THE WEST COAST AND THE ROCKIES AT YOUR OWN PACE

DAY 1. FLIGHT AND ARRIVAL IN VANCOUVER
Arrival to Vancouver airport. Reception of the rental vehicle. Transfer to our accommodation.

Hotel accommodation, Vancouver.

DAY 2. VANCOUVER Y PUENTE CAPILANO
Breakfast.

Full day to visit the capital of British Columbia. With 2,300,000 inhabitants, it is the third largest metropolitan area in Canada, behind Toronto and Montreal. We recommend visiting the Capilano Bridge, 140 meters long and suspended 70 meters above the Capilano river, first thing in the morning. At noon you can explore Stanley Park on foot or by bicycle, to enjoy nature and the views of the Vancouver Skyline. In the afternoon we can visit the Vancouver Pier and stroll through the old neighborhood of Gastown and Chinatown.

Hotel accommodation, Vancouver.

DAy 3. VANCOUVER  – WHISTLER
Breakfast.

Full day to visit the capital of British Columbia. With 2,300,000 inhabitants, it is the third largest metropolitan area in Canada, behind Toronto and Montreal. We recommend visiting the Capilano Bridge, 140 meters long and suspended 70 meters above the Capilano river, first thing in the morning. At noon you can explore Stanley Park on foot or by bicycle, to enjoy nature and the views of the Vancouver Skyline. In the afternoon we can visit the Vancouver Pier and stroll through the old neighborhood of Gastown and Chinatown.

Hotel accommodation, Vancouver.

DAY 4. WHISTLER
Day to enjoy the environment of the Whistler Mountains. There are numerous trails to walk and discover forests, valleys, lakes and glaciers. You can also climb one of its spectacular cable cars, including the Peak to Peak Gondola, a cable car that connects the Blackcomb and Whistler mountains, with a route of more than 3 km without support. Another point of interest is to climb to the top of Whistler’s Peak through the chairlift and cross the “Cloudraker Skybrigde” suspension bridge.

Hotel accommodation, Whistler.

DAY 5. WHISTLER – CLEARWATER
Long driving day (425 km) to Clearwater. 60 km north of Whistler we find the Joffrey Lakes Provincial Park. A nice 2-3 hr hike links the 3 lakes located in a stepped valley at the foot of Mount Matier (2,783 m). The forest is beautiful and the turquoise hue of the lakes is truly amazing. At noon we will depart for Clearwater, 4h30 of trip through the flatter regions of this part of Columbia and crossing the town of Kamloops.

Hotel accommodation, Clearwater.

DAY 6. CLEARWATER – JASPER
In the morning we will enter the extensive Wells Grays Provincial Park, the fourth largest in British Columbia and crossed by the Clearwater River. The main attraction of the park is the visit to its spectacular waterfalls. We recommend three of them: Spahats Falls, a 60-meter jump over a colossal circus and rocky canyon; Dawson Falls, a wide waterfall as a river rapids and finally, perhaps the most famous, the 144-meter-high Helmcken Falls. On the way back to Clearwater we will continue on Highway 5 for about 215 km until we reach the intersection with Highway 16 at Tête Jaune Cache. We are very close to Mount Robson, the highest mountain in the Canadian Rockies with its 3,954 meters high. From the park’s visitor center we will have a nice view of its Southwest face, a wall almost 3,000 meters high. Continuing east, bordering Moose Lake and Yellowhead Lake, until you reach Portal Lake, a border point between British Columbia and Alberta. You can make a short stop in the rest area to enjoy the surroundings of this lake. Beyond, in about 25 km we will reach Jasper, a town of just 5,000 inhabitants with a train station, and which lives essentially from tourism.

Hotel accommodation, Jasper.

DAY 7. JASPER
First day to explore Jasper National Park, one of the jewels of the Canadian Rockies. In the morning it is recommended to take the road that leads to Maligne Lake and enjoy a walk (there are several, the most recommended are Marie Schäffer Loop or Moose Lake Loop) or a boat trip, with views of the emblematic peaks of Mt Charlton, Queen Elizabeth, Samson Peak, Mt. Paul and Mt. Warren. At noon, you return along the same road, stopping at the Medicine Lake viewpoint, and then arriving at Maligne Canyon. Here we can make the walk to know the 6 bridges over the canyon. The total route is 4 km. In the afternoon we can move to the north sector of the Park, to take a relaxing bath in the thermal waters of Miette Hot Springs, or to explore the lakes near Jasper by car: Patricia Lake and Pyramid Lake.

Hotel accommodation, Jasper.

DAY 8. JASPER
Second day in Jasper National Park. In the morning we will drive to the foot of one of the park’s most emblematic mountains, Mount Edith Cavell (3,363 m). A narrow paved road will take us to a parking lot located at a height of 1,762 m. At this point the short trail begins to the viewpoint of the Angel’s Glacier and Lake Cavell Pond, where the pieces of ice that come off the glacier accumulate. If we want to lengthen the walk, we can trek to the Cavell Meadows. There are several viewpoints along the way depending on the distance we want to cover. The first is located at 2,029 m, the second at 2,119 m and the highest at 2,288 m. In the afternoon, before the end of the day, it is highly recommended to visit the Valley of the Five Lakes, a beautiful circular walk of 4.5 km (2 hours) that connects 5 lakes, each with a different shade of green.Alojamiento en hotel, Jasper.

