Canadian Rockies & Northern Lights
Canadian Rockies & Northern Lights
Canadian Rockies & Northern Lights
11 Days Starting in Edmonton and ending in Calgary
Visiting: Edmonton, Métis Crossing, Smoky Lake, Jasper, Lake Louise, Banff, Banff National Park, Banff/Canmore, Calgary
Tour operator:
Tour code:
SWKW
Guide Type:
Fully Guided
Group size:
1 - 12
Age range:
15-30
Tour operated in:
EnglishTrip Styles:
Tour Overview
Experience the rugged mountains of Canada and go in search of the northern lights in the night skies of Alberta. Watch for moose, white-tailed deer and elk as you drive through the Canadian wilderness. Admire curtains of ice along a steel catwalk built into the rock walls of Johnston Canyon and be immersed in Indigenous Métis culture during a stay in Smoky Lake. Hear about traditional stories from local Métis guides and see a herd of bison (including the rare white bison!). Meet and greet a team of canines before ticking dogsledding off your bucket list – this is one of the many optional activities on offer – or just wrap your hands around a mug of hot chocolate and lose yourself in the beauty of the Rockies. Packed with eye-popping views of snow-capped mountain ranges and frozen wonderlands, this 11-day adventure is the ultimate great white north escape.
Highlights
Itinerary
Day 1: Edmonton
Location: Edmonton
Accommodation: Hotel
Welcome to beautiful Edmonton, Canada. Your adventure begins with a welcome meeting at 6 pm today. If you arrive early, perhaps visit the biggest mall in North America: West Edmonton Mall, or instead, learn about Canadian living history at Fort Edmonton Park, visit the nearby Ukrainian Cultural Village, and explore the small theatres and diners of the University District.
Day 2: Métis Crossing, Smoky Lake
Location: Métis Crossing, Smoky Lake
Accommodation: Hotel
Meals Included: breaksfast
This morning, visit the Telus World of Science in Edmonton where you can explore a variety of exhibits and experiences, including the new Indigenous Traditional Room. Then, drive North to Metis Crossing, located near the town of Smoky Lake. After dinner you will head out in search of a view of the spellbinding northern lights (clouds permitting). Enjoy a bonfire under the darkness of the night sky and cook some s’mores while you’re waiting.
Included Activities:
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Day 3: Métis Crossing, Smoky Lake
Location: Métis Crossing, Smoky Lake
Accommodation: Hotel
Meals Included: breaksfast
Get ready for a day of activities. Engage in a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to experience the beauty of heritage species with access to a wildlife park. After lunch, the group will participate in Tales from the Trapline: A Métis Traditional Experience. Build a shelter, walk the land and connect with nature. When there is snow on the ground, strap on traditional snowshoes. After dinner, head back out again to look for the unpredictable northern lights during your second dedicated night of sky gazing. Alberta takes great pride in its wide-open spaces, and Métis Crossing is recognized for being located in one of these expansive areas. The Northern Lights are often spotted in these regions, and the dark, wide, and unpolluted night skies make your aurora borealis viewing experience most optimal. As a designated Dark Skies Preserve, Metis Crossing is committed to protecting the beauty of our dark skies by minimizing light pollution in all its forms.
Included Activities:
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Day 4: Jasper
Location: Jasper
Accommodation: Hotel
Meals Included: breaksfast
Drive to Jasper National Park, arriving at your hotel in the late afternoon. Once settled in, go searching for wildlife such as moose, elk, deer, bears and coyotes. In the evening, perhaps take yourself out for dinner in Jasper, as there are a variety of restaurants to choose from. Ask your local leader for suggestions on where to go.
Included Activities:
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Day 5: Jasper
Location: Jasper
Accommodation: Hotel
Meals Included: breaksfast, lunch
Experience the caves, icicles and frozen waterfalls of Maligne Canyon on an ice walk in the morning. The canyon’s name refers to its ethereal beauty in winter, where waterfalls freeze over and icicles cascade like teeth in the mouths of the park’s many caves. A local guide will safely escort you through this maze of natural ice sculptures (tread-enhancing cleats will be provided) while you learn about Jasper’s karst topography and the mystery of disappearing Medicine Lake. Included today is lunch at Jasper Brewing Co: Canada’s first National Park Brewery. The rest of the afternoon is free. Try one of Jasper’s short walking trails, admiring the scenic mountain ranges that greet you in every direction.
