July 14-27, 2024
August 11-24, 2024
September 1-14, 2024
$5,200 + 5% GST in Double Occupancy
Single Supplement - $2,300
- Our premier guided hiking trip highlighting the very best of Alberta and British Columbia!
- Build up hiking stamina and endurance as the mountains get bigger from coastal BC to the Rockies
- Comfortable and unique lodgings
- Complete our online waiver here
- Now includes Helihiking Day at no extra cost!
The Best Hiking Trip in Western Canada
This exciting and newly updated hiking trip from Vancouver to Banff to Calgary uncovers the natural splendours of Canada's finest national and provincial parks. From the rainforest clad mountains on the west coast to flower filled meadows in Manning Provincial Park, across the inland plateau of British Columbia, and finally to the rugged peaks of the Canadian Rocky Mountains, we discover a vast wilderness of countless alpine lakes and pristine forests set beneath a backdrop of high peaks and tumbling glaciers. It is a land of elk, moose, bighorn sheep, black and grizzly bears. At night we stay in comfortable hotels or mountain lodges and during the day our fully supported walks and hikes reveal the diverse landscapes that this area is famous for.
This trip is rated as moderate and, while it does not require any prior hiking experience, it does require you to be able to hike comfortably for between 4 and 8 hours a day.
Now includes Helihiking Day at no extra cost!
Itinerary
DAY 1: Arrive Vancouver, transfer on own to downtown Vancouver hotel.
DAY 2: Hike the North Shore peaks for great views of city, ocean and mountains.
DAY 3: Explore Vancouver including Stanley Park, and Lynn Canyon before heading east to Manning Provincial Park.
DAY 4: Flower filled meadow and ridge hiking in Manning.
DAY 5: Eastward across the Okanagon Plateau, with hiking in the Coquihalla Range.
DAY 6: Continue eastward to Revelstoke with hike at Enderby Cliffs.
DAY 7: Drive the Meadows in the Sky Parkway for mountain top hiking in Mt. Revelstoke National Park.
DAY 8: Glacier National Park and Balu Pass Hiking.
DAY 9: Gondola to top of Kicking Horse Mountain and ridgetop hiking.
DAY 10: Onward to the Rocky Mountains and hikiing in Yoho National Park.
DAY 11: Hiking the trails at Lake Louise and Moraine Lake.
DAY 12: Stanley Glacier Hike in Kootenay National Park.
DAY 13: Last day of hiking the Front Ranges of the Rockies.
DAY 14:Trip concludes after breakfast with transfer to Calgary.
Cost Includes
- 13 breakfasts, 12 lunches, 1 Dinner
- 13 nights hotels/lodges ranging from 2 to 4 star category
- Private transport in mini-van including shuttle to Calgary Airport on the final day
- Professional hiking/interpretive guide
- Golden Eagle Express gondola at Kicking Horse Resort
- National park entry fees and sightseeing as indicated
Cost Does Not Include
- Personal expenses
- Air fares
- Shuttles from airport to Vancouver hotel
- Travel insurance
- Meals not indicated
- Tips
How difficult is it? How fit and experienced need you be?
This trip is designed for fit hikers. No previous mountain hiking experience required however the walking will range from moderate to strenuous - with some days on steep trails. This tour involves hiking for up to 5 to 8 hours per day, usually with distances of 10-20 kilometres and elevation gains between 200 m and 1000 m. You will need to carry a daypack large enough for spare clothing, your camera, lunch and something to drink each day.
Guides and Group Size
Your guide is an experienced professional hiking guide with certification from the Association of Canadian Mountain Guides and/or from the Interpretive Guides Association. Our guides are all local residents living in the Rockies. You’ll have lots of opportunities to get to know them well, learn all about the people, places, wildlife and interesting features of the area. White Mountain Adventures is licensed to guide hiking trips in all of the national and provincial parks visited.
The minimum group size will be 4, maximum 11.
Accommodation and Meals
Accommodation is double occupancy. Each of the accommodations we’ve chosen have been selected for their unique character and location. We will be happy to book rooms for you before and after the tour.
Each day during the tour, breakfast will be included. Picnic lunches will be provided daily. The lunches include bread, spreads, cheese, cold cuts, fruits and vegetables which you assemble yourself into sandwiches or salad plates. These are a fast and easy way to create lunches just the way you like them. Dinner is not included except for the final evening's farewell dinner.
