Discover some of the most spectacular landscapes of the Northern Rocky Mountains during leisurely hikes and drives through Glacier, Banff, and Jasper National Parks—all World Heritage site parks.

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Starting at: $6,891 * Price includes special offer * Includes airfare, taxes & all fees Make a Reservation Ask Us A Question or Call 855-330-1542

Landscape of Glacier National Park

St. Mary Lake and Windjammer drive, Glacier National Park

The scenic Going-to-the-Sun Road, Glacier National Park

Landscape of Glacier National Park

Vivid sunset over Glacier National Park. Credit: Tom Crouse

Black bear near Banff

Bull elk in Jasper National Park

Coyote in Banff National Park

Mountain goat, as seen along Icefields Parkway

Bighorn Sheep, as seen along Icefields Parkway

Banff National Park

Scenic Lake Louise, Banff

Ice coach tour of Athabasca Glacier, Banff National Park

Jasper National Park

Town of Jasper nestled amid the mountains

The Northern Rockies

Featuring Glacier, Banff, and Jasper National Parks

11 days from $6,891 | includes airfare, taxes and all fees

Discover some of the most spectacular landscapes of the Northern Rocky Mountains during leisurely hikes and drives through Glacier, Banff, and Jasper National Parks—all World Heritage site parks.

departure passengers

or Call 855-330-1542

WHAT OUR TRAVELERS SAY

Great division of time spent between Montana and Canada. Spectacular, jaw-dropping scenery and overall one of our best trips ever!

- Susane and Paul, N.

JOURNEYS DISPATCHES

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Accommodations

* Click on hotel name to visit hotel web-site.

Well-located near the heart of downtown Calgary, the Hyatt Regency Calgary offers a restaurant and bar, fitness center, hot tub, steam room, spa, and indoor pool. Each of the air-conditioned guest rooms offers private bath with hairdryer, in-room safe, tea- and coffee-making facilities, WiFi internet access, TV, and phone.

St. Mary Village

St. Mary, United States

St. Mary VIllage is an upscale full-service lodge located just outside Glacier National Park's east entrance in St. Mary, Montana. Situated in a prime location, the lodge is the perfect place to stay when exploring the park. The lodge offers incredible sceneary, diverse wildlife, and other nearby activities.

Grouse Mountain Lodge

Whitefish, MT, United States

Set along the 18th fairway of Whitefish Lake Golf Course, Grouse Mountain Lodge offers a rustic, yet contemporary retreat just a short drive from downtown Whitefish, Montana. The lodge includes a restaurant and bar with fireside seating, indoor swimming pool, outdoor hot tub, fitness center, sauna, gift shop, coin-operated laundry, and complimentary Wi-Fi internet access (please note that service may be intermittent). The lodge also offers a complimentary shuttle to downtown Whitefish. Each air-conditioned guest room has private bath with hair dryer, tea- and coffee-making facilities, TV, and phone.

Lake Louise Inn

Alberta, Canada

The Lake Louise Inn sits in Lake Louise village, amidst the stunning Canadian Rockies and just a short drive from its famed namesake lake. Amenities of this authentic lodge retreat include three restaurants, fitness center, heated indoor pool and whirlpools, coin-operated laundry, and complimentary Wi-Fi internet access (which may be limited). Our guest rooms feature private bath with hairdryer, TV, and phone.

Whistler’s Inn

Jasper, Alberta, Canada

Whistler’s Inn is located in the specialized municipality of Jasper, Alberta – a town that sits in the very center of Canada’s Jasper National Park. With stunning natural scenery on all sides, Whistler’s Inn offers a restaurant and pub, steam room, two rooftop hot tubs, three gift shops, laundry service, and complimentary Wi-Fi internet access. Air-conditioned guest rooms feature private bath with hairdryer, tea- and coffee-making facilities, TV, and phone.

Rimrock Resort

Banff, Alberta, Canada

Seemingly dropped into the middle of the mountains and soaring pines of Banff National Park, Rimrock Resort offers unmatched views of the Canadian Rockies. The hotel’s amenities include two restaurants, two lounges, a café, fitness center, indoor pool, spa, sauna, laundry service, and complimentary WiFi internet access. Air-conditioned guest rooms have private bath with hairdryer, tea- and coffee-making facilities, in-room safe, TV, and phone.

