Cornelius Amann
October 06, 2026
5/5
Okanagan Wine Country and the Canadian Rockies: Vancouver to Banff
8 days by road from Vancouver to Calgary: two days in Okanagan wine country, Revelstoke and Rogers Pass, Yoho's Emerald Lake and Takakkaw Falls, Lake Louise and Banff.
8 days · Vancouver to Calgary · up to 12 guests
Chancellor Peak above the Kicking Horse River in Yoho National Park Photo: Marek Ślusarczyk (Tupungato) Photo gallery, CC BY 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Yoho_National_Park_of_Canada.jpg)
The facts
At a glance
- Length
- 8 days, 7 nights
- Start and end
- Vancouver to Calgary
- Group size
- 7 to 12 guests
- Longest drive
- 4 h on day 2No drive day is longer than 4 hours.
- Activity level
Moderate
Mostly easy walks of 1 to 2 hours on good paths, boardwalks and lakeshore trails, at up to about 1,900 m. Each walking day has a harder option: the summit trails at Mount Revelstoke (Eva Lake path about 12 km return for the keen), the full Emerald Lake loop (about 5 km), the climb to the Lake Agnes Teahouse (about 7 km return and 400 m of climbing) and the Grassi Lakes upper trail (about 4 km return with steps). Any walk can be swapped for the easy option or sat out. Every day has under 4 hours of driving, and there is one very early start for Moraine Lake.
- Meals included
- 7 breakfasts, 3 lunches, 1 dinner
- Room of your own
- + CAD 815 (estimated price)
- Season
- Mid-June to early October
Highlights
Why this trip
- A sit-down lunch at a winery estate on the Westside Wine Trail, the afternoon you arrive in the Okanagan
- A morning on Okanagan Lake with a local skipper, then lunch and tastings on Kelowna's Lakeshore Wine Route
- The Meadows in the Sky Parkway up Mount Revelstoke, to the summit meadows once the snow has gone (usually from late July)
- The Giant Cedars, Rogers Pass and the railway history of Glacier National Park
- Emerald Lake and Takakkaw Falls in Yoho, two days running
- Moraine Lake at first light on the Parks Canada sunrise shuttle, then Lake Louise
- The Banff Gondola, the hot springs and a farewell dinner in Banff
What makes this trip different
Short drives, all published
Every drive is listed day by day, and none is longer than 4 hours.
Free time is part of the plan
Free time and choices are marked on the days they fall.
Solo without the penalty
A room of your own is + CAD 815 (estimated price).
Day by day
Itinerary
The longest drive is 4 h, on day 2.
Tap any stop on the map to open that dayClick any stop on the map to open that day
Arrive in Vancouver
Vancouver International Airport to your hotel in downtown Vancouver
- Welcome dinner
- Stay in Vancouver
- Drive about 30 min
Fly into Vancouver International Airport (YVR) and a driver meets you in the arrivals hall for the drive into the city, about 14 km and half an hour, to your central hotel.
Evening
The group meets in the early evening, so landing by mid-afternoon leaves time to settle in. If you arrive early, walk the seawall around Coal Harbour, where floatplanes take off and land below the North Shore mountains, or wander the brick streets of Gastown, the oldest part of the city; if you want a full day in Vancouver, we can book an extra night before the trip. At about 6 pm your See Sight Tours guide gathers the group for a short briefing on the eight days ahead: how the drives are paced, how the winery days work, what to pack for hot Okanagan afternoons and cold mountain mornings, and how the easy and active options work. Then we walk to a restaurant nearby for a welcome dinner together.
Included
- Pick-up at Vancouver International Airport (YVR)
- Welcome briefing with your guide
- Welcome dinner
Optional experiences
- Extra night in Vancouver before the trip
Free time: Free until the early-evening briefing
Activity: Plan to land by about 3 pm; the exact meeting time comes with your final itinerary.
