Day-by-day programme of this 14-day itinerary across British Columbia and Alberta (Western Canada).
Day 1 â Arrival in Vancouver
Landing in Vancouver, the Pacific metropolis set between the sea and snow-capped mountains: the perfect starting point for the great Canadian West.
- âïļ Vancouver â Aeroporto di Vancouver (YVR)
- ð Gastown â Gastown is the neighbourhood where Vancouver was born: cobbled streets, cast-iron lamps, old brick warehouses now full of boutiques, galleries and restaurants. On the corner of Water Street the famous steam clock whistles every quarter of an hour, one of the most photographed sights. In the evening the atmosphere is lively and relaxed at once. It's the right place for your first Canadian toast before a night's rest after the long flight.
- ðĻ Sandman Hotel Vancouver Downtown â Downtown / West End, Vancouver
Day 2 â Vancouver, sea and forest
A full day for one of the most liveable cities in the world: the great seaside park, the market island and the rainforests a step from downtown.
- ð Stanley Park â Stanley Park is one of the most beautiful urban parks in the world: a thousand-acre rainforest peninsula embraced by the sea, larger than New York's Central Park. The best way to experience it is the Seawall, the path that loops around it on foot or by bike, among giant cedars, beaches, the row of First Nations totem poles and views of the skyline and mountains. After the salty air you move to an island that is a foodie paradise.
- ð Granville Island Public Market â Granville Island, under the bridge of the same name, is a former industrial zone turned into a thriving district of artists and food lovers. The Public Market is its heart: stalls of Pacific seafood, fruit, cheese, pastries and street food to eat while watching the boats. All around, galleries, glass workshops and theatres. It's the right place for lunch. In the afternoon you climb towards the mountains that loom over the city, crossing a suspended forest.
- ðŊ Capilano Suspension Bridge â The Capilano Suspension Bridge is a 137-metre rope bridge hanging seventy metres above the Capilano River, in the middle of a rainforest of centuries-old Douglas firs. Beyond the swaying bridge there is the Treetops Adventure, a series of walkways among the canopies, and the Cliffwalk clinging to the canyon wall. Guaranteed vertigo and grandiose nature. You come back down and, to close the day, head for a viewpoint suspended over the city.
- ð Grouse Mountain â Grouse Mountain is Vancouver's mountain: a cable car, the Skyride, rises to 1,100 metres from where the city, the sea and Vancouver Island spread out below in a panorama that turns gold at sunset. At the top there are trails, lumberjack shows and the two grizzly bears of the sanctuary. Back in the city, you enjoy your last evening in Vancouver: tomorrow you head north along one of the most beautiful scenic roads in the world.
Day 3 â The Sea to Sky and Whistler
One of the most spectacular scenic drives in North America, from the Howe Sound fjord to the mountain village of Whistler.
- ð Sea to Sky Gondola â Halfway to Whistler, at Squamish, the Sea to Sky Gondola climbs in minutes to 885 metres above Howe Sound. At the top a suspension bridge and a series of terraces give views over the green-blue arm of the sea, the granite walls and the Shannon Falls plunging alongside. Short trails lead into the forest. You take the scenic road again, climbing higher, to Canada's most famous alpine village.
- ð Whistler Village â Whistler is Canada's mountain-sports capital, host of the 2010 Winter Olympic Games: the pedestrian village, at the foot of the two great mountains Whistler and Blackcomb, is a succession of chalets, shops, restaurants and lively patios. In summer it is a paradise for hiking and mountain biking. You have lunch in the heart of the village. In the afternoon you ride between the two peaks on a record-breaking gondola.
- ðŊ Peak 2 Peak Gondola â The Peak 2 Peak gondola links the summits of Whistler and Blackcomb in a record span: 4.4 kilometres suspended up to 436 metres above the valley, the longest unsupported stretch in the world. Some cabins have glass floors for the brave. Up there, trails among glaciers and alpine flowers with the Coast Mountains as far as the eye can see. You come down to spend the night in Whistler; tomorrow you head back to the coast to sail across to Vancouver Island.
