Fun tour awaits William and Kate

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's official tour of Canada will be a "fun", hands-on affair,

William and Kate will sample local food, dress up for events and not just be impartial observers but take part in activities and spend time with young people during their first overseas tour as husband and wife.

Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton, the couple's private secretary, said: "The royal couple are delighted that Canada will be their first tour together and the Canadians have put together an extremely welcoming and well-balanced programme of meaningful engagements, mixed with fun and lots of opportunities to get to know Canada and Canadians better."

William and Kate begin their tour of Canada next Thursday and after arriving on a Royal Canadian Air Force plane, will go on to visit the country's cenotaph and tomb of the unknown warrior in the capital Ottawa to pay their respects.

On Friday, July 1, the Duke and Duchess will attend the Canada Day celebrations.

Other highlights of the tour will see the couple play starring roles on opposing vessels during a dragon boat race across a lake while on Prince Edward Island. Local delicacies will be on their menu while in this region of Canada, from chocolate-covered potato crisps to lobster.

William will show off his skills as an RAF search and rescue helicopter pilot when he joins his Canadian counterparts for a demonstration of how to land a Sea King on water.

In Quebec City they will join a cooking workshop with students from the prestigious Institut de Tourisme et d'hotellerie du Quebec. And walkabouts will feature throughout their nine-day tour, enabling the couple and Canadians to meet each other.

William and Kate will visit the remote city of Yellowknife in the Northwest Territories and in the final stage of the tour, they will attend the start of the world-famous Calgary Stampede - an annual rodeo, exhibition and festival.

At the end of their visit the couple will leave Canada for California for a three-day trip from July 8 to 10, where the highlight will be a glittering Bafta black-tie reception in Los Angeles.

Read More: Yahoo