Calgary - Banff National Park - Kootenay National Park - Jasper National Park -
Mt. Robson Provincial Park - Wells Gray Provincial Park - Mt. Revelstoke National Park -
Glacier National Park - Yoho National Park - Calgary
Distance: Approx. 1800 km (1125 mi) plus excursions on the way. - Duration: 7-14 days
Our tour begins in Calgary, Alberta set in the rolling foothills against the majestic Canadian Rocky Mountains to the west and the Great Plains to the east.
Calgary offers visitors the experience of two exciting worlds - stimulating, big-city life and wilderness adventure. Calgary's visitor attractions, events and festivals offer something for everybody.
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Tour the 1988 Winter Olympic site, climb the Calgary Tower and enjoy fascinating views of the city and the mountains, visit the zoo with its outstanding botanical garden and prehistoric park or explore Spruce Meadows, an international-calibre equestrian facility, during one of their major events.
Calgary has lots of attractions to offer including heritage attractions such as the Heritage Park, the Glenbow Museum and Fort Calgary, and cultural venues such as theatres, art galleries, symphony, ballet and opera. Calgary is the gateway to the Rocky Mountains National Parks.
Arrival
Calgary's International Airport is just 20 minutes from the city centre and is located at the junction of Alberta's major highways: Trans Canada #1 and Highway #2 to Edmonton. Many airlines offer regular non-stop flights to Calgary from major North American and European cities and the Asia Pacific. Airlines include Air Canada, British Airways, Lufthansa, United Airlines and others.
Calgary International Airport 
Calgary International Airport is located about 15 km north-east of downtown. There is an airport improvement fee at Calgary International Airport. However, it will be included in the price of airline tickets. In 2000, a total of 8,090,426 passengers traveled through Calgary International Airport.
For more information call: (403) 735-1200
Calgary
Calgary is a destination for itself, with a wide variety of different attractions. However, here are some attractions you shouldn’t miss:
Calgary Zoo, Botanical Gardens & Prehistoric Park
Location: Near downtown Calgary, on St. George's Island, 1300 Zoo Road.
The Calgary Zoo is Canada's 2nd largest zoo and offers over 1200 rare animals and a variety of birds, reptiles and amphibians in natural habitat enclosures. The Prehistoric Park displays 19 life size dinosaurs. The Zoo has colourful gardens, a 20 000 sq. ft. Conservatory and Butterfly Garden. Underwater viewing areas show you the life of polar bears, seals and other water animals.
For more information call: (403) 232-9300
Canada Olympic Park
Location: Ten minutes drive from the downtown core, at Calgary's city limits on Highway 1.
In 1988, Calgary hosted the 15th Winter Olympics. All buildings and facilities are still in use and offer now a year-round recreational opportunity for residents and visitors alike. Enjoy a great view of the city of Calgary from the top of the 70 and 90-metre ski jumps. Guided tours are available. You can see the bobsled and luge runs, the Olympic Hall of Fame and Museum or the ski and bobsledding simulators. The downhill ski area is open to the public in winter.
For more information call: (403) 247-5452
Heritage Park Historical Village
Location: At 14 Street and Heritage Drive SW.
Heritage Park Historical Village is Canada's largest living historical village, with more than 150 buildings and exhibits recreating a pre-1914 prairie railway town in Western Canada. Ride a steam train, board a Sternwheeler for a trip on the Glenmore Reservoir, visit the Alberta Bakery and dine at the Wainwright Hotel. Costumed interpreters bring the past to life through role-playing.
For more information call: (403) 259-1900
Accommodations, Tour Operators and more Attractions in Calgary 
Calgary - Kananaskis Country
Distance: 95 km (60 mi) on Highway #1 West (Trans-Canada-Highway) and Highway 40 South.
We take Highway #1 West and take Highway 40 South about 30 km (19 mi) before Canmore. This brings you right in the heart of Kananaskis Country. The 4,000 sq. km region of dramatic natural beauty and a multitude of outdoor activities has something to offer for everyone. Kananaskis Country is mostly known for the downhill skiing at Nakiska on Mt. Allan (2816 metres – 9,387 ft), the place of the 1988 Olympic Winter Games. Besides alpine skiing and cross-country skiing in winter Kananaskis Country is a great destination year-round. There’s tennis, horseback riding, cycling, kayaking, river rafting, fishing, heli hiking and sightseeing. With over 250 km (156 mi) of paved trails and 460 km (288 mi) of unpaved trails, Kananaskis Country is a real heaven for all outdoor adventures.
