- Sulphur Mountain Gondola Banff
- UNESCO World Heritage Site Banff National Park
- Bow Valley Parkway and Bow Falls
- Minnewanka Lake
- Buffalo Museum
- Yoho National Park
- Lake Louise
- Ice Explorer Ride on Athabasca Glacier
- Icefields Parkway helicopter tour
- Jasper National Park
- Maligne Canyon & Maligne Lake
- Transportation by comfortable coach
- Professional Tour Leader
- 7 nights of accommodation
- 13 meals: 7 breakfasts, 1 boxed lunch, 5 dinners
- 5% provincial tax on top of tour base rate
- Gratuities to driver (Recommend $3-$4 per person per day)
- Gratuities to guide (Recommend $5-$7 per person per day)
- Meals not listed
- Attractions not listed
- Credit card payment fees, where applicable
- Airfare — domestic and international (Unless Specified)
- Travel insurance (Strongly recommended, ask us for a quote!)
- Items of a personal nature
AVAILABILITY
START DATE
END DATE
PRICE
SINGLE SUPPLEMENT
DEPOSIT
AVAILABLE
Sun, 20 Aug 2023
Sun, 27 Aug 2023
$1,220 USD
$500 USD
Welcome to Calgary, the largest city in the western province of Alberta. While you are here to experience the bucket list adventure experience of travelling through the breath-taking Canadian Rockies, take some time to explore the award-winning architectural masterpiece of Calgary’s Public Library, walk along the scenic Bow Valley River pathways or experience the buzz of downtown Stephen Avenue with its stores and restaurants. We suggest you take some time to visit the Calgary Tower, where you can ascend the 190.8-meter free-standing observation tower in the heart of Downtown Calgary. Our Tour Leader will join you for an evening pre-tour briefing and you will meet your fellow travellers. Calgary’s dining scene is incredibly diverse and the best in western Canada.
Overnight: Calgary
Meals: Dinner
This morning, we embark on a tour of Calgary and discover the history, arts and culture that define the city. Explore unique communities including Eau Claire, Kensington, and Inglewood, named the best neighbourhood in Canada in 2014. Next, we will drive through the scenic town of Canmore and then to Banff, at the centre of Canada’s very first National Park. After checking-in to our hotel, there will be some free time to browse through Banff village centre before dinner with our travel companions.Nestled high in the Canadian Rockies, the town of Banff is located within the Banff National Park. Once “Siding 29” on the Canadian Pacific Railway, the town of Banff was intended to be a tourist town from its very inception. The park’s first superintendent, George Stewart, even oriented the town’s first street so that it offered the best possible view of Cascade Mountain. With easy access to pristine wilderness, outdoor adventures, jaw-dropping landscape, and vibrant history, there are many places to visit in Banff and Lake Louise.
Overnight: Banff
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
The town of Banff is a spirited place, and in every direction you are surrounded by strikingly beautiful and rugged mountains that seem to burst straight out of the ground. The town site of Banff covers almost 4 km2 and is at an elevation of 1,383 meters (4,537 feet), making it the highest town in Canada. Banff is flanked on all sides by towering mountains, including Mount Rundle, Sulphur Mountain, Mount Norquay, and Cascade Mountain. You may see a herd of elk wandering down the main street during your early morning walk. The lively streets of downtown are lined with top-class restaurants, bars, and shops, as well as a vibrant range of art galleries and museums. We will explore Banff on a sightseeing tour with stops at Cascade Gardens and beautiful Bow Falls, then ride the gondola up Sulphur Mountain for an unparalleled view of the mountains and valley below. Also, time is included at the Cave & Basin National Historic Site, which tells the story of the hot springs that drew visitors to Banff and led to the creation of the National Park. We will also visit the Buffalo Nations Luxton Museum to see the extraordinary heritage of the First Nations People of the Northern Plains and Canadian Rockies.
Overnight: Banff
Meals: Breakfast
This morning we drive along the famous Bow Valley Parkway, where wildlife sightings of caribou, elk, and occasionally, bears, are common so keep your cameras handy. We drive to Lake Minnewanka to see this pristine lake nestled in the heart of the Canadian Rockies before crossing the Continental Divide to the western slopes of the Rocky Mountain range into Yoho National Park in British Columbia. The awe-inspiring Emerald Lake, filled with glacial run-off water that makes it glisten with the blue-green hue of an emerald, is also one of our stops today. We drive back into Alberta and our destination of Lake Louise, a jewel of the Rockies surrounded by glistening glaciers and towering snow-capped mountain peaks. You may have seen photos of the lake, but you will not be prepared for the experience of rounding the corner, getting the first sight of the emerald, green waters and the rugged peaks as a backdrop. Late in the day, with the glowing sun dropping behind Mount Victoria, you have likely never seen anything so dramatically beautiful.
Overnight: Lake Louise
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Travelling through the heart of the Canadian Rockies, we drive along the famous Icefields Parkway which has been voted one of the most spectacular drives in the world. You will see for yourself why this mountain road that boasts a unique landscape rich in history and natural beauty second to none is so famous. A short distance later at The Crossing, one of a few stops along this spectacular highway, we take a short detour to the shores of Abraham Lake to experience the Rockies from a completely different perspective with a thrilling helicopter ride over the Rocky Mountains. We rejoin the parkway and later arrive at the famous Columbia Icefields whose waters feed three oceans; we visit the Interpretive Centre and have the experience of a lifetime - a ride on the Ice Explorer vehicle for a close look at the Athabasca Glacier. Finally, at the end of this exciting day, we see the powerful Athabasca Falls before driving to Jasper.
Overnight: Jasper
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Originally a tiny railway town, Jasper's small-town charm is very different from the alpine resort-style glamour of Banff. Surrounded by towering mountains, crystal clear lakes, and abundant wildlife, Jasper town located within the Jasper National Park is a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site. A full day of sightseeing follows including a gentle walk down Maligne Canyon to see how the water has carved spectacular crevices out of the mountain. Our journey takes us through 45 km of the most spectacular scenery anywhere in the Canadian Rockies. The Maligne Valley is home to a wide range of flora and fauna and has geological features unique anywhere in the world. Our journey will be searching for abundant wildlife while explaining the history and natural wonders to be explored. As we continue into the Valley we will rise into the sub-alpine forests and view the expanding ranges of limestone rising out of Medicine Lake. This mysterious disappearing lake will change seasonally as the flow rates of melt waters fill and empty this basin. A stop is made to photograph this natural wonder and your guide will trace its history with you. From Medicine Lake, we continue up through a forest that is prime habitat for moose, and bears. Sightings are common but not guaranteed as we are trying to view these animals in their natural habitat.At world famous Maligne Lake you take in beautiful lake vistas on the famous Maligne Lake Boat Cruise. On the boat ride, the local guide will share some details on the ecology and history of this spectacularly beautiful location.
Overnight: Jasper
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
After an easy morning in Jasper, we head east through the towns of Hinton and Edson, to Edmonton, Alberta`s capital, and a popular Canadian city to visit. The evening is ours to explore at leisure. Summer and fall in Edmonton is the time to explore the city’s scenic riverfront pathways. Time permitting, we suggest you enjoy immersive experiences at the Royal Alberta Museum and the Art Gallery of Alberta, or embrace some fun (and shopping) at the famous West Edmonton Mall on your own. There is much to do in Edmonton. Edmonton’s culinary scene is also known across Canada and beyond.
Overnight: Edmonton
Meals: Breakfast
Our epic Rocky Mountain journey ends this morning as we head home with memories of the stunning landscapes that we have passed through and the hospitality of the people who call this home.
Meals: Breakfast