Activity Level

Expectations: This Classic Land Journey features long touring days, many full-day excursions, and a full and active itinerary with a faster pace and longer distances. Some days may have activities with higher intensity and more active choices/options. Excursions require standing and walking for extended periods of time over more difficult terrain (muddy/rocky walking/hiking trails, stairs without handrails, limited or no access to elevators). The itinerary includes two lake cruises and several long transfers by motorcoach. Some days may require early morning departures. Travelers will be in remote and/or rugged regions and will be touring at higher altitudes with steep ascents/descents. Leisure time is built in throughout the itinerary. There are options for more active excursions (such as moderate hiking, swimming, canoeing, bicycling, rafting, or kayaking), though another choice may be offered for an alternate skill level. Walks/hikes may be up to 3 miles.

Appropriate for: Travelers who are physically fit, lead active lives, are comfortable participating in long days of activities, and expect some physical exertion.

Testimonials

WHAT OUR TRAVELERS SAY

Great division of time spent between Montana and Canada. Spectacular, jaw-dropping scenery and overall one of our best trips ever!

- Susane and Paul, N.

Reading List

Highly Recommended

Switchbacks: True Stories from the Canadian Rockies

By: Sid Marty

In Switchbacks, Sid Marty draws on his own memories and those of friends and former colleagues in relating a series of true mountain tales. Among his subjects are: the old guide who built a staircase up a cliff; the stranded snowshoer who was rescued between rounds of beer in a Banff tavern; the man who catered to hungry grizzlies; an opinionated packrat with a gift for larceny; and a horse named Candy whose heart was as big as a stove.Along the way, Marty tries to answer the kind of questions that all of us must face some day. Do we really have to “grow up” and abandon adventure as well as youthful ideals? Can the mountains draw old friends back together, when politics and life styles have set them apart?Sid Marty writes gracefully of the land he loves and lampoons a few bureaucrats whose policies sometimes threaten its integrity. His portraits of the people – and creatures – that make their lives in the mountains are affectionate and respectful. But, above all, this is a collection of engaging, surprising, funny, and superbly told true stories by a gifted writer.

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Glacier Bay National Park & Preserve: A Folding Pocket Guide to Familiar Plants & Animals (A Pocket Naturalist Guide)

By: James Kavanagh, Waterford Press

One of the world's premier wilderness areas, Glacier Bay is known for its large, contiguous, intact ecosystems, still dominated by natural processes. This beautifully illustrated guide, produced with the assistance of Alaska Geographic, highlights over 140 familiar and unique species of mammals, birds, fishes, seashore creatures, trees, shrubs and wildflowers and includes a regional map. Laminated for durability, this lightweight, pocket-sized folding guide is an excellent source of portable information and ideal for field use by visitors and residents alike. Created in collaboration with Alaska Geographic. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of this guide goes to support the important work of Alaska Geographic. Made in the USA.

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Lonely Planet Banff, Jasper and Glacier National Parks 6 (Travel Guide)

By: Clark, Gregor, Grosberg, Michael, McLachlan, Craig

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First Peoples In Canada

By: McMillan, Alan D., Yellowhorn, Eldon

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Also Recommended

A Traveller's History of Canada

By: Robert Bothwell

To outsiders, Canada is synonymous with a vision of wilderness, glaciers, mountains and forests. Distance and space define Canada, but so do large modern cities, an extraordinarily diverse population (30 million plus) and advanced social systems that won it recognition from the United Nations as the most desirable country on earth in which to live. Canada's story begins with the arrival of the first immigrants over 15,000 years ago who travelled across a land bridge from Siberia to Alaska. Starting around 1000AD with the Vikings, European settlers arrived, bringing with them their cultures, languages and societies. By 1700 Canada was divided between the French and British. The next century was spent in wars to determine who should rule in North America. The French lost, but left behind a vigorous colony that evolved into modern Quebec, and 6-million French-speakers scattered across modern Canada. Unlike the rest of the Americas, Canada long maintained a close connection with Europe, actively participating in two world wars and in the Cold War that followed. The impact of these events and its relationship with its neighbor, the USA, are discussed. The book is brought fully up to date with a profile of modern Canada, its successes, present difficulties and a prognosis for the future.

