Complete Canada Road Trip: Must See Outdoors Daily Guide

After writing the Canada Road Trip 2 Week Guide, I realized there is so much more depth to share! West Canada is full of must-see places and unforgettable experiences with something for everyone. The pictures will never do the natural beauty justice. And for this reason, Canada has shot up to the top of my favourite countries to visit. If the last Canada Road Trip post is focused on planning the ultimate trip, this post will give you a detailed breakdown of each day of our experience.

The Planned Route

We drove from Calgary through the amazing Canadian Rockies staying in Banff and Jasper. Then we left Alberta and drove across to British Columbia (BC) and stayed in Whistler. Next, we hopped over to Vancouver Island & Victoria before finishing in Vancouver. The route was provided by Canadian Affair with several modifications to the itinerary.

To see our itinerary overview and with tips for reservations and planning, check out the Canada Road Trip Guide.

Packing Lists & Tips

Our Road Trip meant we used a combination of the Hostelling and Hiking Kit Lists in the Kit Room Section. We were mainly focusing on outdoor adventures so balanced day hiking gear and casual wear for the urban areas. We each took a large Osprey bag and daypack for our road trip. The weather was varied so we had many warm layers and waterproofs to be prepared for the mountain weather. Our packing cubes helped us keep our clothes organised and sperate plus sped up the packing process when checking out. We didn’t plan to do any climbing or camping so didn’t need any specific gear. We also took basic cooking items such as a knife, spray oil and spices to save buying out there. The only equipment we needed to buy in Canada was the Bear Spray which wasn’t required to use.

Canada Road Trip Day 1:
London to Calgary

After a long flight from Heathrow, we arrived in Calgary excited and pretty tired after a minimal sleep. We went through passport control and activated our eTA’s then collected the big Red Osprey Atmos 50L. The next stop was to find the Avis car rental desk where we used a credit card to collect our Toyota Camry. Roisin had the fun of driving into Calgary to the Sandman Signature Hotel and learning about the tricky one-way grids. We did like the nature reserve by the river and Peace Bridge but felt Calgary lacked character.

To be honest, I did not love Calgary and this was partly due to feeling unsafe. We did not find many appealing places for a quick dinner while jetlagged so we settled on a disappointing MacDonald’s. I was hoping for a veggie burger but got a bun inside a bun…. We did not have time to visit the famous Calgary Tower or visit the Stampede Area unfortunately so there is potential for redemption.

Canada Road Trip Day 2:
Calgary to Banff

We used Calgary to stock up groceries at Safeway before heading to Banff. We popped into MEC to buy Bear Spray as well as eye-up Canadian Outdoor equipment. I was anxious about the driving an automatic Left Hand Drive car on the right side of the road. However, the highways are very wide and well signposted which helps get up to speed (no pun intended). You’ll get used to the right-hand turns on red lights and traffic lights on the highways. Exiting Calgary is easy as you head towards the Rocky Mountains past Cochrane. You’ll be amazed as you transition from the plains to the foothills and then suddenly to tall peaks.

Canmore

Canmore is only an hour away from Calgary along the highway and the gateway to the great Canadian outdoors. We parked up at the Safeway and walked into the old western-style town along a pleasant river walk. The town has a charming feel and is not overly crowded. There are some free toilets in the centre for reference and plenty of shops to explore. We stopped for lunch at the popular Communitea Cafe for wraps with popcorn which was tasty. We only spent an hour in Canmore as we were excited to arrive in Banff but would love to spend a week hiking and doing outdoor activities.

Banff

Half an hour down the road is the world-famous town of Banff. The hub of Banff National Park and the most popular base to explore the National Park and Lake Louise area. There is an abundance of shops, restaurants and bars throughout the town to keep you entertained.

We stayed in the Caribou Lodge, a traditional mountain lodge on Banff Avenue. It’s a 3* hotel with large rooms and a sauna, spa and restaurant all on-site and only 10 mins from town. On the first day, we got our bearings around town and found the IGA supermarket. After a successful first day, we visited Block Bar & kitchen for delicious cocktails in the sun while people-watching. For dinner, we had no plans but had scouted out Nourish Bistro which is a popular vegetarian spot. We enjoyed tapas style dishes including Poutine, Bowls and Salads which were worth the short wait.

Canada Road Trip Day 3: Lake Louise

Lake Louise Sunrise

One of our most eagerly anticipated days was the day trip to Lake Louise. We did not have a reservation for the shuttle bus and decided against public transport or a private tour. Instead, we woke at 4:30 to drive along a pitch-black highway to get to the First-Come First Served Car-Park next to Lake Louise. It was one of our favourite moments of the trip of watching sunrise over Lake Louise. Remember to wrap up warm as it’s rather cold even in the Summer months.

Mount St Piran

After sunrise, we planned to make the most of our parking and do a rather long day hike. Originally we planned to hike Sentinel Pass via Larch Valley but this was restricted with minimum groups of 4 required due to bear activity. Instead, we had a pretty special back-up hike planned of climbing Mount St. Piran from Lake Louise.