Over the Coquihalla to the Okanagan
Vancouver to Hope and the Coquihalla Highway, then the Okanagan Connector to West Kelowna and Kelowna
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Kelowna
- Drive about 4 h
We leave at 8 am and drive east up the Fraser Valley, past farmland and the first big mountains, to Hope for a coffee stop where the Fraser River turns north through its canyon. From Hope the Coquihalla Highway climbs steadily to its summit at about 1,240 metres, and we stop for a stretch among the granite peaks before the Okanagan Connector carries us over the plateau and down to the lake. It is about 380 km and four hours of driving, the longest of the trip, broken into stretches of under two hours; with the stops, the day runs about six hours door to door.
Afternoon
We arrive in West Kelowna at about 2 pm for a late sit-down lunch at a winery estate on the Westside Wine Trail, with the vines running down towards Okanagan Lake, followed by a guided tasting there and at a second estate nearby. Then we cross the lake bridge into Kelowna, about 15 minutes away, and check in for two nights near the waterfront.
Evening
The evening is free.
Included
- Stops in Hope and at the Coquihalla summit
- Sit-down lunch at a winery estate on the Westside Wine Trail
- Tastings at two West Kelowna wineries
Free time: Evening free in Kelowna
Activity: About 4 hours of driving, with stops at Hope and the summit; no stretch longer than about 2 hours. Tastings are small pours, and soft drinks are there for non-drinkers.
A morning on Okanagan Lake and the Lakeshore Wine Route
Kelowna waterfront by boat on Okanagan Lake, then the Lakeshore Road wineries south of the city
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Kelowna
- Drive about 45 min
Morning
The morning belongs to the lake. We walk down to the Kelowna waterfront and board a chartered boat with a local skipper for about two hours on Okanagan Lake, a long, deep lake filling a valley between dry hills of pine and sagebrush.
Afternoon
The morning light is soft, the water is calm before the afternoon wind, and the skipper points out the benchland vineyards, the old orchards and the bays where, legend says, the lake creature Ogopogo lives. In summer there is often time to swim from the boat. Back on shore, we drive about 15 minutes south to the Lakeshore Wine Route in the Mission district, where estates sit on the slopes above the water. Lunch is a sit-down meal at one of them, with a guided tasting there and at a second estate.
Evening
We are back in town by about 3:30 pm; the rest of the day is yours for the beach in City Park, the waterfront boardwalk or a nap before dinner on your own.
Included
- Skippered morning on Okanagan Lake, about 2 hours
- Sit-down lunch at a winery estate on the Lakeshore Wine Route
- Tastings at two Lakeshore Road wineries
Optional experiences
- Paddleboard or kayak hire on the lake
- Wine shipping home from the estates
Easier option: Stay aboard for the whole boat trip and skip the swim; at the estates, sit out a tasting on the terrace.
More active option: Before breakfast, walk up Knox Mountain with your guide for the view over the lake and the city, about 4 km return and 250 m of climbing.
Free time: Late afternoon and evening free in Kelowna
Activity: Bring a hat, sunscreen and swimwear; the lake is warmest from mid-July to late August.
Kalamalka Lake and Mount Revelstoke
Kelowna to Vernon and Kalamalka Lake, then Sicamous and Revelstoke, then up the Meadows in the Sky Parkway
- Breakfast
- Stay in Revelstoke
- Drive about 3.5 h
We leave Kelowna at about 8:30 am and drive north through the orchards to Vernon, stopping at a viewpoint above Kalamalka Lake, whose water turns green and blue in summer from the minerals in it. From there the road runs up the Shuswap valley through Enderby to Sicamous, then east on the Trans-Canada Highway into the Monashee Mountains: about 200 km and two and a half hours in all.
Afternoon
We arrive in Revelstoke, an old railway town on the Columbia River, in time for lunch on your own downtown. In the early afternoon we drive the Meadows in the Sky Parkway, 26 km of switchbacks up Mount Revelstoke to Balsam Lake, where, once the snow has gone (usually from late July), a shuttle runs the last stretch to the summit area at about 1,900 metres. In late July and August the alpine meadows there are full of wildflowers, with glaciers on the Selkirk peaks across the valley.
