Compare Canada Heli-Hiking Adventure by Walking Connection vs Rockies Trail by Omega Tours

Day 1: Arrive Calgary & transfer to Banff at your leisure.

It is necessary to arrive in Banff a day earlier than your heli-hike adventure begins in order to be transferred to the helicopter pick up point. Check in at a conveniently located hotel in central Banff. We’ll help you find one that meets your needs. (hotel and arrival airport transfer are not included.)

Day 2: Banff – Bugaboo Lodge or Bobbie Burns Lodge

Meals: Continental Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Meet at the central terminal in downtown Banff where we meet our fellow heli-hikers and board our luxury motorcoach. We head westward along the shores of the Bow River past the incredible mountain citadels of Banff National Park and into equally impressive Kootenay National Park. Wildlife sightings along the way are normal and inspiring. We cross the Rocky Mountain Trench, arriving at the Bugaboos Helipad. Snacks and beverages will be provided on board.

After a helicopter safety talk, we climb in and soar up for an afternoon of getting acquainted with the High Country. In the late afternoon, our chopper picks us up and it’s back to the lodge where delicious hors d’oeuvres are served in the lounge. Our casual gourmet dinner, served family style, will be at 7:00 (save room for the pastry chef’s latest inspiration). Then some camaraderie by the fire, maybe a sauna or whirlpool, and a great night’s sleep.

Days 3 & 4: Heli-Hiking

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

You might want to join the optional morning stretch, or sleep a little later. A hardy buffet breakfast is served before our full day of heli-hiking begins! The first helicopter leaves with a flight into the Bugaboos that takes us to a range of personality-rich glaciers, emerald lakes, airy mountain ridges and soft fields of wildflowers. We’ll have a picnic lunch at a particularly winsome spot or on special days enjoy a barbecue lunch surrounded by spectacular utterly unspoiled high country landscapes.

Now, we hope this web page makes it clear not only that the landscapes in which we spend our days are knock-down, world-class gorgeous and varied, but that there is probably no other place on earth where you can experience such wildness and solitude without lugging a 40-pound backpack.

So, message delivered! Great hiking, picnicking, a little learning about glacial landscapes and their hardy life-forms, and lots of fun accomplished, we fly back at day’s end to the lodge for (depending on our mood) maybe a massage, a browse in the lodge shop, a game of chess, a go at the lodge climbing wall, a cocktail on the deck as alpen-glow bathes the peaks we’ve been communing with, dinner, storytelling in the living room, and another great night’s sleep.

Day 5:Banff or Calgary Airport

Meals: Breakfast and Lunch

After breakfast we fly out of the lodge, board a deluxe motor coach and retrace the journey through Kootenay and Banff National Parks en route to Banff and Calgary. You will have the choice of being dropped off in Banff or the Calgary Airport

DAY 1: ARRIVAL IN CALGARY

Arrive at Calgary International Airport. Individual transfer to your centrally located hotel. After check-in the remainder of the day is free. The tour director will contact you in the late afternoon to give details about joining the tour. Explore the Old West at the Glenbow Museum or Fort Calgary on your own, browse through the Eau Claire Market, ride up the Calgary Tower for a great view and savor the great restaurants and dynamic nightlife. Overnight in Calgary.

Accommodation at the Delta Hotels by Marriott, Calgary, or similar

DAY 2: CALGARY TO BANFF NATIONAL PARK

We begin the day with a city tour of Calgary. Leaving the city, we travel west on the Trans-Canada Highway into the rolling foothills of the Rocky Mountains. The majestic peaks of the Canadian Rockies soon fill the horizon as we approach Banff National Park, our first of several in the Canadian national parks system. We soon arrive in the charming resort town of Banff. Overnight in Banff. Meals: B

Accommodation at the Mount Royal Hotel or Banff Aspen Lodge, Banff, or similar

DAY 3: BANFF NATIONAL PARK

Today we will enjoy a tour of the region around Banff. The area became Canada’s first national park in 1885 to protect its natural hot springs. An optional Helicopter Sightseeing Tour will give you the chance to see the eastern ranges of the Rocky Mountains. Alternatively, you can take an optional gondola ride to spectacular Sulphur Mountain. Bring your camera! The rest of the day is at leisure to explore the surroundings of Banff, stroll along Banff Avenue, or relax and enjoy the scenery. Meals: B