Climate
This trip operates during the main months of summer, though snow can linger at high elevations until well into the season. Weather is unpredictable at any time of year, but is generally quite warm in July and August. Daytime highs range from 15-25 C and nighttime temperatures can drop to 5-10 C. Temperatures in June and September can be cooler with nighttime temperatures occasionally dropping below freezing. As with alpine environments throughout the globe, the higher you go, the lower the temperature becomes. Ensuring that you have the correct clothing for an alpine environment is crucial. Please see our Clothing and Equipment Checklist.
Arrival and Departure Information
Vancouver -Sandman Best Western hotel, Downtown Vancouver.
Convenient bus, train and taxi connections are available from Vancouver International Airport.
Canmore - A morning departure to Calgary will be scheduled after breakfast. If your departure does not fit this departure, we will arrange a shuttle for you with one of the scheduled services.
Insurance in the National Parks
Please ensure that your health plan will cover you in case of illness or accident whilst here. Obtain extra travel insurance if necessary.
Detailed Itinerary
DAY 1 Arrive in Vancouver
Arrive on your own in Vancouver with self-arranged transfer to hotel. In the evening, you’ll meet your guide and go through a short group briefing where you’ll meet other participants and details of the itinerary will be discussed.
Overnight: Best Western Sands
DAY 2 Walking the North Shore Mountains of Vancouver, Cypress Provincial Park
One of the most amazing things about Vancouver is that just beyond the city limits you can very quickly enter a stunning wilderness of old growth forest – of towering Douglas Firs, huge ferns, and hanging mosses. We’ll explore part of this today as we make our way up Hollyburn Mountain for an outstanding view of the city, the Strait of Georgia and Vancouver Island.
Elevation Gain: 350m. Distance: 9km. Duration: 3-4hrs
Overnight: Best Western Sands
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch
DAY 3 Sightseeing Vancouver and afternoon drive to Manning Provincial Park
Vancouver is the most attractive city in Canada – its natural beauty derived from its superb location between the Coast Mountains, Fraser River and the Pacific Ocean. You’ll spend the morning sightseeing in Vancouver including Chinatown, Gastown, Stanley Park, and the Lions Gate Bridge. From Vancouver, we drive up the Fraser Valley and into the Cascade Mountains crossing the Allison Pass.
Elevation Gain: Minimal. Distance: 2-3km. Duration: 1-2hr
Overnight: Manning Park
Driving distance: 220km; Duration 2.5hr
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch
DAY 4 Cascade Mountains, Manning Park
The Skyline loop trail begins at Lightning Lake with a gradual ascent to the ridge. The rewards of this climb come with a spectacular view of the Cascade Mountains whose meadows are adorned with an amazing display of wildflowers. From Despair Pass we hike down to Strawberry Flats, to the trailhead and then return to our hotel.
Elevation Gain: 700m. Distance: 19km. Duration: 6-8hr
Overnight: Manning Park
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch
DAY 5 Northwards, over the Coquihalla Summit to interior B.C.
We leave the Cascade Mountains and enter the northern tip of the American Great Basin Desert, which extends as far south as Mexico. The hot and dry climate is perfect for growing apple, apricots, peaches, grapes and cherries. Our route today takes us over the Coquihalla Summit, one of the highest points in the Cascade ranges, where we will stop for a hike to the summit of Zoa Peak. This area is very well known for its rugged granite peaks and open ridgelines. After our hike, we will continue to our lodging at the Quilchena Hotel, a historic hotel built on the Douglas Ranch, Canada’s largest working ranch.
Elevation Gain: 635m. Distance: 11km. Duration: 5-7hr
Overnight: Best Western Plus Merritt
Driving distance: 200km; Duration 2hr
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch
DAY 6 Enderby Cliffs hike in the Okanagan Valley and Selkirk Mountains in Revelstoke
We continue our travels across the changing landscape of British Columbia arriving in the afternoon in the quaint mountain town of Revelstoke on the famous Columbia River. In order to really appreciate how the landscape has changed, we will stop halfway and hike upwards along the Enderby Cliffs trail, giving us expansive views south into the Okanagan and north to the Monashee Mountains.
