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Vancouver to Canadian Rockies Road Trip
- petermorley200
- 6 days ago
- 36 min read
Updated: 2 days ago
We lived in Vancouver for 8 years and returned for a visit in September 2025. We spent 4 weeks travelling around British Columbia and the Canadian Rockies. We had a great trip and excellent weather. The only issue was smoke from forest fires but that only affected us for 3 days. See my Vancouver Travel Guide for information about visiting Vancouver.
Contents
1. Itinerary for Vancouver to Canadian Rockies Drive
I had thought about driving one way from Vancouver and dropping the rental car off in Calgary. However, the additional charge for a one way rental was far too much.
I therefore planned an itinerary that wouldn't mean driving back to Vancouver on the same route. The only road that we drove both ways was the Icefield Parkway between Banff and Jasper.
It is actually a good idea to drive the Icefield Parkway both ways. The road is very scenic and there's lots to do and see along the route. If you like hiking then 2 full days are needed for the Icefield Parkway. Also if the weather is bad one day then hopefully the weather will be good the other day.
When planning our itinerary I wanted to allow plenty of time so that we could explore areas rather than just driving past them. On the other hand Banff and Jasper National Parks are very expensive destinations and I didn't want too much down time.
We had initially intended to spend a 3rd night at Jasper, a 5th night at Field (Yoho National Park) and a 3rd night at Whistler so we could do some hiking. Unfortunately my wife had a foot problem so we couldn't do so. Also the 2024 fires in Jasper resulted in a couple of popular hiking areas being closed in 2025.
From Vancouver we took the scenic highway 3 eastwards along the U.S. border. The other option was highway 5 (Coquihalla Highway) but the scenery along that highway is too forested for my liking. As it turned out highway 5 was closed due to forest fires so we had no option!
There were several options for the return route:
Highway 5 from Jasper to Vancouver.
Trans Canada highway 1 from Banff National Park all the way to Vancouver.
Trans Canada highway 1 to Cache Creek and then highway 99 to Vancouver via Whistler.
I decided on the third option as we had never driven on the highway 99 from Cache Creek to Whistler.
Our itinerary was:
Vancouver Several nights
Penticton 3 nights
Nelson 1 night
Invermere 2 nights
Banff 2 nights
Jasper 2 nights
Field 4 nights
Salmon Arm 1 night
Whistler 2 nights
Vancouver 3 nights
Continue reading for more information about this itinerary and what to see and do at the places we visited.
2. When to visit Banff and Jasper National Parks
The main season for visiting Banff and Jasper National Parks is from April to October. Our recent visit was in mid September and many years ago we visited in late April. We had excellent weather both times.
April and May are offseason for summer activities. There will still be snow on many hiking trails and ice on some lakes. The access roads to Moraine Lake and Emerald Lake in Yoho National Park will be closed.
June isn't a good month to visit as usually it's the wettest month of the year. Also in very early June some of the higher altitude lakes like Lake Louise and Moraine Lake may still be covered with ice.
July and August are the busiest and most expensive months. I would therefore avoid those months if possible. The weather should be good but there is a high risk of forest fires and the smoke can obscure views.
September is a popular month but is not as busy as July and August. The weather is usually good although it will be getting cooler in late September. There can be snow at higher altitude when hiking. There could still be a problem with smoke from forest fires for most of the month.
A big attraction towards the end of September is the golden larch trees. Unfortunately this also brings a lot of local visitors into Banff and Jasper National parks.
October is offseason and the first half of October could be a reasonable time to visit if you don't mind cooler, and shorter, days. If you are driving through British Columbia winter tyres are required on certain routes from 1st October.
3. Rental of Cars and RV's in Canada
We rented a SUV with Avis through Booking.com. We booked a few months ahead and car rental prices increased in the months after that. If prices had come down we could have cancelled our reservation up to a day before the rental began. It's therefore better to book a vehicle early.
When we went to pick up our vehicle Avis upgraded us to a Grand Cherokee Jeep. It was way too big and difficult to park. We therefore swapped it the next day for a BMW X1 SUV and we really enjoyed driving it.
A lot of visitors rent large RV's to avoid paying the exorbitant hotel costs in Banff and Jasper and to avoid high restaurant prices. I am not convinced about the benefit of renting a RV as:
They are more difficult to drive and park due to their size.
Everything has to be packed away when you drive somewhere.
They are a lot more expensive to rent than cars when all the extras are taken into account.
Fuel consumption is much worse than for a car.
Food costs can be kept at a reasonable level when staying in apartments and hotels. Most hotels have fridges and some have microwaves. We often bought food from the supermarket delis and ate it on paper plates. At apartments we also bought roast chickens from the delis and had takeaways. For breakfast we had porridge or bread and marmalade.
4. Accommodation in British Columbia & Canadian Rockies
We found that accommodation in Vancouver, Banff, Lake Louise and Jasper was very expensive. In summer time it would be very difficult to find reasonable accommodation for less than $400 a night. Usually this wouldn't include breakfast.
The hotel prices in Vancouver are high as it's one of the main ports for Alaskan cruises. In addition there are restrictions on short term apartment rentals and that also applies to some other areas in British Columbia like the Okanagan.
It's difficult to avoid the high accommodation prices in Vancouver. However, for Banff a good alternative is to stay in Canmore which is a 20 minute drive south of Banff.
