Canadian Rockies Heli-Hiking Adventure

Banff and Jasper National Parks

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Overview

Wandering through technicolor alpine meadows, hopping across meandering streams, and marveling at the turquoise blue, ever-present glacial lakes – this is heli-hiking in the Canadian Rockies. From a fabulous collection of lodges and settings, immerse into nature and the great outdoors by day, enjoying well-deserved meals and settling into comfort at day’s end.

Banff National Park is world-renowned for its spectacular scenery, and you’ll take it in from two towns within the park boundaries – Banff and Lake Louise. The mountains towering over Banff’s main street are stunningly beautiful, and Lake Louise is named after its strikingly turquoise, glacier-fed lake. Board a helicopter to a remarkable and remote lodge, for three days of high-mountain, heli-hiking bliss through high plateaus, wildflower-filled meadows, alpine lakes, and impressive glaciers. Travel one of the most beautiful drives in the world, the Icefields Parkway, to and from Jasper National Park where you’ll sleep on the shores of picturesque Lac Beauvert. Bid a fond farewell to Alberta on your last night in Canmore’s vibrant downtown.

Expect memorable adventures everywhere you go – explore a waterfall-filled gorge, hike to high places, whitewater raft the thrilling Kicking Horse River, saddle up for a horseback ride to a historic tea house, and trek along the edge of a glacier. The Canadian Rockies, in all their splendor!

Price From*

$13,850 USD
Trip Type

Custom-Made Travel
Best Months for Travel

July, August, September
Duration

12 days / 11 nights
Trip begins/ends
Banff, Alberta / Calgary, Alberta

*Price per person based on sample itinerary detailed. Pricing will vary depending upon number of travelers, rooming configuration, and other planning details specific to your trip.

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How Can We Customize This Sample Itinerary For You?

If this sample itinerary looks intriguing, let us know and we can begin the process of tailoring it for you and yours! Call or email us today: [email protected].

Trip Details

Trip Highlights

What’s Included? Everything you need, plus everything you want.

Walk on the Wild Side: The views from the mountaintops are tough to top, unless you’re soaring above them in a helicopter. Then, hike sun-kissed meadows through glacier-carved valleys.
Soak it All In: After a full day of trekking through the most spectacular scenery you’ve ever seen, soothe your sore muscles in a hot tub with a view. Cocktail optional.
Well-located Accommodations: Comfortable lodges in beautiful locations – overlooking the Banff townsite, along the Pipestone River, on the shores of Lac Beauvert, and high up in the mountains.

The Essentials

Canadian Rockies Heli-Hiking Adventure

Trip Type: Custom-Made Travel

Territory: North America

Region: Rocky Mountains

Trip Price: $13,850

Duration: 12 days/11 nights

Trip Begins/Ends: Banff, Alberta / Calgary, Alberta

National Parklands: Banff NP;Jasper NP;Yoho NP

Select Terms & Conditions

All custom travel is tailored to the desires and interests of our traveling clients (see How Custom Travel Works tab). Trip pricing detailed is an estimate of the per person pricing for the sample itinerary detailed and includes all of the lodging, activities, and guided experiences described. Actual pricing for the trip designed expressly for you and others traveling with you will depend on the features and elements developed during the trip planning process. Travel with Off the Beaten Path requires agreement to our standard Terms & Conditions.

Energy Index

No Sweat - 1-2 miles of walking or hiking per day, plus easy activities

Nice & Active – 3-6 miles of hiking or walking per day, plus physically active exploration

High Five! – 5-10 miles of hiking per day, plus possible peak bagging or other action-oriented fun

Canadian Rockies Heli-Hiking Adventure

The Energy Index detailed above relates to the level of exertion associated with the sample trip detailed. This would be modified to fit the style and ability of your group as a part of the custom trip planning process

Make It Private

How custom-made travel works at Off the Beaten Path

We’ve been tailoring custom journeys for clients since our very inception in the mid-1980s! The process is all about connecting the interests of the travelers with the best that a given destination has to offer. To achieve this, we rely upon good ol’ fashioned conversation! Our geographically focused travel designer love to meet new people and learn about their interests for travel. Understanding your goals informs the process immensely and serves as the foundation for the development of a bespoke travel experience for you and yours.

