Four Fairmont châteaux, two national parks, the frozen Lake Louise skating rink at the foot of Victoria Glacier — a Canadian winter the way the railway barons imagined it.
Nine days threading the Canadian Rockies in deep winter, sleeping every night in a grand Fairmont château. Wake to powder on the spruce outside your window at Chateau Lake Louise, lace up skates on the most photographed outdoor rink in the world, take a horse-drawn sleigh down a snow-packed lakeshore, then soak in the Banff Upper Hot Springs while steam rises into a Mount Rundle skyline.
Built for honeymoons, milestone anniversaries and families chasing the snow-globe Canada that lives on Christmas cards. Slow pacing, two-night stays at every Fairmont, a Maple Fun driver-guide who knows when the Trans-Canada needs a slower morning and when the light over Moraine Lake will be at its quietest.
Two nights on a frozen lake at the foot of Victoria Glacier — the famous outdoor skating rink with its hand-carved ice castle is right outside the lobby doors.
The 'Castle in the Rockies' since 1888. Indoor mineral pool, a chocolatier on the lobby floor, and a horse-drawn sleigh that pulls up at the front entrance.
Edwardian harbourfront grande-dame on Vancouver Island. Afternoon tea in the Lobby Lounge is included — a Maple Fun signature.
The 1939 château with the green copper roof in downtown Vancouver — perfectly placed for Stanley Park, Gastown and Granville Island.
Skates included from the hotel. The Ice Magic Festival sculptures usually stand from mid-January through early February — book those dates if the timing matters.
Wool blankets, hot chocolate, the crunch of runners on hard snow — 45 minutes along the lakeshore or through the Bow Valley.
39 °C natural mineral water at 1,585 m elevation, snow on the rim, the Rockies above the steam. Open until 10 pm.
From early December the gardens light up with 300,000 bulbs, a 12 Days of Christmas display, and an outdoor skating pavilion. After New Year, the winter gardens still bloom under glass.
Your Maple Fun driver-guide meets you at Vancouver International Airport (YVR) and walks you across to your domestic connection to Calgary — a 90-minute flight east across the Rockies. A second Maple Fun guide collects you at Calgary International (YYC) with a winter-tired Mercedes Sprinter and drives the Trans-Canada west into the mountains. Two hours later the highway tightens, the spruce trees deepen, and the road climbs into Banff National Park. You arrive at Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise after dark; the lobby is warm, the fireplace is lit, and the lake outside the picture window is a sheet of white. Dinner is at the hotel — Alberta beef or sustainable BC salmon, your choice.
Set an alarm: sunrise on the frozen lake, with Victoria Glacier going pink behind it, is the photograph everyone takes home. After breakfast, step out of the lobby and onto the outdoor skating rink — the most photographed sheet of ice in Canada. If you're here in late January, the Ice Magic Festival sculptures will be standing in the snow around the rink. Mid-morning, board a horse-drawn sleigh for a 45-minute clip along the lakeshore — wool blankets, hot chocolate, a guide who knows the local history. After lunch at the Chateau, drive 15 minutes to the Moraine Lake Road winter viewpoint (the road itself closes in winter, so we walk in 300 m on a packed snow trail) for the Valley of the Ten Peaks under deep snow. Back at the hotel, the optional snowshoe to Lake Agnes (3.4 km uphill, with rentals from the hotel) or simply a long soak in the indoor pool.
A short, scenic transfer day with two parks in it. We head west over the Continental Divide into British Columbia and Yoho National Park, stopping at Emerald Lake — frozen flat, ringed by spruce, with the President Range above it. A short walk to the Natural Bridge, where the Kicking Horse River carves a passage under the rock even in winter. Back over the divide, an optional stop at the Lake Louise Ski Resort for the gondola ride to 2,088 m — the resort runs the gondola as a sightseeing lift, and on a clear day you'll see the entire Bow Valley from the top. Skiing is available here independently if you'd like a half-day on the slopes; lift tickets are arranged through the hotel and not included in the tour fare. Continue down the Bow Valley to Banff and the Fairmont Banff Springs — the 'Castle in the Rockies' — your home for the next two nights.
Today the castle is the destination. Morning ride on the Banff Gondola up Sulphur Mountain — a 8-minute glass-cabin ascent to a 2,281 m ridge with a heated boardwalk to the Sanson's Peak summit (and a panorama over six mountain ranges). Back down for lunch in Banff town. Afternoon photo loop: the Surprise Corner viewpoint (the classic 'castle in the forest' postcard angle of the hotel), Bow Falls below the cliff, and a walk along the frozen Bow River. As the light fades, transfer to the Banff Upper Hot Springs — Canada's highest hot spring at 1,585 m, with 39 °C mineral water steaming into a snow-rimmed pool that faces Mount Rundle. Dinner back at the Springs (Japanese or Korean BBQ available on request; Western mains in the 1888 Chop House).