DAY 9. JASPER – LAKE LOUISE
Today you are going to drive through one of the most famous and beautiful panoramic roads in the world, the Icefields Parkway. The distance to be covered will be 230 km. The possibilities for making stops, walking and taking photos are endless. In the first half of the tour we highlight the Athabasca Falls, Sunwapta Falls and the Tangle Creek Falls. At kilometer 104, we will arrive at the visitor center and the Athabasca Glacier viewpoint. You can walk to the front of the glacier (4.4 km round trip) or hire a 4×4 bus ride on the ice. Nearby is the Glacier Sky Walk, a suspended walkway in the void (admission is purchased from the visitor center). A little further on, at km 112 we recommend the hike to the Parker Ridge Trail (2-3 h round trip, 5.4 km), with excellent views of the Saskatchewan Glacier, Mount Castleguard (3,077 m) and Mount Saskatchewan (3,342 m). At km.153 we find the Saskatchewan River Crossing, resting place, restaurants, gas station and hotel. Here it is possible to sleep if you want to do the Icefields Parkway in 2 days. On the descent to Lake Louise, we highlight the following stops: the Mistaya canyon, the Waterfowl Lakes and the famous Peyto Lake, which can be seen from a viewpoint (1h round trip). Arrival at Lake Louise at sunset. Night.

Hotel accommodation, Lake Louise.

DAY 10. LAKE LOUISE
Intense day around Lake Louise. Early in the morning go up to the upper parking lot of the lake, very close to the Fairmont hotel. From here you can spend the rest of the day walking along one of its trails. The most spectacular route is the “Plain of Six Glaciers”, about 4 hours long, to go up to the refuge or if we have the strength to the Abbot Pass Viewpoint. The views over the peaks of Mount Lefroy (3,423 m) and Mount Victoria (3,464 m), with their hanging glaciers, are excellent. Another shorter trail is Lake Agnes (2h30), and there is also the possibility of combining both, on a total route of about 18km (6h).

Hotel accommodation, Lake Louise.

DAY 11. LAKE LOUISE – GOLDEN
One of the star spots in this place is the ascent to the famous Moraine Lake, a spectacular lake with turquoise waters under the shadow of the “10 peaks”. We recommend getting up early and going up the road to the Moraine Lake parking lot before sunrise. In summer the parking lot fills up before 7 am and access is closed. If we manage to climb very early, we will have the privilege of seeing the sunrise and seeing the rocks of the “10 peaks” change color as the sun rises. After the visit to Moraine Lake we will start the journey of about 80 km to Golden. At noon, we will enter Yoho National Park. In this park it is worth visiting the Takakkaw Falls and the surroundings of the Emerald Lake. In the afternoon, on the way to Golden, we can visit the Hoodoos, which are pillars of soft rocks crowned with hard rocks, formed by erosion.

Hotel accommodation, Golden.

DAY 12. GOLDEN – BANFF/CANMORE
One of the star spots in this place is the ascent to the famous Moraine Lake, a spectacular lake with turquoise waters under the shadow of the “10 peaks”. We recommend getting up early and going up the road to the Moraine Lake parking lot before sunrise. In summer the parking lot fills up before 7 am and access is closed. If we manage to climb very early, we will have the privilege of seeing the sunrise and seeing the rocks of the “10 peaks” change color as the sun rises. After the visit to Moraine Lake we will start the journey of about 80 km to Golden. At noon, we will enter Yoho National Park. In this park it is worth visiting the Takakkaw Falls and the surroundings of the Emerald Lake. In the afternoon, on the way to Golden, we can visit the Hoodoos, which are pillars of soft rocks crowned with hard rocks, formed by erosion.

Hotel accommodation, Golden.

DAY 13. MOUNT ASSINIBOINE PROVINCIAL PARK
One of the most beautiful places on the outskirts of Banff is the corner of Sunshine Village, on the edge of the Assiniboine Provincial Park, one of the most iconic mountains in Canada and that exceeds 3,600 meters. In Sunshine Village it is recommended to take the cable car to the top of the mountain and then the chairlift to the top of Mt. Standish (2,398 m). From here up part trails that run through the 3 lakes in this sector of the park (Rock Isle Lake, Larix Lake and Grizzly Lake), with several viewpoints to enjoy and relax in nature. This area is especially rich in flora and in summer it is common to see a lot of marmots emerging from their nests. Return to Banff / Canmore in the afternoon.

Hotel accommodation, Banff / Canmore.

DAY 14. BANFF – CALGARY
In the morning we can explore the southern part of Banff National Park, such as the areas of Lake Minnewanka or the Vermilion Lakes. We can even take the Bow Valley Parkway again, if we haven’t had enough time on the 12th. In the middle of the afternoon, we will start driving to Calgary (1h30).

Hotel accommodation, Calgary.

DAYS 15-16. FLIGHT AND ARRIVAL IN THE CITY OF ORIGIN
Breakfast

At the agreed time, transfer to the airport and return of the rental car at the Calgary airport. Boarding on the flight back to our city of origin. Overnight on board. Arrival to our city of origin on the 16th.