The trip detailed on this web page is a sample of something we’ve done for other clients over the years. In order to start the process of designing your own custom travel experience, just call us at (800) 445-2995 and ask to speak with one of our Travel Advisors. After a bit of time on the phone, you will then have the opportunity to connect with one of our travel designers.

The entire planning process is very personalized and works in an iterative fashion until a final, perfect trip has been created. We then secure all of the lodging, activities, and guided experiences associated with your trip and send along abundant trip materials capturing these details – and much more about your travels!

Trip Highlights
The Essentials
Energy Index
How Custom Travel Works

What’s Included? Everything you need, plus everything you want.

Walk on the Wild Side: The views from the mountaintops are tough to top, unless you’re soaring above them in a helicopter. Then, hike sun-kissed meadows through glacier-carved valleys.
Soak it All In: After a full day of trekking through the most spectacular scenery you’ve ever seen, soothe your sore muscles in a hot tub with a view. Cocktail optional.
Well-located Accommodations: Comfortable lodges in beautiful locations – overlooking the Banff townsite, along the Pipestone River, on the shores of Lac Beauvert, and high up in the mountains.

Canadian Rockies Heli-Hiking Adventure

Trip Type: Custom-Made Travel

Territory: North America

Region: Rocky Mountains

Trip Price: $13,850

Duration: 12 days/11 nights

Trip Begins/Ends: Banff, Alberta / Calgary, Alberta

National Parklands: Banff NP;Jasper NP;Yoho NP

Select Terms & Conditions

All custom travel is tailored to the desires and interests of our traveling clients (see How Custom Travel Works tab). Trip pricing detailed is an estimate of the per person pricing for the sample itinerary detailed and includes all of the lodging, activities, and guided experiences described. Actual pricing for the trip designed expressly for you and others traveling with you will depend on the features and elements developed during the trip planning process. Travel with Off the Beaten Path requires agreement to our standard Terms & Conditions.

Energy Index

No Sweat - 1-2 miles of walking or hiking per day, plus easy activities

Nice & Active – 3-6 miles of hiking or walking per day, plus physically active exploration

High Five! – 5-10 miles of hiking per day, plus possible peak bagging or other action-oriented fun

Canadian Rockies Heli-Hiking Adventure

The Energy Index detailed above relates to the level of exertion associated with the sample trip detailed. This would be modified to fit the style and ability of your group as a part of the custom trip planning process

How custom-made travel works at Off the Beaten Path

We’ve been tailoring custom journeys for clients since our very inception in the mid-1980s! The process is all about connecting the interests of the travelers with the best that a given destination has to offer. To achieve this, we rely upon good ol’ fashioned conversation! Our geographically focused travel designer love to meet new people and learn about their interests for travel. Understanding your goals informs the process immensely and serves as the foundation for the development of a bespoke travel experience for you and yours.

The trip detailed on this web page is a sample of something we’ve done for other clients over the years. In order to start the process of designing your own custom travel experience, just call us at (800) 445-2995 and ask to speak with one of our Travel Advisors. After a bit of time on the phone, you will then have the opportunity to connect with one of our travel designers.

The entire planning process is very personalized and works in an iterative fashion until a final, perfect trip has been created. We then secure all of the lodging, activities, and guided experiences associated with your trip and send along abundant trip materials capturing these details – and much more about your travels!

Itinerary

Day 1: Banff National Park, Alberta

Arrive in Calgary and head straight for the mountains, making your way to the picturesque town of Banff in Canada’s oldest national park. Here you’ll settle in a lodge atop Tunnel Mountain, overlooking the beautiful Bow Valley and bustling Banff Avenue.

Days 2-4: The Backcountry of British Columbia

This morning you’ll drive to the helipad to start your high-mountain hiking adventure. An incredible experience awaits in the backcountry. Three days of bliss begin with a helicopter trip to the lodge, taking you over rugged, massive mountains. Spend your days here hiking – on trails matched to your ability level – through old-growth forests, along mountain ridges, face-to-face with glaciers, or with views of crystalline lakes high in the alpine country.

