Day 1: Arrive in Calgary, Drive to Banff (2 hours)

Welcome to Calgary, the gateway to the Canadian Rockies! Starting your road trip adventure from Canada’s cowboy capital, collect your rental car and follow the Trans Canada Highway (Highway 1) west and ever closer to the magnificent Rocky Mountains and popular Banff. Pull over in picturesque Canmore, worth a stop for a meal and a stroll, and find a seat at the town’s eclectic PD3 by Blake restaurant (where they serve Asian-inspired cuisine from a remodeled 1962 silver double-decker bus).

Banff, a small mountain town located within Banff National Park (Canada’s first national park), is one of the country’s most visited destinations, packed with visitors in the peak summer months. For good reason, Banff provides year-round opportunities for wildlife watching, outdoor adventures, cultural activities, and makes for a great hub for nearby Canadian Rockies icons, like Lake Louise and the Yoho and Kootenay national parks.

Stroll the shop-lined streets to get your bearings as you make your way to the Banff Park Museum for an introduction to the local wildlife. From there, take the Banff Gondola up Sulphur Mountain to walk the boardwalk trail. Enjoy the mountain panoramas and stay for dinner with a view at Sky Bistro. And then indulge in an evening dip in the hot mineral waters of the Upper Hot Springs Pool near the base of the cable car.

Driving time (Calgary to Banff): 1.5-2 hours (79 miles / 127 km)

Day 2: Explore around Banff

Before the crowds arrive, find your way to the Cave and Basin National Historic Site to understand how the popular park got its start. Walk through a dimly lit rock-lined tunnel to see the grotto discovered in 1883 that lead to Banffs national park designation and then enjoy a morning hike choosing from one of the hundreds of options available. Pick up park maps and hiking tips (and bear spray) from the Banff Visitor Center.

For a challenge, arrange a guided climb (three hours) on the Mount Norquay Via Ferrata (Italian for ‘iron way’) following a protected climbing route as you clip into a series of fixed iron cables. An easier option (and one of the best hikes from the town center) is to take the Bow River and Hoodoos trails. Starting at Gopher Street, hike past the Bow Falls and Surprise Corner to the hoodoos, odd-looking limestone rock spires (6.3 miles / 10.2 km roundtrip). 

To satisfy your post-hiking appetite, head to Bear Street Tavern and then take to the water on a one-hour cruise of Lake Minnewanka. If you have the energy to spare, consider renting a canoe or kayak instead. Toward dusk, look for wildlife—beavers, elk, ospreys, and bald eagles—along the shores of tranquil Vermilion Lakes followed by pre-dinner drinks and Mediterrasian tapas at Block Kitchen & Bar. Then hang out with real live cowboys as you two-step the night away at Wild Bill’s Legendary Saloon.

Recommended activities:

• Surprise Corner. Great photo spot across the Bow River overlooking the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel. 
• Horseback riding. Join a local outfitter for a few hours on horseback along local trails.
• Rent a bike. Ride the Sundance or Spray River loops or, for something more epic, pedal the Rocky Mountain Legacy Trail from Bow Valley Parkway to Canmore, where 14 miles (22 km) are within the boundaries of Banff National Park.
• Restaurants. Dine on T-bones at Saltlik or shareable platters of gourmet vegetarian dishes at Nourish.
• Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies. Check out exhibits that trace Banff’s cultural and artistic roots, from First Nations communities and early explorers to mountain guides and skiers. 
• Cascade Gardens. Escape the crowds and take advantage of the classic photo op of Banff and the Cascade Mountain in the background.
• Sunshine Village. Ride the Standish Chairlift over 8,000 feet (2,400 m) for 360-degree views of three alpine lakes and the surrounding iconic peaks of the Canadian Rocky Mountains.

Day 3: Banff to Yoho National Park (1 h 30 min)

Fuel up on breakfast at Wild Flour Bakery and proceed to follow the Bow Valley Parkway, a scenic alternative to Highway 1, west out of Banff. Take advantage of the short drive to Field with several notable pitstops, the first to trek along the cantilevered walkways of Johnston Canyon. Considered one of the busiest hikes of the park, come early to beat the mob.

