Hello Adventure seekers and nature lovers! 🤩 My name is Maria (36) and I am looking for easy-going and adventurous TripMates to join me on this road trip to beautiful West Canada with a day in Alaska, USA🍁! Set off with me on an unforgettable exploration through cosmopolitan cities, lush rainforests, remote beaches, and towering mountains in British Columbia, Alberta and Alaska. WHAT CAN YOU EXPECT We will have 21 full days to visit some of the most breathtaking national parks and landscapes in North America. The highlights of British Columbia and Alberta as well as some less-known hidden gems: UNESCO's Canadian Rocky Mountains in Jasper and Banff National Park🏞️, abundant wildlife such as salmon, bears 🐻and whales🦈! 🚣♀️ Kayak in crystal clear river gorges and last but not least, Vancouver🌄. To top these experiences, there are cool activities planned along the way such as a bear-watching tour and a stop at an old mining town 🙂. I am happy to drive the rental car and would need a second driver who likes to give me a hand sometimes. Also, I will have a handful of other paid and free-of-charge activities at hand, which we can join into on-site. All you need to do is join me and enjoy the trip! All three weeks are packed with special activities and places that are simply too beautiful to be missed. For more information scroll down to see what's INCLUDED in my trip. Physical rating of the trip: 5/5 Group size: min 3 - max 5 tripmates and myself Because spots are limited (in the car and the rooms), it's quick and easy to take part: Click the green button on the right 🟩 and reserve your spot! 😍 Feel free to message, me if you have any questions. INCLUDED ✅ 20 nights in motels, ranches and (backcountry) campsites in a tent ✅ All National Park and backcountry camping fees ✅ Rental car: air-conditioned incl. all insurance and a second driver ✅ All ferry crossings ✅ Entry to Fort St. James Historic Site ✅ Tent(s) and basic camping equipment (size of tents will depend on the numbers of people in the group) ✅ Bear spray, safety instructions for backcountry hikes and camping + more ✅ Crossing for a day trip to Alaska ✅ Experience the annual salmon run in Alaska 🦈 ✅ Hikes to untouched nature, glaciers, stunning waterfalls, and lush rainforests ✅ Support with finding flights ✅ Packing list for our trip ✅ Personal contact with me and other trip mates in a private WhatsApp group where you can e-meet everyone before we travel (few months before departure) ✅ Pre-planned carefree itinerary - all you have to do is join and enjoy🙂 ✅ Motivated and great TripMates and TripLeader guaranteed! 😍 EXCLUDED ❌ Beverages and meals unless listed otherwise (we will use Splitwise App for shared meals or shopping) ❌ Additional excursions and rentals that are not mentioned as part of the itinerary (e.g. whale watching tour, kayaking, bike rentals etc.) ❌ Gas for the rental car ❌ International flights ❌ Personal sleeping bag & pad, towel etc. ❌ Health and travel insurance ❌ Private expenses (souvenirs etc.) ❌ Visa for USA and Canada (if required for your nationality) 🏛️OCCUPANCY I try to plan separate female and male rooms in the hotels unless you are a couple or friends (but please keep in mind that we might have mixed rooms as well if an uneven number of males and females join). The tent has a four-person capacity and it means it will be mixed anyway unless you decide to carry your own tent. If we are more than four people in the group, we might have two tents or a bigger tent. Please let me know if you would like to request a single room supplement or tent upfront so I can see what I can do and calculate accordingly.
WHAT MAKES THIS TRIP SO SPECIAL AND WHY JOIN ME 👋👩🏻🦰 I have many years of experience as a travel specialist for China and traveled to more than 40 countries. As a person who loves to organize my personal holiday trips as well, I can assure you that everything is taken care of. I love going on extended road trips and would like to share my next big road adventure to Canada with guys like you! This will also be my first time in Canada and North America, and I am sure we won`t be disappointed! Please non-smoker tripmates only. You also have to be reasonably fit for the hikes and trips planned during that three weeks. Please give a short introduction of yourself when requesting to join this trip. This way I see that you have fully read and acknowledged my trip description.