The accommodation in Canmore is more reasonably priced and better quality. Apartments can also be rented in Canmore. We preferred Canmore to Banff as it's less touristy and it is a very pleasant and scenic town.
A good alternative to Lake Louise is the the small railway town of Field which is a 20 minute drive west of Lake Louise. Field is in Yoho National Park and there are several interesting sights to see there. Banff could also be visited from Field as it's only a 1 hour drive away.
The Truffle Pigs Restaurant & Lodge is the only hotel in Field and the other accommodation in Field is provided by guest houses. We stayed in the Truffle Pigs Lodge and had a good room with 2 queen beds for $315 a night.
The Truffle Pigs Lodge is near the railway and there is noise from both stationary and moving trains. As there isn't air conditioning we had to have the window open. The noise didn't bother us but it could disturb light sleepers.
At Jasper we paid $460 a night for an excellent cabin at Pine Bungalows. Accommodation in Jasper is in even shorter supply than usual due to the devastating fire in July 2024.
It's important to book accommodation early in Banff, Jasper and Yoho national Parks as demand often exceeds supply. Even if you find last minute accommodation it's likely to be expensive and/or not the best quality.
5. Drive from Vancouver to Okanagan (Penticton)
We drove from Vancouver to Penticton on highway 3 which is British Columbia's most southerly highway. We stopped off on the way at Harrison Hot Springs, the Hope Landslide and Manning Park.
This route is very scenic but the smoke from forest fires was so bad that we could see very little of the mountains and it spoiled the journey. To make matters worse there was road construction after Manning Park and it delayed us by over 3 hours!
The actual driving time from Vancouver to Penticton should have been 5.5 hours. However, it took much longer and with the stop offs we only reached Penticton at 20.00 despite starting out at 09.00.
Our first stop was Harrison Hot Springs which is a resort town set on a scenic lake with a large sandy beach. It has expanded a lot since we were last there. We walked along the waterfront but only had glimpses of the mountains through the smoke.
Our next stop was the Hope Slide which was a huge landslide that occurred in 1965 and covered part of the highway killing 4 people. We could just see it through the smoke!
We had driven by Manning Park in the past but had never visited it. We drove to Lightning Lake where there is a pleasant day use area and we ate our lunch there.
My plan had been to also drive up to the Cascade Viewpoint on the other side of highway 3 from Manning Park. It's a 15 minute drive up a curvy road to this viewpoint and there are excellent views in good weather. We didn't bother doing this as there was far too much smoke.
We had been advised by a friend to stop at one of the numerous fruit stall at Keremeos, which is a 45 minute drive before reaching Penticton. Unfortunately we were just too late and tired to do so. It looked to be the best place in the Okanagan to buy fruit.
6. Two Days in the Okanagan
I had booked an apartment near Penticton 6 months prior to our trip. A couple of months afterwards I received a request to cancel the reservation due to the new laws restricting the short term rental of apartments.
I therefore had to book a hotel for 3 nights and we stayed at the Balcomo in Penticton at a rate of $250 a night. It's a fancy motel rather than a hotel but we enjoyed our stay.
Unfortunately it was very hazy during our stay due to smoke. If it hadn't been for the smoke we would have had sunny weather and hot temperatures.
We found that 3 nights in the Okanagan were ample. One of the main attractions of the Okanagan are the numerous wineries but Lani (my wife) doesn't drink. The other main attraction is the beaches and lakes but it wasn't swimming weather due to the haze.
Penticton is situated between 2 lakes. Okanagan lake is to the north and it has a sandy beach. The SS Sicamous is at the western end of this beach. Skaha lake is on the southern edge of Penticton and has a bigger sandy beach.
The SS Sicamous is a paddle wheeler that was launched in 1914 and was used for transport on Okanagan lake. It's now a museum and it receives good reviews. The entrance fee is only $10 but unfortunately it was closed when we were there.
On Saturday mornings there is a popular farmer's market in Penticton and it's worth wandering around it.
The most popular section of the decommissioned Kettle Valley Railway (KVR) runs 16 kilometres from Penticton to Naramata on the east side of Okanagan lake. It's a well maintained trail for both walkers and cyclists. Bikes can be rented from several bike shops in Penticton. There are wineries and breweries along this trail.
Kelowna is a 1 hour drive north of Penticton. It's a scenic drive along the western side of Okanagan lake. However, the southern suburbs of Kelowna were unattractive. We liked City Park and the waterfront walkway in downtown Kelowna.
7. Drive from Penticton to Nelson
It's a 4 hour drive from Penticton to Nelson but with stops along the way it took about 8 hours. It wasn't as hazy as it had been the last few days and as we drove south towards Osoyoos the sky cleared.
We stopped briefly at Osoyoos and it looks like a nice small town. Probably nicer than Penticton and Kelowna.
After Osoyoos the road ascended steeply into the mountains. We were pleasantly surprised that the mountains weren't very forested and there was scenic open countryside. We stopped at Christina Lake Provincial Park for lunch.
Nelson is on Kootenay Lake and is an attractive town not spoilt by modern development. Unfortunately there isn't much decent accommodation in Nelson and the only good hotel seemed to be the expensive Prestige Lakeside Resort.
When I booked the room at the Prestige Lakeside Resort it was over $400 a night. I was therefore annoyed to find the day before we checked in that the room prices had dropped to around $300 a night. Unfortunately it was too late to change our reservation. Luckily the hotel was good and they upgraded our room.