Kananaskis Country - Canmore
Distance: 50 km (31 mi) on Highway 40 North and Highway #1 West.
The town of Canmore is located only 5 minutes from Banff National Park and minutes from Kananaskis Country. It lies nestled along the banks of the Bow River. This jewel of the Rocky Mountains attracted international attention when it was chosen as the site of the Nordic Ski Events for the 1988 Calgary Winter Olympics. Founded in 1883, Canmore was a coal-mining town for almost one century, until the mine was closed permanently in 1979. Today, more than 10,000 people call Canmore their home.
Canmore, gateway to the Banff National Park is known for its endless year-round recreational opportunities such as skiing, hiking, cycling, and fishing to name just a few. The downtown area offers shopping, art galleries and museums.
Canmore Nordic Centre Provincial Park
Location: At Spray Lakes Road in Canmore, Alberta.
Designed and developed for the 1988 Winter Olympics, the Canmore Nordic Centre offers exhilarating cross-country skiing venues with over 60 km of world-class x-country trails. The trails offer challenging terrain for intermediate and advanced skiers and some novice trails. In summer the park offers a variety of recreational activities. Hike or bike along one of the many scenic trails or learn about the people and history of the Bow Valley while following the Georgetown Interpretive Trail.
For more information call: (403) 678-5508
Peter Lougheed Provincial Park
Location: 43 km southeast of Canmore along Highway 40.
Peter Lougheed Provincial Park is a park of towering mountains, pristine lakes, lush green valleys, glacial streams and pure wilderness. As one of Alberta’s largest provincial parks, Peter Lougheed offers many outdoor activities, with hiking from easy strolls to high alpine backcountry adventures. In addition there is cycling, mountain biking and fishing opportunities. Campgrounds range from rustic walk-in to pull-through trailer sites. In winter enjoy 85 km of groomed trails in the Kananaskis Lakes area. The park also includes Highwood Pass, the highest drivable mountain pass in Canada.
For more information call: 403-591-6322
Accommodations, Tour Operators and more Attractions in Canmore
Canmore - Banff
Distance: 26 km (16 mi) on Highway 1 West
Banff is a must for each tourist visiting the western part of Canada. Banff is located within the Canadian Rocky Mountains, which extend over 1450 kilometres from the Pacific Ocean to the prairie grassland. The Canadian Rocky Mountains with its many snow-capped peaks are unique on earth and attract many visitors from all over the world each year. The Rockies build a natural border between the provinces of Alberta and British Columbia.
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The town of Banff is part of the Banff National Park which is more than 6.600 square kilometres in size and is located just one hour drive west of Calgary. The Banff National Park is Canada's oldest park and wildlife reserve of its kind and was established in 1885.
Ten minutes from downtown you will find Sulphur Hot Springs, located on Sulphur Mountain, which brought in Banff's first tourists. Now known as the Cave and Basin, it is still one major attraction of Banff National Park. It has been rebuilt to the original style of 1914 but there is no bathing at the site. As the town of Banff is located among the Rocky Mountains, there is still abundant wildlife around with elk wandering around the streets of Banff. Please be aware that these are wild animals and you should avoid to get to close, even if it seems like they are tame.
Banff, known as honeymoon retreat, offers all kind of recreational attractions year round. In winter time there are as much as three ski resorts, Mount Norquay, Louise, and Sunshine Village to please all friends of winter sports. In summer time this is an excellent spot for hiking, horseback riding, mountain biking, picnic or to enjoy the natural beauty and the stunning panoramic views.
Trails for hiking and horseback riding with a length of almost 1.500 kilometre offer an unforgettable, natural experience. As no hunting is allowed in Banff National Park, this is a haven to explore the wildlife. You can find 57 different mammal species here, including Elk, Bighorn Sheep, Black Bear and Grizzlies. Hundreds of wildflowers can be discovered during the flowering season and birdwatchers may enjoy 265 species of birds.
Even if Banff National Park is a very attractive spot for tourists from all over the world, more than 95 per cent of the park remains complete wilderness.
Banff Upper Hot Springs
Location: Four kilometres south of the Town of Banff. Follow Banff Avenue over the Bow River and turn left (east) at the last set of traffic lights. Follow the signs for 3.6 km to the Hot Springs parking lot.
For centuries the hot springs have been sacred waters for Canada’s Native people, a place to cure illness and maintain health, before the Cave and Basin Hot Springs were discovered at the foot of Sulphur Mountain by Canadian Pacific Railway workers in 1882. Today visitors can enjoy this splendid historic spa and bathhouse year round. The site features an outdoor spring fed hot pool, a day spa complete with massage therapy, steam room, aromatherapy and more, a restaurant and snack bar as well as a gift shop.
