Rockies Family Adventure

Upon your arrival at Calgary International Airport, you’ll pick up your rental car and enjoy a scenic two-hour drive west to Banff through the Kananaskis Region. Schedule permitting, take the Banff Gondola up to the top of Sulphur Mountain for unobstructed views of Banff, the Bow Valley, and a 360 degree view of six different mountain ranges. Accommodations are at the Rimrock Resort Hotel in a Premium Room.

On your second day, explore the Banff region on your own. You could take a five minute drive into the Banff townsite or enjoy a dip in the nearby Banff Upper Hot Springs. In the evening you’ll saddle up for a horseback trail ride and steak cook-out. Test your cowboy skills and try your hand at roping. Accommodations are at the Rimrock Resort Hotel in a Premium Room.

Today you begin your three-day Heli-hiking adventure with a drive to the Bobbie Burns helipad for your quick flight to your Lodge in the Purcell Mountains. Once you’re settled in, take your first flight for an afternoon of guided hiking in and around deserted mountaintops of the British Columbia Rocky Mountains. Accommodations are at the CMH Bugaboos Lodge.

Each day, your helicopter will land yourself and your guide on a spectacular ridge. The views are breathtaking, and your expert guide will show you the way through glaciers, clear turquoise lakes, and steep mountain ridges. Exploring the Bobbie Burns, (a sub-range of the Columbia Mountains) you will learn about the various flora and fauna dotting the landscape. Depending on your interests, you may embark on an all-day hike that covers a wide variety of terrain, or take a helicopter flight after lunch to a secluded alpine lake. Accommodations are at the CMH Bugaboos Lodge.

After returning to the Bobbie Burns Helipad, you will drive north to Jasper through the Columbia Icefields Parkway. One of the most spectacular drives in the world, plan to make several stops along the way. Don’t miss the “Snocoach” tour onto the Athabasca Glacier, one of the principal ‘toes’ of the Columbia Icefield and the most visited glacier on the North American continent. Other highlights include the aquamarine Peyto Lake and Sunwapta Falls. Accommodations are at the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge in a Whistler Cabin.

Today enjoy a mild white-water rafting trip down the Athabasca River, a designated Heritage River for its scenic beauty and history of fur trade exploration. The afternoon is yours to explore, with an endless array of options to choose from! Visit the town of Jasper, take in a boat cruise on famous Maligne Lake, play a round of golf, or take an Ecotour safari in search of wildlife. Accommodations are at the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge in a Whistler Cabin.

Today you will retrace your steps along the Icefields Parkway travelling south to Banff. Your destination is the turquoise Lake Louise, Canada’s “Diamond in the Wilderness”. Spend your afternoon exploring this beautiful region set within the Banff National Park, whether it be by canoe or on foot. Accommodations are at the Fairmont Château Lake Louise in a Deluxe Lakeview Room.

From your base within the Banff National Park spend your ninth and final day in the Rockies at leisure. You may wish to stroll alpine meadows in search of wildflowers, explore the village of Lake Louise, or spot the robust population of wildlife. As Canada’s oldest national park, Banff is the home to grizzly bears, cougar, wolverine, bighorn sheep, and moose, among hundreds of bird species. Accommodations are at Fairmont Château Lake Louise in a Deluxe Lakeview Room.

Soak up the mountain views this morning prior to your departure for Calgary International Airport today. Schedule depending, you may wish to explore the city of Calgary prior to your flight time. Safe travels!