We didn't do much in Nelson due to a lack of time and I had been there a couple of times before on business. If we had had more time I would have done the popular hike to Pulpit Rock. This hike takes 1.5 to 2 hours.
In the evening we went into the old town centre for a Mexican meal at the Cantina del Centro. We had a table outside on the main street and the food and service was excellent.
8. Drive from Nelson to Invermere
If the hotel in Nelson hadn't been so expensive we might have stayed a second night as there is a scenic circular drive that had been recommended on the Tripadvisor forum.
This drive goes north of Nelson on the highway 6 to New Denver. The Nikkei Internment Memorial Centre is at New Denver and it's where 22,000 Japanese Canadians were interned during the 2nd World War. The entry fee is $9 with discounts for seniors and children.
The road from New Denver back to Nelson runs along Kootenay Lake on highway 31. It's worth stopping at the pretty village of Kaslo on the way. The SS Moyie is located there and is the world's oldest passenger sternwheeler. From New Denver it's a short 10 minute walk to Fletcher Falls.
There are two routes from Nelson to Invermere. The quickest route goes south of Nelson on highway 6 and then east on highway 3 to Cranbook. From Cranbook highway 93 goes north to Invermere. The driving time is about 4 hours.
The other route goes east from Nelson to Balfour which is on the west side of Kootenay Lake. From Balfour there is car ferry to Kootenay Bay on the east side of Kootenay Lake. This is the world's longest free ferry ride! From Kootenay Bay highway 3A runs south along Kootenay Lake to Cranbrook.
We took the second route as it seemed more interesting. On the way from Nelson to Balfour we stopped at Kokanee Provincial Park to see the salmon spawning.
The Kootenay Lake ferry runs about every 40 minutes and there was plenty of space on the vessel. Whilst waiting for the ferry we treated ourselves to a coffee and freshly baked cake at the excellent Old World Bakery. The ferry ride takes about 30 minutes and is very scenic.
We were wondering whether to make a slight detour to Kimberley on the way from Cranbook to Invermere. We were glad we didn't as it would have made the journey too long. Luckily we had gained one hour during today's journey as Invermere is in the Mountain time zone.
I booked a 3 bedroom condominium in Invermere for $315 a night through VRBO. It was excellent as it was a spacious corner condo on the top floor with views of Lake Windermere. A condo like that in Vancouver would cost over $1,000 a night.
In the evening we bought a roast chicken and salads from a supermarket deli and ate it in the apartment.
9. One Day at Invermere and Radium Hot Springs
In the morning we stopped off at the Parks Canada office in the town of Radium Hot Springs to buy an annual pass for Canada's National Parks.
The annual Discovery Pass costs $75.25 with a discount for seniors. A daily pass costs $11 and it is therefore cheaper and more convenient to buy an annual pass if you are spending more than 7 days in Canada's National Parks.
We then went on to the Radium Hot Springs pools in Kootenay National Park. The pools open quite late in September and even later in winter. Check the opening hours before going. Radium Hot Springs costs $17.50 for an adult and there are discounts for seniors and children.
We really enjoyed the Radium Hot Springs pool and spent about 2 hours soaking in it. It was very sociable and we chatted to several people. There are changing rooms, toilets, drinking water and free lockers there. Towels cost extra so it's best to bring your own. There's also a cooler pool for swimming but we didn't use it.
On the drive back to Invermere we stopped at Sinclair Canyon and walked through it. It's worth stopping but it isn't a haven of peace as the main road runs through it!
Invermere has 2 popular beaches on Lake Windermere. There is a stony beach at James Chabot Provincial Park which was right by our apartment. The more sandy Kinsmen beach was a short drive away.
10. Drive from Invermere to Canmore
Kootenay National Park's attractions are in the southern and northern ends of the park and there is little to do in between. We saw Sinclair Canyon and Radium Hot Springs in the south of the park yesterday.
Today we visited the sights in the northern end of Kootenay National Park as we had to drive through Kootenay National Park to reach Canmore, our next destination. As it's only a 2 hour drive from Invermere to Canmore we had plenty of time to sightsee.
Numa Falls in Kootenay National Park was the first stop. The car park is just off Highway 93 and the falls are a 2 minute walk from the car park. There's a bridge over the river which provides a good view of the falls. It doesn't take long to see Numa Falls.
The parking lot for the Paint Pots is only a 5 minute drive from Numa Falls. The Paint Pots are 1 kilometre from the car park and it's a 15 minute scenic walk. The Paint Pots are 3 colourful pools of mineral water.
Marble Canyon is a short drive further along Highway 93. It's possible to hike between the Paint Pots and Marble Canyon but it didn't appear to be a scenic trail.
The trail to Marble Canyon follows the canyon upwards and there are 7 bridges to cross. The 700 metre long path is steep at times. There are good views of the canyon and river along the trail.
If you want to do a scenic hike the Stanley Glacier Trail is in this part of Kootenay National Park. The hike takes about 4 hours.
The Continental divide is at the boundary of Kootenay and Banff National Parks. The continental divide is the dividing line between the Pacific and Atlantic watersheds. We quickly stopped to take a photo of the sign. The mountain scenery from here to Canmore is spectacular.
When we reached Canmore we checked into a one bedroom apartment that I had booked through VRBO for $380 a night. The apartment was fine but I wouldn't recommend it.
