Get Social: Canadian Rockies

This is it. The Canadian adventure you’ve been dreaming of. Touch down in Vancouver, meet your Topdeck fam, and get excited for how incredible the next 10 days are going to be. After a whip around town with our Trip Leader, it’s time to get to know the gang better at tonight’s included dinner. We might be a mixed bunch, but we’re all in it together.

Catch ya later Vancouver – today we’re heading eastwards. First, we’ll swing by super-scenic Stanley Park. Next up, we’ll make a pitstop at super trendy Granville Island to check out its shops, art studios and awesome public market. And afterwards? Stick your head out the window (not literally) as we wind our way through Fraser Valley, over the Coquihalla Pass and into Canada’s version of Tuscany: the beaut, vineyard-packed Okanagan Valley. Tonight, crack open that pack of UNO. The more wild cards you have, the more rounds you buy. We don’t make the rules.

Another day, another jaw-dropping drive through the wilderness. This time, we’ll take the Trans-Canada Highway through Glacier and Yoho national parks. Stop for a photo at Emerald Lake (no prizes for guessing how it coined the name) before we continue the drive to Banff. Ready to turn it up a notch? Take an optional trip down the rapids of Kicking Horse River. Disclaimer: nobody said it would be a smooth ride. After an orientation tour of Banff, dinner tonight is on us. Later, get your trip mates together and whip out your best impersonation of a dancing sasquatch at a local bar.

Banff is National Geographic on steroids. Like serious Schwarzenegger steroids. Rise early(ish) for an included visit to Lake Louise and Moraine Lake. Recognise them from your MacBook screensaver? Make the most of your free time by hiking to the viewpoints around the lakes or squeezing in some kayaking on the aquamarine water. Back in Banff, you’re free to do whatever you want. Need suggestions? Ride the Sulpher Mountain Gondola for epic views over the sweeping mountain ranges. Or for those with a heightened sense of adventure: tackle the Via Ferrata mountain climb. Then swap the adrenaline rush for a sugar rush – beaver tail, anyone?

Hope you haven’t maxed out your phone storage yet. Today’s drive along the Icefields Parkway is particularly ‘holy sh*t’-worthy. Play musical chairs on the coach trying to capture the best angles of the passing landscape and keep your eyes peeled for Yogi Bear. Once we arrive in Jasper (our base for the next two nights), there’s an orientation walk on the cards. The rest of the day is up to you. And later? Get your grill on at a local steakhouse before UNO round #2. This time it’s personal.

They say bigger is better – so, this is your chance to put Jasper to the test. With over 10,800 square kilometres of wildlife-filled forests, glassy lakes, roaring waterfalls and gobsmacking mountain ranges – Jasper National Park is just begging to be explored. Strap on those hiking boots and tackle the trails. Rent a canoe at Beauvert Lake. Or head up to Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge for a feed with a view. Our recs? Cruise the beaut Maligne Lake and see the world-famous Spirit Island IRL. Or get that heart racing with a rafting ADVENTURE. Yep, we did shout that. Cos it’s AWESOME.

Time to live the high life. Enter: Mount Robson – the highest point in the Canadian Rockies. Stop for some sick views and to snap a pic for mum. Then, it’s onwards to Sun Peaks. Surrounded by looming mountains and quaint high streets, this place is a little slice of Europe in the middle of British Columbia. You’ll have time to take the chairlift up the mountain for some more hiking and insane views. Practise your swing at the golf course. Then pull up a pew at a local bar and grill.

Tums full after another included brekkie, we’ll pass the small towns and Indigenous communities of British Columbia en route to Whistler. The holy grail of ski resort towns, you’ll be surprised at how much more there is to do when the snow melts. After getting our bearings on a walk around the village with our Trip Leader, the afternoon is up to you. Check out the legendary Whistler Mountain Bike Park. Or tackle that fear of heights with a rise on the Peak 2 Peak Gondola. Tonight: gather the gang, dig into some poutine, and share all the thrills and spills of the day.

This is your day, your way. So, make every second count. Our suggestion? Get involved in some optional zip-lining. There are different choices for different levels of crazy – including The Sasquatch: the longest zip-line in Canada and USA. Or take your togs and head to the Lost Lake for a swim. There’s plenty of hiking, biking and wine-tasting too. Go get it. Tonight, we’ll get together for one last group dinner. Try not to cry into your pint as we give this awesome trip the send-off it deserves. Cheers to that!

Round up the squad (we see you late sleepers) and enjoy one last hike on the trails – we’ll roll out mid-morning. The crazy-good landscapes aren’t over yet though! Following the Sea to Sky Highway, there’s a stop to make at Shannon Falls before we reach Vancouver. Time to say goodbye – or not. There are over 40 brewhouses in this capital, just sayin’.