- ðĻ Whistler Village Inn & Suites â Whistler Village, Whistler
Day 4 â To Vancouver Island
You come down from Whistler to the coast and cross the Strait of Georgia by ferry, among islands and forests, to very British Victoria.
- âïļ Vancouver â Victoria â Terminal di Swartz Bay, Victoria
- ð Inner Harbour â The Inner Harbour is Victoria's living room on the water: around the little port stand the imposing Parliament Buildings, lit at night by thousands of bulbs, and the historic Fairmont Empress, the castle-hotel where afternoon tea is taken English-style. Seaplanes taking off, street performers and a gentle promenade complete the picture. Victoria is the most British of Canadian cities. You dine here before the night.
- ðĻ Best Western Plus Inner Harbour â Downtown / Inner Harbour, Victoria
Day 5 â Victoria and the gardens
A day in the capital of British Columbia, between Canada's most famous gardens and the maritime atmosphere of the wharves.
- ð Butchart Gardens â The Butchart Gardens are one of the most spectacular gardens in the world: born more than a century ago in the crater of an old limestone quarry, today they are 22 hectares of perfect flowerbeds, the famous sunken garden, rose gardens, Japanese and Italian gardens, fountains and, in summer, fireworks. A symphony of colour that changes with the seasons. Back towards the centre, you enjoy Victoria's colourful maritime side.
- ð Fisherman's Wharf â Victoria's Fisherman's Wharf is a floating dock full of brightly coloured boat-houses, fish kiosks and sea lions that pop up looking for food. You eat fish and chips with your feet dangling over the water, wander among the houseboats and take a water taxi to the harbour. A light, maritime finale. In the evening, your last in Victoria: tomorrow you cross the island to the wild Pacific coast, at Tofino.
Day 6 â Across the island to Tofino
You cross Vancouver Island through forests of giant trees to the wild Pacific coast, realm of surf and storms.
- ð Cathedral Grove - MacMillan Park â Halfway to the coast, Cathedral Grove (in MacMillan Provincial Park) is one of the island's last accessible old-growth forests: short trails wind among Douglas firs and red cedars up to seventy metres tall and eight centuries old, so thick that several people are needed to circle the trunk. You walk in the green silence of a true natural cathedral. Then the road winds down to emerge on the ocean.
- ð Long Beach - Pacific Rim â Long Beach, in Pacific Rim National Park, is a sixteen-kilometre expanse of sand pounded by the open ocean's waves: rainforests reaching the shore, driftwood, surfers in wetsuits even in winter and immense skies. It is the quintessence of Canada's wild Pacific coast. A barefoot walk among the waves, then a few minutes' drive to the village of Tofino for the night.
- ðĻ Hotel Zed Tofino â Centro, Tofino
Day 7 â Tofino and back to the mainland
A morning in the wild paradise of Tofino, then the return to the mainland ahead of the leap to the Rocky Mountains.
- ðŊ Tofino â Tofino is the realm of soft adventure: you can take a surf lesson on the Pacific's long waves, set off by boat to spot black bears foraging among the rocks at low tide, sail to the thermal springs of Hot Springs Cove or paddle a kayak among the islands. Take your pick. By mid-morning, though, it's time to move on: you recross the island and take the ferry back to the mainland.
- ð―ïļ Tacofino â Before leaving the coast, lunch at Tacofino: born as a rusty truck in a Tofino car park and now an institution, it serves the best fish tacos in British Columbia, with the freshest fish and homemade sauces. A taste of the Pacific to take away. Then down to the ferry and back to Vancouver: tomorrow you fly to the other side of the mountains, into the heart of the Rockies.
- ðĻ Sandman Hotel Vancouver Downtown â Vicino aeroporto YVR / Richmond, Vancouver
Day 8 â Flight to Calgary and arrival in Banff
You fly over the Rocky Mountains on an internal flight to Calgary, then drive among the peaks to the alpine town of Banff.
- âïļ Vancouver â Calgary â Aeroporto Internazionale di Calgary (YYC)
- ð Banff Avenue â Banff is the most famous town in the Rockies: a single main street, Banff Avenue, lined with shops, restaurants and alpine-style lodges, with Mount Cascade closing it off like a theatrical backdrop. All around, forests, turquoise rivers and elk that sometimes wander downtown. You settle in and take a first stroll. In the afternoon you climb high, above the valley, for the panoramic view.