11. Two Nights in Canmore and Banff
Canmore
After checking into our apartment we walked around Canmore's very pleasant downtown area. 8th Street is Canmore's main street and it's pedestrianised in summertime. It's very similar to Banff's main street with lots of shops and restaurants and there are good views of the mountains.
Canmore's main street runs from west to east and the Policeman's Creek Boardwalk is at the eastern end. The first section of the Policeman's Creek Boardwalk is the most scenic as the trail becomes forested after the first bridge. I therefore crossed the creek at the first bridge and walked back to main street along the pleasant Spring Creek Drive.
Bow River is at the western end of main street. I walked on both sides of the Bow River between Canmore Engine Bridge and Bridge Road as it's very scenic. I also walked southwards from Bridge Road along the east side of the Bow River until it became forested. There are good views of the Three Sisters on this section. My route is shown in yellow on the map.
Drivers can park on the western side of Bridge Road where there is a small parking lot at the Canmore Public Boat Launch that costs about $4 an hour.
I wanted to visit Quarry Lake which is a 7 minute drive from downtown Canmore. Quarry Lake is in a beautiful setting and is a popular location as a result. I didn't go there as the parking cost has been increased to $10 an hour and there is a 2 hour minimum.
Banff Town
There is a free parking lot at Banff Train Station with 500 parking spaces. It's about a 10 minute walk from Banff Avenue which is Banff's main shopping street.
We parked at the Cascade of Time Garden which is just across the bridge from Banff Avenue. We arrived at 09.15 and were delighted to find plenty of free parking and public toilets. We didn't walk around the attractive garden and only went to the popular viewpoint that looks down Banff Avenue to Cascade Mountain.
From the Cascade of Time Garden we walked over the bridge and along Banff Avenue. Not all the shops were open yet but it was starting to become busy. It's a pleasant main street but we aren't keen shoppers and many of the stores were very exclusive.
We returned to the bridge and started walking along the 1.2 kilometre long Bow River Trail to Bow Falls. I thought it would be a scenic trail but trees obscured the views. As Lani had a foot problem we turned back and drove to Bow Falls instead.
We were pleased to find a large car park at Bow Falls with plenty of free spaces. This car park can be used to see both the Bow Falls and the Banff Springs Hotel. The hotel can be viewed by walking further along the road to the nearby bridge over the Bow River.
Surprise Corner Viewpoint is on the opposite side of the river to Bow Falls. The car park is small and we parked in the last available space. There are excellent views of the Banff Springs Hotel.
When visiting Banff I recommend stopping first at Surprise Corner Viewpoint due to the lack of parking. Then drive to the Cascade of Time Garden car park. There are plenty of parking spaces at Bow Falls so there is no urgency in driving there.
Sights around Banff Town
After visiting Banff Town we drove a short distance to the Vermillion Lakes. There are 3 lakes and a few places where you can pull over and enjoy the views. There are many cyclists as the Vermillion Lakes are close to Banff. It should take less than an hour to see Vermillion Lakes.
From Vermillion Lake we did a circular drive to Lake Minnewanka. We stopped at 3 scenic lakes on the way. The first stop was at Cascade Ponds where we had a picnic lunch before doing the short walk around the ponds.
Our second stop was at 2 Jacks Lake. The weather was quite warm and people were sunbathing, swimming and using inflatables on the lake. It's a very pleasant place in good weather. Johnson Lake was our last stop before reaching Lake Minnewanka.
Lake Minnewanka is 21 kilometres long and is the second largest lake in the Canadian Rockies. There are regular one hour boat cruises on Lake Minnewanka that cost around $70. We didn't go on a boat cruise due to the cost.
The Banff Upper Hot Springs were closed for maintenance during our visit. I wasn't bothered about going anyway as I had been before and in summer time the hot springs can be too crowded. Entry costs $17.50 with discounts for seniors and adults. It's open from 10.00 to 22.00.
There are 2 gondolas and 1 chairlift in the vicinity of Banff Town. I researched them before our trip but we didn't go up on any of them due to the cost.
The Banff gondola is the most popular out of the three options. It has the best views but also the highest cost! Tickets cost around $90 but the price varies as there is dynamic pricing. Booking in advance is encouraged but I would be wary of booking more than a day in advance as mountain weather is unpredictable.
The Sunshine gondola is a bit cheaper and the best option if you want to hike at the top on scenic trails. The Mount Norquay chairlift is the cheapest of the 3 options but the views aren't as good as from the Banff gondola.
12. Drive from Canmore to Jasper along the Icefields Parkway
We spent 8.5 hours driving from Canmore to Jasper in excellent weather and stopped at all the places we wanted to see. It's a fantastic drive but also very popular. We managed to quickly park at all the places but the car parks were pretty full. I was glad we weren't driving a RV as it makes parking so much more difficult.
I have highlighted in red on the map all the places we stopped at and the photos are below. We didn't do any hikes apart from the short hikes to see the waterfalls, lakes, glacier etc as we didn't have time.
We didn't do the Columbia Icefield Adventure which involves travelling on a huge vehicle onto the Columbia Glacier and spending about 30 minutes on the glacier. This tour costs a whopping $125! This cost includes the Columbia Icefield Skywalk which is a glass floor walkway suspended from the hillside.
