I have traveled mostly around Europe and Asia so far and thought of myself as experienced traveler. I’ve always planned my trips, but never that thoroughly as the one to Canada this June. Maybe because this one was my first across the ocean or I’ve dreamed about it so much I wanted it to be perfect.

If you are planning your Canadian Rockies trip and are looking for a little help, keep reading to learn how to squeeze the most of your 2 weeks in the Rockies and get inspired by our 14-day Canadian Rockies itinerary. I’ve combined all my pre-vacation research with our on-site experience to provide you with the best ideas on how to spend your time most enjoyably 😉

We arrived to Calgary on Thursday night and combined airport shuttle with walking to get to our hotel. It is quite easy to find the best bus for you. You can either check the lines on the official city transit website in advance, or in front of the arrivals building directly at the bus stops. There is also a bus stopping at particular hotels what is really convenient if you are staying at one of them. One ride costs $10. Otherwise, it is good to consider taking a cab, mainly on a rainy day and when traveling with suitcases. Next time I will go for this option too 🙂

Calgary offers many opportunities how to enjoy the city to its fullest. You can get along the downtown by walking or, alternatively, taking C-train which operates on stops from 8th Street SW to City Hall for free. Take a walk to the Bow tower and make your unique photo of the Wonderland sculpture, continue to colorful Olympic Plaza with the stop at Armengol statues and buy your ticket to the Calgary Tower to enjoy beautiful views over the city. On a nice sunny day, you will see the Canadian Rockies in the back. From the tower, walk down the 8 Avenue SE (Stephen Avenue SE) lined with restaurants, stores and souvenir shops and turn on the 2nd Street to get to the Prince’s Island Park. After some relax, do not forget to check out the popular Peace Bridge that will take you out of the city center.

For all hockey fans, I recommend to visit Scotiabank Saddledome, home to Calgary Flames. Except for visiting fan store, you can sign up for arena tour available usually on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays couple times a day. For everyone else, it is worth visit the arena, as it is the place for famous Calgary Stampede taking place in July. Climbing couple flight of stairs will take you to the Scotsman’s Hill providing amazing view of the Saddledome and downtown. Beautiful at both day and night 😉

On rainy days, you can visit Fort Calgary, Calgary zoo, Hangar Flight Museum, Military Museum, Glenbow Museum or Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame. You can choose according to your preferences or weather. We had one beautiful sunny day and one cold and rainy, so we divided our program for outside and inside activities.

On Sunday morning, the 3rd day of our trip, we rented the car and set off to the Banff National Park. You can also travel by train, however, we found the car far more comfortable for our individual program. It is better to arrange your car rent in advance, especially when you plan to take and return the car in different cities. It is more expensive and requires detailed search for the best deals. Based on our positive experience, I recommend Alamo Rent A Car Downtown. They had great customer service, car was in excellent condition, and the price was the best I found.

We left Calgary at noon and took us approximately 3,5 hours to get to Johnston Canyon Resort, where we were staying for two nights of our Banff adventures. You should make this distance under 2 hours, however, we stopped for lunch on the way and made a little trip off the highway to Kananaskis Country. It is always better to allocate more time for traveling around, mostly on the longer transits, as the nature around is beautiful and you may want to stop at every corner 🙂 Or, you spot a bear and want to take a picture 🙂

We decided to stay in Johnston Canyon Resort for couple reasons. Firstly, it has strategic location, quite close to all the attractions we planned to visit. Secondly, it is not that crowded as Banff Town. Thirdly, cabin resort sounded very promising for spotting some wildlife.

After we arrived to Banff, we headed to Marble Canyon, Kootenay NP, BC. It was so beautiful that we  stayed until sun went down, thus didn’t manage to prolong the hike to Paint Pots. However, it is still a possibility for you. Then you can let me know what we’ve missed 🙂

On Monday, the 4th day of our trip, we set off to Lake Minnewanka where we spent whole morning. It is a beautiful place to wander around, relax and take photos. You can also tour the largest Banff lake on a panoramic 1-hour interpretive cruise and watch for wildlife and waterfalls. Do not forget to stop at Two Jack Lake situated right “behind the corner.” It is a perfect place for a picnic on a sunny summer day.

We dedicated afternoon to Banff Town area. First, we took Banff Gondola to the top of Sulphur Mountain and enjoyed the view of six mountain ranges. This view is amazing on a sunny day, you can see Banff Town and also Lake Minnewanka and Two Jack Lake in the back. Then we headed down back to the town, shopped for some souvenirs and enjoyed delicious dinner. In Banff Town, there are so many great restaurants. You won’t be able to decide which to try first. However, it can be difficult to find a table during lunch and dinner hours. We had the very good experience and food at the Maple Leaf on Caribou St.

On Day 5 we left Johnston Canyon and headed to Field, Yoho NP, BC, where we stayed for 3 nights. There was something special about this place – surrounded by mountains, accessible only by crossing the Kicking Horse River and railway, deserted. There were only two places where there were people – in Truffle Pigs Bistro and at the Visitor Centre.

