Afternoon: ARRIVALS & CHECK-IN: Independent arrivals to the hotel in Victoria in the afternoon. Check-in after 3:00 p.m.

Dinner: Dine at Samuel’s by-the-Park, overlooking Thunderbird Park; featuring fine casual West Coast dining with a variety of locally produced ingredients.

Evening: Welcome and Orientation Activities.

Lodging: Queen Victoria Hotel and Suites

Meals Included: Dinner

Breakfast: Breakfast at the hotel. All breakfasts are served with coffee and tea and include a selection of the following each day: Assorted juices, fresh fruit, muffins, croissants, brown and white toast, scrambled eggs, bacon, sausages, ham, hash brown potatoes, hot cereal or cold cereal are often provided.

Morning: Field Trip: Guided Walk of Old Town and Inner Harbour. Discover the unique past and intriguing present of Victoria with a cultural historian as we set out on foot to explore the city’s rich architectural, cultural and social history. Witness the cultural diversity on a guided walk that will highlight significant landmarks - the BC Legislature, Old Town, the historic Empress Hotel and Victoria’s Inner Harbour. Stroll through the oldest Chinatown in all of Canada, juxtaposed with the James Bay area, where Victorian-styled houses and manors line the streets.

Lunch: Lunch

Afternoon: Field Trip: Royal BC Museum. The Royal BC Museum is one of the foremost cultural institutions in the world. Through an array of unique galleries, the Museum showcases the human and natural history of British Columbia. Each exhibit tells important stories about the region and provides an intriguing window on the province's past, present and future. Examine the history of the peoples of the Pacific Northwest as you engage in an expert-led exploration of the First Peoples Gallery. Gain insight into the First Nations cultures before and after the arrival of Europeans. Free time: extend your visit and explore other galleries/exhibits, visit the nearby Empress hotel for traditional High Tea or, take a leisurely stroll along the seawall.

Dinner: Dinner on your own. Explore downtown and enjoy one of many wonderful dining options.

Lodging: Queen Victoria Hotel and Suites

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch

Breakfast: Breakfast at the hotel. All breakfasts are served with coffee and tea and include a selection of the following each day: Assorted juices, fresh fruit, muffins, croissants, brown and white toast, scrambled eggs, bacon, sausages, ham, hash brown potatoes, hot cereal or cold cereal are often provided.

Morning: Field Trip: Enjoy a field trip to Butchart Gardens, a National Historic Site of Canada, with interpretive commentary en route. Explore the fifty-five acres of stunning floral show gardens. Learn about Jennie Butchart who crafted this gem from a limestone quarry. Discover the beauty of her Rose, Japanese and Italian gardens.

Lunch: Lunch on your own at Butchart Gardens.

Afternoon: Field Trip: Victoria’s neighborhoods and historic landmarks by coach. The most "British" of all cities in Canada, Victoria boasts prominent reminders of its colonial past: elegant Victorian and Edwardian-era mansions, stately hotels and impressive architecture around every corner. Learn about the fascinating history of British Columbia’s capitol city while exploring its beautiful and diverse architectural heritage. Visit the charming Rockland historic district, and hear about past Governors, Merchant Barons, Bankers and famous Architects who built their luxurious homes to show off their new gold rush wealth.

Dinner: Dinner at a local restaurant.

Lodging: Queen Victoria Hotel and Suites

Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner

Breakfast: Breakfast at the hotel. All breakfasts are served with coffee and tea and include a selection of the following each day: Assorted juices, fresh fruit, muffins, croissants, brown and white toast, scrambled eggs, bacon, sausages, ham, hash brown potatoes, hot cereal or cold cereal are often provided.

Morning: Excursion: Travel along the coast to the town of Chemainus, famous for its murals depicting the history of Chemainus Valley and Vancouver Island. Chemainus was one of the largest lumber shipping points in North America. Today, "Muraltown," is famous as a trailblazer of the open-air mural art form that has subsequently been embraced by dozens of towns worldwide.

Lunch: Lunch on your own to explore Coombs Country Market where artisanal food and crafts abound.

Afternoon: Field Trip at Coombs Country Market: Peruse the many art stands and enjoy locally made dishes, baked goods and cheese. Continue by coach to Port McNeil. Interpretive commentary en route.

Dinner: Dinner at a local restaurant

Lodging: Haida Way Hotel

Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner

Breakfast: Breakfast at the hotel. Enjoy a full breakfast which includes a great selection of hot and cold items such as eggs, bacon, fruit, cereals, tea, coffee, juice, muffins, croissants, etc.

Morning: Travel to the picturesque boardwalk community of Telegraph Cove located along the Johnstone Strait and Blackfish Archipelago. This area has one of the richest marine eco-systems in the world and has proven to be the ideal location to study marine mammals. Field Trip: Visit the Whale Interpretive Centre to examine the biology, habitat needs of the Orca, fin and humpback whales as well as other local marine mammals. Gain an understanding of marine mammal adaptations within their environment. Examine the unique collection of marine mammal bones and learn about the efforts of OrcaLab, a center for acoustics research near Johnstone Strait, where vocalization samples are collected 24 hours a day.

