The Grand Canadian West
Self-Drive Tour · Car included · Standard Accommodation
Duration:
14 Days / 13 Nights
Start/Finish:
Vancouver / Vancouver
01 Apr 2026 - 31 Oct 2026
- Take a hike in the impressive mountain ranges that surround Revelstoke.
- Travel by way of Rogers Pass, the early route of the Canadian Pacific Railway’s main line.
- Get back to nature in the wild interior of Glacier National Park.
- View the fossilized remains of ancient marine life in Yoho National Park.
- See where the Kicking Horse River has carved a natural bridge through solid rock.
- Pull over and watch trains pass through the Spiral Tunnels, an engineering wonder.
- Discover Banff National Park, Canada’s first national park and the world’s third.
- Drive right up to an icefield and touch it on the Icefields Parkway.
- Stand on powerful, ancient ice at Columbia Icefield.
- Enjoy the magic of Jasper, the gentle giant of the Rockies.
- Explore the largest city in Northern British Columbia, Prince George.
- Sit back, unwind, and relax in Smithers, an outdoor oasis.
- Travel the Yellowhead Highway, once the secret trail to the fur cache of its namesake.
- Delight in wildlife viewing experiences in the port town of Prince Rupert.
- Sail through spectacular scenery on BC Ferries's iconic Inside Passage cruise from Prince Rupert to Port Hardy.
- Partake in real-time adventure salmon fishing in the paradise known as Campbell River.
- Stroll along the Rainforest Trail, Pacific Rim National Park Reserve’s magical boardwalk trail.
- Submerge yourself in floral splendor at Victoria’s Butchart Gardens.
- Hike the rugged oceanfront wilderness of the Juan de Fuca Marine Trail.
Admission fees not included
VANCOUVER - ARRIVAL
Day 1: Arrive in Vancouver and pick up your rental car. Proceed independently to your hotel.
VANCOUVER – REVELSTOKE
Day 2: Leave the bustling metropolis of Vancouver and drive to Revelstoke. Situated on the Columbia River between the Selkirk and Monashee Mountain Ranges, Revelstoke enjoys a spectacular setting.
Driving Distance: 347 MI / 559 KM
REVELSTOKE - BANFF - CANMORE
Day 3: Upon leaving town, pass through the spectacular Rogers Pass, the section of the Trans-Canada Highway that traverses Glacier National Park. See a jagged profile of angular mountains and narrow, steep-walled valleys. Pass through Yoho National Park with its sparkling lakes, natural bridges, and prehistoric fossil beds. See one of the spiral tunnels that had been built for the Pacific Railway on the way to Banff. Overnight in Canmore.
Driving Distance: 175 MI / 282 KM
CANMORE - BANFF NATIONAL PARK - CANMORE
Day 4: Nestled in the heart of the Canadian Rockies is the charming town of Banff. The glacial-green Bow River flows through the mountain-ringed valley, which is the setting for Banff, the gateway to Canada’s oldest national park of the same name.
CANMORE - JASPER NATIONAL PARK
Day 5: Travel along the scenic Icefields Parkway to Jasper National Park and see the Athabasca Glacier, part of the massive Columbia Icefields. Arrive in Jasper at the end of the day.
Driving Distance: 173 MI / 279 KM
JASPER NATIONAL PARK - PRINCE GEORGE
Day 6: Travel to the pastoral town of Prince George for your overnight stay.
Driving Distance: 469 MI / 755 KM
PRINCE GEORGE - SMITHERS
Day 7: Travel the rugged wilderness terrain of the interior mountain ranges. Overnight in Smithers and take in its fine shopping and dining.
Driving Distance: 231 MI / 371 KM
SMITHERS - PRINCE RUPERT
Day 8: Follow the Yellowhead Highway across the wilderness of British Columbia, through forests, and past glistening lakes. Continue west across the Hazelton Mountains to the steep-walled fort town of Prince Rupert. Spend the night in Prince Rupert.
Driving Distance: 220 MI / 350 KM
PRINCE RUPERT - PORT HARDY (INSIDE PASSAGE)
Day 9: Enjoy a scenic 15-hour car ferry trip through the Inside Passage with breathtaking vistas. Arrive Island. Ferry fees are payable locally and are not included in the cost of the tour. Fares are approximately $450 CAD per vehicle and $200 CAD per passenger. Reservations should be made in advance according to the schedule; ferry departures are seasonal and not daily.
PORT HARDY - CAMPBELL RIVER
Day 10: Travel the eastern shores of Vancouver Island to Campbell River, a focal point for sport salmon fishing.
Driving Distance: 320 MI / 515 KM
CAMPBELL RIVER - PORT ALBERNI - UCUELET - TOFINO
Day 11: This morning, travel to Port Alberni, where you can take a stroll around the harbor. Continue across the pristine Pacific Rim National Park to the village of Tofino.
Driving Distance: 299 MI / 482 KM
TOFINO - BUTCHART GARDENS - VICTORIA
Day 12: Travel back across Vancouver Island. See the village of Nanaimo, featuring The Bastion, a small fort that was built in 1853. Continue to historic Victoria, where great shopping, dining, and scenery await. Enjoy an optional visit to Butchart Gardens, regarded by many as the most spectacular gardens in all of North America.
Driving Distance: 61 MI / 99 KM
VICTORIA - PORT RENFREW - SOOKE - VICTORIA - VANCOUVER
Day 13: Leave Victoria to the west and drive along the Juan de Fuca Marine Trail. When the shoreline ends at Port Renfrew, turn around and head back to the charming village of Sooke. Continue on to the city of Victoria, which has a very distinct British feel to it. Ivy-covered hotels and inns accentuate the downtown area in the shadows of the majestic old world Parliament buildings. Travel to Swartz Bay for the ferry trip (not included) to Tsawwassen, and your return to the city of Vancouver.
Driving Distance: 175 mi / 282 KM
VANCOUVER - DEPARTURE
Day 14: Return your rental car to Vancouver International Airport prior to your return flight.
- Accommodation as specified.
- Compact rental car for 14 days inclusive of unlimited mileage, LDW loss damage waiver, theft protection, waiver (zero excess), 1 million USD liability cover (EP/SLI), local sales tax, airport surcharges/fees, homeland security fee, customer facility charge, mechanical assistance
- Sightseeing as per itinerary
- Admission to attractions where applicable.
- International or Domestic flights
- Meals, admissions, and/or optional tours unless specifically mentioned as being included in the itinerary.
- Items of a personal nature, i.e. telephone calls, laundry, liquor, etc.
- Use of hotel rooms before or after normal check-in and check-out times and resort fees, if applicable
- Tolls, ferries, and parking fees