Evening
We are back in town by about 5 pm, and the evening is free.
Included
- Kalamalka Lake viewpoint
- Meadows in the Sky Parkway in Mount Revelstoke National Park, with the summit shuttle when it runs (usually from late July)
- Mount Revelstoke National Park admission
Optional experiences
- Revelstoke Railway Museum
Easier option: Stay on the short summit loops, such as the Firetower trail, about 1 km on gravel; before the summit opens, the short walks at the parkway viewpoints.
More active option: Walk with your guide towards Eva Lake, on a rocky alpine trail; go as far as time allows, about 12 km return for the full lake.
Free time: Evening free in Revelstoke
Activity: The summit shuttle runs only when the summit is snow-free, usually from late July. On June and early July departures we drive as high as Parks Canada has the parkway open, to the Balsam Lake viewpoints when possible, and walk at the lower parkway stops instead. Lunch today is on your own.
Rogers Pass and Emerald Lake to Lake Louise
Revelstoke to the Giant Cedars and Rogers Pass, then Golden, Field and Emerald Lake, then Lake Louise
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Lake Louise
- Drive about 3.5 h
We head east into the Selkirk Mountains, and the first stop, about 30 km out of town, is the Giant Cedars Boardwalk, a short loop through old western red cedars, some of them several hundred years old, in one of the few inland rainforests on earth. Then we climb to Rogers Pass in Glacier National Park, where the railway and the highway fought heavy snow and avalanches; the visitor centre tells that story, and glaciers hang on the peaks above. Clocks go forward an hour as we leave the park.
Afternoon
Lunch is a sit-down stop in Golden, where the Kicking Horse River meets the Columbia. In the afternoon we follow the Kicking Horse up into Yoho National Park, past Chancellor Peak, to Field and the short side road to Emerald Lake, a green lake ringed by forest and the President Range. Walk the shore, or the full loop. From there it is half an hour over Kicking Horse Pass to Lake Louise: about 255 km and three and a quarter hours of driving in the day.
Included
- Giant Cedars Boardwalk in Mount Revelstoke National Park
- Rogers Pass and its visitor centre in Glacier National Park
- Sit-down lunch in Golden
- Emerald Lake and the Natural Bridge in Yoho National Park
- Glacier, Yoho and Banff national park admission
Optional experiences
- Canoe hire on Emerald Lake
Easier option: Walk the first stretch of the Emerald Lake shore path and back, about 2 km on a flat path.
More active option: Walk the full Emerald Lake loop with your guide, about 5 km on a mostly level trail.
Free time: Evening free in Lake Louise
Activity: Clocks move forward one hour east of Glacier National Park. If a boardwalk is closed for repairs, we use the next open trail on the same road.
Moraine Lake at first light and Lake Louise
Lake Louise village to Moraine Lake and Lake Louise by Parks Canada shuttle, then back to the village
- Breakfast
- Stay in Lake Louise
- Drive about 15 min
An early start, and worth it.
Morning
Private cars cannot drive the road to Moraine Lake, so we leave the hotel before dawn for the Lake Louise lakeshore and board a Parks Canada Alpine Start shuttle; Parks Canada releases the exact slots in spring and our team confirms yours. We reach Moraine Lake as first light reaches the Valley of the Ten Peaks, before the day crowds, and climb the short Rockpile trail for the view down the water. A packed breakfast comes with us, and a warm layer is essential: dawn at about 1,885 metres is cold even in July. The Lake Connector shuttle brings us to Lake Louise by mid-morning, below the Victoria Glacier. Now choose your pace: the flat lakeshore path, or the climb with your guide to the Lake Agnes Teahouse for tea beside a small lake below Mount Whyte.
Afternoon
We are back at the hotel by early afternoon, and the rest of the day is free to rest after the early start.
Included
- Parks Canada Alpine Start shuttle to Moraine Lake for sunrise
- Lake Connector shuttle to Lake Louise
- The Lake Louise lakeshore with your guide
Optional experiences
- Canoe hire on Lake Louise
- Tea and food at the Lake Agnes Teahouse (paid there)
Easier option: Walk the flat lakeshore path to the far end of Lake Louise and back, about 4 km.