We had some breakfast back in the warm car and got ready to hike around 8 am. We went around the lake before climbing through the trees up to Mirror Lake which reflects the Big Beehive. Higher up at Lake Agnes, we could most the crowds waiting for refreshments at the teahouse. After Lake Agnes, I started enjoying the hike more once away from the crowds. A surprise viewpoint was from Little Beehive where we took amazing photos of Lake Louise. To ascend to Mount St. Piran, there is a small path off the Little Beehive track into the trees which will climb up the steep scree slope but it is not clear so it’s worth using GPS to find it. At the summit, you get an amazing 360-degree view of the Canadian Rockies.

Plain of 6 Glaciers

We looped to the top of Lake Agnes but were unaware that we would be carefully descending a very steep loose slope. We picked a nice lunch spot at the top end of Lake Agnes where we decided to head towards the Plain of 6 Glaciers. A fun trail skirting above Lake Louise and gave us an appreciation for the icy blue colour. The path up to the Teahouse was a slog in 25°C but the views are stunning. What we didn’t know was the actual Plain was another 20 minutes further from the teahouse. We hiked up the moraine to the top glacial viewpoint before the long descent down to Lake Louise. After 23 km and 7.5 hours of hot hiking, we finished where we started for sunrise among even more day visitors.

Banff

Our plan was to enjoy happy-hour cocktails and Pizza at Lupo but the long hike meant we missed it. We hit the town in search of an early dinner as we had built up an appetite understandably. We were a little indecisive at first given the range of cuisines and took a gamble which paid off. Usually we don’t eat at Indian restaurants after hikes but Zyka is one of the best Indian restaurants I’ve been to!! We had a window view of the mountains and were amazed by the authentic flavour and value.

Canada Road Trip Day 4:
Edith & Corey Pass

The pattern merged of early morning walks and Day 4 was one of my favourites due to the reflection of Mount Rundel in Vermillion Lake. It took us around 35 mins to walk from Caribou Lodge and it was not the most inspiring route but the reward and photos were worth it. On the walk back, we popped into Good Earth Coffee and got some coffee for breakfast. It was our first experience of being asked for tips for coffee which felt weird compared to the UK.

Edith & Corey

We wanted a day hike not far from Banff and several blogs recommended Cory & Edith Pass as one of the best hikes in the National Park. The trailhead is only a 15min drive away from the town and I would suggest getting there before 10am as there is limited parking. We decided to ascend up the Edith valley and descend Cory which mean a challenging climb to start. There are great view of Bow Valley as you zigzag up the relentless 5km climb with 1000m of climbing. The heat and sun was tiring as we ascended so many stops were needed while in the treeline. Roisin had some Garmin watch tracking issues which meant water stops for me.

The trail was relatively quiet and only got busy as we approached the Gargoyle Valley. We decided not to climb to the top of Mount Edith up steep scree and chose lunch with an incredible view instead. As you turn the corner, you’ll be amazed by Mount Louis sheer rock face overlooking the narrow valley. The path down is loose so be wary and try keep your eyes on it instead of Mount Louis. At the end of the valley, the view opens up towards Mount Norquay and Mount Brewster. The descent down is pretty fast with some undulating sections through ferns. Then the path enters the woods which is eerily quiet and serene with the fallen pine trees. Finally, the path joins up along the flat path to cross the stream carefully (no Bridge) and then to the carpark. A challenging but worth while hike.

Banff

The advantage of not driving far to hike was we got back into town in time for happy hour! Lupo is an Italian restaurant with a terrace where we enjoyed cocktails and pizza with a view of Mount Rundel. We were impressed by the quality of the Pizza given how cheap ($16) and got delicious Italian inspired cocktails for $7 each. After a lovely meal, we shopped in the outdoor shops such as the North Face, Lululemon, Patagonia and Monod Sports. I was gifted up a Banff North Face T-Shirt and gave Roisin a small cuddly black bear called Bow (after the valley). The Banff National Park Administration Building is Scottish inspired and has fantastic views back across town.

Canada Road Trip Day 5:
Icefields Parkway

Tunnel Mountain Sunrise Hike

On our last morning in Banff, we got up again in darkness to do a sunrise hike up Tunnel Mountain. The weather was not in our favour unfortunately with low cloud which blocked out the sunrise. The walk from town up the pine forests was easy and only took 50 mins to the top. There’s nice views of Banff and Cascade mountain on the 7km hike with over 300m of climbing. It’s a popular family friendly day hike and was not technical. The best bit were the up close views of Mount Rundle seen below.

