Alberta & British Columbia · self-drive guide
Dinosaurs and badlands, turquoise Rocky Mountain lakes, orchard lunches and Okanagan wines, then whales off Vancouver: a generous two-week drive across the West. Stay several nights in the places that deserve them, with a Revelstoke overnight to break the mountain crossing. Ten days is possible but feels hurried; fourteen gives this journey room to breathe.
Calgary → Drumheller → Banff → Lake Louise → Yoho → Revelstoke → Okanagan → Vancouver
Before the open road
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Route overview
Select a named checkpoint to see its photograph and notes. Zoom in for the road detail, or open the main stops in your preferred navigation app.
The line follows the mapped driving route between the checkpoints. Your navigation app may vary, so check conditions, ferry crossings and seasonal closures before driving.
Arrive in Calgary and keep the day easy: a river walk, an early supper and a proper sleep. Collect the car today or tomorrow to suit your flight and rental arrangements. Overnight: Calgary, 1 night. Driving: airport-to-hotel transfer only; do not start the Badlands leg after a tiring long-haul flight.
Drive east to Drumheller, pausing at Horseshoe Canyon before giving the Royal Tyrrell Museum most of the afternoon. An overnight here makes the Badlands a real chapter of the trip. Check museum hours and book admission ahead. Overnight: Drumheller, 1 night. Driving: roughly 150 km / 1 hour 45 minutes–2 hours, plus local museum and canyon detours.
Take a short morning trip to the Willow Creek Hoodoos if you want another Badlands landscape, then head west via Cochrane and Canmore to Banff. Break for lunch in Canmore and keep the evening for a gentle town walk. Overnight: Banff, first of 2 nights. Driving: roughly 250 km / 3–3.5 hours directly; allow extra for the hoodoos detour and lunch.
Stay put for the Bow River and Bow Falls, a Lake Minnewanka outing or a walk suited to the weather and your energy. Pick one main activity and leave room for a slow lunch. Use local transit where practical. Overnight: Banff, second night. Driving: none required, or around 30–60 km of local exploring.
Make the short move to Lake Louise village, with time for a walk or a Bow Valley Parkway stop where access permits. Settle into your accommodation before another busy sightseeing day. Reserve these two nights early; staying in the village reduces repeated travel from Banff. Overnight: Lake Louise, first of 2 nights. Driving: roughly 60 km / 45–60 minutes on Highway 1, longer with scenic detours.
Book a Parks Canada shuttle or suitable licensed transport for Lake Louise and Moraine Lake, then enjoy the lakeshores at walking pace. Ordinary private cars cannot use Moraine Lake Road. Shuttle tickets and national park admission are separate; confirm seasonal dates and reservations. Overnight: Lake Louise, second night. Driving: short local transfer to your booked departure point; allow a full day for transport, queues and walks.
Follow Highway 1 through Yoho, choosing an Emerald Lake or Natural Bridge stop before lunch around Golden. Continue through Rogers Pass to Revelstoke, with breaks instead of a late arrival. This overnight splits the journey to wine country. Overnight: Revelstoke, 1 night. Driving: roughly 230 km / 3–3.5 hours before sightseeing detours; allow 5–7 hours overall.
Follow Highway 1 to Sicamous, then Highway 97A south through Enderby and Armstrong to Vernon. Davison Orchards makes a good seasonal stop for farm food and an orchard tour when running; check the calendar before you arrive. Continue to Kelowna and unpack for three nights. Overnight: Kelowna or West Kelowna, first of 3 nights. Driving: roughly 200 km / 2.5–3 hours, plus the orchard visit and local detours.
Book a West Kelowna tasting at Mission Hill Family Estate and, if you fancy a second, Quails’ Gate. Keep it to one or two wineries with a leisurely lunch and lake views, rather than racing between appointments. Arrange a driver or an organised wine tour so everyone tasting can leave the car behind. Overnight: the same Kelowna or West Kelowna base. Driving: no self-driving needed with arranged transport.
Keep the day flexible: a Kelowna waterfront stroll, a beach picnic and seasonal farm shops or fruit stands. If you skipped Davison Orchards on arrival, make Vernon your main outing today. Orchard tours, harvests and any picking opportunities depend on the crop and calendar; do not assume every farm offers U-pick. Overnight: your third Okanagan night. Driving: little or none for a local lake day; roughly 110–130 km return for Vernon from Kelowna.
Take Highway 97C to Merritt, Highway 5 to Hope and Highway 1 into Vancouver. Make Merritt and Hope proper rest stops and aim to reach the city before the evening rush. Return the car once settled if your rental arrangements allow. Overnight: Vancouver, first of 3 nights. Driving: roughly 390 km / 4.5–5.5 hours before breaks and city traffic; reserve 6–7 hours for the journey.
Book a half-day whale-watching trip from Granville Island, such as Prince of Whales. Allow roughly 3–5 hours on the water plus check-in and transfers, then keep the rest of the day for Granville Island food stalls and the waterfront. Wildlife sightings and sailings depend on conditions. Overnight: Vancouver, second night. Driving: none required.
Walk or cycle part of the Stanley Park seawall, explore a neighbourhood and enjoy a final unhurried dinner. Keep this day available for a rearranged whale trip if yesterday was cancelled and the operator has space; a second sailing is not guaranteed. Overnight: Vancouver, third night. Driving: none required.
Have a slow breakfast if your flight permits, then transfer to Vancouver airport. This itinerary ends here: book flights into Calgary and out of Vancouver, with a one-way rental. Fourteen calendar days include the arrival and departure days, with 13 accommodation nights in Canada; an overnight flight may land at home on day 15. Driving: airport transfer only.
Overnight stops
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Before you set off
Distances and drive times are road-map estimates, not promises. Always confirm current road conditions, park access, ferry times and seasonal closures before setting off.