More active option: Hike to the Lake Agnes Teahouse with your guide, about 7 km return with about 400 m of climbing.
Free time: Afternoon and evening free in Lake Louise
Activity: The only pre-dawn start of the trip. Carry cash for the teahouse.
Takakkaw Falls, then Banff
Lake Louise to Takakkaw Falls in Yoho on the Yoho Valley Road, then down the Bow Valley to Banff and Sulphur Mountain
- Breakfast and dinner
- Stay in Banff
- Drive about 2 h
We leave Lake Louise at 8 am, cross back into Yoho and turn up the Yoho Valley Road, with its tight switchbacks, to Takakkaw Falls, which drops about 370 metres from the Daly Glacier, one of the highest waterfalls in Canada. At this hour the car park is still quiet, and a flat path takes you to the spray at its foot. On the way down we stop at the viewpoint over the Spiral Tunnels, where the railway loops through the mountain to tame the grade; with luck a long freight train shows both ends at once.
Afternoon
Then we drive down the Bow Valley to Banff, about 135 km and about two hours of driving in the day, arriving by about midday for lunch on your own. In the afternoon we ride the Banff Gondola up Sulphur Mountain and walk the summit boardwalk, and your entry to the Banff Upper Hot Springs is included.
Evening
In the evening we sit down together for a farewell dinner.
Included
- Takakkaw Falls in Yoho National Park
- Spiral Tunnels viewpoint
- Banff Gondola up Sulphur Mountain
- Banff Upper Hot Springs entry
- Farewell dinner
Optional experiences
- Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies
- Canoe hire on the Bow River
Easier option: The flat path to the foot of Takakkaw Falls, about 1 km return, and the level boardwalk at the top of the gondola.
More active option: Walk up Sulphur Mountain on the switchback trail with your guide, about 5.5 km and 650 m of climbing, and ride the gondola down.
Free time: Late afternoon free in Banff
Activity: If the Yoho Valley Road is not yet open (it usually opens in late June) or has closed for the season, we visit Wapta Falls or Field instead. Vehicles longer than 7 metres must reverse on its switchbacks, so the group vehicle is 7 metres or shorter.
Grassi Lakes and out to Calgary
Banff to Canmore and the Grassi Lakes trail, then east on the Trans-Canada Highway to Calgary International Airport
- Breakfast
- Drive about 2 h
Morning
After breakfast we drive about 25 minutes down the Bow Valley to Canmore and up the road above town to the Grassi Lakes trailhead. A short trail of about 4 km return climbs through the forest past a waterfall to two small spring-fed lakes, clear enough to see the stones on the bottom, below limestone cliffs where climbers often practise; on the rock nearby are old pictographs. It is an easy last walk, about an hour and a half, and from the upper lake you look east down the Bow Valley over Canmore. We stop in Canmore for coffee, then head east on the Trans-Canada Highway out through the mountain gap, where the Front Ranges end abruptly and the foothills roll down to the prairie. It is about 130 km and an hour and a half to Calgary International Airport (YYC), arriving around 1 pm, so please book a flight leaving after 3 pm. If you are staying on in Calgary, your guide can drop you in the city instead; ask when you book.
Included
- Guided walk to Grassi Lakes above Canmore
- Coffee stop in Canmore
- Drop-off at Calgary International Airport (YYC)
Easier option: Take the wider, gentler route to the lakes, or wait in Canmore for coffee.
More active option: The steeper upper trail past the waterfall, with steps and rock underfoot.
Activity: Book a flight leaving Calgary after about 3 pm.
