From Vancouver's seawall to the turquoise lakes of Banff, this is one of the great mountain drives on earth. Here's everything you need to plan it.
Few drives in the world deliver the same sustained sense of wonder as the crossing from Vancouver to Calgary through the Canadian Rockies. In just over a week you move from Pacific rainforest to vine-covered valleys, then into an unbroken chain of icefields, glacial lakes and wildlife corridors that stretches all the way to the prairies.
Give Vancouver two nights so you're not rushing straight onto the highway. The seawall walk from Coal Harbour to Granville Island is one of the best urban strolls in North America, and Stanley Park is genuinely enormous — budget at least three hours.
Pick up your rental car on the morning of Day 3, not before. Driving in downtown Vancouver is a patience-tester, and parking fees are punishing.
Head east on the Coquihalla Highway and drop into the Okanagan Valley — a semi-arid wine region that feels nothing like the rest of British Columbia. Stop in Kelowna for lunch and a tasting at one of the Mission Hill or Quails' Gate wineries.
This is why you came. Allow at least three nights in the Banff area.
Moraine Lake is, depending on the light, possibly the most beautiful lake you'll ever see. The vivid turquoise comes from rock flour — glacially ground silt suspended in the water. The road to Moraine Lake is reservation-only in peak season. Book the Parks Canada shuttle or timed-entry parking weeks in advance.
Lake Louise itself is larger and more accessible. Walk the shore early in the morning before the crowds arrive, then hike the Plain of Six Glaciers trail for close-up views of Victoria Glacier.
The Icefields Parkway (Highway 93) is a 230-kilometre mountain road between Lake Louise and Jasper — widely considered one of the best drives in the world. Set aside the whole day.
The big highlight is the Columbia Icefield: a 325 km² remnant of the last Ice Age, accessible via guided Ice Explorer tours (book ahead). Peyto Lake has an iconic lookout — arrive before 8am or after 5pm.
The final stretch east on the Trans-Canada Highway. Calgary has a lively downtown food scene if you have a few hours before a flight.
June to early September gives you the best weather and accessible roads. July and August are peak season — expect full campgrounds and mandatory reservations.
Single-destination holidays are easier to plan. Multi-stop trips are harder — so why do travellers who've done them rarely go back to staying in one place?
Glow-worm caves, geothermal parks, Māori culture, and the country's best day hike — all on a relaxed loop from Auckland. Here's how to drive it.
The full route — stops, maps, and driving times — is on Routebook by Kington.
Rainforest coast to turquoise mountain lakes on the classic Canadian Rockies crossing.
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