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14 Days in Canada

Vancouver's seawall and Stanley Park, the turquoise lakes of Banff, the Icefields Parkway drive to Jasper, and Calgary's gateway to the Badlands. The canonical Canada family road trip — one of the world's great mountain scenery loops with direct flights from Australia.

14 nights
Family of 4
~A$17,920
4 stops
Vancouver3n
Banff4n
Jasper3n
Calgary4n
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Your stop-by-stop itinerary

4 stops across 14 nights. Each one chosen so you experience a different side of Canada.

1

Vancouver

3 nights
Fly into Vancouver International Airport (YVR) — direct from Sydney on Qantas or Air Canada

Highlights

  • Stanley Park seawall walk or bike ride (10km loop, kids can do half)
  • Capilano Suspension Bridge Park and Treetops Adventure
  • Granville Island public market, kids water park, and Aquabus ferries
  • Science World on False Creek (hands-on, great for kids 5-12)
  • Grouse Mountain Skyride and wildlife refuge day trip

Local tips

  • 💡Book Capilano Suspension Bridge online — walk-up queues are brutal in July and August
  • 💡You don't need a rental car in Vancouver itself — the city is walkable and the SkyTrain is excellent. Pick up the car when you fly to Calgary.
  • 💡Granville Island Aquabus ferries are a cheap kid thrill in their own right — budget a half-day for the market and the water park
Suggested stay: Family hotel in downtown Vancouver or Yaletown
2

Banff

4 nights
Fly Vancouver → Calgary (YYC, 1h 30m), pick up hire car at Calgary Airport, drive to Banff (1h 30m)

Highlights

  • Banff Gondola to Sulphur Mountain summit boardwalk
  • Lake Louise canoe rental on the turquoise lake (iconic family photo stop)
  • Moraine Lake viewpoint in the Valley of the Ten Peaks (shuttle-only in summer)
  • Banff Upper Hot Springs after a day of hiking
  • Johnston Canyon waterfall walk (or ice walk in winter)

Local tips

  • 💡Moraine Lake is shuttle-access only in peak season — book the Parks Canada shuttle weeks in advance on reservation.pc.gc.ca
  • 💡Stay in Banff town for the amenities and day-trip to Lake Louise (40 minutes north) — Lake Louise itself has much pricier hotels
  • 💡The Banff Gondola gets packed at sunset — go mid-afternoon for shorter queues and the same view
Suggested stay: Family hotel or lodge in Banff town
3

Jasper

3 nights
Drive Banff → Jasper via the Icefields Parkway (5-6 hours with stops). Allow a full day.

Highlights

  • Columbia Icefield Skywalk and Athabasca Glacier walk
  • Maligne Lake boat cruise to Spirit Island
  • Jasper SkyTram to the top of Whistlers Mountain
  • Athabasca Falls and Sunwapta Falls on the Icefields Parkway
  • Wildlife spotting drive on the Icefields Parkway — elk, bears, bighorn sheep

Local tips

  • 💡The Icefields Parkway drive between Banff and Jasper is one of the great drives in the world — allow the full day with stops at Peyto Lake, Bow Lake, and the glacier viewpoints
  • 💡Watch for wildlife at dawn and dusk. Stay in your vehicle if you spot bears on the roadside — do not get out for photos.
  • 💡The Jasper SkyTram is only worth doing on a clear day — check the forecast and skip if it's cloudy
Suggested stay: Family lodge in Jasper town
4

Calgary

4 nights
Drive Jasper → Calgary via Lake Louise (~5 hours). Return hire car at Calgary Airport (YYC) on departure day.

Highlights

  • Calgary Zoo and the Canadian Wilds exhibit with grizzly bears
  • Heritage Park Historical Village — a living museum with steam trains
  • Day trip to Drumheller's Royal Tyrrell Museum (dinosaurs, 90 minutes each way)
  • Calgary Tower observation deck and Stephen Avenue pedestrian mall
  • Glenbow Museum (reopened after full renovation)

Local tips

  • 💡Budget a full day for the Drumheller dinosaur museum — the Royal Tyrrell is genuinely world-class and kids love the hoodoos at Horseshoe Canyon
  • 💡If your trip lands during Calgary Stampede (early July), add pancake breakfasts and a rodeo day to your plan — it's a genuine bucket-list event
  • 💡Fly home from Calgary (YYC) — the open-jaw routing from Vancouver saves a full day vs backtracking
Suggested stay: Family hotel near downtown Calgary

Good to know

Estimated cost

The ~A$17,920 estimate covers accommodation across all 4 stops. Flights, daily spending, activities, and transport are additional — use SaveToRoam’s savings planner to track it all.

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