyoos, you will be visiting the Osoyoos Desert Railroad, one of the best model railroads in the Country Later in the morning we’ll start our return to Vancouver traveling through the beautiful Keremeos Valley with a stop at the Old Grist Mill. After a stop at a fruit stand to stalk up on fresh Okanagan fruit you’ll travel over the scenic Princeton to Hope Highway stopping at the Manning Park Summit before continuing on to Vancouver and the end of our great circle tour. (Breakfast and Lunch)
PACKAGE INCLUDES:
- 3 nights accommodation, any mandatory service charges and room tax
- Services of a Tour Escort
- Meals: 3 breakfasts, 1 snack, 3 lunches, 1 Dinner
- Admissions: Hell’s Gate Tramway, O’Keefe Ranch Tour, Kamloops Heritage Railway, Kettle Valley Steam Railway, The Old Grist Mill, Osoyoos Desert Railway, SS Sicamous
- Transportation by private motor coach for duration of the tours
- Personalized documentation package
PACKAGE DOES NOT INCLUDE:
- Meals not listed as included
- Gratuities for guides, driver and tour escort
- Trip Cancellation Insurance (Insurance can be purchased from your Vacation Specialist, ask for more details)