We didn't do the Columbia Icefield Adventure for several reasons:
The cost is far too high.
We had done it in 1980 when the cost was reasonable and the Columbia Glacier was larger and quicker to access.
I have hiked on more impressive glaciers in Nepal for free.
The Columbia Icefield skywalk is a touristy gimmick.
You have to allow 2.5 to 3 hours for the tour but only 30 minutes is spent on the glacier.
You can walk to the toe of the Columbia Glacier for free and it's only a 15 minute walk each way.
If you want to walk to the toe of the glacier you turn off to the left once you reach the huge parking lot for the Columbia Icefield Adventure which is on the right hand side of the road to Jasper. Don't stop at the first parking area which is a long way from the glacier but drive to the parking area at the end of the road.
From the last parking area it's a 15 minute walk up a slight hill to the toe of the Columbia Glacier. There are markers along the trail indicating the position of the glacier over the last 100 years. The Columbia Glacier has been receding for a long time.
13. Two Nights in Jasper
Accommodation in Jasper is in short supply and expensive. I booked 9 months ahead and paid $460 a night for a studio cabin at Pine Bungalows. We were very happy with the cabin apart from the price! The resort is well run and the cabins nicely furnished and in excellent condition. It wasn't rustic.
I only booked 2 nights at Jasper as the terrible fire in July 2024 meant that the popular Maligne Canyon trail, Valley of 5 Lakes trail and the Mount Edith Cavell area were still closed.
We went grocery shopping in Jasper the evening we arrived. The 2 main grocery stores are The Grocery Place (TGP) and Nesters Market. We used TGP as the hotel receptionist recommended it and it also has free parking.
We bought a roast chicken and salads for our 2 nights in Jasper. It saved a lot of money and time. We were travelling in Canada for 5 weeks and we didn't feel like eating out every night.
The weather forecast for our one full day in Jasper wasn't good. Unfortunately the weather forecast was correct but it only rained in the early morning and late afternoon. It meant that we could do everything we wanted but the scenery didn't look spectacular in the cloudy conditions.
We drove to Maligne Lake in the morning and stopped off at Medicine Lake on the way. Both lakes are beautiful but they would have looked so much better in the sun. We walked along a popular trail on the eastern side of Maligne Lake to a viewpoint.
The most beautiful part of Maligne Lake is at the southern end and is only accessible by boat. There are 1.5 hour boat cruises to Spirit Island that cost about $100. It would have been a waste of money for us in the cloudy weather. I also didn't like the idea of being in a covered boat.
On the way back we stopped off at the Maligne Lookout which is just off the Maligne Lake Road. The Maligne Lookout used to overlook a beautiful forested valley but it's now desolate due to the 2024 fire. It's a good place to see the impact of the fire. We were fortunate to be there whilst an amazing tour guide explained about the fire.
The scenic Edith Lake and Lake Annette are close to the Maligne Lookout and make a good detour. There is a 2.7 kilometres paved trail around Lake Annette and a longer unpaved trail around Edith Lake. There were very few other people when we went.
We ended the day by driving over to Patricia Lake and Pyramid Lake which are very close to each other. Pyramid Lake is on the itinerary of tour groups who cross the wooden bridge to the small island on the lake. We also walked over to the island but there is little to be gained by doing so. The best views are from the parking area along the lakeside road.
It started to rain at Pyramid Lake and the lake didn't look very special in those conditions. We returned the next morning in the sun and it made a big difference with the mountains reflected in the lake. Patricia Lake was also very beautiful and it's worth driving to the beach.
14. Drive from Jasper to Field along the Icefields Parkway
In the morning, after visiting Pyramid and Patricia Lakes for a second time, we left Jasper and drove back along the Icefield Parkway. The weather was excellent and we enjoyed seeing the fantastic scenery surrounding the Icefield Parkway from another direction.
We had visited the main sights that we had wanted to see on the drive to Jasper. We stopped off at a few viewpoints to enjoy the scenery and have a break from driving. The Weeping Wall wasn't very impressive and isn't worth stopping for.
If Lani hadn't been suffering from plantar fasciitis we would done the 4 hour Wilcox Pass trail which seems to be the best hike off the Icefields Parkway. The Parker Ridge trail is a shorter option and takes about 2 hours.
We checked in to the Truffle Pigs Lodge at Field and were happy with our room. The only restaurant in Field is at the lodge and it's very popular with people waiting outside for tables. We had a good meal at the restaurant in the evening.
15. Four Nights in Field, British Columbia
We stayed in the small town of Field to visit Moraine Lake, Lake Louise, Yoho National Park and the Bow Valley Parkway.
Getting to Moraine Lake, Lake Louise and Lake O'Hara
Advance planning is very important when visiting Moraine Lake, Lake Louise and Lake O'Hara in Yoho National Park as access is restricted due to their popularity.
Visitors are no longer permitted to drive to Moraine Lake. Visitors must either book a Parks Canada shuttle bus in advance for $8 (with discounts for over 65's and children), plus an admin fee of $3.50, or pay about $70 for a private bus service. The private bus service may be cheaper if booked online.
Visitors can drive to Lake Louise but the car park becomes full by 06.30 in the peak summer months and costs $37 for the day! I assume most of these early visitors come for the Lake Agness and Plain of 6 Glaciers hikes. In the afternoon parking becomes available once hikers have departed.
