To begin our adventure, we’re going east through the Fraser Valley, where we’ll take a short walk through a West Coast rainforest to Bridal Veil Falls. Then, we’ll traverse the Coastal Mountains, stopping at Kekuli Café in Merritt, the gateway to the BC Interior and the heart of the Nicola Valley for a lunchtime Indigenous meal. We will then pass through the majestic Shuswap Lakes and settle in for the night in the picturesque mountain town of Revelstoke. 

Meal Inclusions: Indigenous cuisine lunch in Merritt 

Moose Accommodation: Sandman Revelstoke

We have an action packed day ahead! Being completely spoiled with mountain ranges today, crossing not one, not two – but three of them, as we travel through four National Parks towards Banff! We’ll start the morning in Revelstoke where you can go kayaking on the beautiful Lake Revelstoke. After lunch, we will then head to the Golden Skybridge for a stunning walk over the Columbia Valley, the highest suspension bridge in Canada. Then, we’ll enter the Rocky Mountains and cross over the Kicking Horse Pass into Alberta and Banff National Park, spending the night in the historic town of Banff itself, right in the heart of the Rocky Mountains. 

Note: during April/May and from mid-September onwards, we will cross over the Vermillion Pass to enter Alberta and Banff National Park. 

Meal Inclusions: Continental Breakfast Buffet at Sandman Revelstoke 

Optional Morning Activity: Kayaking on Lake Revelstoke 

Afternoon Activity Inclusion: Golden Skybridge 

Moose Accommodation: HI Banff Alpine Centre 

It’s time to visit those famous blue lakes that you’ve seen in postcards! Lake Louise is calling, as is Moraine Lake (seasonal) before heading along the Icefields Parkway for breathtaking views of jagged mountain peaks, glaciers, raging rivers and more turquoise lakes. Keep your eyes peeled for iconic Canadian wildlife such as bears, moose and elk as we make stops at the Crowfoot Glacier, Peyto Lake (our favourite) and Mistaya Canyon before arriving at our rustic wilderness hostel. We invite you to immerse yourself in your beautiful surroundings with a dip and a sauna, and a campfire under the stars with your fellow travelers and a home cooked pot luck dinner. 

Moose Accommodation: HI Mosquito Creek, HI Rampart Creek or HI Athabasca Falls (bolding) 

Optional Meal Inclusion: Home style group meal 

Please note: there are no alternative accommodation options at this location, but we know you’ll love having a true taste of Canada at one of our wilderness hostel stays.

Jasper National Park today! First, we’ll stop at Big Bend lookout for a stunning view of the North Saskatchewan River Valley. Get your legs ready because next up is the Columbia Icefield, the largest ice field in the Rocky Mountains at 325 square kilometres, where we’ll hike to the toe of the Athabasca Glacier (conditions permitting). We will then head on to Maligne Canyon, the deepest canyon in Jasper National Park, for a short hike that crosses several bridges over the canyon with jaw-dropping views. Jasper townsite is our destination, and if you’re seeking an adrenaline rush, there is an option to take a guided mountain bike tour on arrival. 

Optional Afternoon Activity: Mountain Biking in Jasper 

Moose Accommodation: HI Jasper 

Our first stop: Athabasca Falls, one of the most powerful and picturesque in the Rockies! This is followed by a bit of mountain goat spotting (we’re still amazed at how they hold on) at the Goats and Glaciers viewpoint. Next, we head to Waterfowl Lakes to soak in the backdrop of Mount Chephren, which was named after the 4th Dynasty Egyptian Pharaoh. After this, we’ll return to Banff for a group dinner, and once our bellies are full, the night is yours! See what Banff nightlife has to offer or take a relaxing dip in the Banff Upper Hot Springs. 

Morning Meal Inclusion: Breakfast at HI Jasper

Evening Meal Inclusion: Dinner at Cougar Pete’s Restaurant & Lookout 

Moose Accommodation: There is no accommodation included tonight. You will need to make your own arrangements. We recommend that you do not book onward travel on this day in case of traffic or weather delays.

The Coho tour through Western Canada offers many adventure activities so that you can make the most of your trip. Go mountain biking, kayaking, white water rafting and more. Moose offers dozens of options to soak in the scenery in a more relaxed way like enjoying the hot springs or riding the Banff gondola for incredible mountain vistas. (Note: some of the activities below are only available after finishing the tour in Banff). 

Optional activities are booked and paid through your Moose tour guide while on the tour. No need to pre-book! The following optional activities are available on this tour:  

On a non-accommodated tour package, you must book ALL your accommodation yourself (except at our Wilderness Hostels). Moose does NOT include nor hold any accommodation reservations on your behalf in the overnight locations on this package. The non-accommodated package is designed for travellers who wish to stay in private rooms or in alternative properties. 

NOTE 1: The only exception is at a Wilderness Hostel where one (1) night in a mixed gender, hostel dormitory bed is included with this package. There are no alternative accommodation properties nearby and no private rooms available at Mosquito Creek, Rampart Creek or Athabasca Falls, hence why this hostel overnight is included. 

For the accommodated version of this tour, click here. 

The Coho is the first 5 days of the 8 day Caribou tour, and is part of numerous combination tours we offer: the Sasquatch and Tomahawk. Some of your fellow travellers will have already explored Vancouver Island and/or Whistler together.

There will also be travellers joining and leaving your tour in Banff between Days 2 and 3. After you finish in Banff, many travellers will continue towards Vancouver the following day.

This tour finishes in Banff. The closest airport is in Calgary (YYC).

If you’re flexible about when you can travel, consider the pros and cons of our travel seasons. In Low Season, you’ll get the BEST VALUE on our tours, there’s less traffic, and far fewer people at the most popular sites. The trade off is that the weather is typically more variable, cooler and wetter. In addition, a few sites may be closed, and the glacial lakes may still be frozen in the spring, although that’s also beautiful! In Peak Season, everything is open, the weather is more consistent, warmer and generally drier, and the glacial lakes are in their full glory. However, our tours cost more, traffic is busier, and the most popular locations on our itineraries can be very busy. 

We take your safety, and the safety of our staff and partners very seriously. Click here for more information.