Have your camera ready for an amazing journey today! We’ll travel the breath-taking Sea to Sky Highway, past mountain peaks, glaciers, and stunning lakes, stopping off at two waterfalls, Shannon Falls and Brandywine Falls. Upon our arrival in Whistler, we’ll take a guided tour of the Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre including a forest walk with a Cultural Ambassador, to learn about the Indigenous cultures of the Whistler Valley. We bet you’ll be hungry after this jam-packed day, so we’ll be dining together this evening. After that, check out Whistler’s nightlife scene or give axe throwing a go! (And yes, Canada hosts a World Axe Throwing League.)

Activity Inclusions: Guided tour of Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre

Meal Inclusions: Dinner

Moose Accommodation: HI Whistler

Ziplining, bungee jumping, mountain biking and hiking; these are just some of the things you could be doing today! We don’t leave until the afternoon, giving you plenty of time to explore Whistler village or the mountains. Alternatively, find a quiet spot in one of the beautiful parks and take in some raw unadulterated nature, before we head back to Vancouver, stopping en route for another photo opportunity!

Moose Accommodation: HI Vancouver – Downtown

The desert is calling! Today we’re going east through the Fraser Valley, where we’ll take a short walk through a West Coast rainforest to Bridal Veil Falls. Then, we’ll traverse the Coastal Mountains, stopping at Lightning Lake in Manning Park at lunchtime. The semi-arid desert grasslands of the Okanagan are next on our itinerary, where we’ll go paddle boarding on the beautiful Skaha Lake. We’ll be replenishing ourselves with a special dinner at Kekuli Café in Westbank, where you’ll get to try Indigenous cuisine, before settling in for the night on Lake Okanagan in Kelowna.

Activity Inclusions: Paddle boarding on Skaha Lake

Meal inclusions: Indigenous cuisine dinner

Moose Accommodation: Samesun Kelowna

Being a little greedy with mountain ranges today, crossing not one, not two – but three of them, as we travel through four National Parks towards Banff!  We’ll stop in Revelstoke where you can go lake kayaking or simply enjoy the beautiful mountain scenery.  Finally we’ll enter the Rocky Mountains and cross over the Kicking Horse Pass into Alberta and Banff National Park, spending the night in the historic town of Banff itself, right in the heart of the mountains.

Note: during May and from mid-September onwards, we will cross over the Vermillion Pass to enter Alberta and Banff National Park.

Meal Inclusions: Breakfast at Samesun Kelowna

Moose Accommodation: HI Banff

It’s time to visit those famous blue lakes! Lake Louise is calling, as is Moraine Lake (seasonal) before heading onto the Icefields Parkway for breath-taking views of jagged mountain peaks, glaciers, raging rivers and more turquoise lakes. Keep your eyes peeled for large furry animals as we make stops at the Crowfoot Glacier, Peyto Lake (our favourite) and Mistaya Canyon before arriving at our rustic wilderness hostel alongside Rampart Creek. We invite you to really take in your surroundings with a dip and a sauna, and perhaps a campfire under the stars.

Moose Accommodation: HI Rampart Creek. Please note: there are no alternative accommodation options at this location, but we know you’ll love having a true taste of Canada at Rampart Creek’s rustic wilderness hostel.

Jasper National Park today! But first we’ll stop at Big Bend lookout for a great view of the U-shaped North Saskatchewan River Valley. Get your legs ready because next up is the Columbia Icefield, the largest ice field in the Rocky Mountains at 325 square kilometres, where we’ll hike to the toe of the Athabasca Glacier (conditions permitting.) Then on to Maligne Canyon, the deepest canyon in Jasper National Park, for a hike that crosses several bridges over the canyon with jaw-dropping views. Jasper townsite is our destination, and if you’re seeking an adrenaline rush, there is an option to take a guided mountain bike tour on arrival.

Moose Accommodation: HI Jasper

Our first stop: Athabasca Falls, one of the most powerful and picturesque in the Rockies! This is followed by a bit of mountain goat spotting (we’re still amazed at how they hold on) at the Goats and Glaciers viewpoint. Then on to Waterfowl Lakes to soak in the backdrop of Mount Chephren, which was named after the 4th Dynasty Egyptian Pharaoh. After this, we’ll return to Banff for a group dinner, and once our bellies are full, the night is yours! See what Banff nightlife has to offer or take a relaxing dip in the Banff Upper Hot Springs. Who doesn’t love a giant bathtub?