Moraine Lake

The Trans-Canada Highway is the best road I’ve ever driven! The amount of amazing must-see places is why it takes 8-9 hours to drive to Jasper. The drive from Banff to Lake Louise is very picturesque and the shuttle takes you to Moraine Lake or Lake Louise. Having visited Lake Louise already, it was Moraine Lake’s turn and I was excited no matter the weather or crowds. We had a moody gloomy day which contrasted to Lake Louise on Day 3. There are plenty of viewpoints from the Rockpile but be patient with everyone wanting pics. We walked along the shoreline for an hour to the top end of the lake were rewarded with spectacular views of the mountain range up close. The Rockpile is an iconic spot and definitely worth visiting (if you have a shuttle reservation).

For more info on planning your Lake Louise trip, visit Parks Canada. Moraine Lake has limited accessibility with the only option from 2023 being the shuttle bus (no early morning car park like Lake Louise).

Peyto and Bow Lake

After turning off Highway 1 onto Highway 93, the real fun begins. A quick pull-in is all that is required for Bow Lake which is vast and has parking along the highway.  The next stop is Peyto Lake which attracts huge crowds due to the easily accessible viewpoint. Be patient for pictures as everyone is apparently a model on a photoshoot. The next section of the road trip north is unworldly where you’ll pass peaks, rivers and numerous lakes. After passing the only petrol station on Icefields Parkways at Saskaten River crossing, you’ll quickly return and test your driving on the big bend. Shortly afterwards, there was a traffic jam caused by people abandoning cars. for a bear photo. We got much closer to a bear later on in the trip!

Athabasca Glacier & Sunwapta Falls

Athabasca Glacier is worthy of stopping especially to see the vast ice field between the mountains. Oddly, there were off-road school buses taking people onto the Glacier itself. The last top before Jasper was the Sunwapta Falls which is another recognisable attraction of a waterfall with an island. There were a few places that we missed out on with the main hike being Wilcox Pass for a glacier approach. 

Jasper

We arrived late after a long day driving and were very much looking forward exploring Jasper. We were staying at Lobstick lodge which was a 10min walk into the entre of the small mountain town. Upon entry into Jasper, we were welcomed with smoke from the wildfires in the area which hid the surrounding mountains. The hotel was fairly basic in looks but we had a rather spacious room with everything we needed for a good night’s sleep. For dinner, we went to Jasper Pizza which was not the best Pizza I’ve had as it had too much Feta and we were pretty cold sitting outside. Jasper itself was much smaller and residential than Banff but also felt more natural and connected to the wildlife.

Canada Road Trip Day 6:
Jasper Maligne Lake

We woke up to torrential rain which delayed our morning neighbourhood stroll and it was not as exciting as the previous 2 days. The biggest surprise was seeing a small Black Bear around the houses (see pic below). Bear sightings are common in Jasper so be careful when walking around for wildlife. When Circle K opened, we popped in to collect some bits and stopped at the Bear’s Paw Bakery for a breakfast treat. Once I figured out how to operate a drip coffee machine we had breakfast in our room and packed for a hike. On the drive to Maligne Lake, we saw the remains of forest fires which had destroyed the landscape around Medicine Lake. Given the very low cloud and poor visibility, we weren’t surprised to see the car park very quiet,

Most people come to the Maligne to rent canoes and paddle over to Spirit Island. We would love to visit Spirit Island on another trip with better weather. However, we decided to hike the Opal Hills in the hope of seeing Maligne Lake and went clockwise to avoid the steep section. It was eerily quiet and we were conscious of potential bear sightings so talked loudly and clapped to alert our approach. The hike was through trees until we entered the valley and saw several Moose on the slopes. In total, we saw only 5 people all day so enjoyed the route to ourselves. When the clouds broke we got some summits but no Lake view unfortunately. On the descent, a Moose was blocking our path so we went off-piste and didn’t realise until later to not get within 100m…. We were closer to 15m away!

The drive back to Jasper was along a lovely road and we skipped Maligne Canyon to get back faster. We popped into town to check out some shops such as Pure Outdoors where Roisin brought a Hydration Bladder. For our last Jasper dinner, we chose to eat at The Raven Bistro and were lucky to get a table outside because we were early. We enjoyed a bottle of Riesling that accompanied us back to the hotel to finish and the main meals (Salmon for Roisin and Curry tart) were delicious. I would highly recommend the Raven for its flavour and creative choices. We ran back to the hotel to finish our washing then walked back to town for ice cream in the rain. Jasper has good eating options and is cheaper than other places plus plenty of accommodation!

