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From: £4275
If you're looking for a fly-drive that takes you off the beaten track to parts of Canada that are sparsely populated, wonderfully scenic and abundant with wildlife - you've found it.
This BC adventure takes you through the historic gold mining towns of years gone by, into the vast and untouched grizzly bear wilderness of Northern British Columbia before you board the ferry for one of the most scenic coastal trips in North America - The Inside Passage to Vancouver Island.
You've plenty of time once in Vancouver Island to enjoy bracing strolls along it's wild beaches; discover its magnificent rainforests and experience its famed whale-watching trips.
Price per person includes:
All Bon Voyage holidays are tailor-made to your exact requirements. Please call the team to discuss your off the beaten path holiday.
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Distance: 249 miles
Leave the cosmopolitan city of Vancouver behind and travel along scenic Highway 1 through tiny towns such as Boston Bar, and Cache Creek en route to your overnight stay in 70 Mile House. This is Gold Country with a rich gold mining history, abundant wildlife, lakes and rivers and fascinating historic towns.
Experience life in the days of the Gold Rush at historic Hat Creek Ranch. Here you can stroll along the same dirt road that the miners and their wagon trains travelled on in the 1860's as costumed interpreters dressed in period clothing, will take you on a guided tour of a bygone era.
70 Mile House is one of many towns established along the historic Cariboo Wagon Road route to the Cariboo goldfields. The town began as a mere roadhouse until some of the travellers passing through the junction decided to stay and put down roots.
Distance: 230 miles
Today you'll embark on the historic Cariboo Highway north from Cache Creek to Prince George in the shadow of the mighty Cariboo Mountains.
There's many wonderfully remote and peaceful stops along this route such as Lac La Hache, a small friendly community on the edge of the lake that spans over 15 miles. Around Williams Lake you'll view endless rolling ranch lands and giant cedar forests. Whilst, picture perfect Quesnel is located at the confluence of the Fraser and Quesnel Rivers in a serene valley surrounded by beautiful mountains and lush forests.
Make the day of your drive today and plan to arrive in Prince George early evening to catch a bite to eat and live music in Nancy O's, or enjoy a spot of nostalgia at the Park Drive-In Movie Theatre.
Distance: 232 miles
The mountain town of Smithers is home to the Witsuwit’en people and its red-bricked Main Street is graced by alpine-themed architecture and murals celebrating the Bulkley Valley landscape, and crowned by the monumental presence of Hudson Bay Mountain.
Smithers ticks all the boxes with seven incredible mountain ranges surrounding the town, numerous coffeehouses and bistros, newly established craft breweries and a lively music scene.
Distance: 126 miles
As you travel through the Bulkley Valley take in the spectacular Coastal Mountain views and rolling farmland. Visit Ksan Historical Village along the way in Hazelton for a taste of the lifestyle of the Ksan people before following the Skeena River for the rest of the drive. The river played a vital role as a trading route for the Indigenous peoples as well as pioneers and explorers who used sternwheelers on the waterways. Take time to visit the Nisga'a Memorial Lava Bed Provincial Park, which at less than 300 years old is believed to be Canada’s most recent volcanic eruption and lava flow.Stop at the Nisga’a Heritage Museum to view Northwest Coast aboriginal art or take a self-driven tour of the Nass Valley to visit culturally significant sites such as hot springs, waterfalls and walkways through the lava beds.
Arrive in Terrace, beautifully situated in the Skeena River Valley amidst the Coast mountain Range, a proper city in the forest aptly named for the terraces carved into the landscape over centuries by the river. Sit back, relax and breathe in that clean mountain air!
Distance: 90 miles
Prince Rupert is a traditional, mural-adorned coastal community on the northwest coast, surrounded by deep valleys, awesome mountain ranges and waterways. Whilst only a small town it is one of the main points to access Northern BC, it is also the shortest link between North America and Asia and a mid-point on the famed Inside Passage, a sheltered waterway running between Vancouver and Alaska.
The drive itself into the town is said to be one of the most scenic drives in the province. Based on the water, Prince Rupert offers many activities focused around the ocean such as whale watching with the chance to spot Orca, Minke and Humpback whales often found in the waters offshore. Another worthy consideration - a visit to the Grizzly Bear Sanctuary, home to the highest concentration of bears in the province. It’s an early morning, but worth it to witness the bears foraging along the shoreline by boat.
Distance: 146 miles
Continue your adventure along the eastern coast of Vancouver Island, North America’s largest island - roughly the size of Ireland. It offers a taster of the wider-province’s features – rain forest, mountains and spectacular waterfront towns.
Distance: 169 miles
Journey through the heart of Vancouver Island to your coastal home for the next three nights, Tofino. Travel from the sheltered east coast to the rugged west. En route, explore the ethereal MacMillan Provincial Park home to Cathedral Grove, a rare collection of ancient Douglas fir trees some of which are around 800 years old and have grown to 250ft in height and 29ft in circumference. Once you reach the coast you will be in one of BC’s seven national parks, Pacific Rim National Park home to a spectacular coastline and temperate rainforest.
Tofino sits on a prime oceanfront peninsula, within the UNESCO Clayoqout Sound Biosphere Reserve, recognised for its incredibly diverse natural habitat and environmental culture. With the diverse ecosystem comes a whole host of wildlife excursions which can be pre-booked for you..
Distance: 106 miles
Head back across the island to the east coast to spend the night in a relaxing beach resort hotel in the Parksville/Qualicum Beach area before boarding the ferry the following morning for the 2-hour scenic ride to Horseshoe Bay.
Just before your arrival into Parksville, stop at the small community of Coombs - its Old Country Market is a great stop for souvenirs, lunch and you might even spot one of the famous goats on the roof. If you fancy stretching your legs, take a wander on nearby Rathtrevor Beach or Qualicum Beach.
Some time for last minute sightseeing before your early evening flight back to the UK.
Want to extend your time in British Columbia? Perhaps, longer in Vancouver? Time on a ranch in the province's interior? Maybe a trip on the legendary Rocky Mountaineer? All Bon Voyage holidays can be tailor-made to your exact requirements.
Please call our friendly team of experts for further information on (0800) 316 3012.