Begin your vacation with a relaxing day in Vancouver. After picking up your rental car, make your way to your hotel on Granville Island, a vibrant shopping district in the heart of Vancouver. Explore the Granville Island Public Market, craft breweries and distilleries and numerous artisans' shops before taking the water taxi to English Bay for sunset. If you’d like to have a night out in the city, Gastown offers a variety of upscale dining options, music venues, and more.

Your second day will take you up the Sea to Sky highway towards Whistler Blackcomb, the largest ski resort in North American and home of the 2010 Winter Olympics. After soaking up Pacific Ocean views on your way up the coast you’ll make a midday stop in Squamish for lunch. Howe Sound Brewing offers amazing views of the Stawamanus Chief, one of the world’s most popular rock climbing spots. In the early afternoon, you’ll head up to Whistler. A must-do activity is to ride on the Peak2Peak Gondola, the longest free standing gondola in the world. It offers endless views of the Coast Mountains, the Whistler Blackcomb ski area, and lakes in the valley below. After settling into your hotel, enjoy some of Whistler’s fine dining options. Whistler is a hot spot for nightlife, and there are a number of clubs and bars open until the early morning hours.

Today is where the scenic driving really gets going. Today will be a longer day, so we recommend leaving Whistler early in the day to make the most of the spectacular drive. You will pass by Duffey Lake, a crystal blue alpine lake with amazing views of Joffre Mountain. You’ll then continue on to Lillooet, where you can learn about the famous 1858 Fraser Gold Rush at Lillooet Museum. This town also has some great bakeries for lunch or a snack. The drive from Lillooet to Revelstoke will be rugged and desert like until you arrive in the Shuswap region, when you will notice more greenery and orchards before arriving in the splendor of the Rocky Mountains. You will pass through many unique locations to on your journey today, such as Kamloops, where you can visit the Secwepemc Museum & Heritage Park to learn about the local First Nations and the sobering truth of the infamous Kamloops Indian Residential School. Salmon Arm is another lovely place to stop, and you can stretch your legs on the lakeside boardwalk and pier. Once you arrive in Revelstoke, you’ll check into the The Regent Hotel. Enjoy an unmatched fusion dinner at Paramjit’s Kitchen, and explore this cute mountain town. Close to your hotel is the Last Drop, the local watering hole. It’s a great place to cap off an amazing day of adventuring with a drink.

In our opinion, the drive from Revelstoke to Banff is Canada’s most scenic. This day will be the highlight of the trip. Before leaving Revelstoke, you will make a quick stop at the Revelstoke Railway Museum. The Trans-Canada railway connected Canada in the late 1800’s in an unprecedented manner. The last spike was driven in near Revelstoke, and you’ll learn the story of its construction and impact on Canadian history. The first two hours of driving will take you through Rogers Pass and Glacier National Park. You’ll arrive in Golden at midday, and take the Golden Eagle Express up to the top of Kicking Horse Mountain Resort. This offers the best views of the surrounding mountains. You can have a late lunch at the Eagle’s Eye Restaurant, at the top of the Gondola. From this point, you will continue through the Rockies to Banff. Please note that as you enter Banff National Park, you will be required to pay a park fee of $11 per adult or $22 per group. This breathtaking day will end with a sunset at Lake Louise. You’ll head down over to the town of Banff afterwards for a beaver tail (a Canadian specialty) and some dinner.

You’ll start today with a morning at Moraine Lake, the most popular landmark in Banff National Park. Cars aren’t allowed to go up to the Moraine Lake anymore, so you’ll park at the Lake Louise Ski Resort, and will take a short shuttle over to the lake. There’s a 4km hike around the lake if you’re looking to get your sweat on. Shuttles depart as early as 4am for those wanting to catch a sunrise! This is the trip’s turnaround point. From Moraine Lake, you'll start driving south through Kootenay National Park towards Radium Hot Springs. Marble Canyon is a great stop in Kootenays before finishing up the day's driving. Radium Hot Springs is one of several natural hot springs in the Rockies. You’ll enjoy a fine dinner and a relaxing evening at the hot springs to wrap up the days’ adventuring.

Your first stop today will be at Columbia Lake Park, a great place for a morning dip before continuing the drive. The town of Cranbrook will be your halfway point today. It’s a great place to pick up some lunch snacks before heading down to Moyie Lake for a picnic lunch. Naias Cove Ice Cream makes for a great treat on the water. To make the drive as scenic as possible, you’ll veer north to go along the massive Kootenay Lake in the afternoon. Enjoy sunset on the Kootenay Bay Ferry, which at 35 minutes is the longest free ferry journey in the world, before retiring to your lakeside accommodation for the night.

Start your day with the 30 minute drive to the resort town of Nelson. This morning is a great opportunity to get some time on the water. We recommend trying out stand up paddleboarding or another water activity nearby. Grab an early lunch at Cantina di Centro before continuing on. The afternoon will take you through Osoyoos, the warmest town in Canada, and rightly nicknamed “Canada’s warmest welcome”. It is also located in the only desert in the country. You can take a midday stop at Christina Lake for a dip to cool off. The south Okanagan delivers Canada’s best wine, so you’ll spend your evening having a quick wine tasting in Osoyoos before settling down for the evening at your lake view hotel. Wineries close around 6.

The last day of your BC and Alberta loop! After a morning enjoying lake views and sunshine in Osoyoos, you’re going to head to Manning Park for your midday adventure. You’ll stop for lunch at the ski resort before exploring the park. Lighting Lake is the top spot in Manning Park. This beautiful lake is a great spot for a relaxing afternoon. If you’re visiting in the fall and feeling energetic, you can take a hike up towards Mt Frosty to see BC’s renowned Golden Larches. After Manning Park, it’s time to head back to Vancouver. On the drive back, you’ll have some great views of the Cascade Mountains, and should catch a view of Mt Baker, a spectacular glaciated volcano just across the US/Canada border.