Planning a 2 weeks trip to Canadian rockies
 

My husband and I are planning a trip to Canadian Rockies for 2 weeks in June. This is our first trip there. We'll be flying into Calgary and out of Vancouver. We are in late 50's, good health and fit. Our budget for the trip excluding airfare is $3500+-. We do not hike, but enjoy nature/sceneary. Prefer vacationing in a relax, easy and comfortable way. Your suggestions are most appreciated.

I have not booked anything except the airline flights.

The airline flights could be a problem if you want to rent a car and avoid a drop off fee. If you could get a one way trip to Jasper from Calgary, you could ride the Canadian (train) to Vancouver.
Depending on where you live or are coming from, it might make more sense to arrive in Vancouver and possibly leave from Calgary.
Brewster is the best known tour bus operator in that area.
You will certainly enjoy the scenery of the Canadian Rockies.

Thank you for your info. The tickets are not issued yet. I can still change the route. The flight options are still open for the next couple of days. We can flight in and out of the same city or Vancouver to Calgary or ....which way do you suggest?

First, I thought about in and out of Vancouver(visiting family there for a couple of day either before or after the trip)but I don't quite want to go around twice (wasting time and $$???) that's why I changed YYC/YVR.

We would like to consider the option of renting a car, if flying in-out of Vancouver. It seems that this option offers flexibilities. How is it compares to taking the Mountaineer train? Some people seem to say that you don't get to enjoy and sites and sceneries if taking the train/rail, and it's much more expensive. Your idea?

Thanks.

blade

With two weeks, I would certainly recommend renting a car in Vancouver and taking a circular route to return there.

There are many possibilities, but one would be from Vancouver to Kamloops (depending on time, via the Coquihalla Highway, via the Fraser Canyon, or via Whistler and Lilooet). Drive from Kamloops to Jasper, then down the Icefields Parkway to Lake Louise and Banff.

Return to Vancouver via the Trans Canada through Yoho, Glacier and Revelstoke Parks. Continue to Sicamous and then turn south through the Okanagan. Here, depending on your time, you can cut over from Kelowna to the Coquihalla, or better, continue to Osoyoos and then follow Hwy 3 through Princeton and Hope to the Fraser Valley and Vancouver.

You could also, of course, do the circuit in reverse if you wish.

You'll have a lot more flexibility than taking the train, and it shouldn't cost as much.

It's nine hours from the outskirts of Vancouver to Jasper by car. If you have lots of time, stay a night in Kamloops.
You also have the option three days per week of taking the ViaRail "Canadian" from Vancouver to Jasper. The Rocky Mountaineer is a very expensive tourist train that goes all the way to Calgary. From Vancouver to Jasper it follows the same rails as the ViaRail train and the fare is about 3 times as much. Renting a car and setting your own pace is the cheapest and probably best option. I have rented a car in Jasper after getting off the "Canadian".

Hi Laverendrye,

After I checked the drop-off fee charged, I decided that we are flying in-out of Vancouver, rent a car, do the circuit. We have exactly 2 weeks for the driving trip (excluding 3 days in-out of Vancouver).

Would you please help in planning the itinerary for places to visit and where to stop for the night/nights? I am making notes on places people recommended, so I can start making reservation for our accomandations.

Thanks so much in advance for your help.

Blade

Hi Tomfuller,
Again, thank you. So driving is what we decided. We would appreciate very much for your suggestions for the circular drive. We like to take our time and hope not to change hotel as much as possible. I am trying to read trip reports and making notes. Hope to have something plan out in the next couple of days so I can start making reservations.

Blade

I have the first rough itinerary below. Still needs a lot of fine tunning. But right now, I have problems planning the return trip after Banff driving back to Vancouver. Where should we stop/visit instead of directly back to YVR. Thank you in advance for your suggestions.

