A three-week loop from Vancouver: the Sea-to-Sky Highway to Whistler, the Duffey Lake Road, the Okanagan lakes, Revelstoke, then Yoho, Banff and Jasper national parks linked by the Icefields Parkway, before returning via Wells Gray and the Coquihalla. Everything is on paved roads, in an ordinary hire car, with the option of starting from Calgary if you want to focus on the Rockies.
| Days | Stop | Drive |
|---|---|---|
| Days 1 to 2 | Vancouver | Start |
| Days 3 to 4 | Whistler | 124 km · 2h05 |
| Day 5 | Lillooet | 132 km · 2h35 |
| Days 6 to 7 | Kelowna | 293 km · 4h05 |
| Day 8 | Revelstoke | 197 km · 3h |
| Days 9 to 10 | Lake Louise | 227 km · 3h10 |
| Days 11 to 13 | Banff | 57 km · 50 min |
| Days 14 to 16 | Jasper | 289 km · 4h25 |
| Days 17 to 18 | Clearwater | 320 km · 4h10 |
| Day 19 | Harrison Hot Springs | 367 km · 4h25 |
| Day 20 | Back to Vancouver | 129 km · 1h50 |
Road route calculated from the stops (OpenStreetMap). Driving times assume no stops and no traffic: add time for photo breaks.
Mid-June to mid-September: the Moraine Lake road (shuttles), the Takakkaw Falls road and the Maligne Lake cruise are running, and the summit of Mount Revelstoke usually clears around late July. From October to April, winter tyres are compulsory, high roads are closed, and the Icefields Parkway has no services at all for 230 km.
🚗 124 km · 2h05 of driving from Vancouver
Highway 99, the Sea-to-Sky, along Howe Sound: bends, cliffs, and 60 km/h through Lions Bay, Britannia Beach and Squamish.
🚗 132 km · 2h35 of driving from Whistler
Highway 99 via Pemberton then the Duffey Lake Road: a steep climb to Cayoosh Pass (1,275 m), then a long, winding descent to Lillooet.
🚗 293 km · 4h05 of driving from Lillooet
Highway 99 then 97 via Cache Creek and Kamloops, then the 97 via Vernon along the Okanagan lakes.
🚗 197 km · 3h of driving from Kelowna
Highway 97 to Vernon, the 97A via Enderby to Sicamous, then Highway 1 (Trans-Canada) over Eagle Pass.
🚗 227 km · 3h10 of driving from Revelstoke
Highway 1 over Rogers Pass (no petrol station at the pass), through Kicking Horse Canyon, Golden, Field and then Kicking Horse Pass.
🚗 57 km · 50 min of driving from Lake Louise
Bow Valley Parkway (Highway 1A), slower than Highway 1, closed at night on a 17 km stretch from 1 March to 25 June.
🚗 289 km · 4h25 of driving from Banff
Highway 1 to Lake Louise, then the Icefields Parkway (93 North): 232 km with no phone signal, fuel only at Saskatchewan Crossing, in summer.
🚗 320 km · 4h10 of driving from Jasper
Highway 16 (Yellowhead) over Yellowhead Pass and past Mount Robson, then Highway 5 south via Valemount; clocks go back one hour.
🚗 367 km · 4h25 of driving from Clearwater
Highway 5 to Kamloops, then the Coquihalla (120 km/h, summit at 1,244 m) to Hope, then the Fraser Valley.
🚗 129 km · 1h50 of driving from Harrison Hot Springs
Fly into Calgary and keep to the Rockies: Banff (3 nights), Lake Louise with Yoho (2), Jasper (3), then back down the Icefields Parkway with a night in Banff or Canmore. You leave out Vancouver, the Okanagan and Wells Gray.
| Small car, Vancouver, annual average | ≈ CA$45 a day (€28) |
|---|---|
| Car, Vancouver, July | ≈ CA$105 a day (€65) |
| Car, Vancouver, November | ≈ CA$28 a day (€17) |
| SUV, Vancouver | ≈ CA$84 a day (€52) |
| Small car, Calgary | ≈ CA$49 a day (€30) |
| Car, Calgary, July | ≈ CA$107 a day (€67) |
| SUV, Calgary | ≈ CA$87 a day (€54) |
| Vehicle | City car or SUV: every stage is linked by paved roads, no 4x4 needed. |
|---|---|
| Where to pick it up | Vancouver airport (YVR), or Calgary (YYC), 130 km from Banff, joining the loop at Banff. |
| One-way hire | Vancouver to Calgary: drop-off fee depending on the rental company; Avis waives it between certain branches, including the two airports. |
| Insurance | Take CDW or LDW (damage to the vehicle) and check the excess before signing. |
| Age | 21 minimum at Enterprise in British Columbia and Alberta; surcharge of about $25 a day under 25. |
| Winter tyres | From October to April, insist on winter or M+S tyres: compulsory on most roads along the route. |
| Prices quoted | Kayak Canada averages recorded on 24 September 2026, excluding insurance; €1 = CA$1.61. |
⚠️ July costs 84% more than the annual average in Vancouver (Kayak): book early, or aim for June and September.
6 months in British Columbia, 1 year in Alberta. An International Driving Permit is recommended.
As in mainland Europe. Distances in kilometres, automatic gearbox on almost all hire cars.
50 in town. 120 on the Coquihalla, 90 on the Icefields Parkway; lower limits in the parks, as signed.
