Grand Canadian Rockies

About this trip

Exactly what you do each day, where you sleep, and how it flows — written by us, from the real itinerary.

1. 1
   Day 1 · VancouverVancouver

   You'll meet the group at 6 pm in Vancouver. If you arrive early, wander Yaletown or Granville Island's markets before settling into this coastal city, where the Coastal Mountains rise dramatically to the east.

2. 2
   Day 2 · VancouverWhistler

   Drive north via Stanley Park's totem poles and Shannon Falls, stopping at Squamish Lil'Wat Cultural Centre to learn about First Nations history and grab lunch at the on-site café. Arrive in Whistler Village for an orientation walk past shops and restaurants.

3. 3
   Day 3 · WhistlerWhistler

   Explore Whistler on your own terms: ride the PEAK 2 PEAK gondola for views of volcanic peaks, bike the Valley Trail to Lost Lake, hike the Lost Lake Nature Trail, or visit the Audain Art Museum for First Nations and British Columbian art.

4. 4
   Day 4 · WhistlerSun Peaks

   Drive to Sun Peaks, a mountain township with sweeping views. Hike the Sunburst Loop for the full experience, or take the shorter Shuswap Medicine Trail to learn about local flora and traditional First Nations medicines before group dinner.

5. 5
   Day 5 · Jasper National ParkJasper

   

   Head to Jasper National Park, Canada's largest Rocky Mountain park, home to elk, moose, grizzly bears and more. Stop at Mt Robson Provincial Park to walk through wildflower meadows, then explore Jasper village and surroundings.

6. 6
   Day 6 · Jasper National ParkJasper

   Free day in Jasper. Visit Maligne Lake for hiking and optional boat cruises past Spirit Island, walk the Mary Schaeffer or Moose Lake trails, bike around Beauvert Lake, or ride the Jasper SkyTram for mountain views.

7. 7
   Day 7 · Banff National ParkBanff National Park

   

   Long day driving to Banff with stops at Columbia Icefields Centre and Sunwapta Falls, plus optional professional glacier hike at your expense. Reach Banff National Park, Canada's oldest, with valleys and peaks formed over 75 million years.

8. 8
   Day 8 · Lake LouiseLake Louise / Banff National Park

   

   Visit Lake Louise via the easy Waterfront Trail or steeper Fairview Lookout hike, explore the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise, then soak in Banff Upper Hot Springs' mineral waters. The park offers canoeing and other adventure activities.

9. 9
   Day 9 · Banff National ParkCalgary

   

   Meet a guide from Yellowstone to Yukon (Y2Y) to learn about wildlife corridors spanning both countries. Drive across the Rockies to Calgary via Canmore for lunch, arriving in this oil-and-mining hub with a growing food and nightlife scene.

10. 10
    Day 10 · CalgaryCalgary

    No planned activities. Depart at any time, respecting your hotel's check-out time.

What's included

• Guide: All group trips are accompanied by one of our group leader or local representative. The aim of the group leader or local representative is to take the hassle out of your travels and to help you have the best trip possible. Intrepid endeavours to provide the services of an experienced group leader or local representative however, due to the seasonality of travel, rare situations may arise where your group leader or local representative is new to a particular region or training other group leader or local representative. Your group leader or local representative will provide information on the places you are travelling through, offer suggestions for things to do and see, recommend great local eating venues and introduce you to our local friends. While not being guides in the traditional sense, you can expect them to have a broad general knowledge of the places visited on the trip, including historical, cultural, religious, and social aspects. At Intrepid we aim to support local guides who have specialised knowledge of the regions we visit. If you are interested in delving deeper into the local culture at a specific site or location then your group leader or local representative can recommend a local guide service in most of the main destinations of your trip. , NORTH AMERICAN LEADERS: Our leaders in the US and Canada are also responsible for driving the van and navigating across the country. The allowable driving times for drivers is strictly controlled in North America. This ensures our drivers are well rested and are not over-tired from too many hours on the roads. It's strictly forbidden for non-qualified rangers to present any information about some National Parks in North America, therefore we adopt a system (as requested by the park rangers) where our leader will encourage travellers to visit the information centres in the National Parks for details about the site.
• Meals: 3 lunches, 1 dinner
• Activities: Squamish Lil'wat Cultural Centre Visit Whistler - Leader-led orientation walk Jasper National Park - Entrance Fee Mt. Robson Provincial Park - Wildflower walk Visit to Maligne Lake Icefields Parkway - Sightseeing Stops including Sunwapta Falls Banff Upper Hotsprings Visit to Lake Louise Banff - Walk and talk with Y2Y Wildlife Conservation guide
• Transport: AIRPORT TRANSFERS IN THE USA : & CANADA: We recommend taxis and rideshare services like Lyft and Uber when traveling to and from hotels in the USA : and Canada. These services are widely available across North America, offering convenient and accessible transportation options. Private transfers in North America incur high costs and present an increased risk of missed connections due to their fixed schedules. In contrast, taxis and rideshares offer both cost-effectiveness and flexibility, ensuring a smoother journey. With transparent pricing, GPS : tracking, and on-demand availability, we believe that taxis and rideshare apps not only offer a reliable alternative to private transfers but also provide a secure, trustworthy, and budget-friendly transportation option for our customers. , NORTH AMERICA VEHICLES: Our large fleet of 15-passenger vans are fully equipped with air-conditioning system, V8 engines and any camping or cooking equipment needed for your trip. Most have cloth-upholstered seats and carpeted interior with radio or CD players. Your luggage is typically transported in a trailer which is towed behind the van. The vans are regularly serviced by a well-established network of maintenance and service facilities throughout the continent. However, unforeseen maintenance problems can still occur while on the road and we appreciate the patience of our travellers as we make necessary repairs as quickly as possible. While your group will have a van for all included activities on the trip, the services of the van and leader may not be available for your use during free time, or after you have arrived for the day. If you need a special trip into town you may need to arrange transport or a taxi. Private Vehicle
• Accommodation: The style of accommodation indicated in the day-to-day itinerary is a guideline only and may change. On some occasions, alternative arrangements may need to be made due to the lack of availability of rooms in our preferred accommodation. In these cases, we will use a similar standard of accommodation. Throughout the trip, we request that our properties prepare rooms in time for our arrival, especially if we're arriving prior to normal check-in time. However, this isn't always possible which means we won't be able to check-in immediately on arrival at some hotels. Instead, we can store our luggage and explore our new destination or on some trips, have use of shared day rooms until all rooms are available. Hotel (8 nights), Lodge (1 night)

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