Canada is big. And by that I mean really, really big. It would be foolish to think you could see everything in one go, even if you would focus on just one small part of the Rocky Mountains. Like I did in 2013. But even then you’d be facing a trip well over 1000 km (621 miles). So better come prepared. And by starting to read this blog you’ll soon be much the wiser. 🙂

I was fortunate enough to have been in the Canadian Rockies before this trip. In 2007 I visited my family, uncle Willy and aunt Sigrid, two adventurers who migrated over 10 years ago from Belgium and started their life in the wild in Clearwater.

Even more fortunate is the fact both Willy and Sigrid are professional Rocky Mountain travel guides and they graciously provided us with the solid foundations of this travel itinerary. Their expertise on travel times and campsites along the way made us very happy campers indeed. And hopefully you as well!

Rent a car you actually need

One of the most important preparations for your Canada trip is the reservation of a rental car. I’m not in any position to tell you which rental company to book, because I haven’t tested them all. But for what it’s worth, I rented one in promotion at Thrifty.

You do need to choose a car that fits your travel plans. With that I mean you have to consider the number of passengers, plus ample luggage room for everyone’s backpack, tents, daypacks and the food you’ll buy along the way.

Next you consider your travel route. The main roads in the Rocky Mountains are readily accessible with a passenger car (during summer!). But if you want to reach the really good spots, make sure you’re driving a SUV. And if you’re going offroad, don’t skimp on the 4X4 and the comprehensive insurance! It might seems a bit pricey, but the comfort knowing you can drop off the car again no questions asked is priceless.

Renting a car for my trip cost me €1.474 (US$1.678). On site another CAD$250 was added for the one-way trip and a couple of hundred bucks for the comprehensive insurance. This money landed us a sweet and brand new Chrysler minivan which could comfortably hold all five of us and was more than up for the offroad task right before Clearwater.

Make you travel plans tight, but don’t forget the breaks!

When traveling three weeks through the mountains, even with five experienced and good friends, doesn’t mean everything will run smoothly. You’ll have to plan every part of the trip meticulously to avoid the biggest obstacle of all: money.

There’s no fancy way of saying this, but traveling through the Canadian Rocky Mountains will cost you some serious money. The biggest costs are airfare and your rental car. Everything that comes after that you’ll want to keep down to a minimum. Travel by tent and eat spam in a can over a fire.

But don’t forget about those sneaky costs everyone misses! Most National Parks you’ll visit require a paid permit based on the amount of days you spend there. You want a nice fire on the campground? Then you’ll pay for the wood. And if you’re thinking about visiting Vancouver Island (highly recommended!) don’t forget about the ferry. As well as fares for canoes, water taxis, whale watching, … if you added those things to your plans.

Besides the costs, watch out for fatigue. Though the more than 600 miles between Vancouver and Calgary are riddled with beautiful spots, don’t think you’ll escape some excruciating hours in the car driving along. Those moments cost you dearly in mental energy. Add it up with sore legs from the numerous hikes and you have a recipe for grumpiness.

To prevent those instances you best anticipate ample resting moments. One way is to dose the length of the hikes or stop the car for some 15 minutes to soak in a beautiful view. Also, very important, plan for one whole day of rest every week to be alone and do your own thing.

What trekking gear to pack?

What you put in your backpack depends wholly on what kind of trip you want. My trip, without hotels, meant I had to depend completely on my gear for some comfort. So it was clear I had to have premium stuff.

No gear details here in this blogpost (read this one instead), but the TL;DR version is to invest some money in a quality backpack, hiking shoes and hiking socks of you want to tackle daily mountain hikes of more than 10 miles.

Also add a solid, but lightweight tent and more than enough cooking gear to spice up those moments before and after your hikes. If you’re coming in by plane buy your gas cooker after you land! Those things are not allowed on a plane and in some National Parks it is forbidden to make fires.

Finally: the itinerary for Canada

If you’re looking for alternative activities (less heavy or even more!), just let me know in the comments. Like I said, I did this trip in 2007 and 2013 but with different activities, so there’s a lot more!