For more information call (403) 762-1515 or toll-free 1-800-767-1611
Cave and Basin National Historic Site
Location: In Banff, Alberta. From the town centre take Cave Avenue to the parking lot at the end of the road.
The Cave and Basin mark the birthplace of Canada’s National Park system, which began here in 1885. Visitors can view the cave and its interior pool, as well as a replica of the 1887 bathhouse. Exhibits showcase the beginnings of the site and the national park. Several trails explain the natural and human history of this area.
For more information call (403) 762-1566
Banff Park Museum National Historic Site
Location: At Banff Avenue, on the shores of Bow River
The Banff Park Museum was first established in 1895 and was moved to the present building in 1903. The museum’s original exhibit collection reflects and commemorates an early approach to the interpretation of natural history in Canada. The 1903 log building is a characteristic example of early federal buildings. The museum shows mammals, birds, insects and fish found in the Canadian Rockies.
For more information call (403) 762-1558
Banff National Park
Location: At Banff, access via Highway 1
Banff National Park is Canada’s first and most heavily visited National Park. The park is situated in the Canadian Rocky Mountains, 111 kilometres east of Calgary and adjacent to Jasper National Park in the north. The mix of towering mountains, glittering glaciers and icefields, lush alpine meadows, and natural mineral hot springs makes up one of Canada’s most exciting recreational areas.
For more information call: (403) 762-1550
Accommodations, Tour Operators and more Attractions in Banff
Banff - Radium Hot Springs
Distance: 133 km (83 mi) on Highway 1 West and Highway 93 South
Radium Hot Springs is situated between the Purcell and Rocky Mountains in the lower southeast corner of British Columbia at an elevation of 808 metres (2650 feet). The small village of Radium Hot Springs is home to approx. 700 people and is the gateway to Kootenay National Park and the Windermere Valley. Visitors enjoy teeing off on one of the championship golf courses, strolling through endless forests and mountainscapes or soaking in the therapeutic waters of the natural hot spring. The nearby Bugaboo Mountain range is popular with mountaineers from all over the world. In summertime, the sandy beaches of Lake Windermere (south of Radium Hot Springs along Highway 95) draw swimmers, beachcombers, and all water sports enthusiasts. In winter Heli skiing is popular with adventurous skiers. Each year, the Radium Days is held the weekend following Victoria Day.
Most visitors are drawn to Radium Hot Springs for a visit of the hot springs that are located two kilometers north of the town. The hot springs feature a hot mineral pool as well as a cool swimming pool with pool slide and play area. The pools are supervised by lifeguards at all times.
Radium Hot Springs
Location: 3 km northeast of the Town of Radium Hot Springs
Radium Hot Springs offers Canada’s largest hot spring pool 39° C (103° F) and a cooler swimming pool 27° C (84° F). The springs cater to the entire family with a shallow area perfect for children. The day spa on site offers massages, aromatherapy and aesthetics. A sheer rock wall rises above the hot pool and bighorn sheep and other wildlife can be seen in the area surrounding the hot springs.
Mount Assiniboine Provincial Park
Location: Between Kootenay and Banff National Parks. Access is by foot. From Highway 93 two hiking trails start from near the highway at Vermillion Crossing.
The 39 sq km Mount Assiniboine Provincial Park is part of the Canadian Rocky Mountain UNESCO World Heritage Site and offers a mix of shimmering lakes, craggy summits, glistening glaciers, and unspoiled wilderness. Mt Assiniboine (3618 metres / 12060 ft) and its neighbouring summits are popular with climbers from all over the world. Other activities include camping, hiking, fishing, horseback riding and ski touring in winter.
Kootenay National Park
Location: Highway 93 (also called the Kootenay Parkway) runs 94 km through the centre of the park.
The Kootenay National Park is located on the Banff/Windermere Highway, which as a matter of fact bisects it into two eight kilometre strips of land. Bounded by the Banff Provincial Park to the east and the Yoho National Park to the north, Kootenay National Park covers an area of 1406.4 square kilometres. The vegetation is spectacularly varied. There are cactus in the south and glaciers in the north. Wildlife is abundant, with mountain goat, bighorn sheep, elk, mule deer, black and grizzly bear.
For more information call: (250) 347-9615
Accommodations, Tour Operators and more Attractions in Radium Hot Springs
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