Advice on a pre-cruise land tour of Candian Rockies please

[mr walker]

Greetings from downunder - hoping that some of you friendly locals can offer some advice. We are told that Canadians are very nice.

 

We are a party of 4 - two couple & in August '14 we are planning an Alaskan cruise on RC Rhapsody OTS from Seattle & are planning approx 1 week pre-cruise self drive Canadian Rockies trip. We sail from Seattle on Aug 29 and it is a must for us to be in Seattle for the night of Aug 28 - we don't want to be travelling on sail date.

We have a draft itinerary as follows, but would appreciate some input on this - it is along way for us to come & we want to make the most of the time (& $'s):

 

20-AUG-2014 - Arrive Calgary YYC. Overnight Calgary.

 

21-AUG-2014 - Pick-up rental car(7 seater). Drive to Banff. Overnight Banff.

 

22-AUG-2014 - Overnight Lake Louise.

 

23-AUG-2014 - Lake Louise to Jasper. Overnight Jasper.

 

24-AUG-2014 - Overnight Jasper.

 

25-AUG-2014 - Jasper to Kamloops. Overnight Kamloops.

 

26-AUG-2014 - Kamloops to Whistler. Overnight Whistler.

 

27-AUG-2014 - Whistler to Vancouver along Sea-to-Sky Highway. Drop off car rental in downtown Vancouver. Overnight Vancouver.

28-AUG-2014 – early morning Amtrak Cascade Train Vancouver to Seattle . Overnight Seattle.

 

How does this look to you? Advice is welcome. Is this trip too long/short etc.

 

Thanks,

Neil

[Urban trekker]

Looks fine to me.

 

Enjoy

 

Dennis

[diwanna]

I'm from Kelowna and so of course I think you gotta go through the Okanagan Valley aka wine country and do a few wine tours. From Kamloops it's 2 hours or so on highway 97, going through Vernon and the beautiful Kalamalka lake (lake of many colors) then through Kelowna, home of the Ogopogo. Stay the night here. Drive through the valley hitting all the gazillion wineries for tasting :) Then you can either go up through highway 97c and over the #5 (Coquahalla) to Vancouver. This is a freeway highway which gets you to Vancouver in 4.5 hours from Kelowna. It's very impressive scenery wise. Or you can go all the way down the Okanagan Valley to Penticton then take the #3 highway called the Hope-Princeton highway. This was the original highway to get to Vancouver. It's equally impressive scenery wise but takes about 6 hours.... either way you made a great decision, BC rocks! and ya, we are nice and polite eh!!

[CeeCee59]

The trip as you have it planned is very doable, but I agree that you should go through the Okanagan. Lots to do - don't miss the wineries there are over 200 of them! Beautiful scenery that is different that what you will have seen so far - it is a desert where the only way the winery and fruit industry succeeds is through irrigation. Enjoy your trip through Canada's most beautiful province (yes I live in BC but in the far northwest - beautiful too but you won't have time to see this area).

[cruiseryyc]

No need to stay in Lake Louise one night, it's only 45 minutes from Banff so I would just stay another night in Banff and do a day trip to the Lake Louise area. My friends in Vancouver will hate me for this, but might I suggest you drop Whistler as once you've seen the Rockies around Banff/Jasper - Whistler will pale in comparison.

 

You might also want to go onto Trip Advisor, Alberta forum and post your question there as there are lots of local experts on that forum who don't look at Cruise Critic.

[maryann ns]

Definitely go to Trip Advisor and definitely go through the Okanagan area. You have time for a lovely trip.

[RickT]

I've done a similar drive through the rockies and my suggestion would be as follows:

 

1) Fly into Edmonton and head for an overnight in Jasper

2) Drive from Jasper to Banff (one full day, two nights should be enough to enjoy both Banff and Lake Louise)

3) Drive from Banff to Kelowna and enjoy a day or two enjoying the wine region.

 

From Kelowna it would be your call if Whistler is worth the stop or if heading to Vancouver for a few days would make sense. The above trip will only have 4 driving days (4-5 hrs each day) and will allow you plenty of time to enjoy the scenery and whichever towns you decide to visit.

