Highlights of Canada and the Rocky Mountains at Christmas

We fly from London Heathrow to Vancouver, checking into our hotel on arrival for a three-night stay.

We set out on a fascinating sightseeing tour of Vancouver today, first making our way to Gastown. Named after 'Gassy' Jack Deighton, a Yorkshire seaman who settled here in 1867, today Gastown is a popular downtown area, full of cafés, contemporary fashion shops, galleries and more. Continuing to Chinatown, one of the largest of its kind in North America, we soak up the sights, sounds and smells of the Asian-inspired streets and food stalls. Finally, we visit Stanley Park, 400 hectares of wild open space that's home to the city's famous and colourful totem poles which celebrate Canada's Native American heritage.

Explore more of Vancouver at your own pace. You could escape the city and take the bus to Grouse Mountain for a ride on the Skyride cable car admiring the jaw-dropping views across Vancouver's skyline, Pacific Ocean and nearby Gulf Islands. At the top, you can enjoy a range of seasonal activities, including sleigh rides or a snow limo. Alternatively, you could stay closer to the bustle of the city and sample the flavours of Granville Island, which boasts a mouth-watering food market and an array of craft studios.

We transfer to Union Station and board The Canadian for our overnight journey through the majestic Rocky Mountains to Jasper. The Canadian is truly iconic, transporting us in restored stainless steel carriages through incredible landscapes in comfort. During the night, we climb into the foothills of the Rockies, awakening to the sight of glaciers, lakes, plunging canyons, frozen waterfalls and soaring snow-covered peaks illuminated by the sun's first rays of the day.

We arrive in Jasper, a quaint mountain town at the edge of the wilderness and located in the heart of the Canadian Rockies. The town is surrounded by tree-covered mountains and, at this time of year, is often blanketed in snow. With free time to look around after checking into our hotel for three nights, you could enjoy a walk through the wintry streets, admiring quaint houses and small shops. It isn't unusual to even see a family of elk crossing the road.

The Rockies are transformed by snow and ice in winter taking on magical beauty. We experience this with a visit to Maligne Canyon, a 164-foot deep gorge of sheer limestone walls that's home to wildlife such as grey wolves, hoary marmots, caribou and moose. During our time here, we take part in an ice walk with a local guide, heading to the canyon floor to explore frozen waterfalls, ice caves and incredible ice formations. We also learn about the mysterious Medicine Lake enjoying a picnic lunch as we go. Afterwards, we warm up with a traditional treat of hot chocolate and smores.

We enjoy a relaxed day of festivities to celebrate Christmas, including a fantastic lunch of traditional treats and all the trimmings. And there's no better environment to enjoy your annual Christmas Day walk.

Leaving Jasper and its national park behind, we begin the drive to Banff, travelling along the world-famous Icefields Parkway - a 144-mile road that links Banff with Jasper. Travelling along a lake-lined valley, past many of the highest and most rugged peaks in the Rockies, we pass by the Columbia Icefields and the Athabasca Glacier. Along the way, we stop at Lake Louise, which at this time of year is completely frozen over, to admire the views of soaring peaks covered in verdant pine forests which slope away from the lakeshore.

Today's excursion takes us on a tour around the natural wonders of Banff. Exploring with a local guide, we visit Two Jack Lake where we're greeted by a stunning backdrop of emerald-green waters and a sweeping panorama of Mount Rundle and the Banff Hoodoos, a cluster of needle-like sedimentary rocks. We also admire Surprise Corner which, as the name suggests, delivers spectacular and surprising views of Bow Falls. A highlight of the day is a ride on the Banff Gondola. This cable car transports us to the summit of Sulphur Mountain to marvel at the wintry scenes laid out beneath us.

We transfer to Calgary, where we board our flight back to London Heathrow.

Landing in the UK, our festive holiday finishes and you're free to continue home.