Farewell to the Rockies. Morning drive east to Calgary International (~90 minutes), short flight YYC → YVR (~90 minutes), then onward to Vancouver Island. Depending on weather and your preference, your Maple Fun guide will route you either via the BC Ferries 'Spirit Class' crossing from Tsawwassen to Swartz Bay (1 hr 35 min sailing, panoramic windows, full restaurant on board) or — for an unforgettable upgrade — a Harbour Air floatplane from downtown Vancouver harbour direct to the Inner Harbour of Victoria (35 minutes, weather permitting). You arrive at the Fairmont Empress in time to walk the inner harbour seawall before the Christmas lights come on. Dinner is at leisure; the hotel's Q Restaurant and the historic Bengal Lounge are both worth a visit.
Morning at the Empress: the Maple Fun signature afternoon tea is taken here, in the original 1908 Lobby Lounge, with the silver service and the Empress blend that has been served continuously for over a century. (Yes, it's afternoon tea taken at breakfast time — we promise the timing is correct, it lets us reach the gardens before the crowds.) Mid-morning, drive 25 minutes north of the city to Butchart Gardens. In December and the first week of January, the gardens transform into the Magic of Christmas — 300,000 lights, a 12 Days of Christmas display, carollers, and an outdoor skating pavilion. From mid-January through March, the winter gardens move indoors under the great glass conservatory: orchids, citrus trees, hyacinths in full bloom while snow falls outside. After lunch at the gardens, drive to Swartz Bay for the ferry back across the Strait of Georgia (panoramic crossing, Gulf Islands on both sides), arriving Vancouver in the early evening. Transfer to the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver — the 1939 château with the famous green copper roof — your home for the final two nights.
After the Rockies, Vancouver feels almost springlike — typically +2 to +8 °C, often green, sometimes snowing lightly. A full guided city day: drive the Stanley Park seawall and the totem poles at Brockton Point, cross the Lions Gate Bridge for a North Shore mountain view, then over to Granville Island Public Market for a coffee and a wander. Afternoon stops at Canada Place (the white sails on the harbour), Gastown for the steam clock, Chinatown, Yaletown, the Sunset Beach seawall, the Queen Elizabeth Park lookout (the highest point in the city, with a panorama back to the downtown skyline), and a drive through the University of British Columbia (UBC) campus and its Rose Garden viewpoint. Optional stops on the way back into the city: the Lulu Island Winery or Grizzli Winery for a tasting, and McArthurGlen Designer Outlet near YVR. Dinner is independent in the city — Vancouver's seafood and Cantonese scenes are world-class, and your guide is happy to make reservations.
Check-out is at your leisure — late checkout at the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver is usually possible on request. Your Maple Fun guide returns to the lobby for a final airport transfer to YVR (about 25 minutes, less in light traffic). For onward international flights, allow 3 hours; for transborder US flights, allow 3.5 hours for US pre-clearance. Safe travels home.
International arrival home. Your Maple Fun team will follow up by email within a week — we'd love your photos and your feedback, and there's almost always a small thank-you discount waiting for you on a future Maple Fun trip.
35-minute scenic flight from Vancouver downtown harbour direct to Victoria Inner Harbour, in place of the BC Ferries crossing on Day 5. Approximately CAD $250 per person, weather-permitting.
Half- or full-day skiing on Day 3 or Day 4. Lift tickets and rentals arranged on your behalf and paid directly to the resort; current published rates apply. Lessons available.
2-hour guided snowshoe with a local interpreter — the Lake Agnes lower trail or the Fairview viewpoint. Includes snowshoes and poles. Approximately CAD $95 per person.
60- or 90-minute treatment in the historic spa. From CAD $245; reservation required at booking time.
Half-day evening trip to North Vancouver for the Capilano Suspension Bridge under one million seasonal lights. Runs nightly late November through late January. Approximately CAD $120 per person including transfer.
Lake Louise and Banff in mid-winter typically sit between −15 °C and −5 °C during the day, occasionally dropping to −25 °C on a cold snap. Vancouver and Victoria are far milder (+2 to +8 °C). We send a packing list at booking; the key items are insulated winter boots, a real down or synthetic-fill parka, a wool hat, and waterproof gloves.
The outdoor rink is normally maintained from mid-December through early April, conditions permitting. Skates are included with your stay. If an unusual warm spell softens the surface, the hotel maintains an indoor lounge-and-fire programme as the backup.
No — skiing is not part of the standard itinerary. Three world-class ski resorts (Lake Louise, Sunshine Village, Mount Norquay) are all within reach of Banff, and we are very happy to arrange a half-day or full-day ski for you on Day 3 or Day 4. Lift tickets and rentals are paid directly to the resort at published rates.
Yes, age 8 and up enjoy this tour. Younger children will love the skating, sleigh ride and hot springs, but Day 1 (a long travel day) and Day 5 (two flights plus a ferry) may stretch their patience. We can suggest a shorter variant for families with under-8s.
All Maple Fun driver-guides speak English. We can guarantee Japanese, Mandarin, Cantonese or Vietnamese-speaking guides on request — please mention this at booking.
The Trans-Canada through the mountains is plowed and maintained continuously and is rarely closed for more than a few hours. Your Maple Fun guide watches the DriveBC and 511 Alberta feeds and may adjust departure times by an hour or two on a heavy-snow morning. Domestic flights can experience winter delays — we build in generous buffers on Day 1 and Day 5 for exactly this reason.
Yes — fully reversible at no extra cost, subject to flight availability.
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