Choose between the 1.5-mile (2.4-km) Lower Falls trail and the slightly steeper Upper Falls route. Allow two to two and a half hours to complete both, yet if there’s interest, plan for a picnic at the Ink Pots, five pristine aquamarine-colored pools beyond Upper Falls. It’s another 1.7 miles (2.7 km) one way, but worth the effort. Next, snap photos of Storm Mountain from a convenient viewpoint west of Castle Junction and take pause at the memorial plaque farther along the parkway to read about Canada’s World War I Castle Mountain Internment Camp.

Close to Alberta’s border with British Columbia sits captivating Lake Louise. Admire the turquoise lake and backdrop of chiseled mountain peaks and Victoria Glacier before taking to the trails. If time allows, hike the Plain of Six Glaciers Trail (around four hours), an intermediate-level 6.6-mile (10.6-km) route with an elevation gain of 1,198 feet (365 m). Conveniently, the trail leads to the less-visited Plain of Six Glaciers Teahouse (closes at 5 pm), where you can down thick-cut sandwiches and cups of tea. 

Devote time to discover the equally beautiful—if not more rugged—nearby glacier-fed Moraine Lake. Hike the accessible Lakeshore Trail along the deep-teal lake (1 mile / 1.6 km) or the 3.6-mile (5.8-km) Consolation Lakes Trail. (Best to come closer to 5 pm when the crowds have thinned.)

It’s only a 30-minute drive to your accommodation in Field, the only town within Yoho National Park, so stay in Lake Louise as long as you like taking Highway 1 into British Columbia when you’re ready. 

Recommended stops and activities:

• Short hiking alternatives. Follow the flat 1.3 mile (2 km) Lake Louise Lakeshore Trail or the steep Fairview Lookout Trail for stunning views away from the crowds.
• Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise Boathouse. Rent a canoe to explore Lake Louise on your own steam.
• Lake Louise Gondola. Spot grizzlies on the avalanche slopes, disembarking at the top of Whitehorn Mountain at 6,850 feet (2,088 m). 
• Ride horseback to Lake Louise’s historic teahouses. Select the three-hour Lake Agnes Teahouse ride or the four-hour Plain of Six Glaciers Teahouse ride. (Tours departing daily at 9 am and 1 pm.)

Driving time (Banff to Field): 1.5 hours (52 miles / 84 km)

Day 4: Yoho National Park to Revelstoke (2 h 30 min)

Get in an early morning hike to Wapta Falls (3 miles / 4.8 km) and then press on toward Revelstoke. Follow Highway 1 to Golden, famous for white-water rafting, where you can take a half-day rafting trip through Class III and IV rapids on the Kicking Horse River or kayak a quieter segment in an inflatable kayak (two hours). 

Step aboard the Golden Eagle Express Gondola up Kicking Horse Mountain to enjoy all-encompassing vistas over lunch at the Eagle’s Eye Restaurant and then set your watch back an hour to Pacific Coast time and fill your gas tank to take a little detour through Glacier National Park. Stop to check out the Rogers Pass Discovery Center to learn about the significance of Rogers Pass, the area’s wildlife, and avalanches and then be sure to traipse the less than a half-mile (400 m) Hemlock Grove Trail through an ancient hemlock forest.

Revelstoke sits on the Columbia River tucked amid British Columbia’s Selkirk and Monashee Mountains outside Mount Revelstoke National Park. An outdoor adventurist’s (and photographer’s) paradise, Revelstoke offers serious powder skiing in winter and an abundance of outdoor summer experiences. Check into your hotel and then see about getting familiar with your surroundings. For a bit of town history, visit the Revelstoke Museum followed by a stroll through town to see 60-some heritage buildings and public art. Cap off the day with a satisfying meal at Woolsey Creek Bistro and linger on the patio.

Recommended stops and activities:

• Kicking Horse Pedestrian Bridge. Saunter across Golden’s Kicking Horse River using Canada’s longest, freestanding timber-frame pedestrian bridge.
• Northern Lights Wildlife Wolf Center. Go on a 25-minute tour to see Canada’s gray wolves (and wolf-husky crosses) in Golden. (Best to come in the morning when they’re most active.)
• Canyon Hot Springs Resort. Enjoy the surrounding scenery as you relax or swim in the Hot Mineral Soaking Pool.
• Giant Cedars Boardwalk Trail. Hike through an old-growth forest of cedars (0.3 miles / 480 m)—some more than 500 years old—east of Revelstoke.
• Skunk Cabbage Boardwalk Trail. Spend 30 minutes and loop across marshes and wetlands amid malodorous skunk cabbages (May) and the Illecillewaet River (0.75 miles / 1.2 km).