The cheapest way to visit Lake Louise is by booking in advance a Parks Canada shuttle which costs $8 plus a $3.50 admin fee (with discounts for over 65's and children). A private bus service costs $55 but may be a bit cheaper if booked online.
Parks Canada's shuttle buses to Lake Louise and Moraine Lake depart from the free park and ride at the Lake Louise Ski Resort. It's a huge parking lot and capacity isn't an issue. The expensive private buses also leave from the Ski Resort.
At the Lake Louise Ski Resort proof of the reservation has to be presented at the Parks Canada booth. They issue a ticket (see below) to be shown to the bus driver. The ticket doesn't state whether the destination is Lake Louise or Moraine Lake. Therefore the system could be manipulated and a shuttle bus taken to either lake.
It isn't necessary to buy separate Parks Canada shuttle bus tickets to Lake Louise and Moraine Lake when visiting both lakes on the same day. After visiting the lake specified on the Parks Canada reservation there are 2 options: a shuttle bus back to the Park and Ride or a shuttle bus to the other lake. After visiting the second lake the shuttle bus to the Park and Ride can be taken.
Reservations for the Parks Canada shuttles are for 1 hour departure time slots from the Park and Ride. Any shuttle bus can be taken back to the Park and Ride or the other lake. The ticket must be presented to the driver. There isn't so much flexibility with the private buses as the return time must be booked when purchasing tickets.
In 2025 the shuttle buses for Lake Louise and Lake Moraine could be reserved from 08.00 Mountain Daylight Time (MDT) on 16th April. It's advisable to create a Parks Canada account well beforehand and to gain an understanding of how the reservation process works.
We flew to Madeira on the 16th April 2025 and couldn't make reservations until the evening. The very earliest departure times had been taken but there was still plenty of space for departures from 09.00. For early departures times log in before 08.00 MDT on the day the reservation process begins.
Parks Canada releases additional tickets 2 days before each departure day for the Lake Louise and Moraine Lake shuttles. I logged in before 08.00 MDT and at exactly 08.00 tried to purchase tickets. The site churned and after refreshing the page the morning tickets had been taken. I managed to buy tickets for the early afternoon.
Lake O' Hara in Yoho National Park can only be accessed by a Parks Canada shuttle. The only chance of getting to Lake O' Hara is by taking part in a random draw in March. However, shuttle tickets are very hard to obtain as Parks Canada only allows 3,000 day use visitors at Lake O'Hara for the entire summer season.
Each application for the Lake O'Hara's random draw costs $10 and up to 6 different times/dates can be entered on each application. I completed 2 application forms and wasn't successful.
Moraine Lake in Banff National Park
It's around a half hour drive from the Park and Ride to Moraine Lake. Unfortunately very little mountain scenery can be seen due to all the trees.
The Rockpile is the best viewpoint at Moraine Lake and the short trail up to the top is incredibly crowded as a result. Every one wants to walk to the top even if they are hardly capable of doing so. I dislike crowded viewpoints but the view from the Rockpile is worth it.
We only walked along the Lakeshore Trail due to Lani's plantar fasciitis. The very first section was a bit busy but the number of people soon thinned out. The trail goes through forest but has good views of the lake and mountains. The hike is about 1.8 kilometres each way.
The best hike at Moraine Lake is through Larch Valley to Sentinel Pass. Larch Valley is stunning in late September when the larches turn golden but it's also busy. The Sentinel Pass trail is 11 kilometres long and the hike takes about 5 hours.
Rich visitors can rent a canoe for $160 per hour plus taxes! I was surprised at how many people do this.
Lake Louise in Banff National Park
As it was my birthday I went to Lake Louise to do the Plain of 6 Glaciers hike by myself. The first section of the trail follows the northern shoreline of Lake Louise and there were excellent views. After that the trail ascended to the Plain of 6 Glaciers teahouse. There were other people on the trail but it wasn't too busy.
The official trail terminates at the Plain of 6 Glaciers tea house but there is a good unmaintained trail for another half an hour past the tea house. I continued on the trail and after a while the trail is on glacial moraine with open views. I ate my packed lunch at the end of the trail.
On the way back I decided to take the Highline trail to Lake Agness rather than returning the same way. There were very few hikers on the highline trail. Initially the trail was through open terrain but it became forested. After a while a steep trail turned off to the Big Beehive.
I took the forested trail up to the Big Beehive and it was a relentless steep slog up with few views. I expected there to be a small viewpoint at the top but there was a large fairly open area with fantastic views down to Lake Louise and the Chateau Lake Louise. It was definitely worth the steep hike up.
From the Big Beehive I descended steeply to Lake Agness. It's a beautiful trail and surprisingly there were virtually no other hikers. I think most people hike to Lake Agness and the Big Beehive in the morning and it was 14.30 when I descended.
There is a popular tea house at Lake Agness and there were quite a few people there. After that the trail wasn't crowded but it was more forested than the trail from the Big Beehive to Lake Agness. Mirror Lake is passed on the descent and there is an excellent view of the Big Beehive.
I had thought the Lake Agness hike would be too busy and forested for my liking. Neither were an issue and I really enjoyed the circular hike to the Plain of 6 Glaciers and Lake Agness. The hike took 5.5 hours.
See my blog on the Plain of 6 Glaciers & Lake Agness Hike for further information about this hike.