Lunch: Lunch in Telegraph Cove

Afternoon: Field Trip: Orca Whale Expedition. Cruise the calm, protected waters of Johnstone Strait and Broughton with an expert marine biologist. The afternoon will be dedicated to observing the resident Orca and listening to their vocalizations. Acknowledged as the most accessible and predictable location to see Orca (killer whales) in the world; it is also renowned for its diversity and abundance of marine mammals. Alongside the male Orca, who can reach up to 30 feet in length and weigh up to 9 tons, you will search for Dall’s porpoises, Pacific white-sided dolphins, sea lions and a number of migrating bird species including bald eagles. Learn about local and global habitat and stewardship issues. Travel in comfort in 60 foot vessels; hydrophones are connected to fore and aft speakers so that you can hear the Orca vocalizations throughout the entire vessel.

Dinner: Dinner at the Hotel

Lodging: Haida Way Hotel

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Breakfast: Breakfast at the hotel. Enjoy a full breakfast which includes a great selection of hot and cold items such as eggs, bacon, fruit, cereals, tea, coffee, juice, muffins, croissants, etc.

Morning: Travel along the coast to Campbell River with commentary en route.

Lunch: Lunch at a local restaurant

Afternoon: Field Trip: Campbell River Museum. We continue our exploration of the Island in Campbell River, the “salmon capital of the world.” The town’s history is tied to logging, mining, and the commercial fishery. The Campbell River Museum brings to life the human history of the area where you will hear stories of the past and experience the early days of fishing, logging and pioneering.

Dinner: Dinner at Painter's Lodge

Lodging: Painter's Lodge

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Breakfast: Breakfast at the hotel. Enjoy a full breakfast which includes a great selection of hot and cold items such as eggs, bacon, fruit, cereals, tea, coffee, juice, muffins, croissants, etc.

Morning: Witness the incredible beauty of lush old-growth forests as we leave the coast and traverse across the Island en route to the wild west coast.

Lunch: Lunch in Port Alberni.

Afternoon: Field Trip: Cathedral Grove Coastal Forest MacMillan Provincial Park is famous for Cathedral Grove, one of the most accessible stands of giant Douglas-fir trees in British Columbia. Explore the network of trails meandering through towering ancient Douglas-firs, some of which are more than 800 years old. Learn about the rich biodiversity of the West Coast rainforest and hear about the efforts to protect the old growth forests. An introductory lecture will examine the human and natural history of the Pacific Rim National Park. The Pacific Rim region has been shaped by the power of the open Pacific, creating an internationally acclaimed area of pristine natural beauty.

Dinner: Dinner at the hotel.

Evening: After dinner enjoy the pretty village of Ucluelet, located on the tip of a peninsula that stretches out into the Pacific Ocean at the south end of Pacific Rim National Park.

Lodging: The Canadian Princess

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Breakfast: Breakfast at the hotel. Enjoy a full breakfast which includes a great selection of hot and cold items such as eggs, bacon, fruit, cereals, tea, coffee, juice, muffins, croissants, etc.

Morning: Field Trip: Visit the nearby village of Tofino, located in the heart of Clayoquot Sound, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. Explore the breathtaking wilderness of Tla-o-qui-aht traditional territory, namely mountains blanketed in rainforest. Evidence found in the 290 archaeological sites indicates the presence of man in the park area for at least 4300 years. Meet with a local expert, a well-known First Nations guide who will lead participants on a “"grocery walk"” in the wilds of the ancient groves of Pacific Rim National Park. Observe wildlife including blacktail deer, black bear, marten and weasel. The bald eagle is a common sight here as well as the endangered leatherback and Pacific tree frogs.

Lunch: Lunch in Tofino.

Afternoon: Field Trip: Long Beach - Beach Walk. Discover the dramatic influence of the ocean on the human history of the west coast; Native people, lighthouse keepers, shipwreck survivors, homesteaders, prospectors and missionaries all have traveled along these trails and beaches. Stroll along the hard-packed sand of Long Beach, where you may catch sight of sea lions, seals, schools of porpoise and pods of Orca whales.

Dinner: Dinner in Tofino.

Evening: Excursion: Visit the Wickaninnish Interpretive Centre, overlooking the shores of the Pacific. Operated by Parks Canada, the center is dedicated to the natural and cultural heritage of Pacific Rim National Park. Examine the First Nations canoes, tools and various works of art.

Lodging: The Canadian Princess

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Breakfast: Breakfast at the hotel. Enjoy a full breakfast which includes a great selection of hot and cold items such as eggs, bacon, fruit, cereals, tea, coffee, juice, muffins, croissants, etc.

Morning: Relax and enjoy the scenic journey back to Victoria stopping at points of interest along the way.

Lunch: Box lunch

Afternoon: Enjoy some free time to explore independently Victoria’s harbor and the many downtown shops and galleries at your leisure.

Dinner: Farewell dinner in Victoria

Lodging: Queen Victoria Hotel and Suites

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Breakfast: Breakfast at the hotel. All breakfasts are served with coffee and tea and include a selection of the following each day: Assorted juices, fresh fruit, muffins, croissants, brown and white toast, scrambled eggs, bacon, sausages, ham, hash brown potatoes, hot cereal or cold cereal are often provided.

Morning: Independent departures from the hotel after breakfast. Check-out is 12:00 noon.

Meals Included: Breakfast