Canadian Rockies travel guide

Alpine meadows. Icefields and glaciers. Old-growth bear forests. Sulphur mountains and hot springs. Our Canadian Rockies travel guide introduces you to Canada’s western provinces. Half-hearted isn’t a word in this region’s dictionary; so pull on your hiking boots and dive into some of Canada’s most spectacular scenery.

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Canadian Rockies travel guide

The Canadian Rockies are far from the ordinary; a 1,600km stretch of mountains that knits together almost the whole border of British Columbia and Alberta. This is the realm of rainbow sulphur-tinged meadows and subterranean springs. So-bright-you’ll-need-sunglasses glaciers. Hikes that start with a helicopter flight to the mountaintop trailhead and end in bear forests.

Take a leaf out of the book of 19th-century Canadian Rockies naturalist Mary Schäffer Warren when she declared, “I hate doing the ordinary thing.”

There’s a whole lot of ground to cover, so organised tours do it best. A seasoned guide is invaluable in this vast neck of the woods, helping you cycle the Icefields Parkway and connecting your family to the best rafting on the Kicking Horse River. In fact, any holiday to the Canadian Rockies is crammed with optional activities, from camping to horse riding. Plus, there’s a city waiting for you at either end of the trip: Vancouver, with its downtown rainforest, and the frontier city of Calgary. Read our Canadian Rockies travel guide to find out more.

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The Canadian Rockies are…

for those who don’t just want to look at nature – they want to hike, bike, raft and camp it.

The Canadian Rockies aren’t…

a quick break. You’ll need at least 10 days to tackle these mighty mountains.

Things to do in the Canadian Rockies…

Canada is even bigger than you think, so prepare yourself for long drives. It takes 8.5 hours to drive between Vancouver and Jasper (via the lovely lakes and orchards of the Okanagan, granted). And you’ll need 12 hours to make the most of the Icefields Parkway between Banff and Jasper. On the upside, these are some of the most scenic drives in the world and offer some of the best opportunities to spot bears that come to strip the roadside berry bushes. Hike your heart out. After all, with soaring names like the Plain of Six Glaciers, Paradise Valley and Angel Glacier, how can you resist? Trails tend to be moderate to challenging: mostly low altitude paths of up to 2,500m but with some steep ascents. Organised tours will drive you between hikes and carry any luggage. Take the family. White water rafting up the Fraser River, hiking at Emerald Lake, kayaking on Lake Moraine, camping in Banff – almost all the activities can be tweaked for families, especially if you choose an organised tour with a guide that knows the challenges of the mountains. Add a few days in Vancouver. It’s a great warm up – or cool down – to your adventure, dealing out rainforested Stanley Park, sandy sunset beaches and high-design museums on the edge of the North Shore mountains that lie between you and the Rockies. It’s also got a quietly astronomical food scene that deals out everything from First Nation favourites (maple-drizzled sockeye salmon, anyone?) to sushi (watch out for B.C. rolls).

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Things not to do in the Canadian Rockies…

Forget your SLR camera. The Canadian Rockies roll out some of the most remarkable views in the world. Just remember to invest in a good lens of at least 300mm if you want to zoom in on the caribou migrating across the opposite valley or the bear scuffling around the forest just across the river. Expect it to be freezing. Although it’s chillier in the mountains, it’s also not unusual to wind up in t-shirts and shorts by your campfire. The summer can jump to peaks of 30°C, while spring can dip below zero, so pack layers. Hike or camp solo. The Canadian Rockies are the realm of the grizzlies, so your best bet is to let your guide lead the way. But if you do go wandering with friends, keep an eye on park advisories and pack bear spray (and learn how to use it). Rangers update the signs at trail heads telling you if grizzlies are active in the area. When camping, listen to your guide’s instructions on suspending your food above ground. No one wants their alarm call to be a grizzly rummaging around their tent for a stray Hershey’s wrapper. Make the mistake of thinking it’s all about Banff and Jasper. Smaller national parks like Yoho and Waterton offer up silent trails and less flighty wildlife.

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Written by Catherine Roberts

Canadian Rockies travel guide