Visit Athabasca Falls, where the Athabasca River surges through a narrow limestone gorge. Walk safe pathways to viewpoints above the thundering cataract, feeling the cool spray and power that has carved potholes and chutes through the rock.

Interpretive signs explain how glaciers and river ice shaped this dramatic landscape in Jasper National Park. Between viewpoints, listen for the echo of water in the gorge’s echoing chambers and frame dramatic photos of foam, mist and layered canyon walls.

Board a purpose-built vehicle to board an Ice Explorer and roll onto the Athabasca Glacier before the day’s crowds. Step onto the living ice to feel ancient glacial textures, admire veins of deep blue and appreciate the scale of this frozen river.

Guides share how the Columbia Icefield has advanced and retreated over millennia, sculpting the surrounding peaks and valleys. In the early-morning quiet, absorb the crisp air and panoramic views that define high alpine Canada.

Experience exclusive access to the Glacier Skywalk, a cliff-edge, glass-floored walkway suspended 280 m (918 ft) above the Sunwapta Valley. With fewer visitors, the drama of waterfalls, plunging cliffs and soaring peaks takes center stage.

Interpretive panels reveal stories of geology, wildlife corridors and the forces that shaped this dramatic canyon. As evening light softens the ridgelines, look for mountain goats on the cliffs and savor the sensation of floating above a vast alpine panorama.

Settle into the Glacier View Lodge for a warm welcome and evening reception overlooking the ice. Later, dine at Altitude Restaurant on locally sourced Canadian cuisine framed by six mountain ranges and commanding Columbia Icefield views.

Between courses, watch alpenglow brush the summits, then step onto the viewing deck to admire the night sky above this remote alpine setting. The tranquil mood and high-country flavors create a memorable sense of place.

Explore Yoho National Park to see the ingenious Lower Spiral Tunnels, an early 20th-century solution that let trains safely conquer the steep Kicking Horse Pass. Continue to Takakkaw Falls, a 373 m (1,224 ft) cascade that lives up to its Cree name: “it is magnificent.”

Hear how railway history reshaped the Rockies and feel cool spray at the base of one of Canada’s highest waterfalls. Access to Takakkaw Falls is seasonal when the Yoho Valley Road opens (typically June to October).

Visit Moraine Lake in the Valley of the Ten Peaks, where glacial minerals tint the water an arresting turquoise. Photograph larch-clad slopes and rugged spires reflected in mirror-calm water from classic shoreline viewpoints.

Learn how rock flour and seasonal snowmelt create the lake’s luminous color and why this protected valley is a sanctuary for wildlife. Seasonal access and timed entries preserve the serenity of this world-famous scene.

Savor a leisurely lunch at the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise, where windows frame Victoria Glacier and the turquoise sweep of Lake Louise. Enjoy a menu highlighting regional Canadian ingredients in an alpine grand hotel setting.

Servers share stories of mountaineering heritage and lakeside summers that drew early explorers and artists. Between courses, step outside to photograph canoes drifting beneath craggy peaks and breathe in cool mountain air.

Survey Banff’s classic lookouts, from the sandstone Banff Hoodoos sculpted above the Bow River to Surprise Corner, where the castle-like Fairmont Banff Springs rises from forested slopes. These stops are designed to pause for photos and reflection.

Discover how wind, water and time formed the hoodoos, and how a transcontinental railway spurred the park’s creation. Pan across valley floors, Bow Falls and emerald forests that define Canada’s first national park.

Walk with an Indigenous Local Specialist through boreal forest to learn how plants have long provided medicine, food and tools. Participate in a tobacco smudging ceremony, a ritual of purification and gratitude rooted in cultural protocols.

Hear traditional ecological knowledge and stories that connect wildlife, including bears, to plant medicines and seasonal cycles. This experience supports stories carried by the land and advances sustainable communities through cultural stewardship.

Choose to explore the Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies, home to 28,000 artworks and artifacts illuminating mountain culture. Engage with exhibits on exploration, Indigenous presence, mountaineering and the evolving identity of this alpine region.

Founded by artists Peter and Catharine Whyte, the museum invites thoughtful reflection on how people and landscape shape one another. This Insight Choice option is included—select it at no additional cost during your time in Banff.

Join a hotel ambassador to uncover the history of Fairmont Banff Springs, the 1888 railway hotel whose Scottish baronial style became a Rocky Mountain icon. Stroll grand halls, hear tales of royal visits and Hollywood legends, and admire storybook turrets above the Bow Valley.

Learn how the Canadian Pacific Railway shaped tourism and conservation in Banff. This Insight Choice option is included—select it at no additional cost during your time in Banff.

Gather at the Pomeroy Kananaskis Mountain Lodge for a convivial welcome dinner celebrating local flavors. Share first impressions with fellow travelers as you settle into a forested valley ringed by rugged Front Range peaks.

Menus spotlight regional produce and prairie-to-peaks ingredients while staff introduce the area’s outdoor heritage. The setting primes you for days of alpine exploration and soothing mountain air amid the pines.

