Calgary to Vancouver road trip
≈ 1050 km driving in total · ~12 h · ideal in 9 days · 6 stops
The Canadian Rockies stacked end to end: Banff's turquoise lakes, the Icefields Parkway's glaciers close enough to touch, and a long descent through the Interior to the Pacific.
Photo: Unsplash
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The route at a glance
- Calgary — 1 night
- Banff — 2 nights
- Lake Louise — 1 night
- Revelstoke — 1 night
- Kamloops — 1 night
- Vancouver — 2 nights
The stops
- 1
Calgary
Land, grab bear spray and groceries, and drive an hour into the wall of the Rockies.
- 2
Banff
Gondola up Sulphur Mountain, soak at the Upper Hot Springs, canoe the Bow — the townsite earns its fame.
- 3
Lake Louise
The lake at sunrise before the crowds, tea-house hikes above it, and the Moraine Lake shuttle for the Valley of the Ten Peaks.
- 4
Revelstoke
Through Yoho and Rogers Pass to a genuine mountain town — the Meadows in the Sky parkway spirals to an alpine summit.
- 5
Kamloops
Desert-dry hills and sagebrush — a one-night breather that makes the coast's rainforest arrival land harder.
- 6
Vancouver
Stanley Park's seawall, Granville Island market, and mountains still filling the windshield — city as trip finale.
Good to know
Parks Canada passes are per-day per-vehicle; the annual Discovery Pass pays off past a week. Moraine Lake is shuttle/bus-only now — book Parks Canada shuttles well ahead; Lake Louise parking fills before dawn in summer. The Icefields Parkway detour north (Peyto Lake, Athabasca Glacier) is the best road in Canada — add a night in Jasper if you can. Watch for wildlife at dawn and dusk; those bear-jam traffic stops are real.
Calgary to Vancouver road trip — FAQ
- How long does the Calgary to Vancouver road trip take?
- 9 days is comfortable — about 12 hours behind the wheel across 6 stops, ≈ 1050 km of driving in total.
- How far is Vancouver from Calgary?
- This itinerary covers ≈ 1050 km (652 miles) of driving in total, via Banff, Lake Louise, Revelstoke and more.
- What are the best stops between Calgary and Vancouver?
- Banff, Lake Louise, Revelstoke, Kamloops — each one is on the route below. Open the trip on the map to add, drop or reorder them.
- Where should you stay on the Calgary to Vancouver road trip?
- The itinerary sleeps in Calgary, Banff, Lake Louise, Revelstoke, Kamloops, Vancouver. Open it on the map to see places to stay along the route and what the nights will cost.
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