Driving time (Field to Revelstoke): 2.5 hours (126 miles / 202 km)

Day 5: Explore around Revelstoke

Enjoy a relaxed morning with breakfast at Dose Coffee, and then find your way to Mountain Meals to order your lunch to go. From here, explore Mount Revelstoke National Park with a steep and snaking drive along the Meadows in the Sky Parkway to work your way to summit Mount Revelstoke. En route, pause at any of the viewpoints for sweeping mountain vistas. Once at the end of the parkway, take the free summit shuttle bus or trek the short half-mile (1-km) Upper Summit Trail from the Balsam Lake parking lot to the Heather Lake summit area.

Stay awhile and enjoy your Mountain Meals’ lunch (there are no food services on the parkway or the mountain) followed by a stroll of any of the trails on offer. There’s the intermediate Eva Lake Trail, an 8.5-mile (14 km) circuit through wildflower meadows and boulder fields to the alpine Eva Lake. The parkway one-way takes 35 to 40 minutes (16 miles / 26 km) and ascends an elevation of 6,500 feet (2,000 m). (Open May to September.)

In the afternoon, visit the Revelstoke Railway Museum before taking a 40-minute drive west of town to see The Last Spike in Craigellachie. An important part of Canada’s history, it’s here you’ll find a cairn with a plaque and a piece of railway line to mark the spot where Canada was connected from coast to coast. Back in Revelstoke, head to the popular Mexican joint, The Taco Club, for margaritas, craft beer, and of course, tacos and then mosey over to Grizzly Plaza to catch a live-music performance (July and August) in the heart of downtown.

Recommended stops and activities:

• In-town walks. Choose between the paved Revelstoke Greenbelt Trails to wander east along the Columbia and Illecillewaet rivers or the Big Eddy Greenway (cross the Big Eddy Bridge from the town’s west end and turn left at the end).
• Revelstoke Dam Visitor Center and Mica Dam. Ride the high-speed elevator to the top of the Revelstoke Dam for excellent views and then visit North America’s highest earth-filled dam.
• Mountain biking. Pick up trail maps from the visitor center and rent a bike to test your skills. Mount Macpherson is an excellent place to start.
• Kayaking. Sign up for a Natural Escapes Kayaking tour and paddle a custom-made wooden kayak to view mountains and waterways where you may see bald eagles and ospreys.
• Williamson Lake. Nestled in a forest at the edge of town, swim the warmest water in Revelstoke.
• Enchanted Forest’s Wild Land Interpretive Walk. West of town, stroll past hundreds of hand-crafted folk art and fairytale figurines and a grand treehouse in an old-growth forest.  (Great for kids).
• Three Valley Gap. Relive the colorful pioneer days of the late 1800s and tour the historic buildings of the ghost town.

Day 6: Revelstoke to Kaslo (3 hours)

Break bread at La Baguette and then stock up on picnic supplies from Le Marché (just around the corner) before hitting the road. Leaving Revelstoke, take your time as you drive south along Upper Arrow Lake, stopping at Blanket Creek Provincial Park to view the 45-foot (14 m) cascade of Sutherland Falls.

At Shelter Bay, you’ll cross the lake on the (free) 20-minute Upper Arrow Lake Ferry to Galena Bay, taking in the picturesque views (and maybe enjoying your picnic lunch). Consider stopping at Halcyon Hot Springs for a soak in its mineral-rich healing waters with views of the Monashee Mountains. 

Reaching Nakusp, this quaint village is nestled in the foothills of the Selkirk Mountains, best known for its hot springs and scenic location. If you want to stretch your legs, hike the Wrap Around Nakusp Trail, part of the old Canadian Pacific Railway line converted into a walking trail. If you skipped Halcyon, you can also rent a bike and pedal to relax in the Nakusp Hot Springs amid an amphitheater of trees.

Continuing on, head out on Highway 6 toward sleepy New Denver on Slocan Lake, an area with a rich history of silver mining. Stop in at the Silvery Slocan Museum, housed in the 1897 wooden Bank of Montreal building, and drive the five-minutes south to the equally sleepy historic town of Silverton. Don’t miss the Nikkei Internment Memorial Center, an informative museum on the site of a World War II-era camp. 