 

IMHO the best pieces of this trip are:

-Banff

-Ice Fields Parkway

-Kelowna

 

The biggest reason I've started the trip in Edmonton is to try and cut back on some of your driving time. To head north from Banff to Jasper only to head back south towards Kamloops (although it is on different roads) just seems like a lot of extra driving to me.

Edited December 9, 2013 by RickT

[Urban trekker]

Agree that the overnight in Lake Louise isn't really necessary because of the short distance from Banff.

 

Starting from Edmonton has the advantages outlined - less driving. However by not taking Jasper to Kamloops you miss seeing Mt Robson - one of the gems of the Canadian Rockies

 

As for Whistler - the drive over the Duffey Lake road and a stop at the Joffre Lakes Park and a five minute walk into the first lake is as good as many of the lake and drives in the Rockies - the drive down the Sea to Sky is certainly better than the 97C and 5 from Kelowna.

 

Whistler can be done as a long day trip from Vancouver - it really depends whether you want to see scenery or wineries - as both options have there plus and minuses.

 

Hope this helps muddy the scene even more.

 

Cheers

 

Dennis

[mr walker]

Really appreciating the input from all my new Canadian friends - definitely some food for thought. I see a few votes for Kelowna, so will have to raise it with my travelling buddies.

 

Now in case someone has their heart set on Whistler ( it is one place we all know of down here) & we have heard about the drive down from Whistler to Vancouver, does it make sense to maybe do a loop from Kamloops down thru Vernon to Kelowna and on to Merritt and then back up toward Kamloops and pick up the hwy to Whistler near Kamloops?

 

Only around 250 days before we leave Australia :D

[CeeCee59]

Really appreciating the input from all my new Canadian friends - definitely some food for thought. I see a few votes for Kelowna, so will have to raise it with my travelling buddies.

 

Now in case someone has their heart set on Whistler ( it is one place we all know of down here) & we have heard about the drive down from Whistler to Vancouver, does it make sense to maybe do a loop from Kamloops down thru Vernon to Kelowna and on to Merritt and then back up toward Kamloops and pick up the hwy to Whistler near Kamloops?

 

Only around 250 days before we leave Australia :D

 

A lot of doubling back - I would choose to continue from Kelowna to Vancouver (about a four hour drive) and then Whistler is an easy drive from Vancouver (there and back the same day - staying in Whistler is very expensive). Also lots to see and do in Vancouver so spending more time there wouldn't be a bad thing :)

[diwanna]

Whistler ain't all that much unless you ski and you cant do that in August. If you want to do something neat at a ski hill in the summer... in Vernon they have mountain bike tours at Silverstar ski hill which is very popular. I agree with everyone else. Banff, Lake Louise and Jasper are all so close, I would rather spend 2 nights in Banff. Columbia ice fields are cool but the drive to Kamloops is a dud compared to highway # 1 through Golden and Revelstoke. This route takes you through the Shushwap and the Okanagan, both priceless places to go. maybe spend 2 days in Sicamous and rent a houseboat... that is soooo much fun!! Keep up with the ideas and questions! We are here to help... Di

[LiftLockCouple]

Just my two cents but if I had to chose, I would go to Victoria instead of Whistler. IMHO I would never visit Vancouver without at least trying to make time for Victoria. I do love the driving itineraries suggested here. I agree the Okanagan should be high on the priority list, even if it means more driving.

 

An antidotal story about Victoria and specifically Burchart Gardens. We were visiting Burchart in May of 2010. There were two bus loads of Australians who were enjoying the spring gardens immensely. They were at the end of a road trip through the rockies that had started in Calgary. Their next stop was a cruise to Alaska. One of the ladies with two friends was about to sign the guest book before leaving and made the following comment. " We have seen many wonderful things on this trip, but now I feel like I have died and gone to heaven". She clearly enjoyed the spring flowers in the magnificent garden.

 

Even if the cruise makes Victoria a port of call, it is not the same as having the time to drive around and explore pre-cruise.

 

Just my 2 cents.

 

Have a great trip and lots of fun planning. I have shared this thread with Australian friends from up the coast a bit from Sydney. We are hoping they will make a similar trip and discover our beautiful country.

[Urban trekker]

Obviously someone posting on here hasn't spend much time at Whistler in the summertime - there are only five lakes - Nina, Alpha, Alta, Lost and Green and all linked by the Valley Trail - there is mountain biking galore, Blackcomb will be operating their lifts and there might even be some glacier skiing available.

