9 Days Canadian Rockies and Glacier Park

Your vacation begins in Calgary, where the foothills of the Rocky Mountains meet the Great Plains. Calgary is the closest international gateway to both the Canadian Rockies and Glacier Park. Transfer from the Calgary Airport by hotel courtesy shuttle to your hotel. Rooms are available for check in after 3:00 p.m. Join Caravan for a 7:00 p.m. welcome briefing.

Journey south through Alberta cowboy country to Waterton Lakes National Park, where the Rockies rise dramatically out of the rolling prairies. You are now in the world’s first International Peace Park, formed in 1932 by combining Waterton Lakes Park in Canada with Glacier Park in Montana. Together, these parks form Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park, a celebration of the friendship between Canada and the United States. This afternoon you’ll enjoy mountain scenery and great photo opportunities on your cruise of Waterton Lake. Then to your lakeshore hotel for a relaxing two night stay. Your hotel is centrally located in Waterton, the undiscovered jewel of Canada. Cafes, bars, shopping, wildlife viewing and nature walks are outside your door. Enjoy dinner.

Cross the border into Montana, USA. Today explore the wonders of Glacier National Park. Board the stylish “Red Jammers,” restored vintage touring coaches from the 1930’s. Journey on the spectacular “Going-to-the-Sun” Road into the heart of Glacier National Park (weather and road conditions permitting). See St. Mary’s Lake and the majestic Garden Wall, the cliff that
makes up the central Continental Divide. Look for mountain goats and bighorn sheep at Logan Pass. Enjoy free time at Many Glacier, along the shores of Swiftcurrent Lake. Cross the Canadian border and return to Waterton.

Drive north through the beautiful Kananaskis Valley (road opens June 16th). Arrive in Banff, a vibrant mountain town. Ride the Banff Gondola to the summit of Sulphur Mountain for panoramic views of six mountain ranges. Continue to your hotel in downtown Banff. Enjoy a two night stay surrounded by the wild beauty of 2,500 square mile Banff Park.

On your morning wildlife excursion, drive along the shores of Lake Minnewanka and Two Jack Lake. Stop at Bow River Falls. Weather and river conditions permitting, enjoy a float trip on the scenic Bow River. Wildlife viewing opportunities abound. Return to Banff. Afternoon is at leisure in Banff. Your ideally located Banff hotel is within easy walking distance to restaurants, taverns, shops and galleries.

This morning, visit two beautiful Canadian lakes. First, visit Moraine Lake in the Valley of the Ten Peaks. Then, enjoy a leisurely visit at Lake Louise, filled with turquoise colored water from Victoria Glacier. This afternoon, drive along the world-famous Icefields Parkway to Jasper. Waterfalls, glacier lakes and snow-capped mountains line your drive. The Parkway is home to to elk, moose, bears, goats, sheep and caribou. Enter the vast, unspoiled grandeur of 4,200 square mile Jasper Park, Canada’s largest national park. Enjoy a relaxing two night stay. Dinner is at your lodge on the banks of the Athabasca River.

Enjoy a scenic morning drive to glacier-fed Maligne Lake, 14 miles long and ringed by dramatic snow-capped peaks. The road to Maligne Lake has some of the best wildlife viewing in the Canadian Rockies. Look for mountain goat, moose, elk, bear, bighorn sheep, caribou and bald eagles. Next, visit Maligne Canyon. Then, free time to explore Jasper, a charming small town with many shops. Afternoon at leisure to enjoy the natural beauty of Jasper Park.

Another glorious day on the Icefields Parkway, this time travelling south. Each direction offers unique views. Ride across the surface of Columbia Icefield’s Athabasca Glacier on an all-terrain Ice Explorer (weather permitting). The meltwater from the Columbia Icefield feeds streams that flow into three oceans: the Arctic, the Atlantic, and the Pacific. Walk on the Athabasca Glacier. Next, a photo stop at turquoise-colored Peyto Lake. Then, descend to the Great Plains of Canada. Return to Calgary. Farewell dinner.

The tour ends after breakfast at your hotel. Transfer to the Calgary Airport by hotel courtesy shuttle. Thanks for vacationing with Caravan.