HELENE’S TRIP

TO WESTERN CANADA

15 NIGHTS/8 STOPS

From Vancouver to the Rockies: from the Mountains to the City & to the Ocean.

We started with a city trip to Vancouver and continued with 12 days of sea, mountains, lakes and wildlife experience. We explored the beauties of Vancouver Island and observed orcas and whales in their natural environment. On our way to the Rockies, we discovered Wells Gray National Park, a hidden gem of British Columbia. We also enjoyed the breath-taking views of the Rockies on the Icefield Parkway between Jasper and Banff, typical for Western Canada. In 15 days, we stayed an average of two nights per location and we drove a total of 2,000 km and spent 26 hours on the road. This itinerary is from August. Our budget for the whole trip was around $ 2225 per person for 15 nights (excluded food and activities).

15 nights & 8 stops
$
2000 km
from May to October
road trip & nature discovery

Vancouver-e1459982432319

Vancouver-e1459982432319

Tofino-e1460067747389

Orcas

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Bald eagle

glacier

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Wells Gray

Salmon

Jasper

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emerald lake

Moraine Lake

LakeLouise

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grizzly

Photo ©helenedwds

ABOUT HELENE: Hélène is from Belgium. She has three children, two twin boys and a daughter. Her passions include hiking in nature and observing wildlife and scenic landscapes. However, Helen is not a fan of camping and avoids this activity during her travels.Hélène always plans her own trips, spending hours on the Internet and in travel guides trying to find destinations off the beaten path. She prefers traveling in remote locations.

ABOUT HELENE: Hélène is from Belgium. She has three children, two twin boys and a daughter. Her passions include hiking in nature and observing wildlife and scenic landscapes. However, Helen is not a fan of camping and avoids this activity during her travels.Hélène always plans her own trips, spending hours on the Internet and in travel guides trying to find destinations off the beaten path. She prefers traveling in remote locations.

WHAT HELENE LOVED ABOUT THIS TRIP

Flying salmons in Wells Gray Park

The Orcas near Vancouver Island

The scenic road Icefield Parkway

NEW YORK -VANCOUVER
CALGARY-NEW YORK

5 hours direct flight or via Toronto

RENTAL CARS

2000 km in 15 days
26 hours on the road – 8 stops

AVERAGE BUDGET PER PERSON

$2225 / pp for 15 nights
$1400/pp for 15 nights (without breakfast)
$225/pp for rental car & ferries

$600 /pp for intl flight

Arrival airport - Vancouver airport

Departure airport - Calgary airport

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AIRPORT TO
VANCOUVER

20 km/30 min

Vancouver

Vancouver

Citytrip

2 NIGHTS

Where we stayed?
What we did?

The first afternoon we rented bikes and explored the 400-hectare Stanley Park and enjoyed scenic views of water, beaches, mountains, park and the Lion’s Gate Bridge, along Stanley Park’s famous Seawall.

The next day we visited Gastown, Containing something for everyone, Gastown offers a diverse mix of retail and dining options housed within authentic heritage architecture, alongside a vibrant creative and tech scene.
We also visited the Harbour Centre Tower (beautiful views of the city, the sea and the mountains) and Chinatown with its peaceful Chinese Garden. We also made a stop at the olympic village.

VANCOUVER TO TOFINO
(VANCOUVER ISLAND)

+

1h40 + 200km / 3h15

Vancouver Island

Vancouver Island

Pacific

2 NIGHTS

Where we stayed?

In an Ocean view cabin at the Middle Beach Lodge : perched on 40 acres of secluded West Coast oceanfront, the Lodge features almost a mile of private beach, rugged headlands, a good restaurant (complimentary breakfast, definitively try the dinner) and great activities you can book through the reception.

Don’t forget to make a reservation for you and your car on the ferry to Vancouver Island (from Vancouver Horseshoe Bay to Nanaimo) !
What we did?

We hiked the 2 loops of the Rainforest Trail in the Pacific Rim National Park and then we hiked to Long Beach on the Schooner Beach trail. The beach is beautiful but the water is very cold !

We went on a bear watching tour by boat. At low tide, bears are coming down to some beaches and rocks to eat shellfish. Great experience !

The next day we hiked the Lighthouse loop on the Wild Pacific Trail in Ucluelet before crossing back the Island to Campbell River.

TOFINO TO CAMPBELL RIVER (STEEP ISLAND)

+

280 km/4h15 + 0h20

Campbell River

Campbell River

Orcas

2 NIGHTS

Where we stayed ?