Elevation Gain: 450m. Distance: 7 km. Duration: 3-4 hr
Overnight: Regent Hotel
Driving distance: 280km; Duration 3.5hr
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch
DAY 7 Hiking the Meadows in the Sky in Mt. Revelstoke National Park
Mt Revelstoke National Park is best known for its “Meadows in the Sky Parkway” and the mountain top trails at the end of the road. The road gains 1000 m in elevation from the town of Revelstoke and passes through a variety of different forest zones until it ends at treeline. From there, we begin our mountain top hike through beautiful flower filled meadows to Eva Lake, Miller Lake and Jade Lake Pass.
Elevation Gain: 450m. Distance: 16km. Duration: 4-6hr
Overnight: Regent Hotel
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch
DAY 8 Dramatic peaks of Glacier National Park and Balu Pass hike.
As we head east, we are now travelling into the heart of the Selkirk Mountains, some of the most daunting and rugged mountains in Canada. We follow the route to Rogers Pass, famous for the difficulty encountered when building the first railway across Canada. We will stop for a very brief visit to the Trail of the Giant Cedars, to see a section of inland temperate rainforest with truly “giant” trees. Then, once we are in Glacier National Park we'll hike up to Balu Pass. The trail quickly leaves the forest and there are great views of Mt. Sir Donald, the park’s signature mountain on the opposite side of the valley.
Elevation Gain: 780m. Distance: 13km. Duration: 5-7hr
Overnight: Glacier Mountain Lodge
Driving distance: 160km; Duration 2hr
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch
DAY 9 Gondola at Kicking Horse Resort and ridgeline hiking
After the previous day’s big elevation, today we will take it a little bit easier and enjoy a spectacular ride to the top of the mountain at Kicking Horse Resort. From the gondola we then have a few options to walk ridgelines or to hike to the summit of Terminator Peak. To the east and across the valley we will have fantastic views of the Rocky Mountains stretching to the south and north as far as the eye can see.
Elevation Gain: 300m. Distance: 4-7 km. Duration: 4-5hrs
Overnight: Glacier Mountain Lodge
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch
DAY 10 Iceline Trail, Yoho National Park
Today we follow the Kicking Horse River into the heart of the Rocky Mountains. Our hike today is in the Yoho Valley starting at 380 m high Takakkaw Falls. We’ll hike to the top of the Iceline Trail for extreme close up views of the Emerald Glacier and views across the Yoho Valley to the Wapta Icefield.
Elevation Gain: 700m. Distance: 21km. Duration: 6-8hr
Overnight: Lake Louise Inn
Driving distance: 95km; Duration 1hr
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch
DAY 11 Icefields Parkway
We have a casual day exploring some of the easy short walks along the Icefields Parkway. The highlight walk will be to Parker Ridge with its expansive views of the Saskatchewan Glacier. The parkway also has some of the trip’s best opportunities for spotting wildlife such as bears, bighorn sheep, and mountain goats.
Elevation Gain: 250m. Distance: 5km. Duration: 2hr
Overnight: Lake Louise Inn
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch
DAY 12 Stanley Glacier Trail, Kootenay National Park.
Today, we’ll cross back into British Columbia for one last visit of this exceptional province. Just west of Banff National Park, lies Kootenay National Park and the Stanley Glacier Trail, our walking choice for today. The route takes us quickly into a hanging valley and through the remnants of two forest fires, one occurring in 1968, the other more recently, in 2003. It is aptly known as the “Fire and Ice” trail because once through the burnt forest sections we suddenly see looming above us Stanley Glacier. The trail continues for some time and finally ends at an alpine plateau just a few hundred metres below the hanging ice.
Elevation Gain: 400m. Distance: 12km. Duration: 4-6hr
Overnight: Canmore Hotel
Driving distance: 80km; Duration 1hr
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch
DAY 13 Heart Mountain Loop or Yamnuska Ridge, Kananaskis Country
For our final day hiking in the Rockies, we will choose a hike that gives us a great view of the prairies and the city of Calgary 60km to the east, so we can truly say we have seen all of the mountain chains in western Canada from the Pacific Ocean to the prairies. We’ll choose either the Heart Mountain loop which is a steep ascent and descent but offers a round trip or the walk up to the Yamnuska ridge. After our hike we’ll enjoy a farewell dinner together.
Elevation Gain: 350-750m. Distance: 10-15km. Duration: 6-8hr
Overnight: Canmore Hotel
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
DAY 14 Transfer to Calgary
After breakfast, we will provide transfers to Calgary and the airport.
Driving distance: 120km; Duration 1.5hr
Meals Included: Breakfast
**NOTE: Drive times provided above are approximate and may vary according to weather, traffic and changes in road conditions.