Canada Road Trip Day 7:
Jasper to Clearwater

Whilst in Jasper, we decided to walk to the Old Fort Point for a Jasper viewpoint. We went through town and crossed the railway near Shell before following the trail to the trailhead. It has a short climb up wooden stairs and then an easy last section to the viewpoint to grab some pics. We extended the walk further before looping back and retracing our steps to town. After another trip to the Bear’s Paw Bakery to try a cinnamon pastry, we packed up ready to hit the road. Once we checked out, the weather really opened up giving teasing views of Pyramid Mountain and Whistler Mountain. We only had a full day in Jasper so would love to come back for more hiking and outdoor activities, check out the Ultimate Canada Road Trip Post to find out exactly what’s on the bucket list in Jasper National Park

Mount Robson National Park

The first of 2 days driving to get to Whistler was thoroughly enjoyable as we worked our way through the mountains and lakes. Our first stop was at Mount Robson visitor centre to see the second-highest mountain in BC and learn about the history of the National Park. Ideally, we would have left enough time to walk to Kinney Lake but this trail was not open and we did not have the time to hike 13km. We jumped back in the car and continued the drive along Highway 16 until we turned off to Highway 5. We found a nice lunch spot at Blue River along Eleanor Lake with a beach with sun to make it feel like summer.

Clearwater

Our night stop was at Clearwater, which was nothing special, as it’s a small transitional town that makes for a practical stopover. We stayed at Wells Gray Inn which surprised us with the comfort of the room and the small outside seating. Dutch Lake is worth a walk and a swim if the weather permits. There a very limited restaurant options and we decided to eat at the Gateway Grill which forced me to break my vegetarianism but the burger and poutine were well worth it at least. The best thing for us was doing a big grocery shop at Buy Low Food which offered a great variety of produce (and veggie substitutes) for a great total cost. This saved us from buying food when in Whistler and Vancouver Island. There is also a Shell garage which we used to fill up on Diesel before driving onto Whistler.

Canada Road Trip Day 8:
Clearwater to Whistler

One of the longest days driving gave us 2 options: going via Kamloops (Highway 5) or going along Highway 24 and Highway 97 to stay in the mountains a little longer. We choose the scenic route with our first stop at Bridge Lake Ice Caves Trail to stretch our legs after a lovely hilly drive. The roads were much quieter than the highways even if we got stuck behind caravans but the Corolla overtook with ease. Once on Highway 97, we cruised along straight highways soaking up the Canadian countryside with our trusted Spotify playlist keeping us singing along. Our lunch spot was at Chasm which is an impressive pine-filled ravine that spans for miles. After we drove to Lillooet to do a driver swap (we averaged 2 hours each to share the driving load), I had fun driving up the twisty mountain road on Highway 99.

Whistler

After filling up with fuel in Pemberton, I had the pleasure of driving into the chaos that is Whistler. I was not expecting so many people roaming around or for our hotel to be in the centre. We stayed at the Whistler Hotel and Suites which was a lovely accommodation with amazing location, an outdoor hot-tub and pool. The under-ground parking was handy but expensive unfortunately. Our room was a Studio apartment with a good kitchen, balcony, dining table, sofa and murphy bed. We were very happy with our set-up and made for an ideal base to cook and explore the area.

Whistler itself is an affluent and extremely popular resort famed for it’s skiing and mountain biking. We were not there for either as we eyed up hiking Garibaldi Lake and visit Squamish (Canada’s Climbing Capital). The centre is pedestrianised with restaurants covering every cuisine and plenty of bars to keep you going late into the night. The main thing to note is Whistler is expensive and generally we found British Columbia more pricey than Alberta.

Canada Road Trip Day 9: Squamish

To keep to our morning routine, we walked over to Lost Lake on the outskirts of Whistler to stretch the legs before getting ready for a day trip to Squamish. Lost Lake is a 30min 3km walk from the town centre and perfect for a walk or run in the morning. After our outing, we got hike ready and in the car for the 50min (60km) drive to Squamish along the Sea to Summit Highway – what a fantastic name for a road! We were not prepared for how busy the car parks were at the base of Stawamus Chief so ended up parking at Shannon Falls car-park around 10am and then walked under the Sea to Sky Gondola to join up with the trail. I would highly recommend getting to Squamish early to guarantee a good parking spot.

The Stawamus Chief – 2nd & 3rd peak

The 3rd Hike of the Road Trip was the most surprising and thrilling! It was recommended by one of Roisin’s colleagues to do it for the fun of climbing multiple peaks overlooking the water below. It is by far the most popular hike in Squamish and as we found out. This hike was only a half day for us and is very accessible but the higher-up sections are exposed with some ladders and Via Ferrata included. Roisin and I chose to do the loop counter-clockwise doing 3rd peak, 2nd peak and then 1st peak.

This route was a much quieter start with most people heading straight to 1st peak while we enjoyed the wooded and rocky climb up a ravine to the 3rd peak. The 3rd Peak climb is a smooth rock with the best panoramic views of the summits! Follow the path back along the narrow path and start the short steep climb up to the 2nd peak. This is closer to the waterfront and my favourite of the 3 views. It was a fast descent with some ladders and cables to go down where we met oncoming traffic. It’s a narrow section between rocks and passing is difficult. Then was my favourite part, the sheer Via Ferrata where you climb rungs up a rock wall and then onto footplates and chains. This is technical and I would not recommend this section if you aren’t sure-footed or have a head for heights.

