Fly/Drive/Fly
This is a fly/drive/fly road trip I did in early July 2020, and I am including it here just for inspiration, and to give you an idea of pricing, things you can do, etc. Like any package, this can be completely customized to suit your needs and I would be happy to work with you to design you the perfect trip. Use this Contact Form or Email Me to have me call you, or call me direct at 807-476-5957, and let's plan your adventure!
Pricing/Cost
Keep in mind, as you review the costs below, that I am one person, and therefore the hotel and car rental fees would be divided amongst your party or your family, reducing the “per person” cost of this trip. In addition to the fees noted below for the flights, hotel and car of approximately $1,797.00, just give you an idea, I spent approximately another $700.00 on food, groceries, activities and tours, gas, wine for the room:). **Please note: This pricing was for a trip in early July 2020, and is to give you an approximate idea of what you would spend for a trip like this and is not to be relied upon as still to be accurate and true for your chosen dates.
Flights
Same Day Flight To Calgary - $185 With Air Canada
Flight From Kamloops To Thunder Bay With Overnight In Calgary- $223 With Westjet
Car Rental
One Way Car Rental With Unlimited Mileage From Calgary, AB To Kamloops, BC - $225
Hotels
3 Nights In Banff - $525 – High Country Inn Superior Room
1 Night In Lake Louise - $225 – Lake Louise Inn Deluxe Room
1 Night In Revelstoke - $229 – Sutton Place Resort Studio Suite
1 Night In Calgary Airport Hotel - $185 - Marriott Terminal 2 Hotel Queen Bed Room
Banff Activities
Banff Gondola With 3 Course Lunch At The Top - $89/Person
Tunnel Mountain Hike – Free
Bow River Trail & Falls Hike – Free
Tour Of Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel - Free
Lake Louise Activities
White Water Rafting - Wildwater Rafting Tour - $97/Person **Due to COVID restrictions on only having private groups, this was cancelled for me as I was just one person and they couldn't hit their maximum of four people, however I would highly recommend this company as they have all levels of rafting, even for smaller children, plus their customer service was amazing!
Agnes Lake Teahouse Hike – Free! Although I did have lunch at the top that cost me $20.00 and included a hot apple cider, a sandwich and the best lemon loaf I've had in a long time. On this hike you pass by Lake Louise and Mirror Lake, and then at the top there are other hike options and I did the Little Beehive Trail, also free. **Please note, that cash is the only payment accepted at the Tea House!
Lake Louise To Revelstoke Drive
Boo Grizzly Bear Refuge In Golden - $39.95/Adult **I did not get a chance to do this as when I called, I was told that Boo had just gone back in the woods and the best time to see him is at the 10am tour. You can also do this tour from Banff as part of a larger tour with other stops which due to COVID restrictions, I was not able to do as they are doing a minimum of 4 people in the same “group/bubble” but it is a GREAT tour with included transportation, stops at other attractions, lunch at Canada’s highest restaurant, etc. and was a full day of 10 hours, however, if you are ending in Kamloops then I recommend the BC Wildlife Park over this tour as there are numerous other wildlife species besides in addition to the grizzly bears.
Pedestrian Bridge In Golden – Free **Just a neat thing to see, and there is a path along the river that you could take a walk along to stretch your legs.
Giant Cedar Boardwalk Just Before Revelstoke – Free **This is a very nice rest stop where you can take a 500 meter stroll along a wooden boardwalk through the woods. A good place to stop and have lunch and this is where I at my Box Lunch that I got at the Lake Louise Inn - $20.00 for a sandwich, water, juice, cup of blueberries, muffin and brownie and easily enough for two people.
Revelstoke Activities
Play All Day Pass (Aerial Park, 2 Mountain Coaster Rides, Gondola Hiking, Axe Throwing, Disc Golf - $47.00/Person). **I did not do any of these activities as I was just here for one night, and with the stops I made along the way from Lake Louise to here, there just was not time. You can also pay for these individually, but the pass is the better deal if you are doing more than one thing.
Spa - $130/One Hour Massage *Worth every single penny after the 3 days of hiking I did.
Activities On The Way To Kamloops From Revelstoke
I made a quick stop at the Enchanted Forest which is a small wooded area right off the highway that is based on Nursery Rhymes, and to be honest, it was a bit eerie as the statues need to be redone and were kind of creepy, but it’s an interesting stop. Cost $12/Person.
The Last Spike Rest Stop which is where the very last railway spike was laid in 1895. Great place to explore a little Canadian history, use the washroom, stretch your legs, check out the gift shop and use the free wi-fi.
Kamloops Activities
Sun Peaks Resort - I did not stay at this resort as I have a friend that lives in Kamloops and that is where I stayed but rooms (condos actually) right in the resort start at around $225.00/night. I have been here several times, and it is similar to the Revelstoke Mountain Resort and a good place to stop for a few days in addition to, or in place of Revelstoke Mountain Resort, however, if I were to recommend the two, then I would pick Revelstoke Mountain Resort over this one, but if you want to be close to a city, shopping, etc., then Sun Peaks is your best bet. Numerous additional activities for Sun Peaks can be found here here.
Spent the day at the BC Wildlife Park and it was awesome! $14.95/adult but they do have Family Rates as well. **If your trip ends, or passes through Kamloops, then I would recommend this over the Grizzly Bear Refuge I mentioned above as there is more to see, do, etc. with numerous other wildlife species, as well as a train, and a park area with water slides.
General Comments
Food
None of the hotels I stayed at offered breakfast, however, all of them included a microwave & fridge, with the hotel in Revelstoke having a full kitchen (cooktop only) so I had bought groceries/breakfast items in the grocery store in Banff which is right on the main street and made my own breakfast in the room.
For restaurants, I found prices “normal” and although all had good food, I highly recommend the Grizzly House in Banff as a “must eat at” restaurant, as well as the restaurant at the top of the Banff Gondola. The others I ate at were good, but nothing to rave about, except maybe the maple leaf cheesecake at the Maple Leaf Grill in Banff.
Hotels
I was very happy with all my hotel selections, and while I chose the smallest room category as I was alone, all of these offered one and two bedroom suites, and all are pet friendly.
High Country Inn in Banff was a large spacious room made up of two rooms, each with a queen bed and one having a balcony, with microwave, coffee maker and fridge and was within less than a 5 minute walk to downtown Banff. There is a pool, but no gym or business center and no included breakfast and this is a basic hotel that I would recommend as a good hotel to sleep in. **My one complaint, if you can call it that, is there was no safe in the room and I hated leaving my laptop out.
Lake Louise Inn In Lake Louise was a regular two queen bed suite with a microwave, coffee maker, fridge and balcony. This resort is located just off the highway and a short 5 minute drive to Lake Louise. There are two restaurants on site, as well as a bar, gym, business center, pool, and it is a large property with a gazebo, numerous paths, and you can rent board games and bikes. **The rooms have no AC, however with its mountain location, you generally do not need it and there is a fan in the room, and opening windows to keep the temperature down.
The Sutton Place Hotel In Revelstoke Resort was a studio suite complete with full kitchen including cooktop, living room with fireplace and balcony which is open to the large king size bed area, a large bathroom with two sinks, and laundry facilities. There is one restaurant that also offers room service, plus a small café, and some shops on site. **This is an awesome hotel as it is right in the middle of Revelstoke Mountain Resort which is where there are tons of activities as noted above.
Interested in booking a trip like this? Use this Contact Form or Email Me to have me call you, or call me direct at 807-476-5957, and let's plan your adventure!