Days 5-7: Lake Louise, Alberta

After one last scenic ride in the helicopter to the helipad to reunite with your vehicle, you’ll make the drive to Lake Louise. Once there, you’ll settle riverside in luxurious accommodations. Your first day will be spent out on the water on a guided whitewater trip on the beautiful Kicking Horse River. The next day, it’s time to saddle up for a horseback ride to a cozy, historic tea house, accessible only by trail and serving delicious lunch in the wilds of the Canadian Rockies. You’ll ride past Mirror Lake and take in views of Lake Louise, the Chateau Lake Louise, and the glacial peak of Mount Temple, the third highest mountain in Banff National Park.

Days 8-10: Jasper National Park, Alberta

Today, you'll make the wildly scenic drive between Lake Louise and Jasper National Park along the Icefields Parkway. The highlight of today’s drive will be a special stop en route for a guided glacier walk in the Columbia Icefield. After settling on the shores of Lac Beauvert in the heart of Jasper National Park, spend two full days exploring. Spend one day with a local naturalist guide, hiking at your pace while learning about the landscapes around you. The next day is yours to enjoy however you’d like – with loads of personalized recommendations from your Journey Guidebook.

Day 11: Canmore, Alberta

Make the leisurely, scenic drive to Canmore today, returning along the Icefields Parkway, with the opportunity to photograph Peyto Lake and enjoy the scenery from various pullouts and overlooks-- whatever you didn’t have the time for on your way up. Stay within walking distance of the vibrant downtown under the gaze of Three Sisters peak.

Day 12: Departures Home from Calgary, Alberta

It’s time to say goodbye to Alberta and return to Calgary for your flights home.

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Lodging

Buffalo Mountain Lodge

Located on Tunnel Mountain, Buffalo Mountain Lodge is a peaceful mountain retreat just 15 minutes from downtown Banff. Surrounded by fir, pine and spruce trees the lodge is a tranquil get away yet just steps from shopping, restaurants, galleries and the endless array of outdoor recreation in Banff National Park. Beautifully decorated each room features wood-burning fireplaces cozy duvets and many feature private balconies or patios where guests can sit and enjoy the nature that surrounds them.

Bobbie Burns, CMH

Do you dream of getting away from it all? Nestled in the wilderness, Bobbie Burns feels like it's at the edge of the world - but it's actually just a short trip from Calgary. Hike through alpine meadows and along sun-drenched ridges or get your heart rate up on the famous Mt. Nimbus Via Ferrata. Bobbie Burns is as exciting in the summer as it is under snow and is one of two lodges that hosts our stellar summer trips.

Post Hotel

Located three miles down a winding mountain road from the famed turquoise gem, Lake Louise, sits the Post Hotel and Spa, a rustic, elegant Relais and Chateaux hotel that exudes an air of warm hospitality. On the property you’ll find an indoor pool, whirlpool tub, steam room, fitness center, laundry facilities, and a well-stocked library with books on the history of the Canadian Rockies. Homemade pastries and tea are available in the lobby each afternoon. The renowned restaurant is a must-do experience, and boasts European-trained Executive Chef Hans Sauter, serving Swiss and German-inspired cuisine and an extensive—25,000 bottles in the cellar!—wine list.

Jasper Park Lodge

Jasper Park Lodge is one of the most beautiful resorts in the Rockies! Embraced by two mountain lakes and spectacular mountains, the contrast of the immaculately landscaped grounds with the rugged surroundings is stunning. While at the lodge you may enjoy the outdoor heated swimming pool, indoor whirlpool, sauna, steam room, exercise room, games, and massage by appointment. There are eleven dining opportunities on the grounds, including a coffee shops, cafes, lounges, and fine dining. The Edith Cavell offers the finest dining experience, and requires a reservation in advance.

Georgetown Inn

Canmore's Georgetown Inn has been welcoming guests to the Canadian Rockies since 1993 providing outstanding mountain accommodation just minutes from Banff National Park. The inn has 20 guest rooms with private baths. Dining is available on-site.