Spirit Island Maligne Lake | Credit: Travel Alberta / Jeff Bartlett
Peace of Mind
Freedom of Choice
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Heart of the Canadian Rockies Self-Drive
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Spirit Island Maligne Lake | Credit: Travel Alberta / Jeff Bartlett
Credit: Tourism Jasper
Banff Gondola | Credit: Pursuit / Chris Amat
Lake Louise | Credit: Travel Alberta
Moose | Credit: Tourism Jasper / Coulter Schmitz
Tonquin Valley | Credit: Tourism Jasper
Two Jack Lake | Credit: Travel Alberta / Shannon Martin
Canada

Heart of the Canadian Rockies Self-Drive (Tour code: 12324)

Starts and Ends
in Calgary
Travel Periods
01 May 25 - 10 Oct 25
Experience
Travel Style
Independent Holiday Packages
Experience the best of the Canadian Rockies on this week-long road trip to Alberta's iconic alpine towns.

Highlights

Discover the stunning scenery of Emerald Lake and Lake Louise

Travel through the spine of the Canadian Rockies along the amazing Icefields Parkway

Experience the scenic natural beauty and stunning wildlife of the Canadian Rockies

Witness the gem-coloured glacial lakes and waterfalls and snow-covered peaks of Yoho National Park

7 days
From
AUD 2,271
per person, twin share
Travelling with kids? Read more 
All services are subject to availability.

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Only $100pp deposit to Book Now

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Overview

Commence your adventure in Calgary, where you will pick up your rental car for a week-long journey into the heart of the Canadian Rockies. Drive to Banff and enjoy a two-night stay in the alpine town. Whilst in Banff, you have the opportunity to be hosted by local experts. You can observe wildlife in their natural habitat (think black bears, elk, and coyotes to name a few!), cruise Lake Minnewanka, take the Banff Gondola up Sulphur Mountain, or ride on horseback along the Bow River.

From Banff, you journey into Yoho National Park for a stay at the stunning Emerald Lake Lodge. From Emerald Lake, you head up one of the world's most scenic drives along the Icefields Parkway to Jasper.

In Jasper, you have the option to cruise Maligne Lake and marvel at Spirit Island, enjoy a gentle rafting trip or a guided nature walk. From Jasper, your drive journey takes you to Lake Louise. Lake Louise is the most famous glacial lake in the Canadian Rockies and one of the most beautiful in the Western Hemisphere. Your week long self-drive experience comes to an end back in the Stampede city of Calgary.

Peace of mind booking plan
  1. ENTIRE Cooling-Off Period
  2. ENTIRE AUD Prices
  3. ENTIRE Change of Mind
  4. ENTIRE Industry Accredited
  5. ENTIRE On Ground Support
  6. ENTIRE Australian Owned

Inclusions

2 nights in Banff at Elk + Avenue Hotel
1 night in Emerald Lake at Emerald Lake Lodge
2 nights in Jasper at a moderate hotel
1 night in Lake Louise at Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise
8 days Intermediate car rental
Ice Explorer ride onto Athabasca Glacier
Glacier Skywalk
Freedom of Choice Days
Freedom of Choice

Our Freedom of Choice program offers flexibility, by allowing you to choose from different options on pre-selected days.

Our per person price includes one tour on each Freedom of Choice day, as follows:

  • One "Freedom of Choice" tour on day 2
  • One "Freedom of Choice" tour on day 5

Expand the itinerary below for more details.

Please note, if more than one room is selected during the booking process, our team will contact you afterwards to discuss options.

Day 1 Calgary Banff

Leave the Stampede City of Calgary for the short drive to Banff, a resort town renowned for its scenic natural beauty and stunning wildlife.

Overnight in Banff at Elk + Avenue Hotel

Calgary → Banff
Calgary | Credit: Travel Alberta

Day 2 Banff

Today, you can personalise your day by choosing one of the four freedom of choice activities below.

Overnight in Banff at Elk + Avenue Hotel


Freedom of Choice Options

  • Banff Gondola:

    Maximise your views of Banff National Park with minimal exertion on a round-trip gondola ride to the top of Sulphur Mountain.

OR

  • Lake Minnewanka Cruise:

    Admire views of the Canadian Rockies by boat as you cruise across the turquoise-hued Lake Minnewanka and over to Devil’s Gap.

OR

  • River Explorer Canoe Tour:

    Enjoy the serenity of the Bow River and marvel at the surroundings. A fun & interactive way with your guide to explore the waterways of Banff National Park. Perfect for families. No paddling experience necessary.