Steep Island Lodge : an incredible lodge on a tiny island in the heart of Discovery Passage (the “Water Highway” to Alaska). We stayed in a very comfortable cabine with a huge deck overlooking the Discovery Passage (at night, you can see the big cruise ships heading to Alaska). All the meals are included and are delicious (homemade bread, fresh fish and vegetables, by far the best meals of our trip !). To get to the island, you go to the Campbell River Marina and somebody from the lodge will pick you up with their boat (it’s a 15 min boat ride).
What we did?

We spent a whole day on the boat on an eco-tour, booked through the lodge. Imagine stunning views, a gourmet lunch in the magic of Desolation Sound, Discovery Islands and Johnstone Strait. We had the opportunity to see a gray whale, 6 orcas swimming around our boat for an hour, sea lions, and Pacific white-sided dolphins. It was just the five of us and 3 crew members. An amazing day !

CAMPBELL RIVER TO
PEMBERTON

+

1h40 + 300 km/3h30

Pemberton (Whistler)

Pemberton (Whistler)

Stopover

1 NIGHT

PEMBERTON TO
CLEARWATER

400 km /5h

Clearwater

Clearwater

Magic

2 NIGHTS

Where we stayed?
What we did?

The first afternoon we hiked to 2 beautiful waterfalls : Moul Falls (a 5km quite easy hike), the fun part is you can actually walk behind these falls ! On our way back we stopped at Helmcken Falls with its impressive 141m drop !

The next day we went on a guided tour with Gy from Discover Wells Gray. We hiked the “Trophy wildflowers meadows and alpine mountains”, our day was a mix of wildlife, flower meadows and alpine lakes and mountains. Beautiful day !

After our hike, we finished the day with one of the most magical moments of our life : watching the salmon jump at Bailey’s Chute. It is an overwhelming experience that you can witness from mid-August till the end of September. Every year, the salmon make an incredible journey back to their birthplace to begin the cycle of life again.

CLEARWATER TO
JASPER

340 km / 4h

Jasper

Jasper

Lakes

2 NIGHTS

Where we stayed?
What we did?

On our way to Jasper, we stopped at various point of views, it is a quite scenic road.

The first afternoon, we hiked the Valley of the five lakes trail, this is an easy 2-hours hike around 5 clear lakes with unique shades of jade and blue.

The next day, we went to Maligne Canyon in the morning and spent the afternoon hiking at Maligne Lake (the Moose Lake Loop). The views at Maligne Lake are stunning.

JASPER TO
FIELD (ICEFIELDS PARKWAY)

250 km / 3h45

Field Yoho NP

Field Yoho NP

Glaciers

2 NIGHTS

Where we stayed ?
What we did?

We drove down the Icefields Parkway from the North to the South and made various stops on what we think is one of the world’s most scenic drives. These are the “must-do’s” (but there are lots of point-of-views, just stop whenever you feel like it) : Athabasca Falls , Columbia Icefields, Weeping Wall, Waterfowl Lake, Mount Cephren, Peyto Lake.

The next day we went to see the Takakkaw Falls (second highest waterfall in Canada with a drop of 381m !). In the afternoon we hiked the Emerald Lake loop (another jewel of the Canadian Rockies, one of the few lakes with a trail all the way around it).

FIELD TO
LAKE LOUISE

75 km / 1h

Banff-Lake Louise

Banff-Lake Louise

Scenery

2 NIGHTS

Where we stayed?
What we did?

We started our day early (to avoid the crowd) at Moraine Lake. We hiked the lake shoreline and then did some canoeing on the lake. The views are stunning. On our way back we stopped at Lake Louise but it was so crowded that we didn’t stay very long.

In the afternoon, we took the Lake Louise Gondola (on the other side of the valley) and were lucky to see a grizzly bear just under us from the open chair lift. On the top there is a very interesting Wildlife Interpretive Centre and of course scenic views of the surrounding mountains and Lake Louise.

The next day we wandered in Banff, did some shopping before taking the road to Calgary for our last night.

GOOD TO KNOW

Be aware of the wildlife and especially the bears
Weather conditions can change quickly in the mountains, always be prepared for colder or wet weather even when the sun shines
Definitively eat salmon, Pacific Canadian wild salmon is delicious
Tipping is mandatory in Canadian restaurants (around 15 to 25% of total restaurant bill)

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