Canada is home to some of the best places to backpack in the world — combining sublime mountain scenery with untamed lowlands of unparalleled beauty. Reconnect with nature on our carefully crafted backpacking trips in Canada. Together with our experienced guides, hike in some of Canada's most scenic and remote areas. There are trips available for all skill levels — ideal for anyone with a sense of adventure.
Since there are so many backpacking tours to choose from, you might wonder which one is the best fit for you. Here is a quick questionnaire to help you find your next destination.
Step onto the historic Gold Rush trail, following in the footsteps of the Klondike gold seekers from 1896-99 on one of our three backpacking trips on the Chilkoot Trail in Southern Yukon. These tours are rated as intermediate/challenging.
Still got questions about Backpacking? Find the answer here!
All of our trips are graded in four levels so you can better identify which level of difficulty you prefer. These levels are based on the length of the trip, elevation change, duration of day hikes, terrain type, and how physically demanding the itinerary is.
Easy - Suitable for most people in fair condition. You have to be able to walk on an uneven surface and hike for at least 2-3 hours at a slow pace, with breaks. Trails are generally of good quality and glacier travel is at a relatively low angle.
Intermediate - Suitable for those in good condition who are able to walk for about 4 hours at a low or moderate pace. Trails are generally of good quality and glacier travel is at a relatively low angle.
Challenging - For someone in good hiking condition and with experience of hiking. Trails are generally in fair condition but some parts of the tour might be off track. Glacier/snow travel can be on uneven ground with challenging sections. Increased distance. We recommend guests have the ability to cover 12 km (7 mi) a day on rugged trails and snow.
Demanding - For someone in very good hiking condition. Trails generally in fair conditions but large sections of the tour might be off track. Glacier/snow travel on uneven ground with some challenging sections. Increased distance. We recommend guests have the ability to cover 20 km (12 mi) a day on uneven trails and snow. A significant increase in elevation and some technical difficulty should be expected.
Your safety is our number one priority. We provide you with top-notch gear to ensure your safety and comfort during the trip. Your guide will give you safety instructions and answer any questions you might have before embarking on one of our backpacking adventures.
We also provide you with essential first aid supplies, emergency radio or satellite phone.
When embarking on a backpacking adventure, be prepared for various weather conditions. Make sure that you bring hiking boots, warm socks, warm clothing, rainwear, hat, water bottle, and first aid kit. Other recommended equipment list includes gloves, fleece or wool underclothes, sneakers, sunscreen, swimsuit and towel (if applied to the tour).
We suggest layers of light, easily carried clothing that allows for fast and easy adjustment to the changing weather conditions. We discourage cotton clothing as it causes rapid heat loss when wet.
A full clothing list will be supplied upon booking.
The age limit varies according to location. Before booking the tour, please check it on the tour description page.
We provide all the group gear including tents, tarps, cooking gear, camp stoves, eating utensils. However, some tours might ask you to bring a plate spoon and large mug, so do make sure to check it in the tour description page.
Make sure that you bring a sleeping bag/pad (some tours provide a sleeping pad, but please check it on the tour description page), and a backpack. A recommended packing list will be provided upon booking.
A correctly packed backpack will be much lighter than an incorrectly packed backpack. How you pack your bag depends on its size and organizational pockets but here are some tricks and tips to make things easier for you.
The key to alleviating back pain to properly distribute the weight. Firstly, pack your sleeping bag to avoid heaviness on your lower back. On top of the sleeping bag pack all the heavier and bulkier items to give a good center point to your back. Around the heavy gear pack lighter items such as clothes and other essentials.
Finally, pack frequently used items such as water bottle or map on the top of your backpack within easy reach.
Mosquitos and other bug populations might vary depending on the location, weather, and season of the year. We try hard to find bug-free camping locations but sometimes mosquitoes are unavoidable. We recommended bringing bug repellent and any other protection you find effective.