PLEASE NOTE: TRAVEL DATES ARE STILL MORE OR LESS FLEXIBLE and we might shift for few days. P.S. Remember: The earlier you book your spot, the more money you can save by booking early into your flight, too. 🙂 For your overview: I have found return flights from Europe to Canada for next year at around 700 - 800€! If you have any questions, please "save" the trip and message me in the Q&A section below. Don`t miss out on this unique opportunity of exploring West Canada in a small personal group of travel buddies! Click the green button on the right 🟩 and reserve your spot!
What's included?
20 nights in motels, lodges, tents
National Park & backcountry camping fees
Rental car: air-conditioned
All ferry crossings
Tent(s) and basic camping equipment
Bear spray & safety instructions
Crossing for a day trip to Alaska
Entry to Fort St. James Historic Site
Visit & learn about First Nation Sites
Personal contact with me and trip mates
Your Booking includes free protection from Trip cancellations. Learn More
You can chat with Maria once you reserve your spot.
Trip Itinerary
1
Calgary
Day 1
Day 1: Arrival in Canada Welcome to beautiful Canada 🍁! You will land at Calgary International Airport (YYC)🛬. This is also our meeting point today (I will announce the meeting time closer to the trip), where we will meet our fellow TripMates in person and pick up our rental car to start off directly into the wild of the Canadian Rockies 🏞️! If you want to visit Calgary city, please plan to arrive a couple of days earlier in order to do some sightseeing on your own. INCLUDED ✅ Rental car and transfer ADDITIONAL FEES ❌ Fuel for the whole road trip (split in the group)
2
Canmore
Day 1-4
Day 1 - 4: Canmore in Banff National Park (driving distance ~ 200 km) We will spend our first four days in the historic Banff National Park, which is the oldest and among the most stunning in Alberta Province! We will have a sufficient amount of time to explore some of the pristine lakes and peaks during our stay here! INCLUDED ✅ 3 nights in Canmore or Lake Louise (tents on serviced campsite or backcountry, or cabins) ✅ Hike to Grassi Lakes (~ 4 km)
3
Banff
Day 4
Day 3 & 4: Banff National Park (driving distance ~ 200 km) For the next couple of days, I have planned multiple hiking routes in the Banff National Park, such as a day hike to the turquoise Lake Luise and another day to the peaks of Banff NP with panoramic views! We will make the most of our time here and explore the nature around this unique area. INCLUDED ✅ National park fee ✅ Day hike to Lake Louise ✅ Daily hikes in the Banff area with spectacular views OPTIONAL (additional fees) ❌ Canoeing, kayaking, white water rafting
4
Saskatchewan River Crossing
Day 4-5
Day 4 - 5: Saskatchewan River Crossing (driving distance ~ 130 km) We will depart after breakfast and drive on the Icefields Parkway to a little town called Saskatchewan River Crossing. We will stay in a backcountry campsite without facilities by Glacier Lake and will have to hike about 9 km one-way from our parking lot to the campsite and set up the tent before dark. The next day, we enjoy a calm morning by the lake and before we walk back to the car and embark on multiple amazing glaciers walks to see the surrounding glaciers that are feeding the glacier lake where we stayed overnight. We will hike up to Saskatchewan Glacier as well as Athabasca Glacier, both located in the Columbia Icefield in the Canadian Rockies. The Athabasca Glacier is easily accessible via a short walk (which always mean there are more tourists), whereas the largest Saskatchewan Glacier outflow glacier is more remote and bears more natural sights with less tourists on the way. So even those who do not want to hike up all the way to Saskatchewan Glacier will enjoy a glacier view on the easier second hike to Athabasca Glacier. It is also possible to join a guided glacier tour on Athabasca Glacier with a local guide for an additional fee. With the guide and crampons, we will be able to walk onto the glacier. INCLUDED ✅ 1 night in tent (backcountry) distance to hike ~ 4.5 km or 2 hours one-way ✅ National park fee ✅ Hike to see the Saskatchewan Glacier (distance ~ 8 km roundtrip) ✅ Hike to Athabasca Glacier (distance ~ 1.5 km roundtrip) ✅ Driving on the magnificant Icefields Parkway OPTIONAL (additional fees) ❌ Guided Athabasca Glacier tour with guide to walk ON the glacier