 

If you like to hike the trip up to Russet Lake or Wedgemount or Rainbow is well worth it- Who would not want to see the River of Golden Dreams - how about a stop to see Alexander Falls on the Whistler Olympic Park drive.

Just to the north is Nairn Falls - almost forgot to mention the old growth trees and the Cougar Lakes - oh ya and then there are the golf courses.

 

Brandywine Falls is on the way there.

 

Summer tourist numbers are not that much lower than the winter.

 

Ya I guess you are right there isn't much to do in Whistler in the summer.

 

Oh I forgot to mention some of things you will see on the Sea to Sky highway - Porteau Cove, Shannon Falls, Britannnia Mining Musuem,Alice Lake, Lucille and Shadow Lakes, Brohm Lake, Tantalus viewpoint, Mt Garibaldi lookout - you could even stop and hike up to Garibaldi Lake or Diamond Head.

 

Not much to do in Whistler and along the Sea to Sky corridor in the summer.

 

Cheers

 

Dennis

[em-sk]

Just my two cents but if I had to chose, I would go to Victoria instead of Whistler. IMHO I would never visit Vancouver without at least trying to make time for Victoria. I do love the driving itineraries suggested here. I agree the Okanagan should be high on the priority list, even if it means more driving.

 

An antidotal story about Victoria and specifically Burchart Gardens. We were visiting Burchart in May of 2010. There were two bus loads of Australians who were enjoying the spring gardens immensely. They were at the end of a road trip through the rockies that had started in Calgary. Their next stop was a cruise to Alaska. One of the ladies with two friends was about to sign the guest book before leaving and made the following comment. " We have seen many wonderful things on this trip, but now I feel like I have died and gone to heaven". She clearly enjoyed the spring flowers in the magnificent garden.

 

Even if the cruise makes Victoria a port of call, it is not the same as having the time to drive around and explore pre-cruise.

 

Just my 2 cents.

 

Have a great trip and lots of fun planning. I have shared this thread with Australian friends from up the coast a bit from Sydney. We are hoping they will make a similar trip and discover our beautiful country.

 

 

 

If you do chose to do Victoria (Vancouver Island) in place of Whistler, you could drop off the car in Victoria and take the ferry from downtown Victoria to downtown Seattle.

 

Another option would be to take the ferry over to Nanaimo and then drive down to Victoria.

[lamchops]

Your trip is certainly do-able but I don't think it's worth back tracking to Jasper. While Jasper, Lake Louise, Banff, & Whistler are all great places to visit on their own, at the end of the day they are all ski resorts and are more similar than different.

 

20-AUG-2014 - Arrive Calgary YYC. Pick-up airport rental, spend the day & overnight in Calgary.

 

21-AUG-2014 - leave early for 1.5 hrs to dinosaur country in Drumheller. Visit Royal Tyrrell Museum and the Hoodoos. (overnight as it's much cheaper than Banff) or drive to Banff in the evening

http://www.tyrrellmuseum.com/visit/directions.htm

http://www.traveldrumheller.com/index.php/directory/7-Drumheller-Hoodoos

 

22-AUG-2014 - leave early for 2.5 hrs to Banff (enjoy day & overnight)

 

23-AUG-2014 - leave early for 5.5 hrs to Kelowna via Lake Louise (overnight in/near Kelowna)

 

24-AUG-2014 - spend the day in Kelowna area (Okanagan Lake + wineries)

 

25-AUG-2014 - drive the 6 hours to Whistler with planned stops for lunch, sites, and dinner. (4hrs to Van + 2hrs to Whistler)

 

26-AUG-2014 - spend the day & Overnight in Whistler.

 

27-AUG-2014 - Whistler to Vancouver along Sea-to-Sky Highway. Drop off car rental in downtown Vancouver. Overnight Vancouver.

 

28-AUG-2014 – early morning Amtrak Cascade Train Vancouver to Seattle . Overnight Seattle.

 

I know this means missing Jasper and just a "fly-by" at Lake Louise but you'll have a more varied Canadian experience than just lush green scenery as you'll be getting that in Alaska too. I felt your itinerary lost a day from Jasper-Kamloops & didn't give much time in Whistler considering the drive. JMHO

 

FYI, most alaskian cruises from Seattle include Victoria as a stop to satisfy the Jones Act so Whistler would be my choice. I actually prefer Whistler in the summer over winter.