Yoho National Park
Emerald Lake in Yoho National Park
Emerald Lake is the highlight of Yoho National Park and it's popular as a result. It's reached by turning off Highway 1 onto Emerald Lake Road. The Natural Bridge rock formations on the Kicking Horse River are reached shortly after the turn off. It was worth the quick stop to see the Natural Bridge.
The car park at Emerald Lake isn't large and it was full when we arrived just before 10.00 a.m. There were still plenty of parking spaces along the road though.
There was a queue of people waiting for the canoe rental office to open at 10.00. Canoe rentals cost $100 an hour which is cheap compared to the $160 an hour charged at Moraine Lake! It's still far too expensive for us.
We did the 5 kilometre scenic walk around Emerald Lake. Most people walk clockwise as the trail on the west side of the lake is maintained. We went anti clockwise and the trail on the eastern side initially runs through Emerald Lake Lodge.
The trail on the east side of the lake can be muddy but in September it was fine. Some board walks were being constructed along the worst sections. The trail on the east side goes through forest but there were plenty of views of Emerald Lake and the surrounding mountains.
The northern end of the lake is very open and there are beautiful views and some benches to rest on.
Takakkaw Falls in Yoho National Park
Takakkaw Falls is reached by driving along Yoho Valley Road. There are a few very tight hair pin bends along this road. They aren't a problem for cars but vehicles over 7 metres long must reverse down one section!
Shortly after turning onto the Yoho Valley Road there is a viewpoint of the Upper Spiral Tunnel. We were fortunate to see a long CP Rail freight train passing through the spiral tunnel and saw both ends of the train on either side of the tunnel.
It was a distant view of the train and unfortunately I didn't have a good telephoto lens for a photo. The trains are infrequent and you have to be lucky to see one. I was particularly pleased to see it as I used to work for Canadian Pacific.
Shortly after the Upper Spiral Viewpoint there is a car park for the Meeting of the Waters Confluence. This is where the Yoho and Kicking Horse rivers meet but there is very little to see and it isn't worth stopping.
There's a large car park at Takakkaw Falls and there was plenty of space when we visited in mid September. It's a 10 minute walk from the car park to the base of the spectacular waterfalls. The Takakkaw Falls are the second highest waterfalls in Canada.
The Takakkaw Falls car park is the trailhead for the Iceline Trail which is the best hike in Yoho National Park. It can either be done as a 20 kilometre circular hike or a 14 kilometre there and back hike. The hike up and down is through forest but the middle section of the hike is through spectacular alpine scenery.
Lower Spiral Tunnel Viewpoint in Yoho National Park
The Lower Spiral Tunnel viewpoint is just off Highway 1 between Lake Louise and Field. There's a large car park and many interesting information boards. We stopped 4 times but never saw a train passing through the tunnel. Unfortunately trees around the tunnel block most of the view of the trains.
Bow Valley Parkway
The Bow Valley Parkway is a road between from Banff to Lake Louise. It's a quieter and slower option to Highway 1 which runs parallel along the other side of the Bow River.
The Bow Valley Parkway between Banff and Johnston Canyon is closed to motorised transport during May, June and September. During these months the remaining section of the Bow Valley Parkway can only be accessed from Castle Junction and Lake Louise.
The main attraction on the Bow Valley Parkway is Johnston Canyon. We didn't visit it as the reviews revealed that Johnston Canyon would be extremely crowded and the parking difficult. It's just the sort of experience that we dislike.
Some reviews recommend going very early in the morning to avoid the crowds. A very early start didn't appeal to us and it's likely that Johnston Canyon would be crowded on the way back to the car park. Other reviews suggest going at the end of the day.
We drove southwards along the Bow Valley Parkway from Lake Louise and returned the same way when we reached Johnston Canyon. We enjoyed the drive and stopped off at Morant's Curve, Storm Mountain Viewpoint and Castle Mountain Internment Camp.
There's a small car park on the other side of the road by Morant's Curve. We waited for a CP Rail train to arrive and a few other people were doing the same. We gave up waiting after 20 minutes but stopped again on our way back. We were lucky and a train came past.
Our next stop was at Storm Mountain Viewpoint. There are excellent view of the spectacular Castle Mountain and the Bow River with the CP Rail track running along it. We were fortunate that a train passed soon after we arrived and I thought the view was better than at Morant's Curve.
On the way back we quickly stopped at the site of the Castle Mountain Internment Camp. This is where over 8,500 people were detained during World War 1 as they originated from countries at war with Canada. There isn't much to see except an interesting information board.
16. Drive from Field to Salmon Arm
The drive from Field to Salmon Arm takes about 3.5 hours without stopping. The journey took us 9 hours as we visited Wapta Falls and Mount Revelstoke National Park on the way.
Our first stop was Wapta Falls in the western section of Yoho National Park. Wapta Falls isn't signposted when driving westwards on Highway 1 which might be because it's dangerous to cross the highway.
We went sailing past the turn off as I had entered "Wapta Falls" in Google Maps. It didn't take us to Wapta Falls but to Wapta Falls Campsite! This is several kilometres past the correct turnoff from Highway 1 and then along several kilometres of dirt road to Wapta Falls Campsite.
There was nothing there! I could see from the map that the Wapta Falls car park was on the other side of the river and it would mean driving back. I entered "Wapta Falls Main Trail" on Google maps and it took us the correct way. We wasted at least 30 minutes due to this mistake.
