10 Days Road Trip in Canada (West Coast)
This 10 days road trip covers most of the popular attractions in 2 western provinces of Canada (British Columbia and Alberta). It is a 1-way trip that starts from Vancouver to Candian Rockies (Jasper and Banff National Park). To end this trip, one could drive to Calgary or Vancouver.
Summary of this itinerary:
A. Day 1 & 2 – Vancouver
B. Day 3 & 4 – Squamish & Whistler
C. Day 5 & 6 – Wells Gray Provincial Park
D. Day 7 & 8 – Jasper National Park
E. Day 9 & 10 – Banff National Park
About Canada
Canada, located in North America region, is the second largest country ranked by total area. Canada has ten provinces and three territories which extend from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean.
The currency of Canada is Canadian Dollar (CAD).
Day 1 & 2 – Vancouver
After landing in Vancouver Airport, you can take a stroll in the Stanley Park (Top park in the entire world named by TripAdvisor on June 18, 2014) and enjoy the fantastic views of English Bay. If you love cycling, you can also cycle on the 8.8km seawall (a stone wall that was constructed around the perimeter of Stanley Park).
On day 2, you can visit the Capilano suspension bridge Park. This park offers several activities which ranged from treetop adventures, suspension bridge, cliff walk and even a showcase of their raptor collection. If you are visiting in the winter season, check out the Canyon lights event for cool LED decorations. After visiting the park, you can drive the amazing sea to sky highway and stay in Squamish area for the night.
If you are not driving, you can always take a free shuttle bus to the Capilano suspension bridge park. (Refer to this link for more details)
Day 3 & 4 – Squamish & Whistler
On day 3, you can take the famous sea to sky gondola over Howe sound. Once you reached the top, there are a lot of trails and viewing platforms with breath-taking scenery for you to discover. If you have time to spare, you can also visit the Shannon falls which is located just beside the gondola.
On day 4, you can explore a little bit of Whistler (perhaps the Lost Lake) and continue your journey to Wells Gray Province Park (around 5-6 hours drive).
Day 5 & 6 – Wells Gray Provincial Park
Wells Gray Provincial Park is a Canada’s Waterfall Park! There are 39 waterfalls in Wells Gray Park in total. Most of the popular waterfalls are easily accessible and are just a few minutes away from the carpark. If you are not a fan of Waterfalls, there are also several hiking trails available in Wells Gray Park. Bailey’s chute, one of the recommended trail, is a stunning part of Clearwater river where you can sit and watch the water rush past. If you are lucky, you might be able to see salmon jumping.
Alternatively, you can check out Moul Falls as well. It is possible to slip in between the Moul Falls and enjoy the cool mist of rushing waters.
On day 6, you should start moving towards Jasper National Park. Along the way, there are a few memorable landmarks such as Valemount, Rearguard Fall Park and Yellow Head Lake.
Day 7 & 8 – Jasper National Park
Jasper National park, the largest national park in Canadian Rockies, is a part of UNESCO’s Canada Rocky Mountain Parks World Heritage Site. On day 7, you can explore the lakes (Pyramid Lake, Maligne Lake and Medicine Lake) in Jasper. Otherwise, the Maligne Canyon is amazing as well.
On day 8, it’s time to move southward to Columbia Icefield Discovery Centre. Athabasca Glacier is the most visited Glacier in North America. The Columbia Icefield tour is slightly expensive but definitely worth the price.
Drive slowly and take note of any animal sightings along the roads.
Day 9 & 10 – Banff National Park
Banff National Park is Canada’s oldest National Park. There are a lot of glacier-fed lakes such as Peyto Lake and Moraine Lake. The beauty of these lakes, mesmerizing turquoise in color, had etched in my memories forever. On a side note, Lake Louise and Bow Falls are quite impressive as well.
The car park near Moraine Lake is always full. If you want to go there, you might need to go early. Otherwise, there is a free shuttle bus to Moraine Lake.(Refer to this link for more details.)
Ending Remarks
It is actually quite rush to cover both British Columbia and Canadian Rockies within 10 days as the distance between each towns is slightly longer than what we had expected. There are certainly more attractions to see/do in Canadian Rockies. Due to the lack of time, Yoho National Park is omitted in this itinerary (although it is located near Banff National Park). Overall, the ideal duration of travel should be around 14 days. If you have spare time, feel free to merge this trip with the 3 days road trip in Vancouver Island.