A little way east on Highway 31A, find your way to Sandon, the original Slocan Valley boomtown when silver was discovered in the 1800s and British Columbia’s best-known ghost town today. Buy a copy of the Sandon Walking Tour Guide inside the historic City Hall and set out on foot to see the highlights.

From there, continue to follow the spectacular route that weaves its way over rugged hills ending in the pretty town of Kaslo at the western shores of Kootenay Lake. An underrated lakeside gem, the rest of the day is yours to take it easy. If there’s time, take a late-afternoon hike (0.5 miles / 1 km) to Fletcher Falls (the trailhead is at the top of Fletcher Creek Frontage Road). Or, join a two-hour sunset kayaking tour and end the day with a pint or two of beer from Angry Hen Brewing.

Driving time (Revelstoke to Kaslo): 3 hours (125 miles / 200 km)

Day 7: Kaslo to Nelson (1 hour)

For a unique start to the day, enjoy a guided caving tour of the Cody Caves just 25-minutes north of Ainsworth (be sure to make reservations in advance). Then slip into your swimsuit to warm up in the spring-fed horseshoe-shaped cave lined with stalagmites and stalactites of Ainsworth Hot Springs. Another 15 minutes south in Balfour you can lunch on savory pub grub at the lakefront Dock ‘n’ Duck restaurant before drinking in the lake and mountain panoramas from the world’s longest free ferry ride across Kootenay Lake to Kootenay Bay. The trip one way is 35 minutes.

Back in Balfour, resume the drive to Nelson and today’s final destination. Sitting on the extreme West Arm of Kootenay Lake, Nelson is an artsy town of eclectic shops and restaurants and up to 350 restored Victorian-era heritage buildings, some of which creep up a hill that overlooks the park and beach-lined waterfront. Its main drawcard, however, is the surrounding wilderness of the Selkirk Mountains.

Pick up a Heritage Walking Tour brochure from the visitor center and then walk pedestrian-friendly Baker Street, the city’s main drag, to admire the historic architecture. Follow the Waterfront Pathway that runs the length of the lakeshore to hang out next to BOB (“Big Orange Bridge”), the iconic Nelson Bridge, from the shade of a bench or spot on the beach in Lakeside Park. And when it’s time for dinner, head over to All Seasons Café to sit under the maples lit with twinkling lights for an artful meal of seasonal British Columbian eats.

Driving time (Kaslo to Nelson): 1 hour (43 miles / 70 km)

Day 8: Explore around Nelson

In spring and summer, there are a host of outdoor activities to experience from kayaking and canoeing deep-blue Kootenay Lake to hiking and mountain biking nearby trails. At the same time, the closeby Selkirk Mountains (and magnificent Kokanee Glacier Provincial Park) in the winter provide conditions for world-class skiing and snowboarding. Meanwhile, as a cosmopolitan city, Nelson boasts more restaurants per capita than San Francisco, blocks of specialty and boutique shops, and access to numerous spas.

Today is yours to spend as you like. To satisfy your breakfast needs, watch the world float by over coffee and baked goods from local favorite, Oso Negro. Then consider paying a mid-morning visit to Touchstones Nelson, a museum of local history and art that features modern displays of First Nations, explorers, miners, and the Doukhobors as well as Nelson’s contribution to World War I. 

If you’re looking to get outdoors, head to the visitors center for up-to-date information on road and hiking trail conditions before venturing into the remote wilderness surrounding Nelson. For some of the best trails, drive into Kokanee Glacier Provincial Park. Here you can hike the two-hour summer-only circuit to Kokanee Lake uphill from Gibson Lake (2.5 miles / 4 km). Driving out the way you came in, and before turning west, you’ll find Kokanee Creek Provincial Park, a perfect place to plonk your towel anywhere on the half-mile stretch of sandy beach. 

Come the evening, make your way to the Hume Hotel to listen to live jazz from your cozy candlelit spot in the elegant Library Lounge after dining on “Viet-Modern” cuisine at Yum Son or wood-fired pizzas at Marzano’s.

Recommended stops and activities:

• Cottonwood Falls Park. Relax in peaceful environs and see the misty falls cascade beneath the highway overpass off Baker Street.
• Pulpit Rock. For views of Nelson and Kootenay Lake, set out from the parking lot on Johnstone Road to climb a couple of hours to the lookout, the most frequented Nelson hike.
• Nelson-Salmo Great Northern Trail. Hike at least the first 3.7 miles (6 km) of the former Burlington Northern Santa Fe rail line from the corner of Cherry and Gore Streets.
• Mountain biking. Pick from the many downhill options of Mountain Station or ride the winding Svoboda Road Trail, an old logging and mining road, in West Arm Provincial Park.
• Kokanee spawning. At the end of summer, be sure to see the spawning kokanee (freshwater salmon) accessed from the visitors center of Kokanee Creek Provincial Park. 