OR

  • Bow River Horseback Adventure:

    Saddle up for a journey through the celebrated landscape of Banff National Park on this guided horseback riding adventure.

Banff
Banff | Credit: Travel Alberta

Day 3 Banff Emerald Lake

Enjoy the leisurely drive from Banff. Choose the Bow Valley Parkway, beside the Bow River, with an option for you to take a stop at Johnston Canyon and walk along the paved footpath to either the lower or upper waterfalls before continuing to into Yoho National Park and Emerald Lake Lodge. The word Yoho is the Cree word expressing awe. This 1313 sq. km national park is filled with gem-coloured glacial lakes and waterfalls, snow-covered peaks and dense forests of western red cedar and western hemlock. Historic railroads, spiral tunnels within mountain sides and steep rock faces where mountain goats roam are just some of the sights to be seen.

Overnight in Emerald Lake at Emerald Lake Lodge

Banff → Emerald Lake
Emerald Lake | Credit: Destination BC Dave Heath

Day 4 Emerald Lake Jasper

Today, travel through the spine of the Canadian Rockies along the amazing Icefields Parkway and encompass the ultimate glacier exploration. From walking on ancient ice with the Ice Explorer ride, to standing on a glass platform almost one thousand feet in the air at the Glacier Skywalk (included), today’s experiences will leave you with a special appreciation for this treasured region of the Rockies.

Overnight in Jasper at a moderate hotel

Emerald Lake → Jasper
Ice Explorer | Credit: Pursuit / Mike Seehagel

Day 5 Jasper

Today, you can personalise your day by choosing one of the three freedom of choice activities below.

Overnight in Jasper at a moderate hotel


Freedom of Choice Options

  • Maligne Lake Cruise:

    Cruise Maligne Lake, where you can marvel at the magnificent shoreline and Spirit Island.

OR

  • Jasper River Float:

    Enjoy a gentle rafting tour on the Athabasca River for a unique perspective of Jasper National Park.

OR

  • Jasper Nature Walk:

    A guided nature walk featuring a spectacular array of rolling hills, jagged peaks, forests, meadows, marshes, streams, and stunning glacial lakes.

Jasper
Pyramid Lake | Credit: Tourism Jasper / Andrew Penner

Day 6 Jasper Lake Louise

Depart Jasper today and travel once more along the scenic Icefields Parkway to the “Jewel of the Rockies,” Lake Louise. Lake Louise is the most famous glacial lake in the Canadian Rockies, and one of the most beautiful in the Western Hemisphere. The lake, named for Princess Louise Caroline Alberta, daughter of Queen Victoria, is 1730 metres above sea level. You may wish to enjoy a hike on one of the numerous trails or paddle a canoe on the lake.

Overnight in Lake Louise at Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise

Jasper → Lake Louise
Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise | Credit: Finn Beales

Day 7 Lake Louise Calgary

Departing Lake Louise, travel through the foothills of the Rockies to the city of Calgary. Your tour concludes with the return of your rental vehicle, either to Calgary International Airport or a downtown location.

Accommodation

Elk + Avenue Hotel

Banff
Just a few steps from the quaint streets and ample restaurants, shopping and nightlife of downtown Banff, Elk + Avenue Hotel brings an upscale twist to the classic mountain escape. Whether you’re looking for a relaxing night away from it all or an action-packed getaway filled with adventure, our modern spaces effortlessly blend style and comfort to make you feel right at home as you explore the best of Banff.

Emerald Lake Lodge

Emerald Lake
Set on a 13-acre peninsula on Yoho National Park’s Emerald Lake, this upscale lodge is 13.4 km from the Canadian Rocky Mountains Parks World Heritage Site and 14.8 km from Mount Field. The posh rooms feature private balconies with lake views, wood-burning fireplaces and coffeemakers, plus sitting areas. A refined restaurant serves regional cuisine, and there's a seasonal bistro. A stately lounge features a stone fireplace, plus an oak bar from an 1890s saloon. 

Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise

Lake Louise
Surrounded by soaring mountain peaks, the majestic Victoria Glacier and a glistening emerald lake, the iconic Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise hotel is located in Alberta's Banff National Park. Discover endless outdoor recreational activities including hiking, canoeing, horseback riding, fishing, mountain biking and river rafting.

