Classic Banff Hiking Tour

Day 1: Arrive Calgary, transfer to Kananaskis
Day 2: Hiking in Kananaskis Country
Day 3: Hiking to Chester Lake or Burstall Pass (Don’t forget your camera)
Day 4: "Fire and Ice", Stanley Glacier Trail, Kootenay National Park.
Day 5: Classic day hike at Lake Louise in Banff National Park
Day 6: Sentinel Pass or Iceline Trail. On the Top 3 list of hikes in the Canadian Rockies!
Day 7: Shuttle to Calgary

Day 1:  Arrive in Calgary
Upon your arrival in Calgary, you may take advantage of the group transfer to Kananaskis (please note, only 1 transfer provided and the time is dependent on the general arrival of the group). We meet that evening to go over plans and options for the following days, look at maps of the area and check to see that you are properly outfitted.

Accommodation: Mount Kidd Manor, Kananaskis

Day 2:  Walking Prairie View in Kananaskis, 8 mi. (13 km)
Your guide will meet you at the hotel after breakfast and then it is time for your first hike in Kananaskis Country. As a nice warm-up to this spectacular hiking adventure, first on the agenda is the  Prairie View Lookout trail. This trail, located in the Front Ranges, will allow you to see the incredible difference looking east towards Calgary and the Prairies or looking west towards the incredible Canadian Rocky Mountains.

Elevation Gain: 420 m 
Duration: 3-4 hrs

Accommodation:  Mount Kidd Manor, Kananaskis
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch

Day 3: Kananaskis hike and transfer to Banff, 6 - 9 mi. (10 - 15 km)
Your transfer to Banff will take you on the scenic Spray Lakes road. About half-way, you will stop for the day's hike, Chester Lake or Burstall Pass. Your guide will make the best decision depending on the group’s ability and to let everyone get acclimatized to the higher elevation and dry air.

Elevation Gain: 350-450 m 
Duration: 3-5 hr

Accommodation: Bowview or Banff Park Lodge, Banff
Transfer distance: 125 km,  duration 2.5hr
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch

Day 5:  Fire and Ice, 8 mi. (13 km)
Today’s hike leads into Kootenay National Park and the Stanley Glacier Trail. You’ll walk through a remarkable valley of “Fire and Ice,” “fire” being the remains of a 1968 wildfire, almost regrown now, and “ice” being the Stanley Glacier overhanging the cliffs at the head of the valley.

Elevation Gain: 600 m 
Duration: 4-5 hr

Accommodation: Bow view or Banff Park Lodge, Banff
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch

Day 5: Lake Louise, 11 mi. (18 km)
After a healthy breakfast, you will be transferred directly to the world-famous Lake Louise. Here you will have a choice of hikes available, either a walk to the Lake Agnes Teahouse, or to the Plain of Six Glaciers, or to do a round trip circuit including both. After your hike, you will head towards Lake Louise Village for the evening.

Elevation Gain: 400m
Transfer distance: 6-8 hr
 

Accommodation: Lake Louise Inn, Lake Louise
Transfer distance: 100 km (duration 1 hr)
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch

Day 6: Final Challenge, 8 mi.+ (12 km +)
For your final day of hiking, you will have a difficult choice to make: either Moraine Lake and Sentinel Pass or the Iceline Trail in Yoho National Park. It’s a difficult choice to make because both trails are on the list of top hiking trails of the Canadian Rockies. You will be well rewarded at the end of the day and will enjoy a farewell dinner.

Elevation Gain: 750 m+
Duration: 6-8hr
 

Overnight: Lake Louise Inn, Lake Louise
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 7: Transfer to Calgary
Breakfast at Lake Louise Inn with a complimentary shuttle to Calgary included in the morning.

Meals Included: Breakfast

On each day’s details, the name of the preferred hotel is listed. Each of the lodgings have been chosen for their unique character and relatively easy access to other amenities.