Additional departures can be set up on a private basis for individuals, families, or groups, and we can organize to leave the trip open for more people to join. Trips that we have confirmed and are open to more guests will be listed below, but check back often to see if any new departures have been added. Please contact us if you would like to arrange your own departure and we will be happy to provide you with a quote based on your group's size and trip options.
Pricing is based on a minimum group size of 3 guests and includes five days of hiking with professional guide, 6 nights of shared accommodation, six breakfasts, five lunches, local transfers and National Park Entry.
Not included: Gratuities, evening meals & 5% Goods and Service Tax (GST). If you wish to have your own private room an additional $300 CDN charge will apply.
Additional nights can be booked in Canmore or Banff for an extra charge.
Trip Cancellation Insurance is available through Travel Guard.
How difficult is it?
How fit and experienced need you be?
This is an easy to moderate difficulty hiking tour. It involves hiking for up to 5 hours per day where daily distances can range from 8km to up to 16km. Elevation gains of up to 600m for some hikes. Participants will be carrying a day pack containing spare clothing, camera, lunch and something to drink each day. Hikes will be chosen to best suit the group.
This program is designed for fit walkers. Any training you can do before you arrive will enhance your experience. No previous mountain hiking experience required.
The Canadian Rockies surrounding Canmore, Banff and Lake Louise contain a lifetime of walking and hiking opportunities. Eight National and Provincial Mountain Parks are within easy driving distance. The scenery is classically magnificent - steely grey limestone peaks are clothed in forests, waterfalls, craggy cliffs and, not far west of Canmore, glaciers! The forest cover of the valley floors is broken by frequent lakes and beaver ponds. Towards treeline the forest thins, alpine larches appear as forests give way to alpine meadows.
From late May to mid August the forest and especially the meadows are lit in glorious wildflower shades of red, blue, yellow and white. By late August wildflower color is replaced by the reds and golds of Fall. September is in some ways the most spectacular month as the alpine larches turn the treeline into a blazing line of gold and incandescent aspens that speckle the valley floors.
We live and play in these mountains and we really enjoy showing them to you. We will spend two nights here in Canmore before taking you for two nights each in Banff and Lake Louise. We look forward to introducing you to the great hiking we have here in the Canadian Rockies! This is a hotel based trip so we carry light day packs and sleep in a comfortable bed.
This program can be combined with the "Mount Assiniboine Walking Tour", our backcountry hiking tour to magnificent Mount Assiniboine Park, where the scenic rewards of walking far from the highways in these exceptionally spectacular alpine meadows makes roughing it (we stay in rustic log cabins) all worthwhile! This option is available on our July 3rd/11 departure. Our August 14th/11 departure can be dovetailed with the "Assiniboine Backpacking Tour" which involves two days of hiking and three days of backpacking.
Day 1: Meet in Canmore
Everyone arrives in Canmore and we meet that evening at 7:30pm at the Radisson Hotel for a welcome session. We'll go over plans and options for the following days, look at maps of the area and check to see that you are properly outfitted.
Day 2: Day hike from Canmore
Your guide will meet you at the hotel for breakfast, then we'll head out on our first hike which will be in one of the many parks covering Kananaskis country. We like to keep plans flexible and we like to choose a hike that's not too hard to let you acclimatize to our higher elevation and dry air.
Day 3: Travel to Lake Louise, hike en-route
After breakfast we drive north towards Lake Louise stopping to hike in Kootenay National Park (50 km from Canmore) on the way. Paget Lookout and the Stanley Glacier are two excellent choices. After hiking we complete our drive north another 25km to Lake Louise with its gem of a lake surrounded by enormous peaks and their hanging glaciers.
Day 4: Hiking at the Columbia Icefields, Jasper National Park
There is a bit of driving today (2 hours each way) but it is one of the most scenic drives in the world - The 'Icefields Parkway'! We follow it up valleys overhung by glaciers, past lakes and Icefields then over alpine passes and meadows to reach the world-famous Columbia Icefields. With the Columbia Icefields and stunning Mt. Athabasca as our backdrop we hike up Wilcox Meadows. Return to Lake Louise for the night while we take in the stunning mountain scenery.
Day 5: Hike in Yoho National Park
Head a little west over the "Kicking Horse Pass' into Yoho National Park (10 km). Hike either to Yoho Lake or, if feeling fit, we will hike the Iceline Trail. Return to Banff (80 km) for the last two nights.
Day 6: Hiking in Banff National Park
A final day of hiking in Banff National Park, perhaps to Healy Meadows, Sunshine or Larch Valley. Enjoy a final night on the town in Banff to celebrate our adventures walking in the Canadian Rockies.
Day 7: Tour finishes
We finish with coffee and breakfast together as we say our goodbyes, plot our returns, and then head off on our separate ways for further adventures.
Want to continue exploring the Rockies? Many of our scheduled departures can be dovetailed with one of our Mount Assiniboine hiking programs. Our July departure can be paired with "Mount Assiniboine Walking Tour", and for those adventurous guests who wish to try backpacking, our August departure can be dovetailed with the "Assiniboine Backpacking Tour". This hiking trip involves two days of hiking and three days of backpacking through the remote wilderness of Assiniboine Provincial Park and Banff National Park. These are great ways to extend your vacation and enjoy some of the less visited Rocky Mountains!
Sample Hikes
Mt. Yamnuska, 25 km east of Canmore in the Yamnuska Natural Park, 12 km of walking , 500m - 800m elevation gain. Yamnuska overlooks the lower Bow Valley and the montane forests of the Rockies' foothills with the prairies in the far distance. Best in early summer when the area blooms with paintbrush, fireweed, fleabane, tiger lilies and orchids or in September when the aspens are turning yellow and alpine shrubs red.
