Hiking in the Canadian Rockies
A North American classic. Explore the great Canadian outdoors on some of the best wilderness trails in the Rocky Mountains
What's Included?
Activities & Certified Guides
All itinerary activities with expert, local, English-speaking guidesHotel & Camping
8 nights camping, 1 night in a hotelMeals
All your breakfasts, 8 lunches, 5 dinnersTransfers & Permits
All airport transfers, local transfers and National Park permit feesEquipment
Tents and sleeping matsSmall Like-minded Groups
Solo-friendly by design, join our small n’ sociable groups of up to 12 like-minded, active and outdoorsy people…
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What's it like?
Tackle the Sentinel Pass and Bow Lake trails in Banff National Park, summit Mount Fairview (2744m) and camp near Lake Louise
Trek by the Athabasca Glacier in Jasper National Park and summit the Bald Hills (2345m) for epic views of Maligne Lake
Hit the paths less trodden in Yoho and Glacier National Parks, hiking by stunning Emerald Lake and taking on the Balu Pass
Swim in pristine alpine lakes, journey along the epic Icefields Parkway and keep your eyes peeled for bears and elk
Key Information
Day 1
Touchdown in Calgary
Arrive at Calgary Airport and jump on the complimentary shuttle to your hotel. Check in and enjoy the evening at leisure, relax and perhaps have a dip in the swimming pool. The adventure starts tomorrow morning!
Day 2
Sentinel Pass and Lake Louise
Hiking
Meet your guide in the hotel lobby at 08:00 and get ready to hit the road. Drive from Calgary to Moraine Lake, which sits within the impressive Valley of the Ten Peaks, where your first hiking trail begins in Banff National Park. The path climbs up through forest with occasional viewpoints over the turquoise waters of the lake below and the jagged mountain peaks that surround the valley. After emerging at a beautiful meadow with three alpine lakes, the trail then steepens for the ascent to Sentinel Pass. Enjoy spectacular views down to Paradise Valley before beginning your descent. Head to the campground at nearby Lake Louise for a quick crash course in how to set up camp, then settle in for the evening.
Day 3
Mount Fairview Summit Trail
Hiking
Starting from Lake Louise, today's off-the-beaten-track hike takes you up Fairview Mountain (2744m), climbing almost 1000m to find an astounding viewpoint at the summit. Be wowed by the views down on Lake Louise and out across the Banff National Park. The final 1-2 km of the ascent involves a steep incline to reach the top. Stop off for a well-earned drink in Lake Louise, take a dip in the lake if you're feeling brave, or head straight back to the campground.
Day 4
Katherine Lake Trail
Hiking
Explore another area of Banff National Park today. After a short drive north along the Icefields Parkway, one of the world's most scenic roads, you'll hit the trail at Bow Lake and climb up to Lake Helen through alpine wildflower meadows. Take in the stunning vistas of Crowfoot Glacier, Bow Lake and Cirque Peak along the route, as you continue on the trail to arrive at Lake Katherine. Cool off with a swim in Bow Lake after your hike if you like, then back to camp to rest before an evening out in Lake Louise.
Day 5
Wilcox Pass Trail and the Icefields Parkway
Hiking
Continue the drive along the Icefield Parkway. You'll stop off at some classic viewpoints along the way, including Peyto Lake and the Athabasca Glacier. Stop at the trailhead for today's hike – the Wilcox Pass trail, a moderate hike to alpine meadows which reveals incredible views of the peaks and glaciers on the edge of the Columbia Icefield (if the trail is closed due to snow, you'll instead hike the Parker Ridge Trail or similar). Set up camp at Whistlers Campground, your base in Jasper National Park for the next three nights.
Day 6
Valley of the Five Lakes
Hiking
Enjoy an easier hike this morning in the scenic Valley of Five Lakes, with its beautiful cluster of emerald-coloured lakes. Later on, embark on a short hiking exploration of Maligne Canyon, Maligne Lake and the surrounding area. Head back to camp or to a local alpine lake for a dip, before dinner around the campfire.
Day 7
Bald Hills Trail
Hiking
A wonderful hike within Jasper National Park, the Bald Hills trail starts in dense forest and ascends past the tree line to emerge at barren alpine peaks that give this mountain range its name. The views down to Maligne Lake, and indeed in every direction, are sublime. Explore the mountains with your guide, before making your way back down to Whistlers Campground.