Included Activities:
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Day 6: Lake Louise
Location: Lake Louise
Accommodation: Hotel
Meals Included: breaksfast
Prepare yourself for an unforgettable drive as you set out on the Icefields Parkway. The world-renowned roadway between Jasper and Banff stretches 232 kilometres (144 miles) through a landscape of jagged mountaintops and past 100 ancient glaciers. At its heart is the Columbia Icefield, the largest ice field in the Rocky Mountains. The massive Athabasca Glacier, measuring 6 kilometres (3.7 miles) long and 1 kilometre (.62 mile) wide flows within walking distance of the roadway, so take a hike to its toe (the current lowest endpoint of a glacier). Tonight, arrive at Lake Louise to relax and ready yourself for another active day tomorrow.
Included Activities:
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Day 7: Lake Louise
Location: Lake Louise
Accommodation: Hotel
Meals Included: breaksfast, lunch
Lake Louise is an iconic snapshot of Canada, and today you’ll experience one of its many beautiful moods. There are many options on how to spend the day, including an optional horse-drawn sleigh ride past the glacial lake. You’ll be able to take a snowshoe hike along one of the lake’s many trails, or perhaps pop on a pair of skates and practice some figure eights (or ice stumbles) while gliding across the surface of the lake. Included today is lunch at The Station Restaurant – a heritage railway station which serves hearty Canadian favourites. If you’re looking to continue to put your feet up, the Fairmont Chateau does a beautiful afternoon tea. For those lucky enough to be in Lake Louise during its annual Ice Magic Festival in January, be sure to take a look at the precision and delicate skill on display in the various ice sculptures by the lake.
Included Activities:
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Optional Activities:
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Day 8: Banff
Location: Banff
Accommodation: Hotel
Meals Included: breaksfast
Drive to nearby Banff, Canada’s most famous mountain resort town. While located inside a national park, Banff offers plenty of shops, restaurants and bars to distract you from the surrounding natural beauty. Gain a sense of Canadian Rockies culture at the Whyte Museum, where over 200 years of artwork tells the story of the rugged men and women who settled in Banff. Sub-zero temperatures turn Banff’s waterfalls into glittering ice sculptures, and today you will visit Johnston Canyon ice walk to see this all on display. Hike along steel catwalks built into the canyon walls and wander among massive pillars of ice. With all this adventuring, you must be hungry, and so it’s a perfect time for a Beavertail tasting experience. Beavertails are a deep-fried sweet dough made with whole wheat flour and pulled by hand to resemble the long flat tail of a beaver. Order a classic cinnamon and sugar or go a little bit wild with some whipped cream and decadent Nutella – you’ll be licking your lips for hours!
Included Activities:
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Day 9: Banff National Park
Location: Banff National Park
Accommodation: Hotel
Meals Included: breaksfast
Enjoy a free morning in Banff before an included snowshoe hike with your group at Sunshine Village Ski Resort, about 20 minutes out of town. To start, head above the tree line, and then put on your snowshoes and trek across the white powder with a professional guide. Your backcountry hike will be made extra sweet with a stop for hot cocoa and cookies on top of the (Sunshine Village) world.
Included Activities:
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Optional Activities:
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Day 10: Banff/Canmore
Location: Banff/Canmore
Accommodation: Hotel
Meals Included: breaksfast
In the morning, take a short drive to Canmore, which is within the Kananaskis Country park system, and embark on an included ice walk at the Grotto Canyon, using special hiking crampons to grip the smooth frozen creek beds. Alternatively, you could book yourself a dogsledding adventure with a trusted provider, where you’ll meet and greet the dogs on your team before being pulled along the frosty trails by these canines. Return to Banff for the night – a group dinner in town may be on the cards.
Included Activities:
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Optional Activities:
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Day 11: Calgary
Location: Calgary
Meals Included: breaksfast
Enjoy breakfast at the lodge before a drive to Calgary. Your trip will end at Calgary International Airport, the arrival time depends on each group however If you decide to fly out this day, please don't book a flight before 3pm. Drop off in Calgary city can be arranged, please discuss this with your Trip Leader. There are no activities and accommodation planned for the day. If you have the rest of the day here, why not visit the giant pandas at the Calgary Zoo, check out the urban neighbourhood of East Village, or walk across Peace Bridge and explore Prince Island’s Park on the Bow River.