5
Jasper
Day 5-8
Day 5 - 8: Jasper National Park (driving distance ~ 130 km) The Jasper NP is part of UNESCO`s Rocky Mountains World Heritage. It offers plenty of wildlife and self-guided trails, so we can enjoy a full day outdoors in the wild. I will bring along some suggestions for the hikes and we`ll choose together which one we`ll walk during our stay here. Also, Jasper is the world's second-largest dark sky preserve. That means, if the night sky is clear we will see a spectacular milky way with our bare eyes! INCLUDED ✅ 3 nights in tent in Jasper NP (serviced campsite) ✅ National park fee ✅ Beautiful day hike on one of the many hiking trails in the area ✅ See the world's second-largest dark sky preserve
6
Clearwater
Day 8-10
Day 8 - 10: Clearwater in Wells Gray Provincial Park (driving distance ~ 320 km) Today, we leave the Rocky Mountains and head further into another stunning nature reserve, the Wells Gray Provincial Park. On the way to Clearwater, where we will spend the next to nights, we have the opportunity for multiple photo stops along the way! Our day in Clearwater can be planned individually. Those, who need a day break after hiking in the Rockies, can take some time off and just enjoy the beauty of the area. For adrenaline junkies, there are some more activities planned such as white water rafting and more extended hikes to waterfalls in the area! INCLUDED ✅ 2 nights in wooden cabins in Clearwater incl. 1x breakfast ✅ National park fee ✅ Hike to the highest waterfall in Canada OPTIONAL (additional fees) ❌White water rafting on the Clearwater River
7
Prince George
Day 10-11
Day 10 - 11: Prince George (driving distance ~ 500 km) We have a scenic and long drive today and start early after breakfast. We drive on the old so-called Old Cariboo Gold Rush Route towards Prince George. As the name suggest, this area used to be very popular during the gold rush in the 19th century. In Prince George we have a free evening to relax after the long drive and have a filling dinner. INCLUDED ✅ 1 night in twin room in Prince George
8
Witset
Day 11-12
Day 11 - 12: Witset First Nation Grounds (driving distance ~ 400 km) We start this day early in order to make some interesting and scenic photo stops. En route, we see a lot of left-behind ghost towns from the gold rush era and make a visit to the historical site of Fort St. James. Fort St. James used to be a blooming fur trading town during the 19th century. It is the largest group of original wooden buildings and portrays the relationship between the fur traders and the Carrier First Nation - the indigenous people of north-central British Columbia. We stay overnight in Witset. Originally named ‘Kyah Wiget (‘Old Village’), Witset is a Witsuwit’en village in the heart of northwest British Columbia. The current village was built during the early 1900s but served as the Witsuwit’en fishing grounds for thousands of years. The campground is run by indigenous Witsuwit people and offers an interesting museum as well as guided tours, which we can visit and participate in the next day. INCLUDED ✅ Visit to historical site of Fort St. James ✅ 1 night in tent in Witset First Nation campsite (serviced campsite)
9
Stewart
Day 12-14
Day 12 - 14: Stewart (driving distance ~ 330 km) In the morning, we can enjoy a delicious breakfast and have some time to explore Smithers. On our way to Stewart, we pass a scenic and historic route through some of the province's most isolated areas, the Stewart–Cassiar Highway. It is crossing Indian Reserves and gives multiple interesting and historically rich places to explore. We will stop at the Gitwangak Battle Hill National Historic Site and see the original totem poles in Gitanyow. The next two nights we spend in the small town of Stewart, which is located right at the border to Alaska. From here, we will make a day trip to Alaska the next day. INCLUDED ✅ 2 nights tent in Stewart (serviced campsite) ✅ Visit Bear Glacier ✅ See totem poles in Gitanyow ✅ See Gitwangak Battle Hill Site ✅ And a surprice site... ;-)
10
Hyder
Day 14
