Review and Travel Tips: Best of the Canadian Rockies Small Group
Best of the Canadian Rockies - Small Group
June 15 – 23, 2023
Neither my wife nor I had visited the Canadian Rockies. We chose mid-June hoping for mild temperatures and uncrowded sites. We packed layers for warm to cold weather and used them all. Our tour guide was Nicola (Nic) and our coach driver was Phil.
Nic sent an email a few days prior to the trip with the schedule for the first two days. We used the “gift of time” and arrived a day early in Calgary.
Day One – Arrived Calgary at the same time as five other international flights and made our way to immigration. We were directed to a machine that scanned our passports, took our pictures, asked a few questions and then printed out a form. Handed the form to an immigration officer and proceeded to baggage claim. There are free carts so after putting the bags on them, exit the hall. You’ll find a group of people holding signs. One of them will have your name. He/she will take you to your car for the 15 minute ride to the Westin Hotel. The hotel is fine for one night….with a well-staffed and very comfortable Starbucks off the lobby. It is in the downtown area, a short walk from Chinatown. We opted for the Silver Dragon and had an excellent meal. Walked back to the hotel to find a Tauck info sheet under the door which outlined the coming day.
Day Two – Awoke to blue skies. Met Nicola and Phi at the appointed mid-day hour and drove in the motorcoach to the airport to meet new arrivals. There was an arrival mishap but Nicola quickly turned that lemon into lemonade. We drove 40 minutes to Kananaskis Lodge (part of the Marriott Autograph collection). It is a large and lovely family resort in the foothills of the Rockies. Don’t skip the village walk, a path circling the resort. It offers great views of the surrounding mountains. 
The evening “welcome dinner” is at the family-owned and run Boundary Ranch. It is an ice breaker event. You start with snacks and line dancing lessons and then proceed to dinner. The wine flows freely and soon everyone is having a good time.
Day Three – After a great breakfast at Kananaskis, we’re on the road north with a stop at the Post Hotel dining room for a fantastic lunch. The best chicken I’ve ever had. Then on to Moraine Lake. It was crowed with day trippers. The climb to the top of the rock pile was tough and again, crowded. The view was worth the effort in my opinion. My wife opted not to take the climb and took some beautiful photos from the lower level. On to the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise where each of the Tauck rooms has a beautiful view of the lake. The downside is the constant noise from a major exterior renovation of the hotel’s spa…and hoards of day trippers.
Day Four – The morning wildlife hike was scrubbed due to rain and light snow. Nicola’s “lemonade” machine went into high gear and Joel the naturalist guide combined an interior tour of the hotel with a seminar on local nature and wildlife. He was outstanding: informative and funny. After lunch we opted for the hot pool and dry sauna. A restful day.
Day Five – Left for Jasper in rain that soon became heavy snow. We were near the summit of the Icefields Parkway when traffic came to a halt with inexperienced drivers paralyzed by the sight of snow. We sat for roughly 90 minutes and passed the time with games, snacks, and Sortilage (a delicious Canadian whiskey blended with maple syrup). A couple of big horn sheep walked by our vehicles so we could all take photos.
Don’t know how Tauck arranges these moments. Finally, on to a roadhouse for a lunch that was mediocre at best. Drove to our hotel in Jasper, the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge. Great location and views.
Day Six – Took a tram ride to the top of a mountain overlooking Jasper and the surrounding area. It was cloudy but our view was unobstructed. Down the mountain and lunch in the charming town of Jasper at the delightful restaurant Harvest...where the hot chocolate comes with artistry.
Back to the hotel and into the hot tub, followed by a delicious dinner in the hotel dining venue Orso Trattoria.
Day Seven – Drove back over the Icefields Parkway, stopping at sites we had missed the previous day due to the snow (Tangle Falls, Athabasca Falls). Arrived at Athabasca Glacier. There is a good view of the glacier from the visitor center. Board buses that take you across the road to the Ice Explorer. Then a hair raising ride to the edge of the glacier where you can walk around in designated areas for about 15 minutes. You do not need crampons as the walking area is prepped daily. You are restricted to this area so you really don’t walk on the glacier. Back on the Explorer and reverse your trip. I don’t think it was worth the effort. The picture from the visitor center overlook was as good as you could do. On to a great hotel, the Fairmont Banff Springs. Fantastic view of the mountains from our room.
Day Eight – Helicopter ride lasted 25 minutes. Sky was a clear blue and the high altitude views were terrific.
Ate lunch in downtown Banff at Block Kitchen + Bar. There are lots of good places to get a bite. Walked around town. The hotel provides a bus pass so you can return to the hotel whenever you’d like. The farewell dinner was in a private room. A live music recital took place before our meal. The dinner was very good. By now our group of 26 seemed like distant relatives that you were seeing after a long period. It was a wonderful time.
Day Nine – A 75 minute drive to the airport, goodbyes said and off to departure gates. We thought of Nicola. Her day would be back to the Westin, meet the next group, back to the airport, meet the incoming, off to the lodge, then line dancing. Don’t know how she keeps it all straight but she does. Fantastic tour director and amazing trip.
Comments
Nice to see your post as we just came home from the BCR small-group trip immediately after you, June 23-30, with Nicola as TD and a different coach driver, Cameron. I would echo your comments for a tour that is aptly named. Terrific hit-the-highlights trip, and we had the advantage of glorious weather for the entire week. I’m a bit envious of the snow you experienced except that we were able to fully enjoy all planned outdoor activities along with vista-viewing stops in both directions on the Icefields Parkway. Concur that Nic is on top of her game and appreciated the printed, emailed, and texted communication from her that kept us all in the know and on time. Also learned the value of her making advanced dinner reservations when I heard folks with another tour group grousing about not being able to get in to dinner until well after 9pm.
The impact of day-trippers at Lake Louise was unexpected, but then again, the lake is a public park, and unfortunately, the hotel property covers most of the prime access points and hotel dining and services are available to paying day guests. Free time at Lake Louise was not as enjoyable as it was at Jasper and Banff.
I’d call the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge an upscale “summer camp,” and a welcome change after Lake Louise. Accommodations for our group varied, some with a/c and some without. We were quite comfortable in our cabin without air-conditioning, not sure if I would say the same on a hot August night. Many took advantage of the heated pool and several even swam in the crystal-clear lake. Do bring a bathing suit if there’s even a thought of river rafting and follow Nic’s advice of hotel robe over your swimsuit since you don the provided wetsuit while on the raft company “school bus.” We rafted on a section with Class 1/Class 2 rapids - appropriate for novices with enough float time to enjoy the views.
It helped me overcome my fear of flying in a helicopter to learn the flight-seeing company also handles mountain emergency rescue, heli-skiing drops, etc. Amazing way to fully appreciate how vast the Canadian Rockies are.
Fairmont Banff gets my vote for best hotel room and best walkable town, Fairmont Jasper for best meals and outdoor activities, and everywhere for amazing views!