Additional information

Official language
French & English
Local currency
Canadian Dollars

Excluded

  • International airfares and taxes
  • Domestic airfares and taxes, unless otherwise specified in our holiday package
  • Visa expenses, processing and issuance fees
  • Meals other than as specified in our holiday package
  • Travel Insurance or expenses of a personal nature (mini-bar, phone call, laundry, etc.),
  • Tips or gratuities to guides, drivers, porters, hotel, restaurant or boat staff, etc.
  • Or any other travel expense that has not been included in our holiday package
  • Fuel, road tolls, parking fees, as well as any extra charges associated with car rental
  • One-way car rental fees (if applicable). If any one-way surcharges apply, this will be advised at the time of booking and is payable locally upon collection of the vehicle
  • Car rental rates exclude optional coverage such as Personal Accident Insurance Plus (PAI Plus) and Personal Effects Protection (PEP)
  • GPS rental is not included and can be requested (at an additional supplement paid locally) if required

FAQs

Who are Entire Travel Group?

Welcome to Entire Travel Group. We offer exceptional travel experiences across our extensive range of Entire Holiday Packages, Entire Group Journeys, Entire Rail Journeys, and Entire Cruise Journeys. With our industry-leading Peace of Mind Booking Plan, you can Book Now with flexibility and confidence.

Entire Travel Group is celebrating over 50 years of passionately delivering unique and memorable travel experiences. We are an Australian, family-owned, award-winning business with a friendly team ready to match your expectations to the perfect holiday experience.

Entire Travel Group used to be known by the individual brands shown in the footer of the website. The company has not changed, but we have amalgamated under one brand - Entire Travel Group.

For more details please visit - About Us | Entire Travel Group

Is Entire Travel Group Australian owned and operated?

Entire Travel Group is proudly Australian family owned and operated and as it stands today represents 50 years of experience, progress, and evolution. We proudly support the community with our long-term commitment to many important charity organisations. We were awarded the best operator in our class at the most recent National Travel Industry Awards.

Is Entire Travel Group industry accredited?

Entire Travel Group is both ATAS and CATO Accredited. ATAS is actively administered by the Australian Travel Industry Association (ATIA). The Council of Australian Tour Operators (CATO) is the trade association representing the land supply sector of the Australian Travel Industry.

Does Entire Travel Group have industry awards?

Entire Travel Group was honoured at the 2023 National Travel Industry Awards with Most Oustanding Wholesaler - Product / Service.

As our team works tirelessly to deliver exceptional holiday experiences, it was exciting to have this acknowledged with the highest recognition. The award is also a testament to the quality of our partners around the globe, and we take this opportunity to thank them for their tremendous support of our customers.

Are the Entire Travel Group holiday packages exclusive?

In some cases, we are the sole representative in Australia for the overseas travel operator. In other circumstances the product developed has been exclusively built for Entire Travel Group and can’t be found elsewhere.

What’s unique about Entire Travel Group Holiday Packages?

  • They are not group tours with set departures - they are pre-designed, purpose built, independent holiday packages full of unique and memorable experiences.
  • Our holiday packages have been exclusively built for us in collaboration with our handpicked suppliers, who also offer full on-ground support for the clients.
  • We are offering unique travel experiences which cannot be found elsewhere.
  • Many packages include our “Freedom of Choice” options which allow you to tailor the holiday experience. Like a sommelier matching wine to a meal, we have used our experience to carefully select and offer the right experiences in each location.
  • They include our Peace of Mind Booking Plan.
  • A wide selection of our packages are compliant with the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) Covid Safe Travels.

Our motto for Independent Holiday Packages is start your holiday when and with who you want!

Our Independent Holiday Packages are NOT group tours with set departure dates. Group Tours have specific set departure dates, and of course, you are travelling with unknown passengers in a coach. These tours are great for certain travellers and there are many reputable tour operators providing a wide range of options around the world.

At Entire Travel Group, our focus is Independent Holiday Packages. Available daily, they are pre-designed, purpose built, packaged itineraries full of memorable experiences delivered by our hand-picked local partners.

Our holidays suit every demographic, from couples to singles, to retirees to families and everyone else in between.

Why travel with Entire Travel Group?

Of Entire Travel Group's attributes, we have settled on "When Experience Matters" as the quality we believe adds the most value to our customers. We have the experience to ensure your itinerary makes the dream holiday possible. Our continually enhanced technology allows our team to provide a quality customer service experience, and our partnerships with outstanding operators ensure we are confident of the on-ground experience for our customers.

