Rocky Mountains Hiking Tour in Canada

You’ll meet your guides in the morning, either in Calgary or in Banff, based on your preference.

We’ll travel to the lush forests of Banff National Park and settle in for the next two days on the campgrounds near Banff. Established in 1885, it’s the oldest national park in the country. The park features incredible sights of turquoise glacial lakes and Rocky Mountain peaks.

Our first hike is along the beautiful shores of Lake Minnewanka, the second longest lake in the mountain parks of the Canadian Rockies, or along one of the picturesque mountain trails.

We’ll explore this marvelous area for around three hours and come back to the campsite for the night.

We’ll spend the day exploring Banff’s alpine meadows and trails above the treeline. One of the possible hikes is a 4.5-mi (7.5-km) tour to a small charming lake. Today we’ll hike for around six hours in total and see the stunning sights of the park.

In the afternoon, you might choose to relax in Banff and dip into steaming hot pools with mesmerizing views of the cliffs around you. Banff is a vibrant tourist town with many shops and charming cafes. People from all over the world come to visit this spellbinding place.

Today we’ll explore Yoho National Park, the smallest of the four adjoining parks in the Rocky Mountains, established in 1886. One of the area's highlights is Lake Louise, a turquoise, glacier-fed lake ringed with snow-capped peaks. The breathtaking bird’s eye view opens up in front of us from the historic Lake Agnes Tea House. The Tea House was built in 1901 as a refuge for hikers, and they’ve been serving hot drinks ever since.

We’ll have a few options for the hikes in the park – a 9.3-mi (15-km) trek to the Plain of Six Glaciers, or a short climb to a summit with 1705 ft (515 m) gain.

Our camp for the next two days is near the charming hamlet, Lake Louise.

You have a few choices for today – whitewater rafting and hiking.

If you’re looking for adventures out on the water, immerse yourself in a thrilling whitewater rafting tour on the Kicking Horse River. The river runs past the town of Field, home to the Burgess Shale Geoscience Foundation that works with the ancient Burgess Shale Fossils.

Our rafting expedition includes a trip to Golden, a charming town in British Columbia known for its farmers’ market, and historic pedestrian bridge.

If you prefer to spend the day hiking, we’ll trek a delightful trail through blooming fields and enjoy breathtaking views of Emerald Lake. We’ll visit the major highlights of Yoho Park, including the spectacular Natural Bridge, and Takakkaw Falls, the second tallest waterfall in Canada.

Today, we’ll make our way to the heart of the Rockies. The ride includes short hikes to sights along the Icefields Parkway, a 143-mi (230-km) mountain road running through the heart of Banff and Jasper National Parks.

We’ll make frequent stops to appreciate the beauty of key attractions, such as the turquoise Peyto Lake and grand Bow Summit. You've probably already seen Peyto Lake on postcards and wondered if it’s actually that mesmerizing blue color! It is indeed, because of the large amounts of glacier rock flour that flow into the lake. The color changes depending on the season and even with the time of day, but it’s always just as stunning.

Another stop is at the Columbia Icefields, where majestic glaciers feed rivers that spill into three different oceans. A hiking trail will take us up to a windy ridge to catch the best view of the splendid Saskatchewan Glacier with its ice tongue reaching far into the horizon.

Our camp for tonight is near a little holiday town, at the Jasper camping site.

Jasper National Park is the largest national park in the Canadian Rockies. As a year-round home for elk, bighorn sheep, mountain goats, moose, and even bears, you have an excellent chance of running into wildlife.

We have many different options for today’s activities. Choose from swimming in Pyramid Lake, biking through the mountains, hiking through awe-inspiring trails, and adventurous canoeing.

If you choose to hike, join our guided tour to Maligne Lake with the trail leading up to the hills. Walk above the tree line and revel in the phenomenal views that open up from the peaks.

The mighty falls of the Athabasca River are surrounded by evergreen pine forests and are one of the highlights of the last day of our tour.

Running more than 900 mi (1500km) from its headwaters in Jasper National Park into Lake Athabasca, this is the second largest river in Alberta and the largest undammed river. It’s a historic waterway for fur trade. The area around the river is rich with natural resources, such as coal, oil and gas, minerals, and oilsands.

We’ll hike around the falls to enjoy the incredible views of the glaciers and rugged mountain ranges one last time.

After lunch, a large, comfortable coach takes us back to Banff or Calgary.

Pickup information

• The meeting point is either Banff or Calgary, we’ll arrange this with your guide closer to the date.

Practical information

• We can arrange a stay at a hotel in Calgary for you before the tour starts.

Please note

• A single tent is $190 CAD extra.
• Bilingual guides available (English and German or French).