The Canadian Rockies in British Columbia provide a superb setting for family holidays in Canada. If you and your family like the outdoor life, you are sure to fall for this spectacular wilderness.
While its huge mountains seem to take precedence over the dramatic landscape, its vibrant cities and national parks have hidden depths where you can explore the culture and wildlife of this awesome country. On Canada family holidays there are plenty of surprises in store and on your travels, you can spot moose in the wild, take a gondola ride to spectacular vantage points or wash away your worries in a mountain hot spring.
On our family holidays Canada you can discover Banff and Jasper national parks on foot; go horse riding in Whistler, or even explore by bike. There’s also the possibility of spotting black bears and elk, too. Imagine rafting along rivers where towering pines and lofty mountains loom above you and learning about Canada’s natural landscapes while sharing your experiences around a campfire. A Canada family holiday will show you the wild and rugged beauty of this astounding country. Because Canadians enjoy a way of life that’s centred around the great outdoors, family holidays to Canada are perfect for nature lovers.
If culture’s your thing, Vancouver is a diverse city where you can walk among soaring skyscrapers and immerse yourself in the local art and urban parks. Hang out at one of the restaurants or cafes and sample the local food or head to Stanley Park to see the colourful totem poles that date back to the 1920s.
Top 5 Parks to Visit on a Canada family Holiday
Banff National Park: Laying claim to being the oldest national park in Canada, Banff is surrounded by the Rocky Mountains, forests and glaciers, making it a truly diverse landscape to discover. Hikers will be in their element as there are countless walking trails to explore. And there’s always something to keep the children’s attention on our family holidays to Canada, with an array of wildlife lurking around every twist and turn and optional activities such as gondola and helicopter rides. While elk, deer and bighorn sheep are most commonly seen during walks through Banff National Park, you might also be lucky enough to spot a bear, mountain goat, wolf or coyote in the distance. And to capture some impressive photos, the glistening water and mountainous backdrop of Lake Louise is the perfect setting and possibly one of the most photographed locations on a Canada family holiday.
Jasper National Park: Sprawled across almost 19,000 square miles, Jasper National Park if the largest in Canada. As you explore its wildly beautiful scenery, you’ll be in awe of the vast wilderness. One of the best ways to really grasp its immensity is on a cable car ride up Whistler Mountain. From here you’ll have a bird’s-eye perspective of its mountains, glaciers and valleys. Alternatively, you can visit Mount Edith Cavell to witness the views of Angel Glacier or get your blood flowing with a mountain bike ride through the lakeside scenery. Icefields Parkway is the most scenic drives you’ll experience on family holidays Canada and runs through the heart of the Rockies. Watch the most magnificent scenery unfurl as you travel among hanging glaciers and breath-taking valleys before visiting Peyto Lake and hiking across Athabasca Glacier.
Yoho National Park: Whilst Yoho National Park isn’t quite as immense as the Canadian Rockies’ more well-known Banff and Jasper parks, its natural beauty is equally as astounding. Emerald lakes are hugged on all sides by scented pines and its alpine waterfalls, mountains and rock walls will leave you in awe. Our Canada family holiday ensures there’s always something exciting for the children, whether that’s white water rafting along the Kicking Horse River or canoeing on the Emerald Lake.
Wells Gray Provincial Park: Encapsulating a large portion of the Cariboo Mountains in British Columbia, Wells Gray Provincial Park is beyond impressive; it will quite literally take your breath away. As you listen to the roar of the Helmcken Falls thundering down the rock sides and feel the cold spray on your face, you’ll appreciate how wondrous this place is. Carved out by glaciers and volcanoes, and home to a staggering 41 named waterfalls, beautiful lakes, rivers and mountains, Wells Gray is a force of nature to be reckoned with.
Stanley Park: Providing the lungs to the city of Vancouver, Stanley Park may not be in the same league as the country’s national parks, but it sure has its own charms and is well worth visiting on family holidays to Canada. Tucked into the peninsula of the city, this urban park is a peaceful oasis and a honey pot for tourists wanting to discover the local nature. Here you’ll find golden beaches, flower gardens and plenty of attractions for the kids, including a water park, swimming pool and a miniature railway.
This review is based on being specifically ‘Designed for children aged 9-12’.
In summary, in our opinion, it is not.
It is simply the (excellent) adult trip with a few omissions and permitting children.
To give my review some context:
Our children are in the age bracket for whom this trip is designed.
I’ve been travelling with Exodus since 2006 and this was my seventh trip with one of those being the adult version of this trip.
Last year we travelled all over Vietnam on a family holiday with Intrepid.
All of these trips I’ve mentioned were outstanding experiences and no matter the price, excellent value for money. I continue to recommend those trips and Exodus at every opportunity to both the uninitiated and the many repeat trippers looking for something they haven’t yet tried.
But unfortunately this was the first where I felt my expectations weren’t met and I felt rather disappointed.
I would endorse the views expressed by previous reviewers Jon Browning and Stephen Dossett and encourage you to read them.