CANADIAN ROCKIES
Aug 12 – 21, 2024
PRICE
$3,250
DURATION
10 Days | 9 Nights
GROUP MAX
14 People
PHYSICAL
Moderate
WEATHER
Fall-like, 50F-65F
TOUR OVERVIEW
Over 10 days, we explore the heart of Alberta, the most beautiful province of all in Canada. Known for the mountains, especially Banff National Park, which is part of the gateway to the Canadian Rockies. See historic cities that cradles Alberta: Calgary & Edmonton. Get lost in the world’s largest shopping mall, West Edmonton Mall. Plenty viewings of wildlife, lakes and mountains, including short walking trails. Return home with an unforgettable memory and you’ll want to return to Canada again!
TOUR LEADER
Darren Frazier
TOUR PRICE
$3,250
SOLD OUT
Maximum 2 Travelers per Reservation
$500 deposit per person is required to reserve space. The availability of space is based on a first come, first serve basis.
100% of the balance is required 90 days before the first day of the tour.
DAY 1 • • •
Arrival into Calgary aka “Cowtown” due to its cattle industry. Your guide will meet you at the airport, and transfer you to hotel. Free time. Stroll around in the heart of downtown to see outdoor sights like the drop-dead gorgeous public library. Welcome dinner. Stay in Calgary for 2nights.
DAY 2 • • •
A whole day exploring the sights and learning the history around Calgary: Stevens Avenue, Calgary Tower, Heritage Park, Eau Claire Market, Peace Bridge, Kensington Village and Fort Calgary.
DAY 3 • • •
Rise up and get on the famous Highway 1, the gateway to the Canadian Rockies! Head to the town, Banff and start exploring. Go up to the top by gondola and enjoy the panorama view of the Rockies. Dare to walk the Skywalk. Check out two cool stations – Meteorological and Cosmic Ray. Return to the bottom and go and see the pretty Bows Falls. Nearby, a tour inside the famous Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel. Return to town for the evening. Optional: you can take a dip in the Upper Hot Springs Pool before it closes at 10pm. Stay 2 nights in Banff.
DAY 4 • • •
With a good cup of coffee, we head out to see Vermillion Lakes briefly in the morning when the water is calm. Then go to Lake Minnewanka. You have several choices – take 1.5 hours cruise to see vantage points of the mountains, kayak on the lake on your own and/or sit down and chill with a beer or so. Have lunch. After feeling refreshed, we head to an adorable town, Canmore, for the rest of the day. Free time. There’s a neat 2 miles long walking trail with view of the mountains, if desired. Return to Banff. Optional: you can take a dip in the Upper Hot Springs Pool before it closes at 10pm.
DAY 5 • • •
Again, rise up early but stock up with drinks and snacks for a whole day on the famous scenic drive on the Icefields Parkway from Banff to Jasper with plenty of quick stops for photo ops. First stop is at Lake Louise, a pristine turquoise colorful lake, thanks to its glacier water. Enjoy the TakakkawFalls in Yoho National Park as well as check out the Fairmont Chateau. Continue and stop by Peyto Lake briefly with a short trek. Before arriving in Jasper, we stop by Columbia Icefield Discovery Center to understand all about icefields. Arrive in Jasper by evening and free time afterwards. Stay 2 nights in Jasper.
DAY 6 • • •
Put on your good hiking shoes/boots for a whole day exploring Jasper National Park. There’s plenty to see – visitor’s center, walking trails, short walk to Maligne Canyon, rent a canoe (if desired), ride in a tram up to Whistlers Mountain, observe wildlife and more! Return to Jasper. Free time.
DAY 7 • • •
Say goodbye to the Rockies as we head for Edmonton. Stop by Hinton and walk on a two mile broadwalk to see, with luck, the Canada’s National Animal, beavers! After lunch, arrive in Jasper and check in hotel. Stretch your legs before strolling and/or shopping at the largest mall in North America, West Edmonton Mall. Free time afterwards. Stay 2 nights in Edmonton.
DAY 8 • • •
A relaxing day of exploring Edmonton. See sights such as: Ft. Edmonton Park, Alberta Legislature grounds, Beaux-Arts buildings, Borealis Gallery, watch 4-D interpretive video, ride on a vintage streetcar, explore Strathcona area, City Hall and more. Have dinner at Craft Beer Market, home to 100 Canadian microbrews.
DAY 9 • • •
After a hearty breakfast, head to Elk Island National Park for wildlife viewing: elks, bisons, deersand more. Nearby, a quick stopover at this unique Ukrainian Cultural Center where Ukrainians settled from 1890 to 1930. Finally, we depart from Edmonton to Calgary with a few funny stops, especially two world’s largest fishing lure and bucking bronco. Arrive in Calgary by early evening. Check in hotel and have a farewell dinner at a nice restaurant.
DAY 10 • • •
Transfer to Calgary airport for your flight destination at anytime.
Why do you need travel insurance?
LEARN DIFFERENT SIGN LANGUAGES!
Hands On Travel is a proud sponsor to Intersign University which provides sign language courses in many different countries.
Learn MoreTOUR LEADER
Darren Frazier
TOUR PRICE
$3,250
SOLD OUT
Maximum 2 Travelers per Reservation
$500 deposit per person is required to reserve space. The availability of space is based on a first come, first serve basis.
100% of the balance is required 90 days before the first day of the tour.
Why do you need travel insurance?