Day 13: Day trip to Hyder in Alaska After breakfast, another special day trip awaits us: We cross the border to Alaska and drive to a small town called Hyder. There we visit the Fish Creek Wildlife Observation Site. In July, the annual salmon run can be experienced at this site and often bears can be seen as well who come here for their pray🦈. A genuinely amazing spot to see plenty of different wildlife! INCLUDED ✅ Day crossing to Hyder ✅ Salmon Creek Wildlife Observation Site
11
Prince Rupert
Day 14-16
Day 14 - 16: Prince Rupert (driving distance ~ 300 km) On day 14 we drive about 5 hours from Stewart to Prince Rupert to spend the night there. So this stay is merely to get a good shower and sleep. Next early morning at 7:30 we embark on the ferry from Prince Rupert to Vancouver Island. Crossing time in the Inside Passage is approximately 16 hours and we pass some beautiful fjords, where - if we are lucky - will be able to see whales from the ferry! We arrive late around midnight on Vancouver Island and from the ferry terminal it is about 15 minutes drive to our accomodation for one night. INCLUDED ✅ 1 night in twin room in Prince Rupert ✅ 16-hours ferry crossing to Vancouver Island (departure 7:30am, arrival 11:50pm) ✅ 1 night in twin room close to ferry terminal on Vancouver Island
12
Telegraph Cove
Day 16-17
Day 16 - 17: Close to Telegraph Cove (driving distance ~ 55 km) The next morning we eat breakfast somewhere close to our accomodation and then depart early on about a 50-minute drive to our campsite for the next night. The campsite is beautifully located right by the small harbor/beach in the midst of wild nature and surrounded by pine trees. Is it a perfect place to enjoy hikes in the lush rainforest. If we haven`t seen whales during our ferry crossing, we have another great opportunity here and can book a whale watching tour. Guided boat tours run daily and we can join a guided whale-watching expedition as well. INCLUDED ✅ 1 night in tent close to Telegraph Cove (serviced campsite) OPTIONAL (additional fees) ❌ Whale watching tour ❌ Kayaking
13
Tofino
Day 17-20
Day 17 - 20: Tofino (driving distance ~ 470 km) We leave Telegraph Cove in the early morning and drive further south to Tofino, which is located on the western banks of Vancouver Island. We will have plenty of time to join some extra activities like bear-watching tours that are highly recommended in this area. Other trips can include kayaking or boat rides. On the second day in Tofino we drive to walk some scenic rainforest hikes. The west coast of Vancouver Island is also a great place to surf! So if you are into surfing or watersports, equipment can be rented on spot! INCLUDED ✅ 3 nights in tent in Tofino NP (serviced campsite) ✅ Visit Long Beach in Pacific Rim National Park Reserve (fee excluded ~7 CAD paid on site) ✅ Rainforest Trail Hike OPTIONAL (additional fees) ❌ Surfing ❌ Bear Watching Tour ❌ Kayaking
14
Vancouver
Day 20-21
Day 20 - 21: Vancouver (driving distance ~ 280 km) Today, we leave early to Nanaimo, a small town on the south-east coast of Vancouver Island. From here we embark on a short island tour to Saysutshun Island, or better known today as Newcastle Island. A spiritual place to the First Nation Snuneymuxw People, Saysutshun is the home of village sites. Our self-guided immersive experience begins at the Totem Pole near the ferry dock where we disembark and via a guided audio tour we will be introduced to the sacred village sites, traditions, and cultural history of Saysutshun. In the afternoon we say a final good-buy to Vancouver Island and take a ferry back to the mainland. We will arrive in Vancouver in the afternoon and return our car to the airport before we take the public transport to the city centre where we will spend a last night. We will enjoy the civilized city life once more time after days of road trip adventures and say good-buy to our amazing travel buddies! INCLUDED ✅ Ferry crossing to Newcastle Island (Saysutshun First Nation) ✅ Self-guided audio tour on Saysutshun Island ✅ 2-hours ferry crossing to Vancouver ✅ 1 night in Vancouver
Trip Summary
Accommodation
Bed & Breakfast & Other & Apartments & Hostel & Camping
21 days trip
Calgary, Canmore & 12 more
Transportation
Car, Boat
What's excluded?
International flights
Private expenses & additional excursions
Gas for the rental car
Beverages and meals unless listed above
Sleeping bag & pad + towels
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