Day 1: arriving Vancouver 8 PM
Day 2: visit Family
Day 3: visit Friends
Day 4: Driving to Whistler(2 hrs), Kamloops(4 hrs), stay 1 night around Kamloops. Or Clearwater (Wells Gray Inn)
Day 5: driving to Jasper (5.5 hrs) passing Mt. Robson, Provincial Park
Day 6: Jasper
Day 7: Jasper
Day 8: Jasper
Day 9: Jasper
Day 10:driving to Banff (4 hrs)
Day 11: Banff – Icefield, Glacier Nat’l Park
Day 12: Banff - Lake Louise, Lake O’Hara, Takakkaw Falls. amazing
Day 13: Banff – Morain Lake,
Day 14: Banff
Day 15: Banff
Day 16: Driving to Osoyoos, BC (8 hrs)

Day 17: driving back to Vancouver

Anyone booked with priceline for hotels in Jasper, Banff areas?

I have stayed alone and with my DW at the HI Hostel SW of Jasper. You can cook in their kitchen. They do have a few private rooms as well as coed dorms. http://www.hihostels.ca/westerncanad...-Jasper.hostel

There is also a HI Hostel that I have not stayed at near Banff.
There is also a HI Hostel in Kamloops-never stayed there but Hostel International are generally better than other hostels.
While in Jasper be sure to see Maligne Canyon.

Thanks tomfuller. We have never stay at Hostel before, are they like YMCA or dorm?

Thanks to all the supporters from Fodors, I have made many notes about places to visit around Jasper, Banff etc. except the return trip Southbound after Banff to Vancouver. Any suggestions will be appreciated.

Most (not all) hostels have private family rooms. Jasper has a mens' dorm downstairs and a coed dorm (also downstairs), a womens' dorm, 3 private rooms, the main entrance with registration desk, the kitchen/dining room and a commons room with a library on the main floor. Men's Restroom/shower downstairs. Women's Restroom/shower is upstairs which can be inconvenient for women staying in the coed dorm.
You will be going back through Kamloops on your return so you should decide if you liked where you stayed on your trip from Vancouver to Jasper. Whistler is another option.

There is a BestWestern in Valemount Creek about 1.5 hour from Jasper for less than $100/night. Is this a place to consider for Jasper lodging? Is this place very inconveinent?

Which route is better considering weather condition. 6/13 to 6/27? First Northbound to Jasper or Southbound to Banff?

Vancouver -> Kamloops -> Valemount -> Jasper -> Lake Louise -> Lake Morain -> Banff -> Kamloops OR Kelowna? -> Hope -> Vancouver.

Thanks for your help.

Valemount is a very small town - not much there. They are trying to build up some tourism infrastructure since most of the mills shut down and the logging industry went into the doldrums. If you do stay there, check out the Caribou Grill (good restaurant). It's not really well suited as a base for seeing Jasper National Park, but it makes a not-bad stop-over on the way... you can stop off at Mt. Robson (highest peak in the Canadian Rockies), visit the waterfalls there (Overlander and Rearguard Falls), hike the Kinney Lake trail, or just visit the visitor centre.

Jasper National Park is quite a large area and the most popular sites and scenic attractions are spread out in all directions, most of them an hour's drive from the town of Jasper (think of a wheel with spokes, with town as the hub, and you have the right idea).

The drive from Jasper to Banff on the Icefields Parkway (which ends at Lake Louise) is about 3.5 hours of straight driving, but plan on spending most of the day en route. There are so many places to stop - waterfalls, glacial lakes, look-outs, Mistaya Canyon, the Columbia Icefield etc.

Re: Priceline.... I am not familiar with Priceline hotels and Jasper, but I do know that the only hotel that lists on hotwire is the Sunwapta Falls "Resort", which is 60 km south of town on the Icefields Parkway. In the summer season, most hotels do not have a lot of excess capacity, hence no need to sell off rooms on discount sites.

If you are looking for more economical accommodation, you might want to consider private home accommodation - rooms or suites, often self-contained, in residents' homes. www.stayinjasper.com There are about 150 licensed homes in Jasper, about 15 of these offer B&B (breakfast is usually "self-served continental"), the rest are accommodation-only. They range from basic and budget (bedroom with shared bath - $50 - $70), to hotel-style units, or full 2 or 3 bedroom apartments, at half the cost of a hotel stay, and no additional taxes (11% in hotels).

Thanks krp329 for your info.

I checked the list from stayinjasper.com. There are so many of them and I just don't know how to choose from. We(2)want a place that's very CLEAN, safe, quiet and convienent. Are they reviews or rating info for these homes?

You have a fabulous trip planned. I can possibly help with the Banff/Lake Louise/Jasper hotels. The lodging in these areas is more expensive than other places we have travelled.