The Stawamus Chief – 1st Peak

After reaching the end of the via Ferrata, go left around the summit and then climb up to the main rock slope to get to the top. You’ll notice more people on the 1st Peak compared to the other two and a clean photo takes patience. Now for the descent down which has 1 ladder section which creates a bottleneck before descending the sets of wooden stairs to the bottom of the trail. We swung via Shannon Falls which has impressive height and made use of the Cable Car Station toilets before finishing up. When back at the car park, the real carnage begins with people struggling to find free spots and making it difficult to leave. Overall, a very fun hike and climbing combo with wonderful views and can be achieved in around half a day at a push.

We drove into Squamish to have a nosy around and being the climbing capital, I hoped to have a look in a climbing/outdoor store. And of course brought some gear as a souvenir before we did shop at Save-On-Foods where we luckily manage to get a Guest discount on our shop to save some money. I like Squamish as a town and has nice proximity to the mountains as well as being within touching distance of Vancouver and Whistler. We didn’t have time to do Brandywine Falls on the way back as we chose to look round the many clothes shops in Whistler where we picked up some Patagonia kit. Our evening was chilled with a home-cooked meal in the apartment and made the most of the hot-tub at the hotel before a good night’s rest before the Huge Hike planned.

Canada Road Trip Day 10: Garibaldi Lake

Today was the the hiking day I was most excited for especially after getting the parking reservation for Rubble Creek Trailhead. We did a short morning stroll around the upper area of Whistler before leaving Whistler at 7am to ensure we got a parking spot at the trail head. It was only a 25min drive and it’s worth having the QR code for the reservation downloaded as signal is intermittent. There is a checkpoint on the access road up and a decent sized car-park to prepare for the day ahead. This day hike is one of my all-time favourites and comes in at Number 2 on the The Best Mountain Day Hikes List

Garibaldi Lake

Our Garmin GPS took 5 mins to locate, and then off we went up the trail following the AllTrails route. The first 9km up to Garibaldi Lake is a steady gradient which we did in around 90 mins. It’s mainly through forest and along switchbacks with few views of peaks yet. To Garibaldi Lake, it is a 900m climb and there is a campsite next to the shoreline where you will see campers descending the other way. We beat most of the crowds so were one of the first hikers up to Garibaldi Lake by 9:30am and were in awe of the vast lake in front of us. We then continued to Taylor Meadows at around 10am after many photographs and a pit stop. It was a steep section before the lovely alpine meadows with the famous Black Tusk looming above.

Panorama Ridge

We started to meet hikers who had gone straight up towards Panorama Ridge instead of to Garibaldi whereas we chose the lake first as we were unsure of injuries and weather then continued higher. We saw Marmots on the path as the day brightened and we began our final ascent. This was tough going on steep loose scree in places along the ridge. It took us around 30 mins to climb the last few hundred metres in elevation just in time for the clouds to break. We noticed the mix of prepared hikers and tourists in sandals and no water struggling up to the summit in search of their perfect photos. This ridge to the main summit is exposed and we cooled off quickly with wind chill so it’s worth bringing layers.

We made it to the top of the Panorama Ridge and were rewarded with a view that lived up to its namesake! You can see the surrounding peaks, glaciers, the whole lake below, Black Tusk behind and further into the distance. The summit is popular so we stopped for lunch on the crest a little further on the other side. After many photos, we descended the steep trail and then powered back along the meadows and into the forest overtaking many groups which had ventured to Garibaldi. Once we returned to the car park we had completed over 31 km in a day with almost 1650m of climbing so we were pretty shattered but extremely happy with the day hike.

Whistler

After returning to Whistler, we were fairly wrecked post hike so made a home made pasta dinner before a very gentle evening walk. 50,000 steps later, we went for a night time hot tub dip to ease some aches. After spending the first 9 days eating and drinking out, we were more than happy to cook ourselves and save some money for later on in the trip.

Canada Road Trip Day 11:
Whistler to Ucluelet

Despite being on the expensive side, we were sad to leave Whistler as had fond memories of the 2 day hikes we did in the area. Our morning walk showed us the Olympic Rings and Inukshuk before we packed and cleaned the apartment. After check-out we left early as had a morning ferry booked to Vancouver Island so it was easy to fill up on fuel at the Chevron on the way towards Squamish. For the 5th time in 3 days, we drove along the Sea to Summit highway for 1h20m drive to Horseshoe Bay.

Tip: The navigation is confusing and you don’t need to go to the ticket office before hand so follow signs where you go past the town and double back on the highway to the entrance.

Horseshoe Bay

Fortunately, we arrived at Horseshoe Bay on time for our scheduled ferry. The Canadian Affair vouchers were simple to exchange and with an hour to kill, we walked over to the small port town. We grabbed a coffee from Blenz Coffee before boarding the ferry. The crossing was smooth with a nice deck to sit and spot Vancouver on the horizon. We disembarked in Nanaimo where I drove through the slow lunchtime traffic along Highway 19 and off into the rugged landscapes towards Port Alberni. We stopped at a Walmart to pick up some additional groceries and were amazed by the size of Walmart and also the lack of quality of produce. The drive on Highway 4 towards Pacific National Rim was stunning with beautiful winding roads through hills and along lakes. Even though there were lots of motorhomes and lorries, we found passing lanes pretty often to overtake.