What's Included
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Accommodation
Hotel (10 nights) -
Slave Lake - Bonfire and Smore's
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Edmonton - Telus Science Centre
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Slave Lake - Snowshoeing
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Boreal Centre For Bird Conservation - Wilderness Survival Course
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Jasper National Park - Entrance Fee
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Jasper - Maligne Canyon Icewalk
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Jasper - Lunch at a National Park Brewery
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Icefields Parkway - Hike to toe of Athabasca Glacier
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Lake Louise - Snowshoeing
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Lake Louise - All Canadian Lunch
What's Not Included
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Tipping and Gratuities
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International Travel
Transport
- AIRPORT TRANSFERS IN THE USA & CANADA
- We recommend taxis and rideshare services like Lyft and Uber when traveling to and from hotels in the USA and Canada. These services are widely available across North America, offering convenient and accessible transportation options. Private transfers in North America incur high costs and present an increased risk of missed connections due to their fixed schedules. In contrast, taxis and rideshares offer both cost-effectiveness and flexibility, ensuring a smoother journey. With transparent pricing, GPS tracking, and on-demand availability, we believe that taxis and rideshare apps not only offer a reliable alternative to private transfers but also provide a secure, trustworthy, and budget-friendly transportation option for our customers.
- NORTH AMERICA VEHICLES
- Our large fleet of 15-passenger vans are fully equipped with air-conditioning system, V8 engines and any camping or cooking equipment needed for your trip. Most have cloth-upholstered seats and carpeted interior with radio or CD players. Your luggage is typically transported in a trailer which is towed behind the van.
- The vans are regularly serviced by a well-established network of maintenance and service facilities throughout the continent. However, unforeseen maintenance problems can still occur while on the road and we appreciate the patience of our travellers as we make necessary repairs as quickly as possible.
- While your group will have a van for all included activities on the trip, the services of the van and leader may not be available for your use during free time, or after you have arrived for the day. If you need a special trip into town you may need to arrange transport or a taxi.
Accommodation
- The style of accommodation indicated in the day-to-day itinerary is a guideline only and may change. On some occasions, alternative arrangements may need to be made due to the lack of availability of rooms in our preferred accommodation. In these cases, we will use a similar standard of accommodation.
- Throughout the trip, we request that our properties prepare rooms in time for our arrival, especially if we're arriving prior to normal check-in time. However, this isn't always possible which means we won't be able to check-in immediately on arrival at some hotels. Instead, we can store our luggage and explore our new destination or on some trips, have use of shared day rooms until all rooms are available.
Included Activities
- Complimentary Airport Arrival Transfer
- Edmonton - Royal Alberta Museum
- Peace River - Bonfire and Smore's
- Peace River - Snowshoeing
- Jasper National Park - Entrance Fee
- Jasper - Maligne Canyon Icewalk
- Jasper - Lunch at a National Park Brewery
- Icefields Parkway - Hike to toe of Athabasca Glacier
- Lake Louise - Snowshoeing
- Lake Louise - All Canadian Lunch
- Banff National Park
- Banff - Johnston Canyon Icewalk
- Banff - Guided snowshoe hike on Top of the World
- Canmore - Grotto Canyon Guided Icewalk
Important Information
- 1. Your adventure begins with a welcome meeting at 6pm on Day 1 in Edmonton. And final day the arrival time depends on each group however If you decide to fly out this day, please don't book a flight before 3pm.
- 2. Seeing the Northern Lights is of course dependent on weather and geomagnetic activity, clear sky and dark nights. Warm clothing is a must.
- 3. A single supplement is available if you’d prefer not to share a room on this trip. The single supplement applies to all nights of your trip and is subject to availability. Please speak to your booking agent for further information.
- 4. Please note that the legal drinking age in the US is 21 and in some parts of Canada it's 19.
Mode of Transport
- FLEET
- Our large fleet of vans are fully equipped with dual air-conditioning system, V8 engines and any camping or cooking equipment needed for your trip. Most have cloth-upholstered seats and carpeted interior with radio/tape or CD players. Your baggage is transported in a trailer which is towed behind the van.
