Afternoon: Independent arrivals and transfers to the program hotel. Please note that rooms are not generally available until mid-to-late afternoon.

Dinner: Welcome dinner at the hotel.

Evening: Following dinner, you will meet for introductions, a review of the program and site orientation.

Lodging: Best Western Sands by the Sea

Meals Included: Dinner

Breakfast: Breakfast at the hotel.

Morning: Experience the Nitobe Japanese Gardens at the University of British Columbia. Considered to be the best traditional, authentic Japanese Tea Garden in North America, it is among the top five Japanese gardens outside Japan. Each tree, stone and shrub has been deliberately placed and is carefully maintained to reflect an idealized conception and symbolic representation of nature.

Lunch: Lunch at a local restaurant.

Afternoon: At the Museum of Anthropology (MOA), enjoy an expert-led exploration of the museum. The MOA is Canada's largest teaching museum and world-renowned for its collections, research, teaching, public programs and community connections. Its exhibitions and programs provide access and insight into the cultures of indigenous peoples around the world. The Museum houses some 535,000 ethnographic and archaeological objects, many of which originate from the Northwest Coast of British Columbia.

Dinner: Dinner at the hotel or a local restaurant.

Evening: Enjoy a presentation on Vancouver with a local historian and heritage advocate. The presentation will be a walk-and-talk in and around the False Creek area (Olympic village and the old Expo 86 site), where the changes in the city over the last 20 years are most obvious and interesting.

Lodging: Best Western Sands by the Sea

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Note: The walk to/from and through Stanley Park will be approximately two miles over relatively flat terrain.

Breakfast: Breakfast at the hotel.

Morning: On an exceptional field trip, meet with a member of the Stanley Park Ecology Society for an in-depth exploration of Stanley Park, a breathtaking expanse that remains unspoiled and a testimony to the giant trees that occupied Vancouver in its former days. With the ocean and mountain vista as a backdrop, learn about this unique park and its temperate rainforest ecosystem. Its natural West Coast atmosphere offers a backdrop of majestic cedar, hemlock and fir trees that transport visitors to an environment rich in tranquility. World-famous landmarks in the park will also be discussed, including Lost Lagoon, totem poles, various monuments and sculptures, and the 5.5-mile seawall that encircles the park.

Lunch: Lunch at a local restaurant.

Afternoon: We will be joined by a local expert for a presentation on Vancouver's natural history. After the lecture, the group will have the opportunity to explore the city on their own.

Dinner: Dinner on your own to explore Vancouver’s wide array of dining options

Evening: You may remain with your Group Leader to continue exploring local sites, take the opportunity to head off on your own to discover Vancouver or relax at your hotel.

Lodging: Best Western Sands by the Sea

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch

Breakfast: Breakfast at the hotel.

Morning: We travel to historic Chinatown to visit the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden, the first authentic Chinese garden to be built outside of China. Like every classical Chinese garden, the design is based on the harmony of four main elements: rock, water, plants and architecture. Together, these four elements combine to create a breathtaking experience of perfect balance, yin and yang. The garden was built using the time-honored principles and techniques of the original Ming Dynasty garden.

Lunch: Enjoy lunch on your own on the ferry.

Afternoon: Transfer by coach and ferry from Vancouver to Victoria (1.5 hours). Arrive in Victoria and check into hotel. Explore the inner harbor before dinner.

Dinner: Dinner at the hotel.

Lodging: Royal Scot Hotel and Suites

Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner

History of Victoria/Lily Maxwell's Private Garden/Government House Gardens

Breakfast: Breakfast at hotel.

Morning: This morning we will become familiar with the landscape, environment, culture and history of Victoria. Our speaker will discuss the forces that shaped Victoria, the current personality of the city, and what the future holds. Victoria has an old-British charm where the residents are warm and welcoming and delight in showing visitors the beauty of this Seaside gem.

Morning: Enjoy an exclusive visit to the private garden of Lily Maxwell. This beautiful garden is located in the Oak Bay area overlooking a vista of the Strait of Georgia and the magnificent, snow-covered Olympic Mountain range. Sweeping garden beds are filled with interesting, rare and unusual perennials. Explore this amazing garden that was selected the No.1 residential garden by the national Canadian Gardening magazine.

Lunch: Lunch at a local restaurant.

Afternoon: After lunch we spend some time at the elegant Queens Gardens surrounding the home of the lieutenant governor's mansion, the Queen's representative to the province of British Columbia. The unique features of the Government House Garden estate include an extensive rockery developed on a natural rock outcropping overlooking the ocean, an herb garden for all the senses, and a formal tapestry planting featuring Mediterranean herbs. Walk under heritage rhododendrons, towering copper beeches, and giant Douglas firs and sequoias (California redwoods) and stand beside the towering metasequoia (dawn redwood), one of the first specimens to be planted in North America.

Dinner: Dinner at local restaurant.

Evening: You may remain with your Group Leader to continue exploring local sites, take the opportunity to head off on your own to discover Victoria or relax at your hotel.

Lodging: Royal Scot Hotel and Suites

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

History of Butchart Gardens/Inner Harbour Walk/Exploration of Butchart Gardens

Breakfast: Breakfast at hotel.

Morning: Hear the inspiring story of Jennie Butchart and the Butchart family who beautified a worked-out limestone quarry site left behind from her husband's pioneering efforts in the manufacture of Portland cement at nearby Tod inlet. This presentation helps to foster a greater appreciation for our visit to the gardens in the afternoon. After the morning lecture, explore Victoria's inner harbour with a local expert before departing for Butchart Gardens.

Lunch: Lunch on your own while at Butchart Gardens gives you the opportunity to experience the various coffee shops and restaurants at your leisure while at the gardens.

Afternoon: This afternoon we will journey off-the-beaten path along rolling countryside, ocean glimpses and old-growth forests to Butchart Gardens. Butchart Gardens is a Natural Historic site still owned and operated by family descendants. The gardens offer 55 acres of wonderful floral display and you will find spectacular views as you stroll along meandering paths and expansive lawns. From the exquisite Sunken Garden to the charming Rose Garden, this show garden still maintains the gracious traditions of earlier times.

Dinner: Dinner at a local restaurant.

Evening: Enjoy a free evening to explore Victoria's inner harbor, take a horse-drawn carriage ride, explore Beacon Hill park, take a gentle walk along the seaside trail, or a harbor ferry exploration.

Lodging: Royal Scot Hotel and Suites

Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner

Breakfast: Breakfast at hotel.

Morning: Experience the Royal British Columbia Museum and Art Gallery. Through unique galleries, the museum showcases the human and natural history of British Columbia and temporary exhibits from other countries and cultures. Authentic artifacts and specimens are displayed in highly realistic settings, giving visitors the experience of another time and place. Researchers at the museum, throughout British Columbia and around the world use its collections to reveal new insights into the natural world and human cultures of British Columbia.

Lunch: Lunch at local restaurant.

Afternoon: Enjoy some free time to shop along historic Government Street and side streets, take tea at one of the numerous tea houses or the spectacular Fairmont Empress, or grab a pint at the charming pubs dotted throughout the Inner Harbour.

Dinner: Enjoy a farewell dinner in Victoria.

Lodging: Royal Scot Hotel and Suites

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Breakfast: Breakfast at hotel.

Morning: Independent departures from Victoria after 7:30 a.m. breakfast. Check-out of hotel is 12 noon.

Meals Included: Breakfast