Day 8
Emerald Lake and Yoho National Park
Driving
Hiking
It's time to leave Jasper and head back down south along the spectacular Icefields Parkway, today you're heading to Yoho National Park. With time for a few stops along the way, take in the views and recover from all the hiking you've done so far. Today's epic road trip includes an afternoon stop at Emerald Lake. Walk the trail around the park's largest lake and enjoy the stunning natural scenes. If you feel like it, there is the option to rent a canoe locally for approx. $90CAD/hr, and navigate the blue-green glacial waters the lake has to offer. Then, drive on to Golden Riverfront, near the small town of Golden and set up your camp – your base for the next two nights.
Day 9
Balu Pass Trail
Hiking
Experience another national park today for your last hike in the Canadian Rockies, as you take on the wonderful Balu Pass hike in Glacier National Park. This lesser-known trail takes you through grizzly bear country on another beautifully scenic and diverse trek, with an element of challenge involved as you tackle the steep elevation to reach the high pass at the end. Head out in Golden this evening to celebrate an unforgettable adventure in the Rockies!
Day 10
Goodbye Rocky Mountains
Driving
Say goodbye to the Rockies as you drive back to Calgary Airport. Should timings permit, you may make a stop in the town of Banff on the way.
The Area
Logistics
Starts
Hotel Clique, Calgary Airport
Any time on Day 1
Ends
Calgary Airport
Around midday on Day 10
Transfers
Arrive at Calgary Airport any time on Day 1. Upon arrival at the airport, you can utilise the complimentary shuttle to the Hotel Clique – where you'll be staying the night – which runs 24 hours per day.
For international travellers, the shuttle pick-up is on the International Level, Door 16, Pillar 37. The shuttle is on demand, so you should call 403-460-9588 and Press 0 to arrange a pick-up. For domestic travellers, the shuttle pick-up is on the Arrivals Level, Door 4, Pillar 17. The hotel is located approx five minutes from the airport terminal and serves as a great meeting point prior to heading off into the mountains. Your guide will meet you the following morning in the lobby of the hotel at 08:00 – be ready to hit the road!
When your trip ends on Day 10, there is a road transfer of approx 3.5 hrs to drive, from the Golden Riverfront Campground to Calgary Airport. We recommended that you don't book any flights departing before late afternoon/early evening on this day.
Travel options
There are direct daily flights to Calgary from London, as well as from most other major European and North American airports.
Day 1
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Day 2 – Day 3
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Day 4
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Day 5 – Day 6
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Day 7
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Day 8
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Day 9
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Day 10
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
What is the food like?
Whilst camping, your guide will rustle up nutritious and varied meals. As it is participatory camping, your help washing up afterwards will be appreciated by the guide! Breakfasts are served buffet style each day with varying items, allowing for a quick start before getting out on the trails, and typically include hot drinks, fruit juice, bread, croissants, cereal, granola, yoghurt and fruit. Lunches will be cold picnics, prepared earlier so that you can carry them with you and stop somewhere during the hikes. These usually involve wraps, sandwiches, salads, cereal bars and fruit. For dinners, the guide will plan a starter, main and dessert. The main dish is typically meat or fish with sides of rice or potatoes and vegetables. Some nights they may make a pasta or curry dish.
Vegetarian diets can be catered for, please request this in advance on your passenger info form once you've made your booking. Lactose-free, Nut-free and mild Gluten-free diets can also be accommodated by advance request. However, due to the limited cooking facilities in the camp kitchen, 100% strictly Vegan or Coeliac diets (requiring separate cooking equipment to prevent cross-contamination) cannot be accommodated on this trip.
What is the accommodation like?
Calgary
On the first night of the trip you'll have a comfortable overnight stay at the Hotel Clique, Calgary Airport. Take advantage of the 24-hour airport shuttle from the terminal to the hotel.
The Rockies
You'll stay in organised, permanent, 'front-country' campgrounds, each with shared facilities for washing: Lake Louise Campground, Whistlers Campground and Golden Riverfront Campground. This is participatory camping, so you'll be expected to pitch in and get your own tent set up, although your guide will be on hand to help out! Tents are allocated on a twin-share basis, although you have the option to upgrade to a sole occupancy tent should you wish – see the Optional Extras section. You'll use the campsites as basecamps from which to go off and do day hikes in nearby locations.
Upgrades
For solo travellers looking for their own space, an optional private room and tent can be booked for an extra charge, see Optional Extras for the price. Please request this at the time of booking (this is subject to availability).