- The vans are regularly serviced in our own maintenance facility and continuously checked and serviced by a well established network of maintenance and service facilities throughout the continent. However, unforeseen maintenance problems can still occur while on the road and we appreciate the patience of our travellers as we make necessary repairs as quickly as possible.
- DRIVING TIMES
- All driving times mentioned in our itinerary are intended as a guide only and represent an estimated driving time - not including lunch stops, fuel stops, photo stops, traffic congestion, adverse weather conditions or any last minute alterations to the itinerary for any unforeseen circumstances. Please note that there are some long driving days on this tour - we'll have some starts as early as 7am and late arrivals at our final destination, sometimes after dark). As always, your group leader will make stops for viewpoints, short walks and lunch
est breaks to help break up the journey. - We recommend you are fully prepared for these long travel days by reviewing our notes and indicated drive times. Some travellers prefer to bring pillows on board for added comfort, others prefer reading material or games and puzzles. The reality is that to get from one fabulous location to another, the distances are great and we like to think at least some of the adventure is in the journey - not just the destination. You'll be on board with up to 12 other passengers plus your group leader so patience and cooperation goes a long way in making this journey a comfortable one.
- SEAT BELT POLICY
- Safety is our priority and therefore our travellers are asked to sign a document on Day 1 of the itinerary indicating your understanding of our seat belt policy.
Check out our Q&As
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Is this trip right for you
While Jasper faced significant wildfires in 2024 that impacted much of the town, we want to reassure you that the hotel we’ll be staying in, along with the activities planned for our itinerary, are open and ready to welcome visitors. Your visit is not only an opportunity to enjoy the stunning landscapes and outdoor adventures but also a chance to directly support the many local businesses that rely on tourism to recover and thrive.
Less time spent in a vehicle; more time to explore each destination. This trip has been carefully designed to give you the best experience of a region by reducing the number of one-night-only stops, giving you extra time in the places that matter.
The diversity of the seasons here makes for incredible scenery, but the weather in this region can be unpredictable. It’s best to wear layers at all times of the year in case conditions change during the day. At night the temperature can really drop, so bring your warm clothes. The weather may also mean that some events are cancelled or scheduled activities become unsafe. We will attempt to rearrange the itinerary or schedule replacement activities if this is the case.
Please be aware that this itinerary does not allow time for skiing and snowboarding, and due to the safety risks inherent in these activities, we are unable to offer them as optional activities. If you wish to ski or snowboard while in Canada we suggest you arrive early in Whistler or stay in Banff after the trip. If you wish to ski or snowboard during free time during the trip, that's up to you, but please note that our leaders are unable to help you book these activities as per Intrepid's safety policy. -
What policies are in place for Covid-19?
Please contact us for latest COVID-19 policies
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How long has the tour company been trading?
Intrepid Travel has been taking travellers around the world for over 30 years
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Will the accommodation included meet local health and safety regulations?
Yes
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What Ethical Travel credentials does the tour company have?
Since 2002, The Intrepid Foundation has supported over 130 organisations across the world. We’re creating positive impact through the joy of travel, community and connection.
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Do you operate a “single share” option and how does it work?
Over 50% of traveller travel solo with Intrepid. You can choose to share a room with another solo travelle of the same sex for no additional charge, or choose to pay a single supplement if you’d like your own room. Please request this when booking, and we will secure you a single supplement wherever possible. Please note, if you are booking a last-minute trip, it may be harder for us to secure a single room
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Free Date Changes
Intrepid Travel allows you to make 10 free date changes, as long as the change is made at least 56 days before the start of the tour.
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Transfer as credit to Future Tours
Intrepid Travel allows you to transfer existing payments to a future tour to avoid cancellation fees if you can't travel and inform intrepid travel, 56 days before departure.
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Low Deposit
Intrepid Travel requires a minimum deposit of 400 USD per person or the full booking value, whichever is less, with the final balance not due until 56 days before departure.
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Cancellation Policy
We don't charge a cancellation fee, here is a summary of intrepid travel charges.
Up to 56 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of deposit.
At 55 days before tour starts: Forfeit 30% of booking price.
At 30 days before tour starts: Forfeit 60% of booking price.
At 14 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of booking price.
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Terms and Conditions