Best of the West - Vancouver to Calgary

This itinerary follows through the spectacular western part of Canada, starting at the drippy green city of Vancouver and taking you through a few gigantic National Parks with mind-blowing scenery before dropping you back at Calgary to catch a flight home. No matter what season you travel in, be sure to pack a few warm layers for the chilly Canadian evenings.

Highlights

Indulge in the amazing diversity of Vancouver city, from pubs serving fresh microbrews to the tower on top of the town to totem poles in Stanley Park. Rent a mountain bike, horse, or canoe and go to town in the wilderness around Kamloops. Have a steaming cup of coffee before you head out onto Shuswap Lake, named for a local tribe. Get your mountain on at Revelstoke with heli or cat skiing, then move on to Glacier National Park and go fishing in the clear, glacier-fed streams. Rock walls and rushing waterfalls await you in Yoho National Park, and you will find plenty of distractions from gourmet dinners to hot tubs to snowboarding lessons at Banff. Finish up in Calgary, a clean and friendly city with a vibrant culture on the edge of Canada’s pristine Rocky Mountains.

Suggested Route

Starting Point: Vancouver
Ending Point: Calgary

Time Frame: 10-14 Days

You will be following the Trans-Canada Highway (Highway 1) for about 1100 kilometers; the distance is not far but there is plenty of sightseeing to keep you busy. After spending a few days in Vancouver, head up the Trans-Canada to Kamloops, continuing on to Revelstoke and on through Glacier National Park and into Banff National Park. Follow Highway 1 into Calgary and spend a few days exploring the city before catching your flight.