DAY 1 – flight Amsterdam – Vancouver

Pick up rental car
Ferry ride from Tsawwassen to Victoria (Vancouver Island)
Overnight in Ocean Island Inn Hostel.

DAY 2 – Whale watching Victoria – Stamps River Provincial Park

Whale watching at Prince of Whales, Zodiac Adventure Tour.
Car ride to Stamp River Provincial Park with stopover at Kinsol Trestle.
Overnight at Stamp River campground.

DAY 3 – Della Falls trail (3 days)

Passage over Central Lake by Ben Potter watertaxi.
Hike to Della Falls.
Overnight at Della Falls.

DAY 4 – Della Falls trail

Hike back to campsite Central Lake.
Overnight at Central Lake.

DAY 5 – Della Falls trail – Whistler

Passage over Central Lake by Ben Potter water taxi
Ferry ride from Nanaimo to Vancouver, then car ride to Whistler
Overnight at Riverside Resort.

DAY 6 – Joffre Lakes trail (6h) – Marble Canyon

Car ride to Joffre Lakes
Hike, there and back again, Joffre Lakes trail. (read my detailed blogpost about this hike)
Car ride to Marble Canyon
Overnight at Marble Canyon campground.

DAY 7 – Marble Canyon – Clearwater

Car ride by 100 Mile House and part off road with stopover at Canim en Mahood Falls.
Overnight at Half Moon Guesthouse

DAY 8 – Check out Clearwater

Short car ride and hike to Spahat Falls & Helmcken Falls.
Overnight in Clearwater.

DAY 9 – Clearwater Lake (2 days)

Canoe over Clearwater Lake to Barview campground.
Overnachting Barview campground.

DAY 10 – Clearwater Lake

Canoe back to car and drive Clearwater
Overnight in Clearwater.

DAY 11 – Day off in Clearwater

Possibilities: white river rafting, short hike to Moul Falls, …
Overnight in Clearwater.

DAY 12 – Clearwater – Mt Robson Provincial Park – Berg Lake trail (3 days)

Car ride to Mt Robson and start Berg Lake Trail.
Overnight at Emperor Falls campground.

DAY 13 – Berg Lake trail

Hike to Berg Lake and back
Overnight at Emperor Falls campground.

DAY 14 – Berg Lake trail – Jasper

Hike back to Mt Robson park entrance
Car ride to Jasper
Overnight at Whistlers Campground.

DAY 15 – Day off in Jasper

Car ride to Athabasca Falls and back.
Overnight at Whistler’s Campground.

DAY 16 – Bald Hills trail (7h)

Car ride to Maligne Lake.
Bald Hills trail + extra mountaintop.
Overnight at Whistler’s Campground.

DAY 17 – Jasper – Stanley Falls trail (4h)

Car ride to Beauty Creek, start Stanley Falls trail. (see detailed blogpost about Stanley Falls trail)
Overnight at Columbia Icefield Campground.

DAY 18 – Wilcox Pass trail (7h) – Lake Louise

Start Wilcox Pass trail.
Car ride Lake Louise.
Overnight at Lake Louise Campground.

DAY 19 – Sherbrooke Lake trail (4h)

Short drive to Sherbrooke Lake, start trail.
Overnight at Lake Louise Campground.

DAY 20 – Moraine Lake to Lake Louise trail (8h)

Park car at Lake Louise, hike to Moraine Lake.
Start trail.
Overnight at Lake Louise Campground.

DAY 21 – Lake Louise – Canmore

Car ride to Canmore with stopover at Johnston Canyon and in Banff. (see Photo of the Week)
Overnight at Wapiti Campgrounds, Canmore.

DAY 22 – Canmore – Calgary

Car ride to Calgary.
Sightseeing or if you plan right, the yearly Stampede.
Overnight at Best Value Inn (it sucked, but it was cheap)

DAY 23 – Calgary – Amsterdam

Drop-off rental car and fly home.

DAY 24 – HOME

Have fun in Canada! 🙂