Day 1
Hello Calgary
Tip your Stetson to Canada’s ‘Cowboy Country’, kick-starting your adventure through the inimitable Rockies in Calgary. This evening, join your Travel Director and fellow travellers for dinner.
Day 2
Unmask Painted Warriors
Kick off your first full day with a Be My Guest Experience meeting Painted Warrior Tracey Klettl who’ll share her love for horses, archery, being outdoors and connecting with nature through traditional skills learned through her indigenous cultures with you. Join Tracey for a gathering walk learning about plants used for foraging and that add an earthy and spicy flavour to your shared lunch. Next, journey toward Waterton Lakes National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Tucked into the southwestern corner of Alberta, this national park boasts majestic Rocky Mountains and lakes carved out of rock by ancient glaciers. Discover its blend of unusual geology, mild climate, rare wildflowers and abundant wildlife that has remained unchanged for centuries.
Day 3
Take a Vintage Voyage Along St. Mary Lake
The Big Skies of Montana beckon this morning as you cross the international border and travel along the shore of Lower St. Mary Lake and enter Glacier National Park, touted as the Crown of the Continent. Join a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER ® Experience with Blackfeet and Cherokee member Mariah Gladstone as she welcomes you onto traditional Blackfeet territory for storytelling and history. After your visit, continue in a restored 1930s vintage touring red “jammer” up into the cirques of the St. Mary Valley along the Going-to-the-Sun Road and stop at the Continental Divide continuing over Logan Pass (seasonal).
Day 4
Travel Through Kootenay National Park Stays With Stories
Today, we leave Montana. Travel along the Banff-Windermere Highway, one of the most scenic drives in British Columbia. Then, enter Kootenay National Park and drive through Sinclair Canyon. Make the climb up to Vermilion Pass at the Continental Divide, reaching an elevation of 1,680 m (5,510 ft) and enter Alberta and Banff National Park, Canada’s oldest National Park. Descending into the Bow River Valley, arrive in Banff where you check in at your Stays With Stories, the iconic Fairmont Banff Springs, the 'Castle in the Rockies'.
Day 5
Explore Picturesque Banff
Our day begins with a Dive Into Culture excursion experiencing the thrill and excitement of being a real Canadian hockey player. Learn the secrets and superstitions as a professional coach walks you through a day in the life of a player. Go inside the players' dressing room where you have the opportunity to try on full hockey gear before grabbing your stick and heading onto the ice. Then choose to take this time to relax or join one of our optional experiences. Choose to view the alpine forest from above during an optional helicopter ride or optional gondola ride. Later, spend the afternoon exploring the rugged beauty of Banff, from its postcard viewpoint of Surprise Corner to Bow Falls before dinner at a local restaurant.
Day 6
Traverse Across Athabasca Glacier
Take the Icefields Parkway, one of the most scenic drives in North America through Canada's breath-taking glaciers, sweeping valleys, cascading waterfalls and majestic mountain ranges along Continental Divide. Stop at glacier fed Peyto Lake, named for pioneer, mountain guide and early park warden Bill Peyto. Continue your adventure with a ride onto the Athabasca Glacier in an all-terrain Ice Explorer—a massive vehicle specially designed for glacier travel. On this thrilling trip, an experienced driver-guide will share fascinating information about glaciers and their impact on our environment. Take a sip of ice-cold glacier water and admire the surrounding snow-capped panorama before continuing your journey and heading to Jasper.
Day 7
The Joys Of Jasper
Embark on a leisurely walk admiring the sheer limestone cliffs of Maligne Canyon, the deepest canyon in Jasper National Park. Learn about the underground river system that flows out to Medicine Lake and see how the power of water has eroded and carved this gorge over the years. Immerse yourself in more natural beauty on an optional cruise of Maligne Lake (seasonal), the largest glacially fed lake in the Canadian Rockies. Cruising these brilliant blue waters, discover world-famous Spirit Island, the crown jewel of Jasper National Park and one of the most photographed locations in the Rockies, accessible only by boat. Head back into Jasper where the rest of the day is free to relax or join a scenic float trip down the Athabasca River on a route that was once used by fur traders. Note: Maligne Canyon is currently closed due to safety concerns following significant fire damage from the 2024 Jasper wildfire. Assessments are ongoing, and the canyon will stay closed until further notice.