It was a good road to Wapta Falls car park and there were parking spaces available. In peak season parking can be difficult. From the car park it's a 2.2 kilometre hike through the forest to Wapta Falls.
There are 3 viewpoints above Wapta Falls and it's worth continuing to the last one. The third viewpoint involves a bit of descent but it isn't much. Some people hike all the way down to the river and then right up to Wapta Falls. The spray near the falls is tremendous and it's advisable to wear a waterproof.
Glacier National Park is an hour's drive from Wapta Falls. There are a number of short trails off the highway but after reading reviews we didn't do any of them due to lack of views and poor maintenance. These trails are Hemlock Grove, Rock Garden, Bear Creek, Skunk Cabbage and Giant Cedars.
We stopped at Rogers Pass to have a picnic lunch and use their facilities. We couldn't visit the Discovery Centre as it was being renovated.
Mount Revelstoke National Park is west of Glacier National Park. We drove 26 kilometres up the Meadows in the Sky Parkway. It ascends 1,365 metres through forest to a car park below the summit (1,835 metres). There are several viewpoints on the way but unfortunately the visibility was poor due to smoke from forest fires.
From the car park it's a 1 kilometre walk to the summit area. There used to be a shuttle but it no longer operates. There are several short walks at the summit and the best walk is the Fire Tower trail.
None of these short trails are worth the 35 minute drive up and the walk to the summit. I only recommend driving up the Meadows in the Sky Parkway for the long hike to Eva Lake, Miller Lake and Jade Lake.
We reached Salmon Arm at 18.00 and checked into the new and reasonably priced Fairfield by Marriot Inn. We then rushed to meet an old friend of Lani's for dinner. We went to the excellent Barley Station Brew Pub.
17. Drive from Salmon Arm to Whistler
We continued driving westwards on Highway 1 from Salmon Arm. Shortly after passing Kamloops we could have turned south on Highway 5. It's a fast route back to Vancouver.
Instead we continued driving west on Highway 1 along Kamloops Lake to Cache Creek. There Highway 1 turns southwards to Vancouver. It's a scenic route that follows the Thompson River and goes through the Fraser Canyon. However, we had driven to Vancouver on the Highway 1 before and wanted to try a new route.
We therefore continued south westwards to Whistler on Highway 99. The scenery was good but it was spoiled around Lillooet by scruffy Indian housing and abandoned vehicles. The traffic on Highway 99 was much lighter than on Highway 1 which made driving more enjoyable.
We stopped off at several viewpoints on the way from Salmon Arm to Whistler and had a picnic lunch at Marble Canyon Provincial Park. Half an hour before reaching Whistler we stopped at the impressive Nairn Falls. It's a 1.5 kilometre walk from the car park to Nairn Falls.
It began raining soon after we left Nairn Falls. We did some grocery shopping at The Grocery Store in Whistler before checking into our 1 bedroom apartment at Horstman House. The apartment was excellent, and wasn't expensive, but the free parking space was very tight for a SUV.
18. Two Nights in Whistler
The most popular activity at Whistler is taking the gondola up Whistler and Blackcomb Mountains. The Peak 2 Peak gondola connects the upper stations of the Whistler and Blackcomb gondolas and spans 4.4 kilometres.
The Peak Express chairlift goes from the upper station of Whistler's gondola to the top of Whistler Mountain (2,181 metres). This saves a one hour hike up and provides access to the Cloudraker Skybridge. This is a 130 metre bridge between Whistler Peak and West Ridge.
I discovered that after Labour day only the Blackcomb and Peak 2 Peak gondolas were open and even these gondolas stopped operating after 21st September. The full price of $100 was being charged even though the Peak Express chairlift to the Cloudraker Skybridge was closed.
I had intended to take the gondola and chairlift to the top of Whistler Mountain and hike the popular High Note Trail. This hike takes about 4 hours. Unfortunately the weather was bad in the morning. By the time the weather had cleared there wasn't enough time to do the hike. The Peak Express chairlift was closed and an extra 2 hours of walking would have been necessary.
In the afternoon we walked around the attractive centre of Whistler and visited a couple of attractive lakes at Whistler. Lost Lake is the nearest to the centre of Whistler. In summer the water temperature is warm enough for swimming. Green Lake is a bit further north of Whistler. It's larger and the water isn't as warm as it's glacier fed.
19. Drive - Whistler to Vancouver along the Sea to Sky Highway
I wasn't that impressed with the scenery on the Sea to Sky Highway but it didn't help that it was overcast. Unfortunately trees block a lot of the views and this is a common problem in British Columbia.
It only takes 1.5 hours to drive from Whistler to downtown Vancouver on the Sea to Sky Highway. However, there are a few places worth visiting on the way and the drive could take most of the day. We had visited the interesting Britannia Mine a few years ago so we didn't visit it again.
We stopped off at Brandywine Falls, Shannon Falls, Porteau Cove Provincial Park and Whytecliffe Park. It's a short walk to both Brandywine Falls and Shannon Falls. We had lunch at Porteau Cove Provincial Park which is just off the highway. There are proper toilets and picnic benches there.
Our final stop before downtown Vancouver was Whytecliffe Park in West Vancouver. There is just one good viewpoint and a large picnic area at Whytecliffe Park. Parking has to be paid for. It isn't a worthwhile stop for most visitors.
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