Edited December 17, 2013 by lamchops

[cruiseryyc]

While Jasper, Lake Louise, Banff, & Whistler are all great places to visit on their own, at the end of the day they are all ski resorts and are more similar than different.

 

Really!! I wouldn't classify Banff as a ski resort; yes there are two ski hills close by but the town of Banff and surrounding area attract tourists from all over the world at all times during the year - but mostly during the summer months. Lake Louise has a ski area but the lake itself is a major tourist attraction - during the summer months. The road to Jasper is considered one of the great highways in the world - especially during the summer months.

[Urban trekker]

Gosh I must be going senile in my advancing years as I find myself agreeing with my Calgary friend - Banff shouldn't be missed and Lake Louise is worth at least a visit and perhaps a short stroll along the lakeshore trail.

 

Cheers

 

Dennis

[lamchops]

Gosh I must be going senile in my advancing years as I find myself agreeing with my Calgary friend - Banff shouldn't be missed and Lake Louise is worth at least a visit and perhaps a short stroll along the lakeshore trail.

 

Cheers

 

Dennis

 

That's exactly what my agenda advised, a day in Banff and an afternoon in Lake Louise on the way to Kelowna. My suggestion was basically to drop the back tracking drive to Jasper while angling down toward the coast.

It much clearer to see when you use the direction from "Google Maps".

[BCHappyGal]

I would drive to Banff and from there visit the Columbia Ice Fields and on leaving Banff a quick (short) stop in Lake Louise (not worth an overnight)

I would skip Jasper as Banff is better and Whistler out does them both....

 

I would head to Kelowna (stay at the Grand Hotel in Kelowna) and visit a couple of wineries

 

From Kelowna I would head to Vancouver and then to Whistler on the Sea to Sky (do a round trip on this highway) and stay overnight in Whistler ...

 

Spend some time in Vancouver as there is much to do in Vancouver

See my list below

 

Info on Vancouver from a local!

 

My favorite must do attractions are

 

1) Grouse Mountain – http://www.grousemountain.com – this is a wonderful scenic mountain only about 15 mins from downtown Vancouver. Ride the airtram to the top for lots of fun activities that include a loggers show, birds of prey show, 2 movies (1 about the Vancouver area and 1 about the 2 Grizzly Bears who make their home on Grouse Mtn) ride a chair lift higher up the mountain to visit the wind turbine that generates approximately 30% of the power required for Grouse Mountain Resort and visit with 2 live Grizzly Bears. Thrill to a 2 hour Zip Line Tour. Enjoy a meal in any of the restaurants. Caveat only spend the money to go up on a clear day.

2) Capilano Suspension Bridge – http://www.capbridge.com – this is Vancouver’s oldest tourist attraction and I still enjoy visiting it! Located on Capilano Road just before you reach the Grouse Mountain parking lot. Walk across a suspension Bridge over the Capilano Gorge, wonder the trails thru the rain forest, walk thru the treetops on the new Tree Top Adventure, traverse a Cliff Top walk, visit the trading post for a huge selection of souvenirs, watch native weavers and/or carvers at work.

3) Capilano Fish Hatchery is also located on Capilano Road and is a great place to view salmon jumping up the fish ladders to get around the Cleveland Dam. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capilano_River_Regional_Park

4) Lynn Valley Suspension Bridge – http://www.lynncanyon.ca - is also located in North Vancouver and is much less touristy than Capilano but it also is not as spectacular. The bridge is slightly higher above the water but much shorter in span. Located in a Provincial Park this bridge comes with some nice hiking trails and you will find an ecology centre in the park as well as picnic tables and a food concession outlet. Should you choose to enjoy the Lynn Valley Suspension Bridge always cross the suspension bridge first and then hike down the trail to the lower (Twin Falls wooden) bridge to cross back over the Lynn Valley River and return to your car – that way you are hiking downhill rather than uphill. It is also free to visit this suspension bridge!

5) Stanley Park – http://www.vancouver.ca/parks/parks/stanley/ - is the crown jewel of Vancouver's parks. As one of North America's largest urban parks, covering over a 1000 acres and offering an abundance of activities. Enjoy the totem pole collection near the Brockton Point Light House, hiking trails, beaches, water parks for the kids (young & old), rose gardens, miniature train, petting zoo, aquarium –http://www.vanaqua.org – many view points, and several restaurants.

