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If you’ve read the news at all in the past couple of weeks, you’ll know that the Queen and Sir David Attenborough are presenting an ITV documentary together. The programme will feature the Queen’s Commonwealth Canopy project, which seeks to develop a network of national forests across the Commonwealth.
As part of the documentary, it features William and Kate’s Royal Tour of Canada in 2016. The Duke and Duchess visited some of the most beautiful spots in British Columbia, with the adorable George and Charlotte in tow.
The itinerary for Will and Kate’s visit included Victoria, Vancouver, Haida Gwaii, Kelowna and Bella Bella in British Columbia, as well as Carcross and Whitehorse in the Yukon.
We wrote an article about their tour so if you’ve got an up and coming holiday in Canada, here’s our advice on how to holiday like a royal. BC’s West Coast is a stunning destination and there are some great things to do once you’re there.
Vancouver, British Columbia
To follow in the Royal couple’s footsteps we recommend you get a flight to Vancouver from either Gatwick, Glasgow or Manchester.
Once you have touched down, there are a huge variety of things you can do in this stunning coastal city. We’ve picked a few of our favourites:
Grouse Mountain
As featured in an article about the top attractions in Vancouver, Grouse Mountain is somewhat of an outdoor paradise.
It is a popular destination for skiing during the winter months, but during the summer visitors can go hiking, zip lining and paragliding.
There is also the Refuge for Endangered Wildlife that you can visit, home to two of Vancouver’s most famous resident Grizzly bears, Grinder and Coola.
Museum of Anthropology
Located at the University of British Columbia, the Museum of Anthropology offers visitors the perfect introduction to Vancouver.
The museum, which is just half an hour from downtown Vancouver, gives an insight into the First Nations culture and history and has collections that include the Northwest Coast First Nations art as well as stunning carvings and contemporary artwork.
Bella Bella, British Columbia
The next stop on the itinerary for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge was Bella Bella, an hour and a half flight from Vancouver.
Located on Campbell Island in the Central Coast region of British Columbia, this Indian Reserve is today where the main Heiltsuk community live. The Heiltsuk are the indigenous people of the Central Coast region in British Columbia.
The Great Bear Rainforest
As well as visiting Bella Bella, Prince William and Duchess Kate explored the wilderness of the Great Bear Rainforest on a flightseeing tour.
The rainforest is home to beautiful waterfalls and 250 miles of temperate rainforest. Living up to its name, the Great Bear Rainforest is the only place in the world where you can see the ethereal white Kermode (Spirit) bear.
Visitors can also see the iconic grizzly bear, humpback whales and sea lions during their visit to this natural phenomenon.
Kelowna, British Columbia
After a three hour and 35 minute flight, the next stop for Will and Kate was Kelowna in the south of the British Columbia province.
Bear Creek Provincial Park
Bear Creek Provincial Park is a natural wonderland and is home to more than 400 metres of sandy beaches and 5km of hiking trails that go through lush forests and around picturesque lakes.
There is lots of wildlife living in the park with the resident bears living side-by-side to other incredible animals such as coyotes, hawks, owls and swallows to name a few.
Kelowna Art Gallery
The art gallery is based in the heart of Kelowna’s Cultural District and offers visitors the chance to explore both historical and contemporary Canadian art.
As part of its permanent collection, the Kelowna Art Gallery has over 800 works of art on show, but there are a whole host of other events from documentary screenings to cultural days that the gallery puts on throughout the year.
Whitehorse, Yukon
The Royal tour of Canada also headed to Whitehorse, which is the capital of Canada’s Yukon Territory, and is a four and a half hour flight from Kelowna.
If you head to Whitehorse then there are plenty of places you should try to visit.
The Yukon Beringia Interpretive Centre
The Yukon Beringia Interpretive Centre offers visitors a window into Yukon’s past and has incredible dioramas of extinct ice age animals and complete skeletons of some of the region’s most iconic animals.
The centre is dedicated to the presentation and preservation of the First Nations and scientific history and has welcomed over 350,000 visitors through its doors.
Takhini Hot Springs
If you fancy a short road trip whilst in Whitehorse, then the Takhini Hot Springs are certainly worth a visit.
The hot springs have been in operation for over 100 years and the two pools located there offer visitors the chance to relax in 36 ° and 42° Celsius water.
The attraction is one of the most visited attractions in Yukon and is open all year.
Carcross, Yukon
If you have rented a car in Canada then just a 50 minute drive away from Whitehorse is Carcross and this was one of the last stops on the Royal tour.
Here Prince William and Kate learned about the history of the area and visitors can learn how Carcross was once a fishing and hunting camp before the Klondike Gold Rush arrived. The gold rush saw an estimated 100,000 prospectors come to the region in search of gold.
Nowadays the population of Carcross is believed to be just below 300.
Haida Gwaii, British Columbia
The Duke and Duchess also visited Haida Gwaii as part of their Royal tour. One of the best ways to explore this beautiful and remote archipelago is by canoe, like the royal couple did.
While you’re there, stop off at SGang Gwaay, which is one of the top 10 UNESCO world heritage sites in Canada.
SGang Gwaay has huge cultural significance to the Haida people, who were the first settlers on the island. The village boasts the remains of cedar long houses and memorial poles that commemorates the Haida people.
Victoria, British Columbia
The Royal couple headed to Victoria at the beginning and end of their trip. A trip to Victoria for either a short city break or a longer stay is well worth it as there is so much to enjoy there.
Visit Butchart Gardens
The breath-taking 55 acres of gardens can be visited year round and in autumn, visitors like Will and Kate, can see the Japanese maples turning gold and red.
There is always something to see year round in the Gardens, with the Rose Garden in full bloom during summer and the tulips, daffodils and hyacinths out in full force in spring. In winter, an outdoor skating rink opens up for a truly magical experience within the gardens.
Head to Craigdarroch Castle
This national historic site is certainly worth visiting when you are in Victoria as not only is it a beautiful example of Victorian architecture, but by ascending the 87 steps to the top of the tower it allows visitors to get the best views in Victoria.
Image Credit: tsaiproject, SMJones (shutterstock), James Brooks