Day 9: Nelson to Osoyoos (3 hours)

Wind your way through the West Kootenays this morning, navigating the undulating Highway 3 toward the South Okanagan. Stop in at the Doukhobor Discovery Center in Castlegar to discover the Doukhobor legacy, Russian pacifists who emigrated to the Kootenays in the early 1900s. Before leaving, head over to the Brilliant Suspension Bridge, a National Historic Site and one built at the hands of the Doukhobor community.

Stop in Greenwood, Canada’s smallest city. Savor tasty butter tarts from Copper Eagle Cappuccino & Bakery as you complete a short (self-guided) walking tour of the town’s historic structures, including a saloon established in 1899. (You can pick up a free guide from the Greenwood Museum and Visitor Center.)

Resting at the arid southern end of the Okanagan Valley along the Canada-US border sits Osoyoos, a small town on a narrow spit of land ringed by the beaches of Osoyoos Lake, as well as the orchards, farms, and vineyards it irrigates. If you arrive early enough, venture a short distance north to sip wines from the Black Sage Bench, renowned for its premium Bordeaux-style grapes. Check out two notable wineries, Stoneboat Vineyards and Burrowing Owl Estate Winery, where you can reserve a table for an exceptional dinner at The Sonora Room.

Recommended stops and activities:

• Grand Forks. Order a bowl of borscht with a side of pyrahi (baked turnover stuffed with potatoes, spinach, or cheese) at The Borscht Bowl, a restaurant serving Doukhobor cuisine.
• Cascade Gorge Trail. Hike the easy 3-mile (5-km) route, developed along the original Kettle Valley Railway bed in Christina Lake, and see Cascade Falls.
• Rock Creek. Make like a prospector and pan for gold at the Canyon Creek Ranch.

Driving time (Nelson to Osoyoos): 3 hours (162 miles / 261 km)

Day 10: Explore around Osoyoos

A day to relax and explore the surrounding region. Head north to Covert Farms to pick fruits, taste organic wine, and shop the country-style market, an excellent local-approved spot to stock up on supplies. Then, if it’s not too hot (Osoyoos boasts Canada’s highest year-round average temps), return to Osoyoos to visit the Desert Center. Learn about this very unique corner of Canada, from the pocket desert to its desert dwellers, including 23 invertebrates found nowhere else in the world.

When the warm, dry weather becomes a little too much, head to Gyro Beach or Cottonwood Beach on Osoyoos Lake. There’s also Sẁiẁs Provincial Park (Haynes Point), a skinny peninsula that juts into the lake south of town, that affords a narrow beach and a walking trail through the marsh. Dry off and have lunch from an outdoor table overlooking the vineyard at Nk’Mip Cellars, the signature restaurant of Nk’Mip Desert Cultural Center.

Early evening, make the short drive to Oliver for dinner at Terrafina, a Tuscan-style restaurant belonging to Hester Creek Estate Winery.

Recommended stops and activities:

• Osoyoos Golf and Country Club. Take to its sagebrush-lined fairways for a round of golf.
• Nk’Mip Desert Cultural Center. Watch Coyote Spirit and walk the trail through the desert to significant points of interest complete with interpretive panels.
• Mount Kobau. Drive the gravel road to the summit (6,150 feet / 1,874 m) for a bird’s eye view over Osoyoos Lake and look out for Spotted Lake, a curious natural phenomenon.
• Naramata Heritage Inn & Spa. Pamper yourself with a spa, great food, and local wines.
• La Stella Winery. Drink the highly-regarded Cabernet-Sauvignon-based Maestoso at this beautiful winery with terracotta roof tiles and floors—a vision straight out of Italy.

Day 11: Osoyoos to Vancouver (4 h 30 min)

Following Highway 3 out of Osoyoos, zigzag your way across southern British Columbia to Vancouver. Stop in the Similkameen Valley to visit

Map

Map of Calgary to Vancouver Road Trip: Banff, Revelstoke, Nelson, & Osoyoos – 13 Days

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