6) Vancouver Aquarium – http://www.vanaqua.org – is Canada’s largest aquarium and is committed to the conservation of marine life and education. Located in Stanley Park this is a fun place for the family to visit.

7) Gas Town – the location where Vancouver originated. The name is derived from a very colorful character named Gassy Jack who was one of the first settlers in the area and a salon keeper – while in Gas Town don’t miss your photo op with the statue of Gassy Jack and by the Steam Clock.

8) At the start of Gas Town is the Harbor Centre Tower http://www.vancouverlookout.com a great spot to start your tour of Vancouver with a birds eye view of the city. Either take the elevator up to the lookout level or go to the top and enjoy a meal in the revolving restaurant.

9) China Town is only about 6 blocks over from Gas Town and is the largest China Town north of San Francisco. While in China Town enjoy a visit to the Dr Sun Yat Sen Classical Gardens http://www.vancouverchinesegarden.com and also make sure you visit the world’s thinnest building it is only 6’ wide!

10) Granville Island – http://www.granvilleisland.com – is a huge public market area which not only sells fruit & veggies but you can also buy frozen fish to be shipped to your home. Many artists make this their home and you can watch them at work in their studios – making this a great place to buy unique souvenirs. The Granville Island Brewery is also located here and you can stop in for a free tour & tastes. There are theatres for live performances and many fine restaurants. A fun way to get to Granville Island is via the Aquabus – http://www.theaquabus.com

11) Burnaby Village Museum – http://www.burnabyvillagemuseum.ca – is an open air museum with over 30 restored homes, shops, school, church and a 1912 carousel situated on 10 acres

12) Gulf of Georgia Cannery – http://www.gulfofgeorgiacannery.com – is a restored fishing cannery located in the historic fishing village of Steveston (part of Richmond). Here you see exhibits that showcase the history of the fishing industry in British Columbia. Once finished in the museum it is great fun to walk along the fishing docks and see the fishing boats which are selling their catch. There are also some excellent restaurants located here.

13) The Vancouver Maritime Museum located on the shore of English Bay is fun for the whole family with lots of hands on exhibits for the kid in all of us. Here to you will find the ship St Roch which the RCMP sailed from Vancouver to Halifax via the Northwest Passage and then completed the return journey in 1944. You actually get to tour this ship. http://www.vancouvermaritimemuseum.com

14) Queen Elizabeth Park http://www.vancouver.ca/parks/parks/queenelizabeth The 130 acre (52 hectare) park is one of the most beautifully maintained public parks in the world. Second only to Stanley Park in annual visitations, it receives nearly 6 million people a year who marvel at its superior standard of garden plantings.

The park was originally quarried for its rock which served to build Vancouver's first roadways. In 1929 the Board proceeded to acquire the property which had become an abandoned eyesore but still served as the site for two holding reservoirs for the City's drinking water. Dedicated as a park by King George VI and his consort, Queen Elizabeth (the present Queen's mother) on their much lauded visit to Vancouver in 1939.

15) Fort Langley is the restored wooden fort built by the Hudson’s Bay Company as a trading post. It is the origin of British Columbia and was the first capital. This Fort is operated by the Federal Parks Board. http://www.fortlangley.org

16) If you are a wine lover you might want to rent a car and spend a day visiting a few of the many excellent wineries located in the Fraser Valley only about a 1 hour drive from your hotel. Almost all of the wineries offer free tastes & tours. Two of the wineries have excellent restaurants on the premises. This makes for a very fun and relaxing day. Check out the Fraser Valley Wine Association web site for a map of winery locations and a brief description of each winery http://www.fvwa.ca

17) If you are a real animal lover than don’t miss “Mountain View Conservation & Breeding Centre” It is located in Fort Langley about an hour drive from downtown Vancouver. Mountain View Conservation and Breeding Centre is a leading non-profit Canadian facility that breeds endangered species in family groups for re-introduction back into their natural habitat in Canada and around the world. This facility is not a zoo their goal is to breed rare and endangered wildlife and re-introduce these animals back into their natural habitats. Presently Mountainview hosts over 50 species of the world’s most threatened animals and birds. See animals such as the spotted dog from Africa, Giraffes, and much much more. Here you do not wonder around as in a zoo rather you are given a guided tour with commentary on each animal group. Check it out at http://www.mtnviewconservation.org

18) VanDusen Botanical Garden is a scenic 55- acre garden of international renown – a living museum of plants collected from around the world and artistically displayed amidst rolling lawns, woodlands and five tranquil lakes, all in the heart of Vancouver and just 15 minutes from downtown.

