Winter in the Rockies and Northern Lights

Be transferred to your hotel and get to know your fellow travellers at a welcome dinner. Stay Two Nights: Vancouver, Fairmont Waterfront Hotel (D)

The morning is set aside for a tour of the city. The rest of the day is yours to spend at leisure. (B)

• This evening, dine at one of your hotel's restaurants.

• Take a helicopter ride, or the adventurous among us might prefer to jump on a snowmobile (additional expense), zip trek or maybe even enjoy a dog sled ride (additional expense). Otherwise, you might like to ride the Peak 2 Peak Gondola or relax with a Scandinave Spa experience.

• At the Squamish Lil'wat Cultural Centre, enjoy breakfast and explore the museum, discovering your First Nations ‘animal spirit' with the help of your guide.

Sights set on Jasper, watch as the snowy Canadian Rockies pass by your window. Stay Two Nights: Jasper National Park, Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge (B)

• Watch for local wildlife, or don some snowshoes for a trek through the alpine scenery. Maybe take the chance to view the icefalls that can only be seen at this time of year during a Maligne Canyon Ice Walk, or visit the planetarium to explore the world's largest dark sky preserve.

• This evening, head out to one of the lodge's Signature Luxury Cabins for a private soiree of live music and traditional food.

• A helicopter takes you to backcountry where a snowshoe exploration awaits. After a hearty lunch, visit Abraham Lake where, if you're lucky, you'll see ice bubbles trapped beneath the lake's frozen surface.

• Choose from one of your hotel's restaurants for dinner this evening.

• Tonight, travel to the local Ice Rink and enjoy a truly Canadian experience, speaking with an Ice Hockey coach, and learning about the history and traditions of the sport. Savour dinner at the stadium.

• Maybe take an ice walk in Johnston Canyon, enjoy a dog sled ride, or embark on a wilderness experience. Or should you wish to take things a little easier, enjoy a soak in the mineral pool at the Willow Stream Spa. An equally tempting option is to indulge your taste buds in a lavish afternoon tea at Fairmont Banff Springs.
• This evening, dine at one of your hotel's restaurants.

Fly from Calgary to Yellowknife today (flight not included). You'll be transferred to your hotel before a viewing of the northern lights at Aurora Village. Stay warm in a teepee, where hot drinks bubble away on a woodfire stove. Stay Three Nights: Yellowknife, The Explorer Hotel, in a Deluxe Room (B)

• Meet the village's team of sled dogs and ride over the frozen lake in a sled, strap on a pair of snowshoes and head off on a guided walk through the back trails of the village, or join a snowmobile to a trapper's tent – we have enough time to do any two of these options. Perhaps you'd rather spend the afternoon trying your hand at ice fishing?

Discover Yellowknife, taking in sites including the Legislative Assembly and Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre before a scenic drive through the Old Town and on to the Ice Road (weather permitting). Enjoy a special farewell dinner tonight. (B/D)

Be taken to the airport after breakfast for your onward flight. (B)