Canada offers guests more than cold winters. We’ve picked three of our favorite tour operators from Rendez-vous Canada, a 4-day international tourism marketplace that serves as a gateway to tourism experiences across Canada, to help you plan unique experiences for your clients, from professional photo lessons to heli skiing and dog sledding—we’ve got it all covered.
Nature Photography
Professional photographers Cam Fischer and Jack Werner have combined their expertise and passion for photographing nature to open a new company called Canadian Photo Adventures.
Recommend met this duo at Rendez-vous Canada, and we were instantly captivated by their photos and interesting tours. Guests who book with Canadian Photo Adventures will learn how to take great photos, and master techniques such as depth of field, light/exposure, focus, and white balance, among others. The 6-day tours include hotel accommodations, breakfast, lunch, and snacks. (However, here’s a secret, the duo will plan a surprise dinner for the guests on the last night of the trip, but you might not want to spoil the surprise by sharing that with your clients.)
The small group tours of up to 12 guests will work one-on0one with Fischer and Werner to discuss their images, get feedback, and fine-tune their techniques. As an added perk, the duo will be available to guests for up to a year after their trip to offer advice and help them with their photography questions.
A sample of the trips available is the 6-day Explore Banff photography adventure in one of Canada’s oldest national parks. Guests will explore Banff National Park including Vermillion Lakes, Two Jack Lake, Johnston Canyon, Castle Mountain, and a few more secret spots. This package includes hotel accommodations, destination fees, and five breakfasts and lunches. Rates start at $4,460 pp, and the first departure is scheduled for Aug. 14-19, 2015. Other offerings in the works are Polar Bear, Northern Lights and Dark Sky photo tours. For guests who need to rent a camera and/or equipment, Fisher and Werner can assist with that as well. For more information, visit canadianphotoadventures.com.
Outdoor Adventure
Travelers looking for a little more outdoor adventure can take in the sites from above with Rockies Heli Canada’s tours, which include the Kananaskis Tours and the Icefields Tours for two very unique adventures.
As part of the Kananaskis Tours, Rockies Heli Canada offers the Explore the Rockies Tour ($195 pp), the Grand Rocky Mountain Tour ($325 pp), and the Ulitimate Alpine Glacier Tour ($695 pp). In addition, with Kananaskis Base located near Calgary, Banff and Canmore, your guests can also opt for a combo tour include Heli + Horseback Expedition ($325 pp and also offered in the Icefields series), Heli + White Water Rafting ($395 pp), and the Sunset Heli-Yoga adventure ($330 pp).
The Icefields Adventure series includes the 6 Glaciers Tour ($195 pp), the 6 Glaciers Tour + Twin Falls Hike ($270 pp), the Epic Summit + Icefields Tour ($325 pp), and The Complete Columbia Icefields Tour ($625 pp). Combo adventures are also offered such as the Discover Heli Backcountry Hiking ($475 pp), the Energize & Restore Summit ($659 pp), Alberta Exclusive Heli-Fishing Experience ($245 pp), and the Guided Greater Heights Heli Backcountry Camping experience ($750 pp for a 2-day adventure for groups of 4-10 guests). The Heli Backcountry Camping is designed for guests with camping experience who are seeking more adventure. The Icefields Aventure Base is located 25 minutes from Icefields Parkway at Saskatchewan Crossing, allowing Rockies Heli Canada to offer epic views and backcountry adventures through these tours.
Private tours are also available including the Love in the Rockies ($795 per couple), which is a romantic 20-minute flight with a 1-hour stop complete with Champagne, dessert and souvenir photos; this option can be upgraded to the Exclusive Love in the Rockies ($1,395 per couple) option, which bumps the flight to a 42-minute in air adventure. Romantic thrill-seekers can opt for the Heli-Weddings and Elopements, which includes the flight for the couple, the wedding commissioner, photographer, and guests, starting at $395 pp, as well as Champagne, a picnic lunch, and other details that can be added upon request. For more information, call (877) 591-0222 or visit rockiesheli.com.
Fun for All Seasons
Muktuk Adventures, which was named a Canadian Signature Experience by Destination Canada, offers Canadian fun for travelers during the warmer months. This family-owned operation houses 120 dogs on property, and guest accommodations as well. The ranch is located on 116 acres within the Ibex Valley, which offers guests dogsledding in the winter and kayaking, canoeing, hiking, and fishing experiences in the summer. This pet-friendly environment allows guests to bring their own four-legged friends with them, or enjoy the dogs on the ranch. Guests can opt for the bed and breakfast experience (rate starts at $109 per night dbl for a large room), or opt for one of two cabin categories—Riley’s Roost and Shilo’s Chalet—neither of the cabins have running water or electricity, however that’s all available at the main lodge.
Muktuk also offers half-day, full-day, or multi-day tour options. In the winter, guests can sled across a frozen river and over untouched snow with a team of Alaskan Huskies. A full-day Takhini River Day Trip includes training, feeding and interacting with the dogs and puppies, lunch on an open fire on the trail, a certified guide, winter gear, a lesson on how to harness and boot-up the dog team, instructions on driving the sled, hot beverages and snacks, and upgrades including a Taste of Yukon lunch or dinner experience. Rates start at $275 pp. The multi-day experiences include accommodations, home-cooked meals, continental breakfasts, a Taste of Yukon dinner, and dog sledding adventures; rates start at $1,800 pp. Guests can also opt to include half-day ice fishing, snow shoeing, or hiking along the ridge of Muktuk to their itinerary, or a day at the Wildlife Preserve and Hot Springs for an additional $50 pp or a snowmobile adventure for an added $15 pp.
Summer tour options include the full day Rookie for a Day Summer tour, which lets guests experience the ranch by assisting with the activities, participating in a river walk with the dogs, feeding and interacting with them, and lunch and hot beverages for guests. A Taste of Yukon lunch or dinner can also be added, as well as bed and breakfast accommodations. Rates start at $99 pp. Guests can also take the dogs canoeing or hiking along the trails with them, as well as opt for half-day camping trips. For more information, call (867) 633-4200 or visit muktuk.com.