Due to Vancouver’s mild climate, plants bloom at the Garden year-round. This same climate creates a unique environment where plants from varying climate regions thrive and grow – at VanDusen you will see plants from the southern hemisphere, tropical areas and the high Arctic tundra along side native species. The Elizabethan Maze (one of only six in North America) provides year-round fun.

19) UBC Botanical Garden located at the University of British Columbia covers 110 acres and includes an Alpine, Asian, Native, Food, and Japanese Gardens. http://www.ubcbotanicalgarden.org

20) Enjoy a FREE walking tour of Vancouver. The Gastown tour starts in front of the Vancouver Art Gallery and ends at the statue of Gassy Jack in Gastown. The Downtown tour starts at the Vancouver Art Gallery and ends at the Olympic Cauldron. The China Town tour starts at the Vancouver Art Gallery and ends at the Chinese memorial statue. All of these tours start at 11am. The Granville Island Tour starts at 3pm at the bus stop just at the entrance to Granville Island. Check these tours out at http://www.tourguys.ca The Tour Guys have added an afternoon walking tour of Granville Island and 2 evening tours….

21) A new addition I have just found for the FOODIES in the gang! Check out http://www.offtheeatentrack.com this company offers culinary tasting tours of various areas of Vancouver. I did the Railtown Urban Eats tour and it was Fabulous! This tour would blend well with the free walking tour offered by http://www.tourguys.ca … you could easily do the free walking tour and then meet up with this tour company for this tour for your lunch - the food is plentiful & wonderful you will not leave this tour hungry!

 

 

 

 

Vancouver has a bunch of hop-on hop-off buses

 

http://www.vancouverpinkbustours.com/

 

http://www.vancouvertrolley.com/tours/hop-on-hop-off

 

http://bigbus.ca/home/

[mr walker]

Happy New Year from a very hot Sydney, Australia. Now our holidays are over here I am just coming back here to say thanks for all your input. The things I learned are:

1. we made a great choice in deciding to do a pre-cruise land tour of the Canadian Rockies

2. there is a lot to see & do there (maybe we needed 14 days?)

3. our Canadian cousins are very friendly and proud of where they live

 

We have now booked our trip and will spend 8N on our land tour from Calgary to Vancouver. We will visit Banff, Lake Louise, Jasper, Kamloops, Kelowna, Whsitler and Vancouver. We then take the Amtrak Cascade train to Seattle to catch our Alaskan cruise.

 

Off to do some planning & maybe practice driving on the 'wrong' side of the road.

 

Any input on must see/do within range of our route will be great.

 

Cheers,

Neil & Tracey

Edited January 19, 2014 by mr walker
spelling

[cassamanda]

Hi Mr Walker

We will be sailing opposite directions. We leave Seward on Radiance on Aug 29.

We were going to do a post cruise Rockies cruise tour via Jasper to Calgary but have just cancelled the land portion and will consider doing something similar to your plans in a couple of years time. We are spending 7 days around Anchorage etc with a hire car per cruise.

Would be interested in your findings.

We will still do some local touring around Vancouver and Victoria though. I did checkout going to Whistler by car or by train but elected to spend the time at Victoria instead.

The Pan Pacific Mountainside at Whistler seems to well located and has reasonable prices.

Hugh

Edited January 19, 2014 by cassamanda

[KAYTWO]

We have just finalised our tour so hoping we have done the right thing as my DH doesn't want to drive.

 

We are on Radiance sailing the b2b from Hawaii then Alaska at end of April (yippee). After the cruise finishes in Vancouver, we have booked on a 4 day/3night coach trip with Brewsters from Vancouver (the Rocky Mountaineer timetable didn't suit ours), stopping o/night in Kelowna then through to Banff via Lake Louise and finishing at Calgary airport, then flying to Las Vegas for 3 nights before heading back home. 97 days to go :D