Driving route British Columbia / Alberta
 

Thank you all for your response. Is the drive to jasper (from vancouver) more scenic via whistler / kamloops OR through kelowna / golden / banff ?
we plan to start our drive from vancouver - and either fly back to nyc from calgary or come back to vancouver.
Option 1 - vancouver - whistler - kamloops - jasper - banff - calgary (we spend 3 nights each in whistler / jasper / banff )
Option 2 - vancouver - whistler - kamloops - japser - banff - golden - kelowna - vancouver (we spend 2 nights in whistler / jasper / banff) and increase the duration of trip by a day.

Please advise .
Thank you

First, do you have a specific reason for staying three nights in Whistler? It's nice, but not at the cost of less time in the Rockies/more scenic route to the Rockies. It can easily be done as a day trip from Whistler or a single overnight. Unless you have lots of time, I'd not spend multiple days there unless you're there for a specific activity like zip lining that can't be done elsewhere.

I would do one or two nights in Whistler, max, then go to the Rockies via Kelowna, Salmon Arm or Revelstoke - i.e. the Trans Canada. The stretch between Revy and the Alberta border is very scenic. You can spend one or two nights in any of the above locations. I would not do one night in the Okanagan (i.e. Kelowna) and one night in Golden -- too much area to cover with one night stops. You either want to go across BC in one night or choose one place to stay for at least two nights. To do both the Okanagan and Golden/Revy etc., you need more time. Kamloops doesn't have much appeal for the casual tourist - at least in comparison to the other options.