Accommodation at the Mount Royal Hotel or Banff Aspen Lodge, Banff, or similar

DAY 4: BANFF NATIONAL PARK TO JASPER NATIONAL PARK

Today’s journey through Banff and Jasper national parks promises to be a highlight of our Rockies Trail program. Shortly after leaving Banff, we visit the famous scenery of Lake Louise, one of the most photographed lakes in Canada. Afterward, we travel north on the famed Icefields Parkway through a rugged wilderness flanked by dramatic mountain ranges. At the Columbia Icefield, we board a specially constructed Ice Explorer to ride on the surface of the ancient Athabasca Glacier. Close to Jasper, you have the chance to go on an optional raft trip on the Athabasca River. Your experienced guide will point out the natural and human history as you raft through short rapids and stretches of calm waters. Overnight in Jasper. Meals: B

Accommodation at the Lobstick Lodge, Jasper, or similar

DAY 5: JASPER NATIONAL PARK TO SUN PEAKS

Before leaving Jasper National Park this morning, you can take part in an optional Spirit Island Cruise on Maligne Lake, the most picturesque and largest glacier-fed lake in the park. You may alternately take an optional motorcycle tour of Jasper, riding in the comfortable sidecar with an unmatched view of the forests and mountains. Then, we travel west along the Yellowhead Highway and into the heartland of British Columbia. Breathtaking, unspoiled vistas await visitors in every season of the year. The route takes us along the Thompson River through the picturesque Shuswap Highlands. Overnight in Sun Peaks. Meals: B

Accommodation at Sun Peaks Grand, Sun Peaks, or similar

DAY 6: SUN PEAKS TO WHISTLER

We can expect a day of dramatic scenery changes when we drive through the ranch lands and head for the coastal mountains. A journey along the Duffey Lake Road exposes new vistas at every turn. An optional Floatplane Sightseeing Tour over Garibaldi Park gives you an inspiring view of a natural preserve of volcanic peaks, alpine lakes, and meadows. Enjoy the rest of the day at leisure. Overnight in Whistler. Meals: B

Accommodation at Delta Hotels by Marriott Whistler Village Suites, Whistler, or similar

DAY 7: WHISTLER TO VICTORIA

The Sea-to-Sky Highway leads us south through spectacular coastal scenery today. You will visit the Capilano Suspension Bridge suspended high above a magnificent canyon. From Horseshoe Bay, we cruise by ferry across the Strait of Georgia to Vancouver Island and continue by coach to Victoria, British Columbia’s capital city. Arriving in Victoria, we embark on a city tour of this former British enclave. Overnight in Victoria. Meals: B

Accommodation at the Coast Victoria Hotel & Marina by APA, Victoria, or similar

DAY 8: VICTORIA

Proud of her maritime heritage, Victoria has retained a quaint, colonial demeanor evident in the many 19th-century landmarks throughout the city. Today we treat ourselves to a tour of the world-famous Butchart Gardens, one of the world’s great floral displays set in a reclaimed stone quarry. Time will be allocated here for browsing through the regal gardens. You can take part in an optional Floatplane Sightseeing Tour over downtown Victoria and the Strait of Juan de Fuca with the Olympic Mountains in the distance. You can also go on an optional Whalewatching Excursion aboard a Zodiac or a regular vessel. Watch for the magnificent orcas and the abundance of marine wildlife. The remainder of the day is at leisurely exploring the city’s delights. Overnight in Victoria. Meals: B

Accommodation at the Coast Victoria Hotel & Marina by APA, Victoria, or similar

DAY 9: VICTORIA TO VANCOUVER

We continue through the resort region of the Gulf Islands to the oceanside city of Vancouver. Upon arrival in Vancouver, we enjoy an interesting tour of the city, including Stanley Park, English Bay, Gastown, Chinatown, and much more. The remainder of the day is free for independent exploration or simple relaxation. This evening features our farewell dinner. Meals: B, D

Accommodation at the Sutton Place Hotel, Vancouver, or similar

DAY 10: VANCOUVER DEPARTURE

A time for last-minute shopping and sad farewells. Individual transfer to Vancouver International Airport in time to check in for your return flight. Meals: B