Banff to Jasper Drive & Hike

This drive & hike tour combines the highlights of the Canadian Rockies with classic hikes in each location. The itinerary offers a chance to stretch your legs every day and time to soak up the mountain scenery. Easy to moderate hikes will have you out on the trail for 2-5 hours (averaging 4-5 miles per day), leaving plenty of time to sightsee at your own pace. If this world-class road trip has always been on your bucket list, but you want to go beyond the roadside and get up close with Canada’s rugged landscape, this tour is for you.

Discovery | Think of it as a ‘local’s guide’ to the best of the region. It includes a combination of activity and transportation to give you the freedom to explore and cover more ground at your own pace. We do all the research and organisation for you. All you have to do is turn up and enjoy!

Drive and Hike | Exploration of picturesque and remarkable destinations by car combined with walks that highlight the best of a country or region.

National Parks

The hiking on this trip is easy to moderate. The hikes are designed to complement the drives and show you the best of each destination. 

The hiking trails are paths on dirt, gravel, and rock – although they are maintained by Parks Canada there is always the possibility of washed out, snow-covered, or overgrown conditions.

Hikes will typically take 2-5 hours and on average involve between 4 and 5 miles of walking with 1,300 feet of ascent and descent. To get the most from your trip, you should be a regular hiker or do some training prior to departure to get accustomed to walking every day.

There is an option to extend one of the half-day hikes for a full day adventure but be aware that this is a longer and challenging extension.

Note: You will be hiking and traveling in bear country. Your pre-departure information pack will outline the best practices for responsible travel in bear country and other wildlife-specific practices. 

Stay six nights in hand-picked accommodations, chosen for their character, comfort, and Rocky Mountain charm. While each accommodation differs in style - from B&Bs to cabins, lodges, and boutique hotels - they all offer outstanding service, excellent food and warm hospitality.

As a highly popular summer destination with a short hiking season, lodging in this region fills very early; therefore early booking is recommended. The properties shown here are the ones we use most frequently. If we are unable to secure you a room in the following properties at the time of your booking, we will do our best to accommodate you in an alternate property which we have selected for their standard of comfort (we will let you know this before we confirm your booking). For some nights it is also possible to upgrade your lodging.

Single Rooms

This trip is based on two people sharing a room. If you’d like separate rooms, a single supplement is required. If you would like to request a twin room (same room with two separate beds), pleasenotify us during booking so we can request this option where it is available. This trip is not available to solo hikers.

Meals

Breakfast is included each morning. Typical breakfasts include juice, tea, coffee, yogurt, granola, breads, jams, eggs or a choice of hot dish. Please notify us of any dietary restrictions at the time of booking.

Lunches and dinners are not included. If you would like a ‘hikers lunch’, some of your accommodations will be able to prepare this for you for an additional fee. Should you choose this, be sure to order it the evening beforehand. If your hosts cannot prepare lunch or you’d like more selection, there are places to purchase picnic provisions in each of your overnight destinations and we recommend taking a lunch with you on the trail. For dinner, choose from the nearby restaurants; just ask your host if reservations are needed.

Extra Nights

You may opt to add extras nights during this itinerary as there is plenty more to see, do, and hike in all three destinations. For further details and pricing, please ask us at the time of booking.

Navigating is easy using the Macs Adventure Navigation App. Your daily hikes will be mapped in the app with GPX tracks, route notes, and turn-by-turn directions. You can download all of the routes for use offline, which means you won’t need cell service or Wi-Fi (which are often unreliable outside of your accommodations). Written turn-by-turn driving directions are included in the app; although the drives are straightforward, you may still consider using a GPS device while in the car. You will also have 24/7 Macs Adventure telephone support.

The hiking season in the Canadian Rockies is relatively short as snow can remain in the mountains until early summer and autumn arrives early with cool temperatures and higher chances of snow falling (although it can snow during the summer months here too). The opening of trails in early season is dependent on the previous winter’s snowpack and can change dramatically from year to year. 
June and July bring the longest days, with July and August being the warmest months. However, weather is variable in the Rockies, and you should be prepared for a range of conditions. The optimal months for wildflowers are mid-July to mid-August, which also brings higher numbers of tourists. September and early October are characterized by typically drier weather and fewer crowds, making this a great time to visit. Depending on your adventure goals, any time between June and October offers a memorable Canadian Rockies experience!

Availability

This trip is available mid-June through early-October (ending Canadian Thanksgiving, the second Monday of the month). As this region is a highly popular tourist destination, we suggest booking as far in advance as possible for a better chance at securing your desired dates. This tour is available to start any day of the week.

Getting to Banff

Fly into Calgary International Airport (YYC) and rent a car from there. Driving to Banff takes 1.5 hours.

Visas

For US citizens traveling in Canada for less than 180 days, no visa is required. You are required to have a valid passport with a blank passport page.

For non-US citizens travelling to Canada, an electronic travel authorisation (eTA) is required to enter. For more information about the eTA system, and to apply online, visit the official Canadian government website. See Entry requirements.

You may choose to return your car and fly from the Calgary International Airport (YYC) (5 hour drive). You may also drive to return your car and fly from the Edmonton International Airport (EIA) (4 hour drive).

Alternatively, you may return your rental car in Jasper and take the train to onward Canadian destinations.