Ucluelet

It was a long day driving when we finally arrived at Ucluelet along the rugged Pacific Coast. We stayed at Water’s Edge Suites where we had an incredible apartment overlooking the Bay. Unlike Whistler, we had a separate bedroom to the kitchen and then a hot tub on the balcony which we made the most of. This was by far the best accommodation for the space, utilities and comfort we had and would love to go back. After unpacking, we walked into the town to see the small amount there was. The main supermarket is the Co-Op general store which had a large range of fresh produce and served all our needs including a 2l tub of espresso ice cream. We cooked in the apartment and enjoyed a sunset over the bay with a glass of white wine in the hot tub, a much-needed relaxation after the Pano Ridge hike.

Canada Road Trip Day 12:
Pacific Rim National Park

Another day and another morning walk but this time along coastal trails which was literally a refreshing change to the mountain walks. Ucluelet has a newly created trail called the Wild Pacific Way which consists of the Ancient Cedar Loop Trail, the Artists Loop and Lighthouse Trail. We first did the Cedar and Artists walk which was an easy trail poking in and out of coastal outcrops and coves. This took us an hour from the start of the trail at the northern point the finishes at Big Beach near town.

Vancouver Island feels completely different to the Canadian Rockies. Tofino is a well-known destination for whale watching and stunning beaches but we didn’t drive as far as Tofino. From Ucluelet, it took an hour to drive to Radar Hill along the Pacific Rim Highway (4). The 1st stop had my joint favourite and least favourite bits of the day. We walked casually for 45 mins along the boardwalks and bog to the Canso Plane Crash Site. Suddenly a large smashed-up Graffiti-covered plane emerges in the trees. Be careful of the sharp metal but you can scramble around it and get some great pics of the plane and Forrest merged. We retraced our steps past the creepy abandoned building and the car park up to Radar Hill. The walk up the road is steep and not enjoyable plus the view from the top was a little disappointing. 

The next stop was Combers Beach which is next to Long Beach. A short walk down the forest trail unveils a huge long beach which we used as a pleasant lunch spot. The weather was cool and cloudy so it wasn’t ideal beach weather so we drove on to the Rainforest Trail. The car park was very busy comparatively showing the popularity. We walked along the wooden stairs and walkways deep into the Rainforest. It was a surreal experience which gave me a sense of peace. Despite other people, you can find quiet and listen to the sounds of the rainforest. After our relaxing walk, we parked at Wickaninnish Beach car park and walked over to South Beach down a steep wooden staircase. The beach was shale and slow progress but we scrambled up a large rock for some pics and views of the coast and ocean.

After South Beach, we went home as we had a long day exploring Pacific Rim National Park and decided we would half outsource our dinner. Jiggers is a fast food truck which does fish & chips mainly, in Ucluelet, there was a long queue but as we only ordered chips we got served quickly. It was a mad rush back to Water’s Edge to cook dinner and enjoy the tasty chips/fries. Of course, we made the most of the balcony hot tub one last time and then were treated to some ice cream and a film. Vancouver Island was the perfect place after all our hiking to relax and recharge before the cities to come. My highlight was all the walks along the rugged coast with the moody atmosphere and slower pace of life.

Canada Road Trip Day 13:
Ucluelet to Victoria

The day started on the Wild Pacific Trail doing the Lighthouse Loop. There was a pretty sunrise as we walked around the Amphitrite Point lighthouse. We packed and filled up at the Petro-Canada before starting the day’s drive to Victoria. We passed Kenedy Lake with clear roads which made it one of my favourite driving moments of the trip. Unfortunately, we hit roadworks so we caught up with the traffic and crawled our way to Port Alberni. We did a quick toilet stop and driver swap before driving to Cameron Lake. The parking was crazy with abandoned vehicles everywhere so instead of stopping we continued to Nanaimo. Lunch was leftover dinner on the pontoon on Chemainus Lake Park in the sun before we continued to Victoria. The traffic increased as we approached the city and it turned out I had the short straw of driving through the centre.

Victoria

Victoria is a lovely city with an impressive Waterfront but the traffic is intense. We passed the busy centre to The Oswago Hotel which immediately looked fancy as there was vintage Ferrari parked out front. We checked in and got ourselves comfortable in the room before heading out to check out the town. The room was a modern studio apartment with views from the 7th floor and a compact kitchen for our dinner. We were a few mins walk from the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia and Fairmont Empress Hotel which are grand architectural masterpieces on the Harbour.

