27-Day Itinerary in the Canadian Rockies

Hello everyone!

We’re planning a trip to western Canada in September 2025. Here’s the route we’ve mapped out: - Calgary: 2 days - Lake Louise: 4 days, hikes around the lakes (L. Louise, L. Agnes, L. Moraine, L. Emerald) - Icefield Parkway - Jasper: 3 days, L. Maligne, Hot Springs - Fort Fraser - Prince Rupert - Inside Passage by boat - Port Hardy (Vancouver Island) - Port Alberni: 2 days, Cathedral Cove - Ucluelet: 2 days, Tofino - Victoria: 3 days - Crossing to Vancouver - Vancouver: 4 days Total: 27 days.

What do you think?

About the Inside Passage—has anyone here done it? Our only concern is the weather for that boat day between Prince Rupert and the northern part of Vancouver Island. Under clear skies, the landscapes are stunning. If it’s foggy or mediocre weather, well, we’ll have given it a shot! Just know you *have* to book the car passage way in advance.

Thanks for any tips or advice you can share! Cailleurs64

hi for Jasper, we'll have to see what's been rebuilt...since a lot burned

Hi there,

Sure thing! I saw there were major wildfires in Jasper this summer. How can we tell what will be rebuilt? Maybe the parks website??? Otherwise, does my route seem okay to you?

Planning to stay 4 nights at Lake Louise? Personally, I stayed one night at Lake Louise and three in Banff.

I also think that’s a bit long in Victoria

Year-round hikers here! We're planning three hikes around LL: L Agnes, L Morraine, and L Emerald. These take up a good part of the day (between 10 and 15 km) and require driving to the trailhead. As for Victoria, we're thinking of spending a day exploring the southern coast near Victoria and the southern tip of the island.

It's Vancouver Island, not Victoria Island. And Port Alberni.

Indeed, just a transcription error on my part. The question is about the relevance of the non-stop route and the inside passage. By the way, 64

Hi there, The timing looks good overall. Two notes: - Port Alberni isn’t worth much—just a stopover town. If you don’t have specific activities planned in the area, it’s better to head straight to Tofino/Ucluelet. - Three days in Victoria seems like a lot. The city is really small. But it can be a good base for exploring the surrounding area.

Anyway, kudos for heading to Prince Rupert from Jasper. That side of BC isn’t very touristy—you’re going to love it. Will you be traveling by car or RV?

Hi there,

If I had the choice, I’d stay 3 nights in Tofino/Ucluelet because it’s absolutely stunning.

For Victoria, plan at least 2 full days there.

For your hikes, pick up some **Bear Spray** (bear repellent spray) in Calgary. You can find it at cabelas.ca stores. By the way, I’d recommend checking them out—their stores, especially under the **Bass Pro Shops** banner, are totally worth the detour (they’re one-of-a-kind) and they’ve got everything for hiking, camping, etc.

:)

Using bear spray is still controversial when it comes to its effectiveness... For some, it just pisses off the bear, while for others, it works.

The best thing is to follow basic safety rules to avoid encounters: https://parcs.canada.ca/pn-np/mtn/ours-bears/securite-safety/ours-humains-bears-people#see Note that predatory attacks by grizzlies are almost nonexistent, but they can happen with black bears.

Hello,

Black bears are pretty timid and generally avoid humans. Grizzlies, on the other hand, won’t hesitate to charge at you if you get in their way—and it won’t be pretty.

Parks Canada seems to share some responsibility for the fires in Jasper, so I wouldn’t put my life in the hands of that federal agency.

Instead, check out BC Parks and follow their advice:

https://bcparks.ca/plan-your-trip/visit-responsibly/wildlife-safety/#page-section-405

"If the bear continues to approach you, yell at them. If they get within spraying range of you, discharge your bear spray."

Translation: "If the bear keeps coming toward you, keep yelling at it. If it gets within spraying range, use your bear spray."

Buy a **bear spray**—and honestly, if something happens, you’ll be glad you have one. Better safe than sorry. That’s my advice, and the choice is yours. Good luck.

So basically, both are saying the same thing 😉

I don’t know about the fires in Jasper.

If you say so 🙂

Regarding the fires in Jasper, I won’t go into details since it’s not the focus of this forum, but when those in charge didn’t take steps to prevent the fires, firefighters were blocked from coming to put out the flames, etc... A deliberate accident? I’ve said all I’ll say and won’t go any further.

- Anyone done the Inside Passage? The only uncertainty is the weather for that boat day between Prince Rupert and the north of Victoria Island. Under clear skies, the landscapes are stunning. If it's foggy or poor weather, we'll have given it a shot!!!!

I recommend booking in advance since the boat only runs on certain days. Otherwise, it's a long trip—almost 13 hours by boat. As for the weather, it's highly variable. I left Port Hardy with sunshine, and in the Inside Passage, it was overcast and rainy.