LEARN DIFFERENT SIGN LANGUAGES!
Hands On Travel is a proud sponsor to Intersign University which provides sign language courses in many different countries.
Learn MorePRICE
$3,250
DURATION
10 Days | 9 Nights
GROUP MAX
14 People
PHYSICAL
Moderate
WEATHER
Fall-like, 50F-65F
GALLERY
Got a Question?
First, please scroll through our Frequently Asked Questions. If you have further questions or need help with a specific topic, feel free to contact us! Thank you.
RESERVATION
Spots are based on a first come, first serve basis. A $500 deposit per person is required to reserve your space and can be paid with a debit or credit card. Alternative payment options include personal check or wire transfer. After registration, you will receive an automatic email response with further instructions. Full payment is due 90 days before the start of your tour.
Absolutely yes! You can contact us by clicking this link and fill out the form and we will get back to you. Above all, we want to make your tour a memorable one for your group.
HOT is proud of the three distinct reasons that allow it to be different from other tour companies: they use sign language exclusively, travel in small groups which provide an intimate experience while also having more flexibility on their schedule, and spend time visiting places they love versus wasting time at places where there wasn’t much interest..
Generally, all tours will provide accommodations in double rooms with private bathrooms and breakfast, transportation expenses including lunch and dinner (depending on the itinerary), museum entrance fees along with a $100 credit towards your next full tour. In addition we provide you with information about each specific tour so that you can be fully aware of what is included.
We will be happy to assist you with a custom-designed tour, tailored towards your preferences. If not, stay up to date by joining our mailing list in order for us to provide you with any future tours that we may have availability for.
Did you know that we have travel consultants who can assist you? You can go to our Travel Consulting page for more information. The best way to accomplish this would be to seek out friends and/or family members (usually in order of 6 people) so they will lower the costs significantly, or advertise open spots on your tour publicly. We also have discounts, and some other advantages! What’s more- we are able to lower the level of accommodations as well as remove extras all together which make it feasible for a low cost.
It is often easier for us to permit single travelers when it comes time to sign up for our tours. If you are unable to find a partner and need assistance, please contact us as we may have singles available on the list- pending your approval first. There are some tours that allow exceptions for those seeking not only with partners but also without them too!
If somebody backs out, please register on our wait list or contact us directly so that we can put you on the wait list for a similar tour. We will also keep your name up to date with our latest tours and alerts about similar upcoming trips in order to give you a chance at joining them.
TRAVEL PROTECTION
Hands On Travel recommends that you purchase a travel protection plan to help protect you and your travel investment against the unexpected. Travel protection plans include coverage for Trip Cancellation, Trip Interruption, Emergency Medical and Emergency Evacuation/Repatriation, Trip Delay, Baggage Delay and more. To learn more about how to help protect you and your trip investment, visit the following link: TRAVEL PROTECTION
Don’t hesitate. We will stay in touch with you from the date of deposit until your arrival at the starting point of your tour, to make sure that all is well before departure. You can contact us via phone or e-mail any time for questions and we will remain in communication throughout your trip!
BILLING
No, we do not charge any extra fees or fuel surcharges. The listed price is the price you pay. Including tax.
You can find this under our Terms & Conditions. If you find it necessary to cancel your confirmed tour reservation, you must notify HOT about it by e-mail. You may transfer your space to another suitable person or request us to seek replacements. If your replacement is found, HOT will, at its discretion depending on the time frame, refund your deposits/payments or apply it towards a future Hands on Travel tour that is to be taken no more than 3 years after the dates of the original tour. If your replacement is not found, the cancellation of your reservation will become effective and the following charges will apply: (a) if cancelled more than 90 days before the first day of the tour, all installment or additional payments will be refunded to you minus the non-refundable deposit of US $500 per person and any non-refundable payments that HOT has made to suppliers. (b) if cancelled less than 90 days before the first day of the tour, no refunds will be made.
Since tour prices are quoted as a package, no partial refunds can be made for the unused portion of any tour including lodging, meals, or any other items that are included in the tour price. This does not apply to those who wish to participate in only a portion of a tour. In this case, we can pro-rate costs for the unused days.
After registration, you will receive an automatic email reply with further instructions. A $500 per person booking deposit is required to reserve your spot on the trip and can be paid by personal check, credit card and/or wire transfer. Full payment is due no less than 90 days before the start of the trip.
If you need to cancel or postpone your trip 3 or more months before the start, all monies paid will be refunded minus the $500 non-refundable deposit. You can also transfer the entire amount of your deposit to be used for a later trip if we are able to find replacements.
DURING THE TOUR
Big coach buses separate us from local people. We fail to experience or understand the “hands on” lives of locals.
We started out as a walking tour company. Walking offers close-up experiences with local people and hidden gems to discover.
It’s much easier to communicate full to everyone in semi-circle and make sign language 100% accessible. No more missing what is being said.
We’d be able to dine in smaller, cozier and unique restaurants that would offer a local culinary experience unlike large, tourist-oriented restaurants. And, we’d be able to stay at smaller accommodations in prime locations unlike large chain hotels outside the city limits.
We strive to include local guides for certain days to promote maximum cultural experience as well as exchange deaf-related insights.
Most of our customers will gain insightful observations and deeper understanding on how Deaf people live on a local level.
Most of our customers will gain insightful observations and deeper understanding on how Deaf people live on a local level.