We walked into Downtown to check out Munro’s Books, MEC and many other shops. Then, we felt in the mood for cocktails so we wandered around until we found Garrick’s Head Pub which served us a very strong Alabama Slammer and Long Island Iced Tea which was named appropriately. While heading back towards the hotel, we stopped in Belleville’s Watering Hole on the harbour. We sat out front for the views and tried a traditional Canadian Cocktail. The Shaft is made of Vodka, Coffee Liqueur (Kahlua), Irish Cream Liqueur (Bailey’s) and cold brew coffee, so it’s similar to a white Russian but is a morning coffee drink. We made a quick stir fry before settling into a quiet night in our apartment.

Canada Road Trip Day 14:
Victoria to Vancouver

We woke up to an orange sunrise over the skyline of Victoria before we headed out for our morning walk. The harbour was peaceful with the sunrise colours reflected in the water and not many other people awake yet. We walked over to Breakwater Lighthouse along the seawall where lots of runners were speeding past as we overtook other walkers with everyone being friendly. After we went up Beacon Hill Park to look at the gardens and greenery. Our final stop after seeing the impressive Christ Church Cathedral was Market on Yates. We raided the bakery where I could finally try a Nanaimo bar, a three-layer delight with a coconut crumb base, a custard filling, and a chocolate ganache topping. Unfortunately, we did see the homeless crisis in the city and was noticeable in Vancouver over the next few days

Schwartz Bay

We enjoyed Vector cereal, coffee and a Nanaimo bar to fuel us travelling to Vancouver. The Toyota Corolla was packed and I drove the 30mins out of the city towards Schwartz Bay for the ferry where we luckily got on an earlier ferry which we didn’t complain about. The ferry crossing was pretty smooth over the 1h50 where we watched the islands pass from the deck, read our books and write my travel journal. Roisin had the task of driving into Vancouver during lunchtime traffic to drop off the car to end our Canada Road trip. It was slow but exciting seeing the city grow as we weaved into the centre. We managed to drop off our luggage at the hotel to save us from carrying it from Avis. The car drop was odd as you drove down the levels of the underground car park to Level -8.

Vancouver

Afterwards, we walked back to Robson on Rosendale to collect our luggage and check-in. The hotel was nice and we had a separate bedroom at least. We got changed and walked into the centre only 10 mins away where the crowds were noticeable. After the quiet of Vancouver Island, we were into a big city with plenty of shopping malls, attractions and restaurants. We checked out some shops to get souvenirs to remember the amazing trip. We had almost 2 days in Vancouver so we didn’t overload Day 14. To celebrate the end of the road trip, we went to Glowal, a sleek trendy bar where we got excellent service and creative cocktails. We ordered different Sangrias and The Roof before heading back to the Hotel. It was our last night of cooking so we made tapas of our remaining ingredients before a quiet night of watching Netflix.

Canada Road Trip Day 15: Vancouver

We woke up feeling ready to discover Vancouver and where better to begin than Stanley Park? We started off by heading to the West End and the Harbour to enter the park. However, we did not realise there was a cycling race from Vancouver to Whistler up the Sea to Summit Highway. The last riders were just leaving as we walked along the waterfront. We didn’t do a complete loop of Stanley Park as that would have taken half a day so we visited the beautiful Rose Garden instead. First, we visited a local market but we did not buy anything so we walked over to English Bay and Sunset Beach where people were playing skate hockey and beach volleyball. We crossed the bridge towards Kitsilano for a spot of shopping on 4th Avenue. I picked up some Patagonia gear but no more as we had no more packing space.

Hawksworth Restaurant

Unfortunately we didn’t have time to visit Granville as we had a special end of trip restaurant booked at Hawksworth. We went back to the hotel to get dressed up and walked over to the award-winning restaurant in the Rosewood Hotel Georgia. We tried the Taste of Hawksworth lunch menu for $36 each which was exceptional value with top service and delicious local cuisine. The recommended Riesling wine was superb and it was the perfect way to celebrate as we savoured the beetroot starter, cod lion main and Tres Leches cake dessert.

We were extremely content after our lunch and went out for a walk to Yaletown for some drinks in a cheap local bar (Two Parrots Bar & Grill). After some drinks, I felt in the mood for some Poutine so went to Fritz European Fry House which was fast, huge and tasty. The starter was rather filling but did not deter me from wanting to try Ignite Pizza. Roisin and I shared a 16” pizza sitting outside and it was one of the best Pizzas I’ve had and better than the several I’ve had in Italy! We walked back via the BC Place stadium to Robson on Rosendale to end a long day with over 40,000 steps. We went for a swim and hot tub dip in the hotel before relaxing in the room.

Canada Road Trip Day 16:
Vancouver to London

After missing Day 15’s sunrise, we got up early and went to Canada Place to get a perfect viewpoint as the sun illuminated the sky and clouds. The pictures were incredible and a special memory to end with. We finished off the Vector for breakfast with the conclusion it’s our favourite cereal. Strategically, we packed our large bags and daypacks for the flight later on and luckily left it with the hotel concierge. We left to go explore Stanley Park doing a 12km walk starting from English Bay and along the beaches taking in the beautiful views. Afterwards, we strolled into the forest and trees and reflected on all the best bits of our Canada Road Trip. There was a Safeway on Robson Street where we found and stock up on our new favourite chocolate bar: Coffee Crisp.