- Vancouver1 night
- Kelowna2 nights
- Revelstoke1 night
- Lake Louise2 nights
- Banff1 night
- Calgaryend
- Overnight stop
- Day trip
- By boat or train
Wildlife and weather: The Okanagan is dry and hot in July and August, often 30°C or more, while dawn at Moraine Lake is cold even in midsummer, so pack for both. Rain showers are common in the mountains, and smoke from distant wildfires can haze the views on some days in July and August. Until about late July, snow usually keeps the Mount Revelstoke summit and its shuttle closed and the Takakkaw Falls road may not yet be open; September and early October bring harvest in the vineyards, golden larches near Lake Louise and colder mornings. Black bears, mountain goats and elk are possible from the road but never guaranteed.
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Before you book
Right for you?
Good for you if you want
- Travellers who want wine country and the Rockies in one trip, by road
- Wine lovers who would rather sit down to lunch at the estate than rush a tasting
- Anyone short on time: eight days, every drive under four hours
- A mix of easy walks and harder optional hikes on the same day
- Solo travellers who want a group of no more than 12
Not for you if you want
- Travellers who want Jasper and the Icefields Parkway (see our Banff, Lake Louise and Jasper trip)
- Step-free access: several trails and viewpoints are on uneven ground
- A winter or ski holiday: the trip runs mid-June to early October
- Travellers who want two nights in every stop: Vancouver, Revelstoke and Banff are one night each
Book flights after we confirm your seat.
7 nights
Where you'll stay
Your hotels are named in your trip confirmation.
- Vancouver1 night
- Kelowna2 nights
- Revelstoke1 night
- Lake Louise2 nights
- Banff1 night
One price
What's in the price
Included
Accommodation
- 7 nights in central hotels of a 3-star-plus standard: 1 in Vancouver, 2 in Kelowna, 1 in Revelstoke, 2 in Lake Louise village and 1 in Banff
- Rooms shared, or your own for a supplement
Transport
- Pick-up at Vancouver International Airport (YVR) and drop-off at Calgary International Airport (YYC)
- A private air-conditioned vehicle and professional driver for the group from Vancouver to Calgary
- A chartered boat and local skipper on Okanagan Lake
- The Meadows in the Sky summit shuttle on Mount Revelstoke, when the summit is open (usually from late July)
- Parks Canada Alpine Start shuttle to Moraine Lake and the Lake Connector to Lake Louise
Your guide
- A See Sight Tours guide with the group from the welcome dinner in Vancouver to the airport in Calgary
- Winery hosts for each tasting
Activities
- West Kelowna: two winery tastings on the Westside Wine Trail
- Kelowna: a morning on Okanagan Lake and two winery tastings on the Lakeshore Wine Route
- Vernon: Kalamalka Lake viewpoint
- Mount Revelstoke National Park: the Meadows in the Sky Parkway and the Giant Cedars Boardwalk
- Glacier National Park: Rogers Pass
- Yoho National Park: Emerald Lake, the Natural Bridge, Takakkaw Falls and the Spiral Tunnels viewpoint
- Moraine Lake at sunrise and Lake Louise
- Banff: the Banff Gondola and the Banff Upper Hot Springs
- Canmore: the Grassi Lakes walk
- Parks Canada national park admission for every park day
Meals
- 7 breakfasts, including a packed breakfast for the Moraine Lake morning
- 3 lunches: two at winery estates in West Kelowna and Kelowna, and one in Golden; lunch is on your own on the other days
- 2 dinners: a welcome dinner in Vancouver and a farewell dinner in Banff
Not included
- International flights to Vancouver and from Calgary
- Travel insurance
- Canadian eTA or visitor visa, where your passport needs one
- Lunches and dinners not listed
- Drinks, including wine by the glass or bottle beyond the included tastings
- Wine you buy or ship home
- Tips for your guide, driver and skipper
- Optional activities, such as canoe hire and the Revelstoke Railway Museum
- Food and drink at the Lake Agnes Teahouse
- Personal expenses
- Extra hotel nights before or after the trip
Extras
- Room of your own
- CAD 815 (estimated price)
When you can go
Dates and prices
Pick your start date when you request to book. We check that date and confirm it in your quote.
Prefer to travel without a group or guide? Ask us about arranging hotels, transport and city tours for you to travel independently.