3 nice places to stay in Jasper are the cabins at Alpine Village, Beckers and Patricia Lake. We have stayed at both Beckers and Patricia Lake Bungalows. Alpine Village requires a 3 nt stay in season and we have never had more than 2 nights in Jasper. Patricia Lake is the most affordable and we enjoyed our stay there. We stayed in a 1BR cottage. They also have less expensive rooms there to rent that I wouldn't hesitate to stay in. We visited with 2 other couples and loved meeting on the dock for morning coffee and afternoon happy hour--it is a really lovely setting. They have an upscale development there called the Grove.

In Jasper, even though you are not hikers, I think you would enjoy walking along Maligne Canyon--an easy walk and beautiful canyon. We also enjoyed walking around Maligne Lake and driving up Mount Edith Cavell, a winding switchback road that ends at Angel Glacier.

There are many beautiful overlooks and stops on the Icefields Parkway as you drive down to Lake Louise or Banff--it will probably take you longer than 4 hours but you will enjoy every minute of it---pray for a clear, sunny day. We drove it one year in rain and fog--bummer--fortunately we were also driving back to Banff and had great weather that day. We stopped at the Bear Paws Bakery in Jasper and picked up bread for sandwiches and cookies. We had a great picnic by one of the many lakes on the Parkway.

You can stay in either Lake Louise or Banff when in the Banff area. We prefer Lake Louise because it is closer to the hikes we like to do but it is not a problem to stay in Banff. Banff can be a bit crowded in the summer. Lake Louise however has no town. It is just a collection of hotels. We stayed at Paradise Lodge on their 3 day hiker special. We had the least expensive cabin but it was very nice. They also have a wonderful complimentary breakfast.

We have stayed at Baker Creek in one of their cabins--it is between Lake Louise and Banff. We enjoyed our stay there.

You can do a quick check on lodging choices on www.kayak.com. There are some more affordable options in Banff. We actually have had rooms reserved in Banff with refundable deposits but have found some great last minute rate using www.kayak.com---once at the Rimrock Resort and another time at the Emerald Lake Lodge in Yoho---I loved, loved, loved Emerald Lake but last visit, I couldn't find any affordable rates there. Even if you don't stay there, it is a wonderful place though to visit and eat lunch, walk around the lake. Ask for a piece of bumbleberry pie.

You may be too late to book Lake O'Hara--you need to call 3 months in advance to get a reservation on the bus--you can try going standby. On our last visit, we made reservations and it ended up being our only day of rain the whole trip---I mean pouring down rain. We will try again next visit.

In Lake Louise, you will enjoy seeing Lake Louise and Moraine Lake. At Moraine Lake, be sure to walk to the top of the rockpile. I think you would also enjoy walking around the lake or taking the very easy Consolation Lakes hike. With the Consolation Lakes hike, you end up at a boulder strewn area along the lake and are just surrounded by mountains--very peaceful.

Have fun planning your trip.

Thank you LindainOhio. I am in OH also:)

I have been reading your posts was trying to find your trip report but couldn't get it??

I decided to splurge and booked directly with Rimrock Resort for 5 nights. How did you find last minutes specials? I am looking at Patricia Lake Bungalows for Jasper for 3 nights, but still not decided yet. I hope to find the "best" place for less than $150/night Patricia is in the range, but may be there are better options for the $$$. I have not checked Beckers and Alpine to compare. Are they in the same catagory?

We are not hikers but yes, we can walk a lot. We have heard so much about the places and are looking forward very much to this 2 weeks trip.

Is the middle of June to the end still very cold there? Should we do the circle by going South first to Banff and up to Jasper and return from North? or it does not make that much of a difference in weather wise.
I think I have the trip planned but can always change and fine tune it a bit.

Thank you all for your help. I'm still looking for better ideas and suggestions. LOL

Blade

A few more questions:

How do I book for the bus for Lake O'Hara?

Is Kelowna, Osoyoos worth while visiting on the way back from Banff to Vancouver? What other places do you suggest? Our current itinerary is 2 days to get to Jasper, 3 days in Jasper, 5 days in Banff, 1-2 EXTRA days not planned(Going-to-the-sun? Montana? or Calgary?), 2 days to get back to Vancouver.