The bags were collected which made us look like pack mules with each of us double bagging. Gastown was a 15 min stroll so we explored the older-looking part of town with the steam clock and flat-iron-shaped building. It is a pretty area with an industrial look we appreciated before trekking to Yaletown as we made our way to the Airport. The metro was fast and cheap as we went to Vancouver International Airport where we checked our bags in and waited for the flight to Calgary. We did lengths of the terminals and picked up some small last minute souvenirs for ourselves and family before boarding. 

Calgary Airport

We had 90 minutes to kill at Calgary Airport before our long haul back to Heathrow. After exiting the plane and going through transfers, we were hungry which should be easy in an airport but midweek most of the eateries were shut to my disappointment. I settled on a Thai tofu bowl for dinner and we used all our spare cash on Tim Horton Timbits for the flight. The flight with WestJet to Heathrow felt long but we had good in-flight entertainment and the on-board food was better than expected. We arrived in London on the next day having travelled through the night which threw off our bodies. To finish our Canada Road Trip, we then drove back to the midlands tired, jetlagged and incredibly happy about life.  

Next Time

• Canmore: Our short lunch visit made me want to properly spend some time in Canmore. Our first taste of the Rockies and there are so many peaks to climb along with biking and white water sports to try.
• Yoho National Park: The neighbouring area to Banff which looked like an equally picturesque and quieter landscape. Lake O’Hara and Emerald Lake were considered but in the end, Lake Louise was higher on the list. I would love to spend some days camping in Yoho but permits for Lake O’Hara do sound like gold dust.
• Kansansis: The one area that I wish we could have explored. It looked more raw and wild than Banff and incredible for peaceful hiking routes. In particular, Tent Ridge looks like a challenging and epic hike! The routes look advanced and with more scrambling so right up my street.
• Jasper: With only 1 full day in Jasper and smoke from wildfires, we didn’t get to fully appreciate everything Jasper has to offer. There a many more hikes mentioned above and I would love to canoe on Maligne Lake to see Spirit Island
• Revelstoke: Similar to Canmore, Revelstoke has everything for outdoor adventure. Very popular for Skiing in Winter and equally as popular for hiking and biking in the summer.
• Kamloops: We avoided Kamloops and went on a more scenic drive but this is a good place to stock up on fuel, and groceries or have a break on a long transition day

Canada Road Trip: The Best of

Canada Road Trip Lessons

Nature

• It goes without saying that Canada is naturally stunning and one of the most varied countries. The Canadian Rockies and Pacific Coast Mountains were always likely to be my highlights with the stunning peaks, endless evergreen forests, the massive lakes and abundant wildlife. The Icefields parkway is the perfect example of the typically Canadian mountain landscape. On the other hand, the rugged Pacific rim coastline and rainforests were enchanting and offered a different relaxing atmosphere. Finally, the city that has it all in Vancouver with the harbours, mountains and urban lifestyle.

Driving

• The roads in Canada are some of my favourite with Icefields Parkway topping the list. The Toyota Corolla was ideal as it was a smooth cruiser with plenty of space and very good fuel efficient. The roads are much wider and straighter than the UK which also meant wide parking spots. We learnt it’s legal to turn right on a red light and there are plenty of one way systems in the cities. The most confusing aspect was having traffic lights on highways so going from motorway speeds to a stop. Many people choose to drive Motorhomes or RV’s which are much slower but overtaking is easy and there are passing lanes.

Shopping & Food

• We learnt very quickly that GST (a 5% tax) is not included on prices so remember it will be added on at the checkout. The produce was similar in most grocery stores with Safeway & yates on market having the highest quality produce whereas as Buy Low-Foods had by far the best value for money. We did enjoy the local cuisine especially the Poutine (3 times) and appreciated the fresh sea food when at Hawksworth. The prices for restaurants and bars were comparable to London with BC being more expensive in general than Alberta.

Final Thoughts

This Canada Road Trip felt like a bucket list item complete for me and made me feel inspired to explore Canada in greater depth. The natural beauty of Canada is hard to beat for mountain lovers like ourselves and the variety of landscapes and wildlife surprised us. The 16 days we spent in in BC and Alberta felt like a month of our lives and I honestly loved each day. There are so many other areas in West Canada that make me excited to visit again and learn more about the culture and history of Canada. The road trip went seamlessly and gave us the freedom to tailor our trip to our preferences and maximise the hiking and walking possible. I am very grateful for Canada Affair for the planning and booking of this trip and would recommend their services.

What are the best must-see places on a Canada Road Trip? Drop your favourite in a comment below and please share with your fellow travellers.