As it was little rainy, we went to Emerald Lake in the evening. It is about 15-minute drive. Hike around the lake takes up to 2 hours, so allocate enough time. You can also rent a canoe and enjoy some time on the lake. We wanted to see also Takakkaw Falls, however, the road was closed for the avalanche. Hope you will be luckier 😉

Next morning, we headed to Lake Louise for some hiking. There are more trails to choose from. Always check the elevation and its difficulty to pick the one that suits you best. We took nearly all of them 🙂 We set off on a trail leading to the Lake Agnes Tea House. At Mirror Lake we changed the direction to the Plain Of Six Glaciers. This trail offers beautiful views on the surrounding mountains and six glaciers. When visiting at the beginning of summer, you will need to cross couple avalanches on this trail. On the way back we took the trail leading to the Big Beehive and then to the Lake Agnes Tea House. With 12 kilometers on feet, we were looking forward to some refreshments. We arrived 30 minutes past closing hours, however, everyone was nice and they served us with what was left 🙂

Our last day spent in Banff we enjoyed yet again at the Lake Louise area – this time canoeing on the lake. We enjoyed solitude the vast lake offered and views of the surrounding trails full of tourists. In the afternoon, we took Lake Louise Gondola, known for the best grizzly bear viewing in the Canadian Rockies. You can choose from an open chair or fully enclosed gondola and enjoy the ride with views of Rocky Mountains and its glaciers and fortunately the promised wildlife. We took the open chair to take better photos of the grizzly, however, that day he hasn’t showed up.

Once you reach the top, you can take a hike in the bear country, have a lunch at the local restaurant or learn something more about wildlife in the Wildlife Interpreting Centre.

On Friday morning, we set off on our Icefields Parkway adventure. Amazing Peyto Lake was our first stop. I recommend that you arrive there early in the morning. We made it after 9am and there were already some tourists. However, the trail to the Bow Summit was abandoned and we could enjoy our private hike 🙂 One hour later, the lookout was already crowded and groups started heading up the trail too.

From Peyto Lake we continued directly to the Columbia Icefield Glacier Discovery Centre, starting point for Athabasca Glacier adventure. Drive takes less than 1,5 hours, including a stop to take photos of a black bear family by the road 🙂

If you decide to visit this attraction, it is better to book ahead. To save some money, I recommend checking various attraction packages at Brewster website and pick the one you like the most. After buying your discounted package, it will ask you to choose specific date and time of your visit. You can also skip this step, but do remember to book it at least 2 days before you head out for the first one.
If you are visiting in the highest season, best times can be already full, so it might be beneficial to book it a bit sooner 😉 Again, the best time to visit to avoid crowds is before 11am or after 3pm. Mornings and early evenings are also the best times for wildlife sightings. For more information and attraction’s operating dates and hours, visit individual attraction websites.

Glacier adventure was our second attraction from the package. We arrived to the Discovery Centre two hours in advance. It gave us plenty time to have lunch, enjoy coffee with the view of four glaciers and visit souvenir shop. 15 minutes before the adventure was due, we lined up in the queue for the departure. First, bus takes you to the point from which you set off to the Athabasca Glacier and as second, you will go to the Glacier Skywalk to enjoy beautiful views.

I won’t reveal more regarding these attractions, so I don’t spoil your experience 🙂 Just one last recommendation – prepare for the weather, in mountains it can easily change within minutes. Take both sunscreen and rain jacket with you.

After the glacier adventure, we continued our journey to Jasper, where we arrived before 6pm. It gave us enough time to walk around the city, enjoy delicious dinner and prepare for the new day.

We started Saturday once again in the early morning. We set off to the Jasper SkyTram Gondola. As we arrived there slightly after 9am, there were only couple cars in the parking lot, no one in queue for the tickets and we caught the 4th tram of the day.

At the upper station, there is only one restaurant, one souvenir shop and couple trails. It was too windy and cold on top of Whistler Mountains, however, it was worth all the freezing. The views were amazing. We wandered around for about two hours, but you can set off on a longer hike – as far as the snow will allow you (according the season you pick for the visit).

In the afternoon, we headed to Maligne Lake, about 50-minute drive from Jasper. We booked the boat cruise as a part of Brewster package, as our last parks adventure. If the weather is nice, you can arrive well ahead and enjoy walks around the lake. Before the cruise, do not forget to stop for lunch or take some snack with you as it takes 1,5 hours. It is the only (comfortable) way to get to the famous Spirit Island.

You can also choose to rent a canoe or kayak at the shore to enjoy the lake and get to the Spirit Island. However, you have to be very cautious. Maligne Lake is approximately 22 km long and the Island is located somewhere in the middle. Therefore, prepare for a round trip long 28 km taking up to 8 hours. Before deciding for this option, make sure you have some experience with canoe and packed all the safety equipment, food and water. Be prepared for possible weather changes and very cold water. You can make the trip in one day or stay overnight. Check campgrounds in advance, as they are accessible from the boat only.

We spent the evening yet again in town and packed for the next day on the roads. You have a possibility to visit Miette Hot Springs that are an hour drive from Jasper. For more things to do in Jasper as well as visitor safety information, visit website of Parks Canada.

