Guided Banff Vacation Package (Travel to Alberta, Canada)
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Located in the Canadian Rockies, Banff National Park has become a Mecca for hiking enthusiasts and nature lovers.
Ever since my first visit to Banff I’ve been in love with this place. It’s home to some of the best hiking in North America, but also offers a ton of less intense activities that help round out your trip.
I’ll be your dedicated guide and photographer on this small group trip as we explore my favorite viewpoints and hiking trails within the park.
Please note that while the itinerary for this trip is hiking forward, you are also free to come and go from the group activities as much as you’d like!
As this trip has garnered a lot of interest from my existing clients and followers, I’ve decided to offer multiple dates so that I can accommodate everyone (keep reading for trip dates).
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About the trip
This small group guided vacation package to Banff National Park will be limited to 22 travelers.
The trip will include six nights / seven days of hotel accommodations located at the luxurious 4-star Rimrock Resort which is located in the town of Banff.
Airport transfers and roundtrip transportation for all activities is included in the cost. The cost for all organized activities is also included in the cost.
Breakfast each morning is included in the cost, as well as one three course dinner at the Rimrock Resort.
You’ll have a dedicated guide for the entire trip (that’s me!) and our group will utilize a completely private mini coach and professional driver to get around.
If you’ve never visited Banff before, driving and parking can be a bit of a nightmare since many of the parking lots fill up, shut down, or are completely restricted from personal vehicle access.
But if you Travel with Wes, you won’t have to worry about any of these problems! All of the logistics will already be taken care of so you can focus on enjoying your hard earned vacation.
While each day includes a core group activity. My goal is to fill about 50% of your time each day with a great group activity, while still leaving you plenty of time to explore on your own.
If you have a desire to purchase an activity outside of the group itinerary (such as golfing at the Fairmont Banff Springs), no problem! Let me know and I’ll do my best to help you coordinate and to decide on which group activity to forgo.
Please note that many of the group activities will require an early wake up (circa 6am) to ensure you’re up in time for breakfast and ready to board the shuttle.
Most of the areas that we will visit (such as Moraine Lake or Lake Louise) are around a 1 hour drive from the town of Banff.
We will generally target early morning arrivals so that we can enjoy these places before they’re overrun with crowds later in the day.
A little bit about Banff and the National Park
Banff National Park is located in the Alberta Province of Canada, along the Rocky Mountains. If you followed the Rockies north from Colorado, beyond Montana, you’d eventually hit the park boundaries.
Banff is not only the name of the National Park, but also the town that we’ll be staying.
To reach Banff you’ll fly into Calgary International Airport. From there your pre-arranged shuttle transfer will be ready to whisk you off to our accommodations in town. It takes about 2 hours to reach the hotel from the airport.
The Rimrock Resort, where we’ll be staying, is located on the outskirts of town near the Sulphur Mountain Gondola.
There’s a free shuttle for all hotel guests that comes every 30 minutes which will take you into town (it’s only a 5-10 minute drive into the heart of town).
The town of Banff is extremely walkable and home to a large number of shops, restaurants and bars. It’s a really fun area to wind down after spending your morning or afternoon out hiking and exploring what the National Park has to offer.
The Rimrock Resort also offers a ton of fun activities as well. Whether you’re interested in a game of tennis, a wellness day at the spa or an e-bike rental, the resort is a great place to fill out your remaining vacation time!
What are the trip dates?
I’m really excited to be able to offer multiple sets of dates for my guided Banff vacation package.
The first set of dates is arriving on July 13th, 2025 and departing on July 19th, 2025.
The second set of dates is arriving on July 20th, 2025 and departing on July 26th, 2025.
If these dates don’t work for your travel plans, stay tuned. I may open up dates in August 2025 if there’s enough demand for July!
After arriving in the Calgary International Airport, you'll locate your pre arranged transfer through Brewster Express that will take you directly to our hotel.
This is a moderate difficulty hike that goes for 7 miles (11.2 kilometers) and will take most guests between 4 and 5 hours to complete including a break at the Ink Pots.
The Johnston Canyon hike eventually leads to the Ink Pot geological formations
The town of Banff itself sits at 4,537 feet (1383 meters) and most of the hikes will take you even higher than that!
After we're done exploring Johnston Canyon and the Ink Pots we'll be dropped off back in town or at the Rimrock so you can spend the afternoon and evening exploring town.
Be sure to check out my favorite restaurant in Banff, Three Bears Brewery
If you're looking for a recommendation on where to grab dinner tonight, consider making your way over to Three Bears Brewery which is my favorite spot in down for great food and drinks!
The viewpoint is amazing during the summer, but I'd love to come back and see it during the winter!
During the drive out we'll make a stop at the Peyto Lake Upper Viewpoint, which is one of the most incredible viewpoints you'll encounter throughout Banff National Park.
Our primary goal for today is to reach the Columbia Icefield where we'll ride out onto the glacial ice and have an opportunity to explore by foot.
There are plenty of great spots to take a photograph near Moraine Lake
It's essential to arrive here early in the morning.