This trip has been rated as Moderate
Whilst in the Rockies you'll go above 2,500m altitude on multiple occasions. A good general level of fitness is recommended, as you'll be spending up to six hours per day walking on mountain trails – some of which involve large elevation gains. You'll be hiking for consecutive days, so some fitness preparation in the months and weeks prior to the trip is recommended.
The hikes are all non-technical, but can be steep in profile. The selected trails are generally 'there and back' day hikes, meaning that there is often the flexibility to shorten, sit out a section, or even stay back at the campsite should you want a rest.
The early-season departure in mid-June will have some alterations to the hiking trails, as stated in the itinerary. This is due to lingering snow cover – the National Park authorities may not open some hiking trails until slightly later, typically at the start of July. For mid-June departures on Day 5 – Wilcox Pass will be replaced with the Parker Ridge Trail or similar (5.9km, elevation gain/loss 250m)
What will I need to carry?
You'll need to have a larger bag suitable for all your belongings which will be transported for you (you'll have a dedicated vehicle and trailer throughout the trip), and then a small daypack to carry personal items during each day of hiking.
The summer season for hiking in the Canadian Rockies spans from mid-June to mid-September. The peak summer months of July and August are the hottest, with temperatures typically sitting between 20-25°C during the daytime but above 30°C is increasingly common. June and September are cooler, with typical daytime temperatures in the mid-teens. Temperatures drop considerably at nighttime (to around 5°C, and lower in June and September), and of course, you should expect to encounter cooler climates when trekking to higher elevations. It is possible that during the early summer dates that there will still be snow cover on some of the trails.
Highly recommended
The views encountered on this hike are breathtaking. Beautiful lakes, mountains and wildlife aplenty, but the camping experience and interaction with like-minded travellers also made for an unforgettable experience. Some parts may be challenging, but our awesome guides Ralph and Danny were able to adapt the itinerary to meet the requirements of the group
Fantastic trip
Loved my time on this trip. It was amazing to meet so many wonderful people. Hikes are challenging but worth it for the views. Big shout out to Raph & Danny who listened to the groups needs and wanted to make sure we all had a good time.
Amazing trip
Incredible hikes and views visiting the best places. Some of the hikes were challenging but guides Raph and Danny were caring, helpful and entertaining. Would highly recommend this trip.
Get yourself to the Rockies!!!
Fantastic hiking trip with a pair of great guides, Raph and Danny. And yes, we got lucky with the weather so that helped! Views are amazing, socials were good and met some great people. Make sure you read the trip details since we had some travelers who were a touch surprised about the participation camping bit! The hiking itself isn't too hard but does become a bit more challenging when you factor in the jet lag. Especially on that first day. If you get unlucky with the rain then that can take the edge of a bit in the evenings but hey, that's camping! And if you're a nervous hiker don't listen to Raphs stories in the evening!! :-) (Not from when he's guiding I hasten to add).
Great Trip
This trip was part of my longer Canadian holidays and it was a perfect last adventure before getting to the last town. The group I ended up with had incredible chemistry and the guides were the best. As a slower hiker I'm used to be at the end of the pack. In this trip I never felt left out or unsafe: we actually always ended up with a nice smaller group chatting about the most random topics. I'd also like to commend how the guides were able to adapt the trip to unexpected changes, due to wildefires, weather, car accidents, and the energy level of the group. Highly recommended!
Great trip! Amazing views! Hikes
Great trip! Amazing views! Hikes were challenging and varied. Would definitely recommend.
Epic Adventure
The Rockies are incredible, but the trip was perfect due to the care and attention of guides Raph and Danny. They listened to what we wanted as a group and adapted the trip in the face of lingering snow and a general group desire to push harder and experience more than the tourist trail. Fantastic! Ben
Amazing!
My husband and I booked this trip as our honeymoon and wanted a once in a lifetime experience which it definitely was! Raph and Danny were fantastic and dealt with everything that the Rockies threw at them (forest fires, thunderstorms, car accidents, tired legs) with ease and professionalism. The food was great too. We made some great friends and can't wait to book another trip with MBA! We also saw the northern lights!
FELL IN LOVE WITH THE ROCKIES (AND MADE INCREDIBLE NEW FRIENDS)
I could go on and on about how great this tour was and still only be scratching the surface. We lucked out with a fantastic group who made even the most challenging hikes hilarious and fun. And don't even get me started on our guides... Raph and Danny are INCREDIBLE. They're experts at rolling with the punches and keeping spirits high (more than once, they had to edit