Day 8
Take In The Tranquility Of Lake Louise
Head to the glacier-fed waters of Lake Louise where you can join your Travel Director for a walk along the lakeshore with a photo-worthy setting of rugged mountain backdrop and turquoise waters or set out exploring on your own. Consider joining an Optional Experience this afternoon to visit nearby Moraine Lake on a gentle stroll with your Travel Director. Cap off your trip with a dinner reminiscing about the highlights of your trip with your fellow travellers.
Day 9
Depart Calgary
This morning make your way to Calgary International Airport where you will be dropped off by 11:30am or choose to extend your stay at the Hilton Garden Inn Calgary.
Dining Summary
3 Dinner (D)
8 Breakfast (B)
1 Lunch (L)
Be My Guest
Calgary: Join a Be My Guest experience with one of the Painted Warriors Tracey Klettl, owner of Painted Warriors ranch -- an indigenous owned and operated tourism company. Born and raised hiking and horseback riding, Tracey’s ancestors were the indigenous guides and scouts that originally inhabited the mountains and valleys of Jasper National Park. Tracey will escort you on a Gathering Walk along an easy path leading to Mother Earth’s “grocery store” sharing information on plants used for foraging and to add an earthy and spicy flavour to your meal with your hosts.
Dive into Culture
Banff: Dive Into Culture and embrace Canada's national sport, learning the secrets and superstitions of hockey players as a team member walks you through a day in the life of a player. Go inside the players' dressing room and put on the full hockey gear. Grab your stick and it's onto the ice where you'll soon find out whether you are a lefty or righty and learn how to score the big goal.
Iconic Experience
Banff: Uncover how Banff is in a league of its own. Stroll through the downtown lined with historic buildings as majestic mountains stand tall in the distance. This is your chance to visit the iconic sites and the local spots on a guided tour around town. Stop at Bow Falls for great sightseeing opportunities of the river and the falls. At Surprise Corner, named for its spectacular, surprising views from Buffalo Street, capture a photo of another unique vantage point.
Columbia Icefield: Gear up for a Columbia Icefield Adventure. Board a massive, specially designed ‘Ice Explorer’ to view one of the largest non-polar ice fields in the world, the Athabasca Glacier. Stop at the best spot to walk on, feel and drink from the Glacier. What better way to appreciate this natural wonder? You’ll even enhance your visit learning about the Columbia Icefield, how the glacier has changed and the thrill of driving up the moraine deposits to reach the glacier.
Icefields Parkway: Unlock the Canadian Rockies' pristine wilderness on one of the most scenic drives in North America – the Icefield Parkway. This stretch of double-lane highway from Jasper to Lake Louise winds along the Continental Divide through rocky mountain peaks, rock spires, waterfalls, icefields, valleys and more than 100 ancient glaciers. Snap a pic at a viewpoint to capture the beauty.
MAKE TRAVEL MATTER®
Glacier National Park: Join Mariah Gladstone of the Blackfeet and Cherokee nations as she welcomes you onto traditional Blackfeet territory. Learn about Blackfeet history, culture and the connection Mariah and her ancestors have had to this land -- that is now part of Glacier National Park -- for thousands of years. You’ll also discover contemporary Indigenous life including Mariah’s work within food advocacy re-imagining Native foods and her connection to the youth and their native culture and teachings. This experience directly supports United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 10: Reduced Inequalities.
Must-see Highlights
Explore Columbia Icefield Adventure, learn to play hockey like a pro with a professional hockey coach in Canmore
Visit Waterton Lakes National Park, Glacier National Park, Banff National Park, Maligne Canyon, Lake Louise
See Sinclair Canyon & Kootenay Canyon National Park
Scenic Drive along Going-to-the-Sun Road aboard iconic Red Jammers & Icefields Parkway
Trafalgar Difference
Banff: Stay at The Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel, located in the heart of Banff National Park. Modeled after a Scottish baronial castle, it is known as the 'Castle in the Rockies'.