- ðĻ Elk + Avenue Hotel â Banff townsite, Banff
Day 9 â Banff National Park
A full day among the wonders around Banff: the summit gondola, the falls, a glacial lake and the historic hot springs.
- ðŊ Banff Gondola â The Banff Gondola climbs in eight minutes to the summit of Sulphur Mountain, at 2,281 metres: from up there a wooden boardwalk runs along the ridge and gives a 360-degree view over six mountain ranges, the Bow River valley and the town of Banff in miniature. It is the best way to understand the park's geography. Back down, you follow the river to a waterfall a short walk from the centre.
- ð Bow Falls â Bow Falls are not very tall but they are powerful and wide: the Bow River pours over them with a continuous roar, right below the majestic Fairmont Banff Springs, the castle-hotel that looks straight out of the Scottish Highlands. A short trail leads to the viewpoint. A brief stop, then you head for the area's largest glacial lake, where you can also take a boat.
- ð Lake Minnewanka â Lake Minnewanka, the 'Lake of the Water Spirits' for the Nakoda peoples, is the longest lake in the Canadian Rockies: twenty-one kilometres of dark water set among the mountains. You can take a mini-cruise, walk along the shore or simply enjoy the view from the pull-outs of the scenic road that skirts it. Bighorn sheep and marmots are often spotted. To close the day, nothing beats a warm soak with a view.
- ðŊ Banff Upper Hot Springs â The Banff Upper Hot Springs are the historic baths that gave birth to the park: a large pool of warm sulphurous water, at 1,585 metres, where you soak while gazing at the still-snowy peaks of Mount Rundle. It is the perfect ritual to ease the legs after a day in the mountains. You return to Banff for dinner and your last night; tomorrow you take the road to the most famous lakes in the world.
Day 10 â Lake Louise, Moraine and Yoho
The day of the most photographed lakes on the planet: the emerald water of Lake Louise and Moraine, then nearby Yoho National Park with its falls.
- ð Lake Louise â Lake Louise is Canada's postcard: a lake of unreal turquoise, fed by glaciers, closed at the far end by the bulk of the Victoria Glacier and watched over by the elegant Fairmont Chateau Louise. You can rent a red canoe, the place's symbol, or walk along the shore to the Plain of Six Glaciers. The water's colour comes from the rock dust of the glaciers. A few minutes away, even more spectacular, is its twin.
- ð Moraine Lake â Moraine Lake is perhaps Canada's most beautiful lake: an incredible cobalt-blue water enclosed in the Valley of the Ten Peaks, a crown of jagged mountains still streaked with snow. The classic view is from the 'Rockpile', the little hill of boulders that once even featured on Canadian banknotes. The road is accessible only by shuttle or tour, to be booked ahead. You head west, crossing the border between Alberta and British Columbia, into Yoho National Park.
- ð Emerald Lake â In Yoho National Park, Emerald Lake lives up to its name: an emerald-green lake surrounded by dense forests and rock walls, with a charming wooden lodge on the shore and a footpath that loops around it. You rent a canoe or stroll in the silence. Yoho, in the Cree language, means 'wonder', which says it all. Not far off, water plunges from a dizzying height.
- ð Takakkaw Falls â Takakkaw Falls are among the highest waterfalls in Canada: a 254-metre drop, fed by the Daly Glacier, exploding in a cloud of water heard from afar - the name in Cree means precisely 'magnificent'. A short trail leads almost beneath the jet, where the spray cools your skin. You head back towards Lake Louise for the night; tomorrow you take the legendary Icefields Parkway towards Jasper.
- ðĻ Lake Louise Inn â Lake Louise village / Field
Day 11 â The Icefields Parkway
One of the most spectacular roads in the world, among glaciers, turquoise lakes and peaks, from Peyto Lake to the Columbia Icefield and Jasper.
