Wild beauty & rugged adventure in Canada’s Rockies

Welcome to Calgary, the gateway to the Rockies. Touch down at Calgary Airport, where a transfer will be waiting to take you to your hotel in the city. Meet your guide and fellow travellers at reception, then you’re off into town for dinner. For your first night in Canada, we’ve picked one of the best spots in town: the Canadian Craft Beer Market, home to the country’s largest selection of draft beers and a long menu featuring tacos, sliders and burgers. Bon appetit.

After breakfast, you’re off to Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump. This UNESCO World Heritage Site forms an essential part of indigenous culture; its ‘buffalo jump’ was the cliff top where the local Blackfoot tribe encouraged buffalo to run to their death, before using the carcasses for food, clothing and tools. You’ll learn all about the history of the Blackfoot people, followed by a quick lunch. Then, it’s back on the road for a two-hour drive through a truly stirring landscape. Watch as snow-capped peaks and glacial lakes unfold into view, as we take you onwards to your new hotel in Fernie. Once you check in, head out to the Fernie Brewing Co to sample the brewery’s best beers, with some free time to explore Fernie’s quaint streets. Dinner is yours to arrange, then why not enjoy an indulgent soak in the hot tub back at your hotel?

Today is all about embracing the great Canadian tradition of kayaking. Spend the morning paddling down sparkling glacial rivers, keeping an eye out for local wildlife as you go. Your final route will depend on the weather conditions on the day (as well as your group’s fitness levels) but you’ll certainly be delving into quiet corners of wilderness, with stunning mountain views and abundant fauna to be savoured. You may even spot local residents such as turtles, crawfish and water fowl. After lunch, the afternoon is yours to explore Fernie’s town centre. Alternatively, enjoy a wild swim in a glacial lake, take off for a quiet alpine hike or explore some local mountain bike trails.

Take it easy today with a relaxing trip to Lussier Hot Springs. Two hours north of Fernie, and surrounded by the rugged Rockies, these steaming natural pools are truly located in the heart of the wilderness. Absorb breathtaking landscape views as you relax and unwind, with kingfishers, herons and golden eagles soaring overhead. It’s then back on the road, as we drive you onwards to Golden. This beautiful mountain town is nestled in the Colombia River Valley, surrounded by six national parks. The rest of the evening is yours to settle in with your fellow travellers.

First thing this morning, you’re off into Yoho National Park. Settle into a long hike, as you immerse yourself in a landscape of waterfalls, glacial lakes, forest trails and soaring mountain peaks. Hike to Takakkaw Falls (providing the weather is in our favour), a mighty 302-metre-high waterfall which casts beautiful rainbows under the right conditions. Then, it’s onto Natural Bridge, where the Red River’s current has carved a natural bridge into the rocks above, allowing you to cross the thundering aquamarine river. More serene but equally breathtaking, Emerald Lake awaits you next, the largest lake in Yoho and the final stop on your hike. Back in Golden, get some dinner with your fellow travellers and relax in your hotel hot tub, or enjoy a night of post-hike celebrations in Golden.

Today, leave Golden behind as you head onto one of Canada’s national treasures, Banff National Park. First stop is Lake Louise and Moraine Lake. From here it’s a drive along the famous Icefields Parkway, a 232 kilometre-stretch of road dotted with breathtaking viewpoints, waterfalls and glacier look-out points. Enjoy a picnic lunch on the road before heading to powerful Athabasca Falls. From there it’s just a short drive to Jasper, your home for the next two nights.

This morning, you and your fellow travellers will be up early to go canyoning. This high-octane experience will allow you to explore walled gorges, mountain valleys and waterfalls using pre-fixed safety ropes. Your route will depend on weather conditions, with several canyons to choose from – there’s even a ‘dry’ option (but no less thrilling, that we promise). Kitted out in a wetsuit, you will be dropped off for your adventure, which begins with a hike to the start of the river. You’ll navigate the twists, turns and drops of the river path, using a mix of swimming, jumping, climbing and abseiling. Enjoy a light lunch sourced from a local deli – perfect to keep your energy levels high during this all-day adventure.

After breakfast at the hotel, it’s back on the road down the Icefields Parkway, as we take you to hike the Athabasca Glacier. It’s a three-hour hike onto the glacier itself, on which you’ll learn all about the snowfields and the local ecology along the way. You’ll be climbing up to 2,000 metres above sea level, so even in the summer you can expect it to get cold. Really cold. Bring warm weather gear, and we’ll sort you out with the rest (including ropes, crampons and poles). Back on warmer ground, enjoy a picnic lunch, then it’s a two-and-a-half hour drive to idyllic Banff, where you’ll be staying for two nights, in a town full of boutique shops and excellent restaurants.

After an action-packed day on Athabasca Glacier, we’ve put aside a day of rest to spend in Banff however you please. There’s plenty to intrigue restless adventurers among you in Banff, including hiking, canoeing, white water rafting, mountain biking and – our favourite – caving through the labyrinthine tunnels and drops at Rat’s Nest Cave (one of which is called The Laundry Shoot). Whatever you choose, the whole team will meet in the evening for a farewell dinner at a fancy local steakhouse (there’ll be vegetarian and vegan options, too).

It’s an hour-and-a-half drive back to Calgary, with plenty of stirring scenery to enjoy along the way. We’ll drive you to the airport by 12pm, or we can drop you in Calgary city centre. There’s also the option to stay on in Banff if you like – just let us know and we can help you organise the best way to make the most of the mountain lifestyle during your stay.