On the edge of the Canadian wilderness lies the cosmopolitan city of Vancouver, and time permitting, we will take an orientation tour of the city. Meet your group this evening at the welcome meeting, and following that there is an optional group dinner to get to know your fellow travellers

Explore one of the most attractive cities in the world at your leisure and visit the thriving area of Chinatown and the famous Stanley Park.

Drive to Kelowna. Situated on idyllic Okanagan Lake, Kelowna is in the heart of British Columbia's wine region. Its name is derived from a native term for 'grizzly bear'.

This morning we’ll leave for Jasper National Park, the largest national park in Canada. Take a cable car to the very top of Whistler for a bird’s eye view of this splendid park or head out on various hiking trails.

Free day to explore Jasper. Options include moderate walks, cruise on Maligne Lake, or soak in Miette Hot Springs.

From Jasper, we’ll travel on the Icefields Parkway that links to Banff National Park. En route we’ll have the chance to traverse a portion of the imposing Athabasca Glacier before ending the day in beautiful Banff.

With its snow-capped peaks, ancient pine forests and aquamarine waters, Lake Louise is 'the gem of the Canadian Rockies'. The lake has always been a popular tourist destination, so it is no surprise that it is the most photographed destination in the Canadian Rockies. We travel to Lake Louise for a full day of optional hikes up the Plain of Six Glaciers or up to Lake Agnes.

Today we cross the border into the US state of Montana and arrive at Glacier National Park. We’ll jump on board the free shuttle bus and enjoy the spectacular glacial scenery or partake in some wildlife viewing.

Today we’ll travel on Going-to-the-Sun-Road, the only road that crosses Glacier National Park in Montana. Enjoy the spectacular mountain scenery as we wind our way through the Park.

We spend the day driving south through the Rockies toward our next destination: Yellowstone National Park. The world's first national park is home to a large variety of wildlife including grizzly bear, wolf, bison and elk.

We have a full day to enjoy Yellowstone National Park's majestic wilderness and to witness its extraordinary geysers, wildlife and landscape. Visit Artist's Point, one of the most photographed views in Yellowstone.

Continuing our journey in Wyoming, we’ll travel past Grand Teton National Park and visit Jackson to enjoy a truly friendly and authentic western town experience. In the evening Dr John Mason will deliver his eclipse lecture giving details of the plans for the following day.

Eclipse day. After an early breakfast we’ll depart by coach to our chosen site to view the eclipse. The precise location will be selected following an assessment of the prevailing weather conditions. Following the eclipse the group will enjoy a celebratory lunch.

We follow the Snake River into the State of Idaho and visit the Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve. This volcanic area is one of the best preserved basalt lava fields in USA and contains a number of interesting features such as lava flows and cinder cones. NASA's Apollo astronauts used to do some of their training in this area because of a perceived resemblance to the surface of the moon.

Today we continue to follow Snake River towards Yakima. The Snake River is a major waterway that stretches for 1735 kilometres (1078 miles). It is the main tributary of the Columbia River, which is in turn the largest river in North America that flows into the Pacific Ocean.

We continue on to the stunning snow-covered peak of Mount Rainier, still in the State of Washington. At 4392 metres (14,411 ft) this iconic volcano looms large in the Pacific Northwest. Draped in snow, Mount Rainer has the greatest single peak glacial system in the United States, covering over 57 square kilometres (36 square miles) of the mountain with sheer ice!

We head towards Seattle on the penultimate day of our tour. Time permitting; enjoy a tour of this eclectic, musical city and a visit to the intriguing Space Needle.

Tour finishes in Seattle.