We've only stayed in Patricia Lake cabins, but the hotel style rooms look nice. We love the quiet lakeside location and view, but keep in mind it is a few miles outside of town. I see the Rimrock for $202.96 for 6/22 - 6/27 on aaa.com. The Ptarmigan shows $139.00 a night at the same time. Not the Rimrock, but we've stayed there and it's nice and right in town.

Book Lake O'Hara @ 250.343.6433 starting at 8 AM. When we did it the line was busy, but kept trying maybe 25 times and finally got through. Grab any time you can, it's a great experience. More info: http://www.pc.gc.ca/eng/pn-np/bc/yoh...v/ohara/a.aspx

Thank you DaveS. I will call to book Lake O'Hara. I got Rimrock AAA rate of C$178+tax(6/19 - 6/24). Appreciate if you see a better rate elsewhere.

Hi again,

Sounds like your planning is coming along.

>> I checked the list from stayinjasper.com. There are so
>> many of them and I just don't know how to choose from. We
>>(2)want a place that's very CLEAN, safe, quiet and
>> convienent. Are they reviews or rating info for these
>> homes?

Yes, the choices of private home accommodations can be a bit overwhelming. Some of the homes are listed and reviewed on tripadvisor.com and possibly other travel sites (you can always google the name, if you have a particular one of interest).

I think it's a good idea to use the search function to narrow down your choices - tick off various criteria that are important to you (queen bed, private bathroom, fridge, WiFi, etc), choose a price range. When you have a narrower range of choices, you can browse among them; some of them have another website linked, which usually will be their own site or a more detailed listing, with photos. Depending on when you are coming, there may be limited availability with some, so you might want to make enquiries with a few that seem good to you, and then finally choose among those that are available.

What do you mean by "convenient" ... convenient to what, exactly? The town of Jasper is only two miles long, with downtown in the centre - nowhere in town is more than a five minute drive to downtown (or about a twenty minute walk).

Thanks Krp329. I will continue my search for Jasper, your info is very helpful. I didn't know that Jasper is such a small town. I just don't want to be in nobody's land.

I am hoping our dates are not quite as busy as July/August that we have more options for lodgings and etc.

What's the weather like in June?? I assume cool? BTW, we plan to take our puppy, a 7 months Maltese with us, I hope small pet is allowed in most places.

Thanks again.

I know the Rimrock has a pet policy, a limited number of pet friendly rooms and charges $35=tax/day for a pet. You must book the room through their reservation desk.

The Rimrock is actually not in town--it is up the hill from Banff. We loved it there and they offer a shuttle to Banff.

When we travel and have refundable lodging, I often check a few times a week--or even daily, on www.kayak.com to see if anyone is offering specials. There were also specials offered at the Banff Springs Hotel for the week we visited. Since there are varying room sizes (some rooms are very small) at the Banff Springs and I was making arrangements for 3 couples, I booked the Rimrock. If it were just my husband and me travelling, I would have booked the Banff Springs
If you click on my name you will find my last trip report. It was in Sept. 2008.

Bookmarking.

Kristinelaine,

Sorry, what is "Bookmarking" ??

LindainOhio,
I did find your trip report. Thanks for sharing all the info, very interesting and helpful.

When you put "bookmarking" and submit it, the thread stays in a list of threads on which you yourself have commented, thereby making it easier to find when you want to read it again.

Having a dog with you will likely limit your accommodation choices quite a lot. If you are thinking of home accommodations, "pets accepted" is one of the search items you can sort on. Out of curiosity, I tried that just now - there are only 20 homes (out of 110+ listed) that possibly accept pets (many listings say "enquire", which means they might).

There are a few hotels that that accept pets - the Marmot Lodge (part of the Mountain Park Lodges group, who have 5 hotel or cabin properties in the area), and possibly the Tonquin Inn, among others.

Pets are not allowed in restaurants in Canada, due to public health regulations.

June is not as busy as July and August; weekends in Jasper tend to be busier than mid-week nights in June, and it gets busier as you get later into the month - some school districts are out earlier in the month than others; there's a definite increase in the number of families travelling as you get later in the month.

