Glacier National Park & Calgary Stampede

Day 1:  Tuesday, July 2
Join us in Calgary, for the first leg of your tour. Upon arrival, you’ll transfer via hotel shuttle to your hotel to meet your tour manager and the group.

Day 2:  Wednesday, July 3
This morning you’ll travel west to the Columbia Icefields, one of the largest non-polar ice fields in the world. Here you can step foot on an actual glacier and imagine the history behind these slow-moving frozen rivers of water that originated on the crown of the mountains. You won’t look at them from a distance, you’ll ride a giant ice buggy across the glaciers with stops to view lots of interesting sites including Athabasca Falls.  The Icefields Parkway has been recognized as one of the most scenic drives in the world, so you are sure to enjoy today’s journey! Following our visit, travel to the small town of Rocky Mountain House, known for its role in the historic fur trade, where we overnight.  B, L, D

Day 3:  Thursday, July 4
Today we begin with a presentation from the Canadian Ag Department in Clearwater County.  City and county dignitaries meet to discuss what life and agriculture is like in northern Canada, including how they cohabitate with wildlife like bears, wolves, etc. This is a great introduction to not only farming, but also to life in this region of Canada. After lunch we visit a well-equipped farm operation. We will have a chance to kick the tires on a lot of equipment and see some of their standing crops. Enjoy discussion about planting, caring for, and harvesting crops that few Americans are familiar with. Learn about their yields, and the overall economy of Canadian Agriculture. Return to Calgary and overnight.  B, L, D

Day 4:  Friday, July 5
This morning, meet your tour manager and fellow travelers for a short tour of the city and enjoy reserved seats at the Calgary Stampede Parade. This lavish parade always impresses our groups!  This afternoon you’ll enjoy a host of events including the world’s largest outdoor rodeo featuring the toughest competitors, as well as other events.  Enjoy dinner and overnight at our hotel in Calgary.  B, D

Day 5:  Saturday, July 6
We return to the Stampede grounds to enjoy the festivities.  With an assortment of rodeo events, activities, and exciting food options, you are sure to enjoy your time here. Early evening we enjoy reserved seats at the world’s premier chuckwagon racing event.  The very best of the best chuckwagon drivers and a total of 162 horses come from all over the world to compete. This is always a fun and energetic event!  After the races, get your toe tapping at a concert performance on the big stage. If you are not familiar with the Stampede events, you are in for a treat!  B, D

About Chuckwagon Races: The first chuck wagon races were held in 1923 at the Calgary Stampede. They are re-enactments of the round-up races that used to take place after a round-up when the wagon drivers raced each other to town.

Although the rules have changed a bit, the concept behind chuck wagon racing remains the same. The competitor must break camp and race around a 1/2- to 5/8-mile (0.8 to 1 km) track. Each race team has one wagon driver and four outriders. One outrider's job is to hold the lead horse steady while another throws a small barrel weighing about 15 lbs. (6.8 kg) into the back of the wagon. The other two outriders must throw the tent fly and poles into the back of the wagon.

At the sound of the horn, the wagon is loaded and the driver must do a figure-eight around two barrels then race around a track to the finish line. The four outriders must finish within 125 feet (38 m) of the lead horse of their wagon. Time penalties are added to the running time.

Day 6:  Sunday, July 7
This morning you’ll travel across the border into the USA, as we make our way over mountain tops, through valleys, and crossing the majestic Rockies, enroute to Glacier National Park.  We say goodbye to Calgary and depart for the Cowboy Trail, Highway 22 enroute to Kalispell, MT.  In about two hours, we arrive at the Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump Interpretive Centre. This UNESCO-designated World Heritage Site preserves and interprets over 6,000 years of Plains Buffalo culture. You may be surprised by how interesting this visit will be, but it is always enjoyed by our groups. After lunch, we make a comfort stop in Sparwood, British Columbia, home to the world's largest tandem axle dump truck, the Terex Titan. Weighing 260 tons, the Terex Titan is a legacy of Sparwood's mining heritage. It was brought to the town in 1978 to work in the mines, arriving by train on eight rail flat cars. It was retired in 1990 because it was no longer cost efficient. To give you an idea of its size, the Titan can carry two buses plus two pick-up trucks in its box and each tire is 3.3 m (11 ft) in diameter. The truck carries a maximum load of 317 metric tons (350 tons) and is 20 m (66 ft) long, 7.8 m (26 ft) wide and 7 m (23 ft) to the top of the canopy.  Overnight in Kalispell.  B, L, D

Day 7:  Monday, July 8
This morning we will enter the Crown of the Continent, Glacier National Park. You’ll spend the day via a special bus that can traverse this unbelievable terrain to guarantee you the absolute best views. Enjoy commentary while marveling at the landscape of mountain ranges carved by prehistoric ice rivers, alpine meadows, magnificent forests, waterfalls, and nearly twenty-five glistening glaciers absorbing the sun’s rays while feeding 200 sparkling lakes.  We return to our hotel in Kalispell, MT.  B, L, D

Day 8:  Tuesday, July 9
Transfer to the airport to fly back to your home gateway.  B

Rupiper Tours reserves the right to make minor adjustments to the itinerary if necessary.