Stanley Glacier, 30 km west of Banff in Kootenay National Park, 8 km of walking,365 m elevation gain. Hike into a beautiful hanging valley above Vermilion Pass. Mt. Stanley and the Stanley Glacier above. A profusion of wildflowers from beginning to end.
Wilcox Pass, at the Columbia Icefields 160 km north west of Banff. A wonderful walk in alpine meadows with Mt. Athabasca and the Columbia Icefields as a backdrop.
Healy Meadows, in Banff National Park 15 km west of Banff. Hike through mature forest to reach extensive alpine meadows with great views.
Sunshine Meadows, 30km west of Canmore in Banff National Park, access by shuttle bus to extensive walking trails on alpine meadows. A wildflower heaven.
Larch Valley and Sentinel Pass, 80km west of Canmore in Banff National Park above Moraine Lake, 12 km walking, 720 m elevation gain. Famous for alpine meadows, Fall colors and alpine scenery both
Yoho Lake, in Yoho National Park 100 km west of Canmore. A beautiful lake nestled in the forest just below Yoho Pass. Great views of the famous Takkakaw Falls and Yoho Valley.
The Iceline, in Yoho National Park 100 km west of Canmore, is a hiking tour de force. Hike adjacent to glaciers and high above the valley, magnificent view of Takkakaw Falls.
Meeting Place and Time
We will meet you in the lobby of the Radisson Hotel in Canmore at 7.30pm on day 1. We will supply the hotel with our guest list and you will be able to check yourself in earlier that afternoon. Map.
Accommodation and Meals
We use high standard hotels and lodges for this hiking tour. Rooms are shared (double occupancy). No single supplement applies unless you wish to guarantee a single room for yourself in which case a $300 CDN additional charge will be applied to your booking. We can arrange rooms for you to stay in Banff, or Canmore before and after the tour.
Most groups will spend the first two nights of each trip at the Radisson Hotel (511 Bow Valley Trail, Canmore, tel 1 403 678 3625). In Banff we use Brewster Mountain Lodge and in Lake Louise we choose from a variety of hotels.
All breakfasts are included as are hiking lunches and trail snacks. Dinners are not included so you can explore the many dining options. There are many easily accessible restaurants nearby or in your hotel. Please specify any special dietary requirements you have on your application so we can incorporate them into our lunch menus.
Guides and Group Size
Yamnuska Mountain Adventures is licensed by Parks Canada and Alberta Provincial parks to conduct hiking tours in both National and Provincial Mountain Parks of the Canadian Rockies.
Your guides are experienced professional hiking guides who live here, in the Canadian Rockies. They are certified by the Association of Canadian Mountain Guides and from the Mountain Parks Heritage Interpretation Association. Your guide has advanced wilderness first aid training. They will be carrying full emergency gear including a first-aid kit, bear spray and a portable radio. Most importantly, they are chosen for their enthusiasm and interest in sharing their knowledge of these mountains.
The minimum group size will be 3, maximum 9.
Getting to Canmore and Transportation
Canmore is situated 100km (65miles) west of Calgary on the Trans-Canada Highway. It is well served by scheduled bus lines both from Calgary (airport and downtown), Banff (20km west) and points further west. Calgary International Airport is well connected to major cities throughout North America and Europe. Once in Canmore we will supply all transport needed for the trip.
Frequent shuttles connect Calgary International Airport and Canmore. We would be please to book your airport transportation.
Clothing and Equipment
Your guide will be carrying a full emergency and first-aid kit. You will need to bring your own daypack and personal clothing. Cotton clothing is NOT recommended as an insulating layer since it causes rapid heat loss when wet.
What to Bring
HIKING BOOTS - These should be 'broken-in' and have good ankle support and tread. Your boots will make or break your holiday so some time spent getting used to them is time well spent.
DAYPACK - large enough to carry extra clothing (rain jacket & pants, sweater, gloves, hat), lunch and snack food, water bottle and camera plus accessories (rental available).
TREKKING POLES
SUNGLASSES
WATER BOTTLE (1 Litre)
SMALL BLISTER KIT
SUN BLOCK & LIP BALM
INSECT REPELLENT
Hiking Clothing
Wool or fleece HAT
SUNHAT
3 TO 4 WARM LAYERED TOPS (1.Light weight polypro top. 2. medium or expedition weight polypropylene top. 3. fleece jacket or sweater
T-SHIRT for warm, dry sunny days
RAIN JACKET with HOOD (sufficient to withstand a day of rain or snow)
Light GLOVES or MITTS
SOCKS, several changes. We suggest a wool blend for comfort.
SHORT PANTS can be very comfortable for hiking, they should be quick drying, and preferably not cotton.
HIKING PANTS (comfortable and quick drying, not cotton)
RAIN PANTS (sufficient to withstand a day of rain or snow)
RUNNING SHOES OR OTHER LIGHT WEIGHT FOOTWEAR (backup in case you get blisters).
We have daypacks for rent. Please book in advance.
If you have any questions or need clarification don't hesitate to call or email.
Please book as early as practical to avoid disappointment. A deposit of %35 is required at time of booking. Final payment is due eight weeks before the start of the trip.
For detailed Booking Instructions and Conditions, click here.
Please note that you will be required to sign our waiver before commencing the trip. Click here for waiver copy.
There is no charge for rescue so long as you have a valid National Park Entry Pass (included in cost). However, it is wise to ensure that your health plan will cover you in case of illness or accident while here.
Yamnuska offers a "Visitors to Canada Plan and Gold Trip Cancellation and Interruption Plan" through Travel Guard insurance. These plans offer comprehensive coverage for all your travel needs including trip cancellation/interruption, emergency medical expenses, and personal effects loss. For more information and to purchase this coverage visit Travel Guard's website.
