Alberta Dinosaurs, Lakes & Glaciers Self-Drive (Tour code: 12023)

Leave the Stampede City of Calgary and travel west toward the rising peaks of the Canadian Rockies. As the prairie landscape gives way to foothills and mountain views, continue into Banff National Park and the resort town of Banff, one of Canada’s most iconic alpine destinations. Surrounded by dramatic peaks, forested valleys and glacier-fed rivers, Banff offers a spectacular introduction to the natural beauty and wildlife of the Rockies.

Overnight in Banff at the Moose Hotel & Suites

Today, you can personalise your day in Banff by choosing one of the five Freedom of Choice excursions below.

Overnight in Banff at the Moose Hotel & Suites

Freedom of Choice Options

• Banff Gondola:

  Ride the Banff Gondola to the summit of Sulphur Mountain for sweeping views over Banff, the Bow Valley and the surrounding peaks of Banff National Park. At the top, enjoy viewing platforms, interpretive exhibits and time to take in one of the most impressive panoramas in the Canadian Rockies.

OR

• Lake Minnewanka Cruise:

  Cruise across the turquoise waters of Lake Minnewanka, surrounded by mountain peaks, forested shoreline and open alpine scenery. As you travel toward Devil’s Gap, enjoy a relaxed and scenic perspective of one of Banff National Park’s most beautiful glacier-fed lakes.

OR

• River Explorer Canoe Tour:

  Enjoy a gentle guided canoe tour along the Bow River, where calm waters, mountain views and riverside scenery create a peaceful way to experience Banff National Park. This fun and interactive excursion is ideal for families, with no paddling experience necessary.

OR

• Bow River Horseback Adventure:

  Saddle up for a guided horseback ride through the celebrated landscapes of Banff National Park. Follow scenic riverside trails, take in mountain views and experience the Rockies in a classic western style.

OR

• Banff Townsite E-Bike Tour:

  Explore Banff on a relaxed guided e-bike ride to some of the town’s most scenic highlights, including Bow Falls, Surprise Corner, downtown Banff and the Cave and Basin National Historic Site. Enjoy mountain views, local history and an easy-paced ride suitable for beginners and families.

Depart Banff for Lake Louise, travelling through the heart of Banff National Park as forested valleys, rugged peaks and classic Canadian Rockies scenery unfold along the way. In summer, travellers may enjoy either the Bow Valley Parkway, known for its quieter pace and wildlife viewing opportunities, or the Trans-Canada Highway, which offers a faster route with sweeping mountain vistas. Along the way, Johnston Canyon is a popular highlight, where a paved trail follows the canyon walls to rushing waterfalls, turquoise pools and dramatic limestone scenery. Continue to Lake Louise, surrounded by glacier-fed waters, soaring peaks and iconic alpine beauty.

Overnight in Lake Louise at The Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise

Travel north along the Icefields Parkway, one of the most spectacular mountain drives in the world. This unforgettable route follows the spine of the Canadian Rockies, passing glacier-fed lakes, sweeping valleys, waterfalls and towering peaks. At the Columbia Icefield, step aboard the Ice Explorer for a journey onto ancient glacier ice, then continue to the Glacier Skywalk, where a glass-floored platform extends high above the Sunwapta Valley. These included experiences offer a powerful perspective on the scale, beauty and geology of this treasured region before you continue to Jasper.

Overnight in Jasper at the Forest Park Hotel

Time to explore all that Jasper has to offer! Today you can personalise your day by pre-selecting one of the three Freedom of Choice excursions below.

Overnight stay in Jasper at the Forest Park Hotel

Freedom of Choice Options

• Maligne Lake Cruise:

  Cruise across Maligne Lake, one of Jasper National Park’s most photographed settings. Surrounded by mountain peaks, forested shoreline and brilliant alpine water, the journey includes views toward Spirit Island, one of the Canadian Rockies’ most iconic natural landmarks. Operating season is weather dependent.

OR

• Jasper River Float:

  Enjoy a gentle rafting experience on the Athabasca River, offering a relaxed and scenic perspective of Jasper National Park. Drift through a wide mountain valley with views of forests, peaks and wildlife habitat while your guide shares stories of the area’s natural and human history.

OR

• Jasper Nature Walk:

  Explore Jasper National Park on a guided nature walk through a landscape of rolling hills, jagged peaks, forests, meadows, marshes, streams and glacial lakes. Along the way, learn more about the plants, wildlife and mountain ecology that make this region so remarkable.

Leave Jasper with the mountain air still fresh around you as the dramatic peaks of the Canadian Rockies begin to soften into rolling foothills, forested valleys and open Alberta sky. Just beyond town, Miette Hot Springs offers a relaxing mountain stop, where naturally heated outdoor pools sit surrounded by quiet wilderness and rocky alpine scenery. As the journey continues east, the landscape opens wider with every mile, shifting from rugged mountain country to big-sky prairie views, river valleys and long, golden horizons. Near Edmonton, the North Saskatchewan River Valley brings a final scenic approach, with green parkland and sweeping river views leading into Alberta’s capital city.

Overnight in Edmonton at the Sandman Signature Downtown Hotel

Spend the day exploring Edmonton at your own pace. Visit West Edmonton Mall, an expansive entertainment and shopping destination with hundreds of stores, an indoor water park, amusement park, skating rink and mini golf. For a more natural escape, Elk Island National Park is less than an hour from the city and offers peaceful hiking trails, open skies and excellent wildlife viewing opportunities, including the chance to see bison roaming across protected prairie and parkland landscapes.

Overnight in Edmonton at the Sandman Signature Downtown Hotel

Depart Edmonton and travel south toward the otherworldly landscapes of Alberta’s Canadian Badlands. As you approach Drumheller, the open prairie gives way to carved sandstone cliffs, layered rock formations and striking hoodoos shaped by wind and water over millions of years. This remarkable region is one of the world’s most important dinosaur fossil areas, attracting paleontologists and curious travellers alike. Visit the Royal Tyrrell Museum, where an impressive collection of fossils, skeletons and interactive exhibits brings Alberta’s prehistoric past vividly to life. (Admission included)

Overnight in Drumheller at the Canalta Jurassic Hotel

From Drumheller, travel south to Dinosaur Provincial Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site set within the rugged beauty of the Canadian Badlands. Here, striped hills, dry coulees and sculpted rock formations create a dramatic desert-like landscape unlike anywhere else in Alberta. Explore interpretive displays that reveal what a real fossil dig site looks like, including dinosaur bones still partially encased in the sediment that preserved them. Continue onward to Cypress Hills Provincial Park, a hidden gem of southern Alberta known for forested highlands, open viewpoints and a refreshing contrast to the surrounding prairie.

Overnight in Drumheller at the Canalta Jurassic Hotel

Leave Drumheller and travel west across Alberta’s open prairie landscapes toward Calgary. As the badlands gradually give way to rolling farmland, wide skies and distant foothills, enjoy one final change in scenery before arriving in the Stampede City. Your journey ends in Calgary after travelling from the alpine wilderness of the Canadian Rockies through Edmonton, prairie parkland and the fossil-rich landscapes of Alberta’s Canadian Badlands.