For more details please visit - About Us | Entire Travel Group

How does the Peace of Mind Booking Plan work?

Our Peace of Mind Booking Plan allows you to book with confidence in the new international travel environment. With low deposits, a cooling off period and a flexibility period where you can cancel and rebook later, we really do have you covered.

For more details please visit - Peace of Mind Booking Plan | Entire Travel Group

Is there a cooling-off period?

Look for packages with our Peace of Mind Booking Plan logo on the website.

  • We understand that occasionally plans may change, so we give you the confidence to proceed with a cooling off period.
  • You may cancel for any reason within 7 days, where you will receive a 100% refund of your $100 per person deposit.

For more details please visit - Peace of Mind Booking Plan | Entire Travel Group

What is Freedom of Choice?

At Entire Travel Group we understand that our customers have their own personal tastes and interests - so throughout our packages look for “Freedom of Choice” which gives you the ability to tailor your holiday from the various experiences offered on selected days. Like a sommelier matching wine to a meal, we have used our experience to carefully select and offer the right experiences in each location.

The Freedom of Choice options are included in the package price, and the price remains the same regardless of the choice you make on each day.

Our Freedom of Choice program offers flexibility, by allowing you to choose from different options on pre-selected days in the itinerary.

  • Our per person price includes one tour on each Freedom of Choice day in the itinerary.
  • The price of the package remains the same regardless of the choice you make on each day.

For more details please visit - Freedom of Choice | Entire Travel Group

What is Book Now?

Book Now offers you the ability to make a reservation on our website for Holiday Packages that include our Peace of Mind Booking Plan. But it’s not just a static offer – you have complete flexibility from travel dates, passenger numbers, single supplements, room upgrades, optional extras, flexible booking terms and more.

  • Our team will contact our overseas suppliers and confirm all arrangements.
  • A Confirmation from our reservation system will be sent in the coming days.
  • The Booking Number on this confirmation supersedes the website reference.

What forms of payment can be used at Entire Travel Group?

  • To confirm a booking using our on-line Book Now process, a credit card must be used to pay the refundable deposit.
  • For additional payments on the booking, Entire Travel Group supports bank transfer, credit card, TravelPay B2B, PaymentGate.
  • For further details please visit our Payments page.

How secure is the Entire Travel Group's on-line payment portal?

  • Entire Travel Group have partnered with TravelPay to ensure secure on-line credit card payments.
  • TravelPay is a level 1 PCI DSS compliant, which gives you peace of mind that your payment card data is in safe hands.
  • Entire Travel Group does not store any credit card information.

For more details please visit - Security and Compliance - TravelPay

Can you book my international airfares?

On some Islands Holiday Packages (e.g. Fiji), it is practical to include flights, so where we have done this it is indicated by the plane icon.

However, on the majority of our Holiday Packages, we do not include international flights.

We found that many customers may prefer to:

  • Travel on a specific airline of their choice
  • Have the flexibility to book flights with Frequent Flyer points
  • Select flight dates that may be different to our Holiday Package start/end dates
  • Use a Travel Credit already held with the airline
  • Use their travel agent for this service

We are able to assist with flights on any Holiday Package, so please just notify us during the Book Now process or contact our team.

Should I take travel insurance?

Travel insurance is strongly recommended. During the Book Now process please confirm you require assistance, and our team will be in contact with you.

What should I do before travelling?

Before you travel it is your responsibility to ensure you have the appropriate documentation including visas. If you are travelling on a passport other than Australian or New Zealand, you will require a permit to re-enter Australia. It is your responsibility as the traveller and/or travel booker to meet all government entry requirements.

For more information please visit - Before you travel | Entire Travel Group

How does a Travel Agent make a booking?

Please visit the Entire Travel Group's Agent Portal. We are here to support our industry partners with a range of informative updates, marketing collateral for campaigns and a reward & recognition program.

How do I start a Booking?

  • On any page that has Book Now simply follow the booking process.
  • You must select the Travel Agent tick box and provide correct details.
  • To confirm a booking only the refundable deposit is required.
  • An agency credit card must be used for this initial payment.

How do I contact Entire Travel Group?

For more information please visit - Contact us | Entire Travel Group

When experience matters
INDUSTRY ACCREDITED
AWARD WINNING
TRAVEL SUPPORT
50 YEARS EXPERIENCE
HANDPICKED SUPPLIERS
UNRIVALLED EXPERIENCES