Before you book
Booking terms
Nothing is charged now. Full terms and the cancellation schedule come with your quote, before you accept.
Business addresses
See Sight Tours Trips (USA): 3172 N Rainbow Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89108, United StatesSee Sight Tours Trips (Canada): 5305 50 Avenue, #1091, Red Deer, AB T4N 4B6, Canada+1-888-961-6584Guest reviews
What guests say
Reviews from guests on our day tours.
Jane
October 06, 2026
5/5
Susan
October 06, 2026
5/5
Tom L
October 05, 2026
5/5
MandL83
October 05, 2026
5/5
Darren O
October 05, 2026
5/5
Good to know
Questions
What does the price include?
Seven hotel nights, airport transfers in Vancouver and Calgary, a private vehicle and driver, your See Sight Tours guide throughout, 7 breakfasts, 3 lunches and 2 dinners, four winery tastings, a morning on Okanagan Lake, the Moraine Lake shuttle, the Meadows in the Sky summit shuttle when it runs, the Banff Gondola, the hot springs and Parks Canada admission.
How big is the group?
The small-group trip runs with 7 to 12 guests, so the group fits around one table at the winery lunches, everyone hears the guide at each stop, and getting in and out of the vehicle at viewpoints takes minutes.
Who leads the trip?
A See Sight Tours guide travels with the group from the welcome dinner in Vancouver to the airport in Calgary, with a professional driver at the wheel. Winery hosts lead each tasting, and a local skipper runs the boat on Okanagan Lake.
How long are the drives?
No day has more than four hours of driving. The longest is day 2, Vancouver to the Okanagan, about 380 km and four hours over the Coquihalla, broken at Hope and the summit and ending at a winery lunch. Every day in the plan shows its kilometres and hours.
How fit do I need to be?
Moderately active. Most walks are 1 to 2 hours on good paths and boardwalks. Each walking day has a harder option, such as the full Emerald Lake loop or the climb to the Lake Agnes Teahouse, and you can always take the easy option or sit a walk out.
I am travelling solo. Is there a single supplement?
Yes, a room of your own costs from CAD 815 more, shown up front before you request to book, with no surprises later. If you would rather share, tell us when you book and we will tell you whether we can pair you with another solo traveller on your departure.
Do I have to drink wine?
No. The tastings are small pours, and soft drinks or juice are there for anyone who prefers them. Non-drinkers still get the two estate lunches, the vineyard walks and the morning on the lake. The legal drinking age is 19 in British Columbia, where the wineries are.
When is the best time to go?
Mid-June to early October. July and August are warmest, with the Mount Revelstoke meadows in flower. September and early October bring harvest in the Okanagan and golden larches near Lake Louise, with cooler mornings. Before late July the Mount Revelstoke summit shuttle is usually closed by snow, and in June the Takakkaw Falls road may still be shut.
How does booking work?
Choose a departure and send a request to book. We confirm your place within 24 hours, and no payment is taken when you send the request. The small group starts from CAD 4,795 per person sharing, taxes included.
Can we travel privately or on our own dates?
Yes. Besides the small group, the trip runs as a private trip for your party only, with your own guide and vehicle, on a date you choose. If you would rather travel independently on your own dates, ask us from the dates section and we will quote the same hotels and activities without a guide.
Do I need a visa or eTA to visit Canada?
Most visitors need either an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) or a visitor visa, depending on their passport; US citizens need neither, but must carry a valid passport. Check the Government of Canada rules for your passport before you book flights.
How is this different from your Banff, Lake Louise and Jasper trip?
That trip is six days from Calgary through Banff, Lake Louise, the Icefields Parkway and Jasper. This one starts in Vancouver and crosses British Columbia: the Okanagan wine country, Revelstoke, Rogers Pass and Yoho, ending with Lake Louise and Banff. It does not go to Jasper.
See Sight Tours has been providing travel services across North America since 2006. Operating in 20 cities across Canada and the USA, the company specializes in small group tours that offer personalized, high-quality experiences for travelers.
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