Meal Inclusions: Dinner

Moose Accommodation: HI Banff

Today is yours to do as you please! And where better to have a free day than in the heart of the Rocky Mountains! Go hiking, enjoy the sites of Banff or for an optional extra cost, go whitewater rafting, canoeing or mountain biking. Enjoy!

Meal Inclusions: Breakfast

Moose Accommodation: HI Banff

Sadly, we leave the Rockies today, but we’ll go out with a bang, stopping at some of the most breathtaking scenic points in Western Canada.  We will visit the Takakkaw Falls (seasonal), the pristine Emerald Lake and the Natural Bridge, as well as stopping for a photo at the stunning Kalamalka Lake viewpoint once we reach the Okanagan Valley.  Here you will find beautiful sandy beaches on crystal clear lakes and plenty of sun-filled activities! Night time it’s downtown Kelowna for a plethora of bars and nightclubs in this university city!

Note: during May and from mid-September onwards, we will visit Kootenay National Park instead of seeing Takakkaw Falls, Emerald Lake and the Natural Bridge.

Meal Inclusions: Breakfast

Moose Accommodation: Samesun Kelowna

On our final day, we’ll climb over a high mountain pass, travel along the Nicola Valley and enter the Fraser Canyon. Our main destination of the day is Tuckkwiowhum Village, an Indigenous heritage site, where we’ll enjoy a guided tour and interact with a Traditional Knowledge Keeper. We’ll then continue down the canyon to Hope, where we’ll explore the Othello Tunnels on a magical walk across bridges and through old train tunnels that cut through solid granite walls! The finale is near – we’ll finish in Vancouver where it’s all hugs and Insta handle swapping as you say goodbye to your Moose mates and head home – but armed with a whole bunch of amazing adventures to talk about!

Activity Inclusions: Guided tour of Tuckkwiowhum Village

Meal Inclusions: Breakfast at Samesun Kelowna

Moose Accommodation: There is no accommodation included tonight. You will need to make your own arrangements. We recommend that you do not book onward travel on this day in case of traffic or weather delays.

The Big West tour offers adrenaline seekers every adventure activity you could imagine: bungee jumping, zip-lining, mountain biking, whitewater rafting and more. There are dozens of options to maximize your tour experience in Western Canada – you choose how extreme you want to go.

Optional activities are booked and paid through your Moose tour guide while on the tour. No need to pre-book! The following optional activities are available on this tour:

On the accommodated tour option, accommodation is included for all nights of the tour, in mixed gender, hostel dormitory rooms. Please note that you can request female only dorm rooms, and this is usually possible to accommodate, but we cannot guarantee it.

Most travellers book the accommodated tour option because it provides the best value for your money since we receive discounts from our accommodation providers that aren’t available to the general public. We choose hostels for their budget value, as well as offering great facilities and a warm, friendly atmosphere. By staying in shared dorm rooms you get a chance to meet more people, hang out with other tour guests, and keep the price as low as possible.

Not Interested in Staying in Shared Hostel Dorm Accommodation?

If you’d prefer to book your own accommodation, to stay in private rooms or in alternative properties, check out the non-accommodated version of this tour by clicking here.

The Big West is a combination of our Sea to Sky and Caribou tours. Some of your fellow travellers will have already explored Vancouver Island together on one of our longer combination tours. There will also be travellers joining and leaving your tour in Vancouver and Banff at various times.

All tour finish times are approximate. We strongly recommend that you DO NOT book onward travel on the final day of the tour, since traffic or other unexpected circumstances may cause delays.

Please note that our itineraries can change and/or activities can be cancelled without notice as a result of circumstances beyond our control, such as weather, traffic and unforeseen events. If this does occur, there may be alternatives available, or you may get to enjoy more free time to explore on your own!

Some sites on this tour are only available seasonally. Moraine Lake is only accessible from late May until mid-October. The road to Takakkaw Falls is open from mid-June until mid-October. If you want to visit these sites, please choose a departure within the appropriate date range.

If you’re flexible about when you can travel, consider the pros and cons of our travel seasons. In Low Season, you’ll get the BEST VALUE on our tours, there’s less traffic, and far fewer people at the most popular sites. The trade off is that the weather is typically more variable, cooler and wetter. Plus, a few sites may be closed, and the glacial lakes may still be frozen in the spring, although that’s also beautiful! In Peak Season, everything is open, the weather is more consistent, warmer and generally drier, and the glacial lakes are in their full glory. However, our tours cost more, traffic is busier, and the most popular locations on our itineraries can be very busy.

We take your safety, and the safety of our staff and partners very seriously. Click here for more information.