Road Trip Overview

Western Canada Road Trip

Based on inafarawayland.com  ·  = must-do  ·  ↗ click tags for info

BC Coast & Sea to Sky
BC Interior / Okanagan
Canadian Rockies
Return via Vancouver
Exit via Calgary

Map by inafarawayland.com — toggle layers top-left (route, hikes, photo spots, campsites). Covers Vancouver loop only.

Distance~3,000 km
Duration~21 days / 20 nights
Fly homeYVR → FRA (Vancouver)
Unique highlightsMt. Robson · Helmcken Falls · Joffre Lakes
Trade-offRepeats roads on return · misses Waterton & Badlands
DaysStayDrive inNightsThings to do
⬡  BC COAST & SEA TO SKY
Day 1–2🌙 2 nights
Whistler & Sea to Sky
British Columbia
From Vancouver
125 km
~2 hours
Hwy 99 North along Howe Sound
🌙 2
⬡  BC INTERIOR — OKANAGAN VALLEY
Day 3🌙 1 night
Vernon / Okanagan
British Columbia
From Whistler
~400 km
~5 hours
Hwy 99 NE via Pemberton & Lillooet
🌙 1
⬡  CANADIAN ROCKIES
Day 4🌙 1 night
Revelstoke
British Columbia
From Vernon
~230 km
~4 hours
Hwy 97N → Hwy 6 via Nakusp + 2 free ferries
🌙 1
Day 5–7🌙 3 nights
Lake Louise
Alberta — base for Yoho NP too
From Revelstoke
~260 km
~3 hours
Trans-Canada East through Rogers Pass
🌙 3
Day 8–9🌙 2 nights
Canmore
Alberta — Kananaskis gateway
From Lake Louise
~80 km
~1 hour
Trans-Canada East
🌙 2
Day 10–12🌙 3 nights
Banff
Alberta — Banff National Park
From Canmore
~25 km
~20 min
Trans-Canada West to Banff exit
🌙 3
Day 13–14🌙 1 night
Icefields Parkway
Alberta — overnight on the Pkwy
From Banff
~290 km
over 2 days
Do NOT rush — spread over 2 full days
🌙 1
Day 14–17🌙 4 nights
Jasper
Alberta — Jasper National Park
Continues from
Icefields
Pkwy
End of 2-day Icefields Pkwy drive
🌙 4
⬡  RETURN ROUTE — BACK TO VANCOUVER
Day 18🌙 1 night
Clearwater / Wells Gray
British Columbia
From Jasper
~350 km
~3.5 hours
Hwy 16 West via Mt. Robson, then Hwy 5 South
🌙 1
Day 19–20🌙 2 nights
Pemberton → Vancouver
British Columbia — same way back
From Clearwater
~350 km
~4–5 hours
Hwy 5 → Hwy 99 Sea to Sky back to Vancouver
🌙 2
★ Joffre Lakes Provincial Park Nairn Falls Sea to Sky — missed stops on way up Night 19: Pemberton or Whistler area Night 20: Vancouver — last night before flight YVR→FRA
⬡  EXIT ROUTE — ONWARDS TO CALGARY
Day 18🌙 1 night
Calgary
Alberta — transit night
From Jasper
~415 km
~4 hours
Icefields Pkwy South + Canmore + Trans-Canada
🌙 1
Calgary tourism overview Calgary Tower Glenbow Museum One long drive day — the only one of the trip
Day 19–20🌙 2 nights
Waterton Lakes NP
Alberta — southern Rockies
From Calgary
~264 km
~2.5 hours
Hwy 2 South via Fort Macleod, then west
🌙 2
Day 21–22🌙 2 nights
Calgary (YYC) ✈ FRA
Alberta — fly home from here
From Waterton
~264 km
~2.5 hours
Hwy 2 North back to Calgary
🌙 2
★ Royal Tyrrell Museum (Drumheller day trip) Horseshoe Canyon — Badlands Drumheller Hoodoos Calgary — last evening out Drumheller day trip: ~1.5h each way from Calgary ✈ YYC → FRA — Air Canada via Toronto
Duration21 days20 nights
Total Distance~3,000 kmfull loop
Overnight Stops9locations
StartVancouver (YVR)fly in
Fly HomeYVR → FRAVancouver to Frankfurt
Longest Drive~400 kmWhistler → Vernon (~5h)