Experience the Rockies in motion aboard the Rocky Mountaineer, with daylight travel, storytelling hosts and chef-prepared cuisine. Watch for Kicking Horse Canyon, Rogers Pass and the last spike at Craigellachie as the train threads pinnacles and river canyons.

Choose SilverLeaf or GoldLeaf Service for elevated viewing and dining as landscapes shift from high peaks to sagebrush plateaus and the roaring Hell’s Gate of the Fraser Canyon. This rail experience is at additional cost and bookable on tour.

Drift a mellow section of the Athabasca River on a guided raft to scan gravel bars and spruce-lined banks for wildlife. The gentle current allows space to spot elk and osprey while your guide shares stories of fur trade routes and glacier-fed waters.

Light rapids add a splash or two without technical paddling. Bring a camera and curiosity—this easygoing float is at additional cost and bookable on tour.

Ride the Banff Gondola to Sulphur Mountain for sweeping boardwalk views over the Bow Valley, alpine ranges and the townsite far below. At the summit, step onto terraces for panoramic mountain vistas and crisp high-country air.

Interpretive exhibits reveal local geology and wildlife, while trails invite an unrushed stroll between viewpoints. This aerial experience is at additional cost and bookable on tour.

Journey the Icefields Parkway, where every curve reveals glacier-fed lakes, hanging valleys and serrated summits. Pull-outs invite you to pause for photos and reflection as turquoise waters and ancient moraines frame one of the world’s great mountain roads.

Learn how the nearby Columbia Icefield forms a rare hydrological apex feeding three oceans, and trace the Rockies’ geology in cliffs scoured by ice. Expect shifting mountain weather, misty mountain passes and wildlife-rich forests that define the Canadian alpine.

Cruise the turquoise waters of Maligne Lake on a narrated journey through a glacier-carved valley. Glide beneath knife-edged peaks and shoreline forests to the photogenic Spirit Island, accessible only by boat, for a perspective made famous by generations of photographers.

Hear how rock flour gives the lake its striking hue and how the landscape evolved under ice and time. On deck, breathe in crisp alpine air, admire a glacier-carved amphitheatre of stone, and capture postcard-perfect reflections. Operates seasonally.

Insight Vacations

• 8 Breakfast (B)
• 3 Dinner (D)
• 3 Lunch (L)

• Banff: Discover the history and culture of the Rocky Mountains of Canada at the Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies. Venture out on to the amazing Glacier Skywalk where you will be treated to an after-hours visit onto the cliff-edged glass floored walkway or learn about the history of the Fairmont Banff Springs, highlights and stories that took place around and at the hotel.

• Visit Banff National Park • Lake Louise • Jasper National Park • Moraine Lake • Icefields Parkway scenic drive • Maligne Lake • Sunwapta Falls • Athabasca Falls

• Top-rated dining, from farm-to-table to local restaurants
• Premium regional accommodation and overnight train
• Business class coach with extended leg room, and train travel

• Kananaskis: Enjoy a flavourful dinner at the Kananaskis Mountain Lodge.
• Icefields Parkway: At Altitude Restaurant, dine on locally sourced, fresh ingredients while overlooking the Columbia Icefield, one of the world’s largest accumulations of ice south of the Arctic. As you sip on your drink, enjoy one of the most spectacular dinner views you’ll ever see. Framed by six mountain ranges, this high-altitude setting offers a rare view of ancient glaciers, where ice up to 365 m (1,197 ft) thick continues to shape the dramatic Rocky Mountain landscape.
• Banff: Celebrate your journey with dinner at the Fairmont Banff Springs, a landmark hotel in the heart of the national park. Dine in a setting inspired by Scottish baronial architecture and enjoy a menu that highlights regional Canadian ingredients.

• Icefields Parkway: Enjoy an after-hours visit to the amazing Glacier Skywalk. Step onto the cliff-edged, glass-floored walkway rising 918 ft (280 meters) above the Sunwapta Valley offering sweeping views of the valley and Columbia Icefield.
• Icefields Parkway: Enjoy an evening reception at the Glacier View Lodge. After dinner, step out onto the viewing deck and marvel at the evening sky, relax with a drink in the library or hang out inside the Moraine Lounge.
• Icefields Parkway: Take a seat in a specially designed Ice Explorer for a visit onto the Athabasca Glacier before other travellers arrive. Follow your Local Specialist as you stroll on its icy surface and experience the enormous glaciers up close. 

• Banff: Learn about the history, highlights and stories that took place around the Fairmont Banff Springs hotel.
• Banff: Discover the history and culture of the Rocky Mountains of Canada at the Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies. With the mission of cultivating the exchange of knowledge, the museum engages you with the evolving history, peoples, cultures, environment and ideas of mountain cultures. Museum founders Peter Whyte and Catharine Robb Whyte were local artists and philanthropists who wanted to create a place where people could gather and appreciate the culture and beauty of the area.