CANADIAN ROCKIES AND GLACIER NATIONAL PARK
AUGUST 27 – SEPTEMBER 10, 2017
$3,500/PER PERSON, BASED ON DOUBLE OCCUPANCY
Cost includes transfers to and from airport, round trip air, accommodations with private
facilities, some breakfasts, charter bus (40 seater) transportation, 4 cable car rides, 2 lake
cruises, and Columbia Icefield ride
Sunday, 27 August
Group meets at 3:00 pm at Elite Coach, 1685 W. Main St., Ephrata…charter bus takes us to Newark
Airport Hilton Hotel…dinner enroute
Monday, 28 August
Hotel shuttle to Newark Airport…non-stop Air Canada Flight #585 departs at 7:55 am and arrives in
Calgary, Alberta at 11:05 am …1.5 hour drive to Canmore ……. Canmore is known as “Alberta’s
Aspen” and is a community of outdoor-lovers and artists….it is an alternative to Banff’s busy and
pricey streets and is only 30 minutes from Banff… a few miles to the south lies Kananaskis Country, (K
Country) home to 4 provincial parks and beautiful valleys of undisturbed mountain wilderness….. it
offers a good choice of outdoor activities, including hiking, fishing, and golfing…. This is where locals
come to get outdoors….. morning options include visits to famous Banff Springs Hotel, Banff Gondola
to summit of Sulphur Mountain…afternoon at leisure for shopping…after dinner, optional visit to Banff
Upper Hot Springs thermal (104°) pool…we will stay at Rocky Mountain Ski Lodge (www.
rockyski.ca) for 3 nights.
Tuesday, 29 August
Mid morning 30 minute bus to Sunshine Meadows, an alpine resort straddling the Continental Divide.
11:00 AM shuttle takes us on a winding mountain road to high meadows… optional 3-mile round trip
walk (classified as easy) to Rock Isle Lake…picnic lunch on hike or at cafe … short drive to Johnston
Canyon, home to spectacular waterfalls…overnight in Canmore.
Wednesday, 30 August
Hiking in K Country, where the routes are quieter, the scenery is just as impressive and that allimportant sense of wilderness is much easier to experience….there are plenty of sky-topping
peaks, mountain lakes and outdoor pursuits…..there are several hikes under 3 miles in K
Country…..golfing is possible with advance reservation….overnight in Canmore.
Thursday, 31 August
4 hour drive to Jasper National Park…. On our way, we will drive to Bow Lake, a sparkling
lake close to the Ice Fields Parkway… … drive to Bow Summit, where a short paved trail leads to a
breath taking view of Peyto Lake, an impossibly intense green lake… possible easy 2 mile hike around
Peyto Lake… we will stay at the Best Western Inn at Jasper for 3nights….
(www.bestwesternalberta.com)
Friday, 1 September
Short drive to Jasper Sky Tram for a cable car ride to fantastic viewpoint….short drive to Athabasca
Waterfall….. then short drive to 11,000 feet Mount Edith Cavell along a beautiful winding road where
wildlife are routinely observed… easy hikes around base of this mountain… short drive to Valley of the
Five Lakes, an easy 3 mile hike that offers a panoramic view of surrounding peaks… overnight in Jasper
Saturday, 2 September
Drive 30 miles to Maligne Lake, one of the world’s most photographed lakes… 90 minute boat cruise to
Spirit Island… visit Maligne Canyon, where fast flowing water has eroded a deep canyon over which
there are 6 foot bridges… visit stunning Pyramid Lake for possible canoe and kayak …. overnight in
Jasper.
Sunday, 3 September
3.5 hour drive to Lake Louise…..on our way, we will drive to Saskatchewan Glacier, the point where
there is a divide where water finds its way to 3 oceans, the Atlantic, the Arctic and the Pacific…
unforgettable buggy ride on glacier at Columbia Icefields…stay overnight in the Lake Louise Inn
(www.lakelouiseinn.com) for 3 nights.
Monday, 4 September
Short drive to Moraine Lake, half the size of Lake Louise but just as spectacular… walk around lake
and optional canoe rides…picnic or café lunch… short drive to Lake Louise with its sparkling, emerald
green waters, an unforgettable view of Victoria Glacier… easy hikes around lake regarded as one of the
world’s seven natural wonders…overnight in Lake Louise
Tuesday, 5 September
Short drive to Lake Louise Gondola…we will have breakfast on top of the mountain at 9:00…Grizzly
bears are often seen from the gondola…..short hikes at summit….Short drive to Yoho National Park in
British Columbia… Yoho is known for its wild and rugged landscape and spectacular waterfalls… visit
to Takakkaw Falls… hike 3.3 mile easy loop trail and/or canoe around Emerald Lake…overnight in
Lake Louise.
Wednesday, 6 September
5 hour drive through beautiful mountain scenery to Whitefish, Montana…..Whitefish is a gateway to
Glacier National Park with nice shops and restaurants……we will stay 2 nights at The Hampton Inn
(www.hamptoninn3.com/whitefish)
Thursday, 7 September
Short drive to the west entrance of Glacier National Park……we will have a smaller charter bus to enter
the park … optional hikes and excursions…possible visit to scenic Flathead Lake, only 12 miles
away…overnight in Whitefish.
Friday, 8 September
We will have a smaller charter bus to take us on the park’s biggest attraction, 52 mile long Going-tothe-Sun Road, a famously skinny cliff-shimmy into craggy alpine country… this National Historic
Landmark crosses the Continental Divide at Logan Pass, a wild-flower wonderland dancing with
glaciers, waterfalls, mountain goats and trails with top-of-world vistas….its scary tight curves that hug
cliff walls will leave you with an impression like no other … our charter bus will meet us at the eastern
end of the road and travel 1.5 hours to Waterton Lake National Park, Canada …… We will stay 2
nights at Aspen Village Inn (www.aspenvillage.com).... Waterton Townsite is a nucleus for boat
tours, hiking, shopping, bicycling, and dining.
Saturday, 9 September
Waterton Park is a small park, it packs quite a punch…. We will hop aboard the Historic MV
International for a ride on the deepest lake in the Canadian Rockies…. We will float across the
international boundary to Goat Haunt, USA… we will drive through a paddock harboring
majestic bison… we will climb a short trail at Bear’s Hump for a grand panoramic
view…..only 2 roads pierce the park’s remarkable interior, both gateways to lakes, waterfalls,
canyons, peaks, and wildlife….overnight in Waterton Townsite
Sunday, 10 September
3 hour bus ride to Calgary airport… Non-stop Air Canada flight #584 departs Calgary at 2:00 pm and
arrives in Newark at 8:35 pm.. We will return by Charter Bus to Ephrata.
This itinerary is subject to change. Weather is volatile in the mountains, but your host is (usually) not. Thank
you.
Sources…Lonely Planet and Moon Guides