On Sunday morning, we left Jasper and started our long drive to Okanagan Valley. To have some rest, I recommend making a short stop in the Mount Robson Provincial Park. We visited the Mount Robson Visitor Centre, reached in one hour. We enjoyed the view on Mount Robson, jumped in lavender field for more interesting photos and drank a cup of coffee.

Our next stop was nearly 4 hours later, in Kamloops. After lunch break we decided to visit local Wildlife Park to stretch our legs and see those wild animals we weren’t lucky to meet yet. It would be nice experience if it wouldn’t be too hot outside, so most of the animals were hidden 😀

Leaving Kamloops, we changed our direction from the one heading down to Vancouver and continued in direction to Kelowna. Without any further stops we arrived to our final destination after 5pm and managed short walk around the night city.

We were bit unlucky, as the only day planned in Kelowna was cloudy and everything looked so sad. At least it wasn’t raining as it was on the days prior our visit. As a result, all the areas around Okanagan Lake were flooded and restricted.

We walked through the city to get to Okanagan Lake where we explored Kelowna City Park and Kerry Park. We witnessed some photo shooting in Kasugai Gardens, passed the Kelowna City Hall and the Bear statue to Stuart Park. On the way around yacht club we played Canada 150 piano and continued to Waterfront Park.

In the afternoon, we hiked to the top of the Knox mountain and enjoyed the view of the city and Okanagan Lake. As it was really beautiful up there, we came back the next morning before leaving to Vancouver. Sunny weather with couple fluffy clouds prepared perfect conditions for the last photos from Kelowna.

Drive to Vancouver took approximately 3 hours. Skyscrapers, traffic jams and too much noise welcomed us in the most expensive Canadian city. Our first stop was in front of our hotel. It had to be very short as there was no place for parking and honking cars didn’t gave us rest either. Quickly we headed across the city to return our car. I recommend you checking in advance where the car rental is located so you don’t stress out. Alamo rental was situated in the underground parking lot of Vancouver Convention Centre. This confused us a bit 🙂

By saying goodbye to our rented car (that somehow became a member of our little crew) we had no more responsibilities expect for explore the city. With coffee to go we started right at Canada place and continued along the harbor. In the evening, we enjoyed English Bay Beach and walked the Beach Ave leading to Stanley Park.

We spent three sunny days in Vancouver exploring what city had to offer. I recommend visiting the Lookout Tower. As the ticket is valid one day, you can go up during the day and get back also in the evening either during sunset or after dark falls.

On your walks around the city, don’t miss the Gastown and its famous Steam clock, Robson street full of lights in the evening, China town, Vancouver Public Library, Science World, Olympic Village, Granville Island Public Market, Sunset beach with Inukshuk, iconic stone sculpture.

You will need one day to enjoy Stanley park to the fullest. Don’t miss Totem poles, lighthouse, 9 O’Clock Gun or Girl in a Wet Suit statue on your walks around the park. Get lost in the wilderness around Lost Lagoon, have a swim in the Second Beach Swimming Pool with the view of the ocean or visit Vancouver Aquarium. To make your sightseeing quicker and more effective, you can rent a bicycle. Be careful, lookout for crowds and pedestrians.

Capilano Suspension bridge is my favorite attraction to be found in Vancouver. It is park situated in a rain forest about 15-minute drive from Canada place. Except for the suspension bridge that is 140 metres long and 70 meters above the ground, there is a system of bridges in the treetops and skywalk around the cliff. If you pass all the attractions and collect stamps situated nearby them properly, you will receive certificate “I made it across world-famous Capilano Suspension Bridge.”

There is also Lynn Canyon Suspension bridge that is good alternative. You can find there several hiking trails throughout the park to choose from or just enjoy family picnic.

Once again, for all hockey fans I recommend visiting Rogers arena – home to Vancouver Canukcs. You can choose from three times offered three days in a week. To check the times and book your tour, visit Rogers arena’s website. For only $12.00 per ticket, you will get access inside the arena and get 15% discount in the fan store.

I think that three days in Vancouver are not enough. I would recommend at least four, as there is so much to see. We didn’t manage to enjoy seaplane tour that is very popular by tourists. You can choose from wide offer. For example, 30-minute seaplane tour of Vancouver costs approx. $110, while a day trip to Whistler costs more than $300.

Grouse mountain, theme park celebrating the outdoor and cultural heritage of British Columbia, is located only 8 miles north from Vancouver. You can take Skyride aerial tram to get to the top for just $40. I saw only photos from this place, so I put it on my list for the next visit 🙂

I hope that my brief overview (as this is the topic for a thick book) of the Canadian Rockies itinerary has painted a clearer picture for you. In case you are decided about your itinerary and need any additional help with organizing your trip (such as booking accommodation, renting a car, save on local adventures, etc), read my blog on how to plan your Ultimate Rockies Experience.

Love & happy travels,
RLT

P.S.: If you have any blog related question or suggestion, please share it in a comment below 😉