Not only does the soft morning light make for great photo opportunities, but we'll also avoid the worst of the crowds that start to accumulate here later in the day.
Having access to downloaded trail maps via AllTrails is always a smart decision!
On the other side of the pass, you'll be able to look down into the rugged terrain of Paradise Valley. This is a great spot to stop and enjoy a snack before heading back to the lake.
If you're looking for an easier hiking alternative to Sentinel Pass, I'd suggest setting out for Consolation Lake instead.
This hike is shorter, has less elevation gain, and leads you to a large rockfall that you can try your luck scrambling across.
After your activity of choice I'd suggest making your way back to Moraine Lake and either hopping in the water for a quick cold plunge or renting a canoe and getting out on the water.
A lot of people who visit Banff miss out on our day five activity, which is to spend an afternoon hitting the highlights in Yoho National Park.
Yoho is just as close as many of Banff National Parks top attractions, but it's often overlooked by visitors since it's technically a different Canadian National Park.
Our first stop of the day will be Emerald Lake. There's a really nice nature loop around the lake that you can walk around to take in views of the area.
Emerald Lake is considered one of the best swimming spots in the Canadian Rockies!
Alternatively you might choose to spend your time here taking a dip in the icy water. All of the lakes in Banff are cold, but it's worth taking the plunge at least once during our trip!
If jumping into the icy cold water isn't your cup of tea, this is another great place to consider renting a canoe. I'd suggest renting a canoe at least once during our trip.
Emerald Lake is a great place to canoe in Yoho National Park
There's also a picture perfect cafe set out on the lake. This is a great spot to grab a snack or a drink while you soak up the views!
After relaxing at Emerald Lake we'll make a quick stop at the Natural Bridge.
Once we're finished at the Natural Bridge viewing area we'll make a quick pit stop in the town of Field to stock up on food before heading over to Takakkaw Falls.
Views leading up to Takakkaw Falls during our early September visit to the park
This impressive waterfall is the second tallest in Canada. The path will take you up close to the base of the falls which makes for an epic photo op, just be prepared to get wet!
Views of Takakkaw Creek and the surrounding landscape near the falls
This will be our last stop in Yoho National Park before making our way over to Lake Minnewanka for a late afternoon cruise on the lake.
Once we've wrapped up at Lake Minnewanka the shuttle will return us to the resort and you'll be able to spend the rest of your evening exploring town or relaxing at the resort!
There are tons of great places to photograph Lake Louise from the lakeshore
For those joining me on today's hike, we have an action packed set of stops on the agenda.
We'll start off heading for Mirror Lake, which sits near the base of the Big Beehive. This is a great spot to take our first break of the hike and enjoy a quick snack before pressing on for the Lake Agnes Tea House
Cloudy conditions helped create this incredible reflection shot of Lake Agnes
The Tea House is only accessible by foot, but despite this it can become quite busy later in the day. We'll have had an early start in an attempt to beat the crowds.
We'll stop here for a quick cup of tea while taking in views of Lake Agnes.
We thoroughly enjoyed our hiking throughout Banff National Park during a September visit
The viewpoint puts us in a position to enjoy a Birds Eye view of Lake Louise. We'll be so high up that canoes gliding across the lake look like tiny ants!
If you've had your fill of hiking for the day, you can elect to head back for the starting point after this stop. That will clock your day in at about 7 miles (11 km) of hiking.
Once you complete your descent you can rest and recover by soaking up views of Lake Louise
Alternatively, you can have a snack or drink at the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise while soaking up views of the Victoria Glacier.
Once we're finished at Lake Louise we'll head back for Banff. From here you'll be free to enjoy the rest of your afternoon around the resort or exploring Banff.
The total trip cost for this Guided Banff Vacation Package is $3,950 per person. Prices are based on double occupancy per room.
You are required to make a $500 deposit to reserve your space on the trip.
Deposits are refundable for 7 days after booking, less a 3% transaction fee. Deposits are non-refundable if made within 90 days of the trip date.
If you have a promotional code or partner offer please be sure to mention it when submitting your inquiry for the trip and it will be deducted from your final total.
I accept credit card payment via Chase Pay, check, Zelle or Venmo.
The full trip payment is due 90 days before the stated trip arrival date. The cost is non-refundable which is why I highly recommend you book flexible airfare and insure your trip which you can do here.
This will help protect you from unforeseen circumstances that could cause you to change your travel plans.
Submit your contact information to start reserving your spot!
To start reserving your spot on this trip, submit the below contact form and I’ll be in touch to answer any questions you have.
As a reminder, spaces are limited and the only way to guarantee your spot is by submitting your deposit!
Exploring Banff National Park is something that should be on everyone’s bucket list to experience at least once in their lifetime.
The Guided Banff Vacation Package that I offer is the perfect way to do this without having to spend countless hours researching and planning your trip.
If you’d like to discuss the trip in greater detail, I’m also available to take calls to answer any questions you might have. Just mention that in the comments when you submit your form.
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The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
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