- ð Peyto Lake â From the Bow Summit viewpoint, a short climb leads above Peyto Lake: it is perhaps the most photographed lake in the Rockies, shaped like a wolf's head, of a turquoise so vivid it looks fake, set in a fir forest with mountains behind. The colour changes with the light of day. You take the Parkway again, which at every bend reveals a new glacier, to the icy heart of the road.
- ðŊ Columbia Icefield - Athabasca Glacier â The Columbia Icefield is the largest ice field in the Rockies: an ice cap that feeds several glaciers, among them the Athabasca, which descends almost to the road. You board the Ice Explorer, a huge tracked vehicle, and walk on the thousand-year-old ice; or you lean out into the void from the Skywalk, a glass walkway suspended over the canyon. An experience that makes you feel small. You carry on downhill, skirting a powerful waterfall.
- ð Athabasca Falls â Athabasca Falls are not very tall but they have an impressive force: the Athabasca River squeezes into a narrow gorge carved in the rock and plunges with a violence that shakes the walkways. The polished shapes of the canyon tell of millennia of erosion. A quick but unforgettable stop. A few more kilometres and you reach Jasper, the wildest of the Rockies towns.
- ðĻ Whistler's Inn â Jasper townsite, Jasper National Park
Day 12 â Jasper National Park
A day in the wildest park of the Rockies: the most famous lake, a deep canyon and a tramway that rises above the valley.
- ð Maligne Lake - Spirit Island â Maligne Lake is the largest and most famous glacial lake in Jasper: twenty-two kilometres of water framed by mountains and glaciers. Its signature image is Spirit Island, a little islet of firs reachable only by boat, one of Canada's most iconic views. A cruise takes you there, amid silence and reflections. On the way back you often spot moose and bears. Just before the town, the earth opens into a deep gorge.
- ð Maligne Canyon â Maligne Canyon is a limestone gorge up to fifty metres deep and at times just a few metres wide: a series of bridges crosses it, letting you look down where the water carves, churns and vanishes into underground caves. An easy trail follows it among waterfalls and pools. In winter it freezes and you can walk on the bottom. You return to Jasper; for a last view from above, a tramway rises over it all.
- ðŊ Jasper SkyTram â The Jasper SkyTram is the highest aerial tramway in Canada: it climbs the flank of Whistlers Mountain to 2,263 metres, beyond the tree line. From up there, on clear days, the view reaches Mount Robson, the highest peak in the Canadian Rockies, and overlooks the Athabasca valley with the town of Jasper tiny below. A trail leads to the summit. You come down for your last evening in the park; tomorrow you return south, once more along the great road.
Day 13 â South again, to Canmore
You retrace the road of the glaciers, with a stop at another turquoise lake, to the cosy town of Canmore.
- ð Bow Lake â On the way back along the Icefields Parkway, Bow Lake is one of the loveliest stops: a wide turquoise lake at the foot of the Crowfoot Glacier and the Bow Glacier, with the historic red-log lodge on the shore. A short walk leads towards the falls that feed it. The last, long farewell to the Rockies from within. Then the road drops towards the Bow valley and the welcoming town of Canmore.
- ð Canmore â Canmore, just outside the park boundaries, is the quieter, more authentic sister of Banff: a mountain town whose Main Street is full of craft breweries, cafes and shops, dominated by the unmistakable shape of the Three Sisters, three twin peaks. Less touristy and more lived-in, it is the right place for the last evening among the mountains. You dine here with a view of the peaks, before heading to bed.
- ð―ïļ The Grizzly Paw Brewing â For the last dinner, a stop at the Grizzly Paw brewery in Canmore: craft beers made with Rockies water, bison burgers, ribs and the hearty flavours of Alberta, cattle country. A toast to a journey that has linked the Pacific Ocean and the glaciers, the rainforests and the prairies. Tomorrow the loop closes: back to Calgary and the flight home.
- ðĻ Lamphouse Hotel â Canmore, Bow Valley
Day 14 â Calgary and departure
Last day: a final look at Calgary, the gateway to the Rockies, and the return flight, your luggage full of glaciers and ocean.
- âïļ Calgary â Aeroporto Internazionale di Calgary (YYC)