Weather in June can be cool and rainy, we can also get some really nice weather - and long, long hours of daylight! (Jasper is at 53 degree north latitude). You can get climate normals and averages from the Environment Canada weather site. Here is their page for the current Jasper forecast: http://www.weatheroffice.gc.ca/city/..._metric_e.html

click on the 'historical weather" link in the left hand menu, then "climate normals and average"; choose your location (Banff, Jasper etc.) and it will show you averages for high and low temperatures, precipitation, and also record highs and lows etc.

Also, dogs are not allowed on the bus to Lake O'Hara. The only other way in is to walk - 11 km each way.

Thanks so much for your info on traveling with pets. As now, we are considering leaving the puppy at home, may be it's better for the puppy too. Luckily, we have familis on the street:) I will check into the climate via your links. We're planning to bring layers of clothing and raincoats so to prepare for cold and warm weather. We have booked/confirmed most of our stays except one night still open. I am sure we will have a fantastic vacation to Rockies.

One more question. I booked one night @ Delta Sun Peaks the first night, is it a convienent place for a stopover? or should I try the Kamloops (Hampton Inn, 4 Pts etc)? I did not book the stopover on the way back from Banff to Vancouver because I don't know the best route to take in more sceneris along the way or just drive straight without stopping.

Currently, we have 4 nights @ Patricia Lake lodge, 5 nights @ Rimrock Resort. I am considering doing ONE night @ the L

continue....

@ Lake Louise Chalets, since it's soooo beautiful, I'm getting mix reviews and just have to make our own decision.

Thanks so much for everyon's help. Fodors.com is great!

Since you are staying at Patricia Lake, look up the WWII Project Habakkuk. The British government was planning on making a huge aircraft carrier out of ice. The pilot project of Sir Geoffrey Pyke was at Patricia Lake.

Hi Blade,

I have been following this thread with great interest as we'll be driving from Vancouver (leaving 15th June) and travelling via Whistler, Lillooet, Kamloops, Jasper, Banff and Canmore to Calgary (arriving 24th June). We are staying at Patricia Lake on 19th, and it seems that you'll be also there on that night.

From Calgary we are off to Toronto, Montreal, Quebec and the eastern provinces (NB, PEI & NS) before heading off home to Oz.

First time to Canada and looking forward to an amazing trip.

Brian in Australia.

Hi Brian,

Thanks for your note. Actually, we have changed our itinerary, leaving a few days later. Sounds like you got a very nice trip planned for your Canada's vacation. Have fun!

I've never been to Sun Peaks but I hear it's nice. It's a bit of a detour off the main highway (1/2 hour?) but would be scenic, I think. Kamloops itself is nothing to get excited about - a convenient place for a stop-over, the usual shops and services etc.

Again thank you krp329.

I'm a bit confused about Columbia Icefields/Icefields Parkway. I read something about one can only take the bus(Ice Explorer) to The Columbia Icefields or do the guided ice walks. Do we have to book the bus ride ahead? Or we can explore the Columbia Icefields on our own?

Is the route from Jasper to Banff named Icefields Parkway where we can drive and stop at many scenic lookout points(Peyto Lake, Sunwapta Falls and Athabasca Falls..etc)? Is it same as HYW #93?

I looked at the map and got answers myself:)

However, I have another question. There is a Glacier Vew Inn located at the South entrance of the Jasper Park, I think it's on the upper levels of the Icefield Centre or across from the Columbia Icefield, is this a good place for a one night stop from Jasper to Banff and do the Icewalk for that day? How far is this from the town of Jasper? or from the Patricia Lake Lodge?

Thank you.

You can do the Icewalk on your drive from Jasper to Lake Louise. You won't need to overnight. We took a 3 hour hike, had a picnic and made several other stops.

I think if you drive the Icefields Parkway without stopping, it is about a 3 hour drive. It always takes us most of the day

I have never heard of the Lake Louise Chalets--do you mean Baker Creek Chalets? We have stayed there and they are very nice. I liked our cabin at Paradise Lodge better.

Just to clarify--our hike was not on the glacier. We have never done a glacier walk. We have enjoyed hiking Wilcox Pass and Parker Ridge--I love the view from Parker Ridge--but you do have to hike switchback trail to get there.

I really think you need to try out hiking on this trip--You say you are not hikers but maybe you have just not had such a spectacular place to hike. The Canadian Rockies are a hiker's paradise.