From 0.05%: immediate 3-day suspension in British Columbia and Alberta. At 0.08%: a criminal offence.
100 m from bears and wolves, 30 m from elk. Feeding or disturbing an animal: up to $25,000.
British Columbia: 1 October to 31 March, 30 April on mountain passes. Icefields Parkway: 1 November to 31 March.
Come to a full stop, give way to pedestrians, unless a sign says otherwise.
Behind or facing a stopped school bus signalling that children are getting on or off.
Holding an electronic device at the wheel: a fine and penalty points in British Columbia.
Golden and Yoho follow Alberta time. Check the times of your shuttles and bookings.
≈ €1.10 per litre in Alberta, €1.24 in British Columbia (CA$1.77 and CA$1.99, 22 September 2026)
Price recorded in September 2026: it changes every week, sometimes by 10 to 20 cents in a month. Check it before you go.
⛽ 2,135 km at 7 l per 100 km: about €160 at September 2026 prices, to share between passengers.
Fill up in Revelstoke, Golden, Lake Louise and Jasper: nothing at Rogers Pass, one summer-only station on the Icefields Parkway.
| Motorways and bridges | No tolls on the route (the Coquihalla toll was scrapped in 2008) |
|---|---|
| National parks (Mount Revelstoke, Glacier, Yoho, Banff, Jasper) | $12.25 per adult per day, $24.50 per group of up to 7 people |
| Parks Canada Discovery Pass | $83.50 per adult, $167.50 per family or group, 12 months |
| Canada Strong free entry | Free park entry from 19 June to 7 September 2026, excluding parking and shuttles |
| Lake Louise car park | $42 a day, from 15 May to 12 October 2026 |
| Parks Canada shuttle (Lake Louise and Moraine Lake) | $12.75 per adult return, $4 up to age 17, by reservation |
| Sulphur Mountain car park (Banff) | $17.50 a day |
| Joffre Lakes | Free pass per person, from 11 May to 25 October 2026 |
| Moraine Lake Road | Closed to cars; shuttles from 1 June to 12 October 2026 |
|---|---|
| Maligne Canyon (Jasper) | Closed for the whole 2026 season, after the 2024 wildfire |
| Mount Edith Cavell Road (Jasper) | Closed for the whole 2026 season |
| Highway 93A (Jasper) | Access from the south only, mid-September to mid-November 2026 |
| Yoho Valley Road (Takakkaw Falls) | Closed from mid-October to mid-June |
| Joffre Lakes Park | Closed 20 to 27 June and 8 to 30 September 2026 |
| Meadows in the Sky Parkway (Revelstoke) | Summit opens with the snowmelt, sometimes in late July |
| Bow Valley Parkway, 17 km east of Johnston Canyon | Closed from 20:00 to 08:00, 1 March to 25 June |
| Minnewanka Loop, western section | Closed from November to May |
| Rogers Pass (Highway 1) | In winter, closures of 2 to 8 hours for avalanche control |
| Icefields Parkway | Open all year, with no services at all in winter for 230 km |
| Clearwater Lake Road (Wells Gray) | Closed from mid-December to mid-May |
Three weeks for the full loop from Vancouver: 19 nights, ten stages, about 2,200 km, with no day of more than five hours' driving. With ten days, start from Calgary and stick to Banff, Lake Louise, Yoho and Jasper. Allow at least two nights in Banff and in Jasper, which you mostly explore on foot.
Excluding flights and accommodation: about CA$1,330 to CA$2,530 (€830 to €1,580): $900 to $2,100 of car hire over 20 days, about €160 ($260) of fuel at September 2026 prices for about 2,150 km, and $167.50 for the Discovery Pass, plus the Lake Louise car park ($42) and the Moraine Lake shuttle ($12.75 per adult).
Yes, on this loop: about eleven days in Mount Revelstoke, Glacier, Yoho, Banff and Jasper national parks, or nearly $270 at the daily group rate ($24.50) against $167.50 for the pass, valid for 12 months for seven people per vehicle. It pays for itself from seven days. Entry was free from 19 June to 7 September 2026 (Canada Strong).
The road is closed to private cars all year. You get there by Parks Canada shuttle from the Park and Ride at the Lake Louise ski resort (free parking), from 1 June to 12 October 2026, for $12.75 per adult. 40% of seats open for booking in mid-April, 60% two days ahead. Otherwise, use licensed commercial operators.
No. Maligne Canyon and the Mount Edith Cavell Road stay closed for the whole 2026 season: the 2024 Jasper wildfire burned the slopes, which are now exposed to debris flows. Maligne Lake remains accessible, with cruises to Spirit Island from late May to 11 October 2026, and the Valley of the Five Lakes trail has reopened.
Yes, for a tourist stay: six months in British Columbia and up to a year in Alberta with an EU licence. An International Driving Permit, an official translation to show with the original, is recommended; apply for it in the country that issued your licence, well before departure. An eTA (CA$7) is still compulsory to enter by air.
Driving rules, prices and closures checked in September 2026; hotels checked on OpenStreetMap and then on Booking. Rules change: read the official source before you leave, and check your own government's travel advice for the country. Stop photos: Wikimedia Commons, authors and licences under each image.
Off We Gooo road trip guide · offwegooo.com/en/road-trips/canada · by Pierrick, updated 1 October 2026