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Why I Hate Canadians

By: Will Ferguson

First published in 1997, this hilarious book launched satirist Will Ferguson's career. Challenging the notion that Canadians are nice,” the book asks, Do we as Canadians deserve a country so great?” Tackling subjects from Canada's favorite inbred royals to the mighty beaver as national icon, from sex in a canoe to all-Canadian "superhero" Captain Canuck, Ferguson rampages across the cultural landscape. The book also provides a fast-paced, opinionated overview of telling moments in Canadian history, including its run-amok Mounties and fun-loving days” of the country's (unacknowledged) slave trade.

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Rocky Mountains (Smithsonian Natural History Series)

By: Scott A. Elias

The Rocky Mountains are one of the Earth's most spectacular geological features, containing vast stretches that remain wild and untamed. Hikers on mountain trails often see the wilderness just as Lewis and Clark saw it almost 200 years ago. The diversity of life found along the Rockies' 2,000-mile range is so varied that the mountains are divided into three regions: the Northern, Central, and Southern Rocky Mountains. Scott A. Elias discusses the unique features of each region in his comprehensive natural history of "the backbone of the continent." Elias examines the physical environment of each of the three regions, looking at geology, important land forms, climatology, soils, water resources, and paleontology. Equally detailed chapters examine botany, invertebrate zoology, native fishes of the plains and mountains, reptiles, amphibians, birds, and mammals. Elias also includes a history of the native peoples and a synthesis of activities since the Spanish colonial period in the Southern Rockies. Conservation topics are woven throughout the book and the final pages examine the problems of overuse and overcrowding in national and state parks. Elias offers recommendations to alleviate these problems and stresses that the Rockies are a national treasure and should be treated as such.

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Going-to-the-Sun Road: Glacier National Park's Highway to the Sky

By: C. W. Guthrie

Traveling Glacier National Park’s Going-to-the-Sun Road is an experience like no other. Laborers toiled for nearly 20 years to complete the 50-mile road that winds an impossible route through the heart of Glacier. One of the most scenic highways in the world, this marvel of engineering set the standard for all national parks. C. W. Guthrie tells the intriguing tale of the history and the construction of the epic Going-to-the-Sun Road. Includes more than 60 black-and-white historic and color photographs, maps.AWARDS: First Place, Association of Partners for Public Lands, 2006

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Montana (Second Edition): High, Wide, and Handsome

By: Joseph Kinsey Howard

In these pages you will come to fall in love with a ruggedly diverse and strikingly beautiful state, a land that takes hold and won’t let go. Montana: High, Wide, and Handsome is widely recognized as a classic history and delightful ode to the idiosyncratic personalities, restless landscape, unforgettable peoples, and lively history of the Treasure State. William Kittredge provides a new introduction for this edition.

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A Wilderness Station: Selected Stories, 1968-1994 (Vintage International)

By: Alice Munro

A New York Times Editors’ Choice BookSpanning almost thirty years and settings that range from big cities to small towns and farmsteads of rural Canada, this magnificent collection brings together twenty-eight stories by a writer of unparalleled wit, generosity, and emotional power. In A Wilderness Station: Selected Stories, 1968–1994, Alice Munro makes lives that seem small unfold until they are revealed to be as spacious as prairies and locates the moments of love and betrayal, desire and forgiveness, that change those lives forever. A traveling salesman during the Depression takes his children with him on an impromptu visit to a former girlfriend. A poor girl steels herself to marry a rich fiancé she can’t quite manage to love. An abandoned woman tries to choose between the opposing pleasures of seduction and solitude. To read these stories is to succumb to the spell of a true narrative sorcerer, a writer who enchants her readers utterly even as she restores them to their truest selves.

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The Great Rocky Mountain Nature Factbook: A Guide to the Region's Remarkable Animals, Plants & Natural Features

By: Susan Ewing

Discover the amazing natural world of the Rocky Mountains in this engaging, in-depth guide that covers animals, plants and natural features including geography and geology. The Rocky Mountains are an immense 10,000 mile-long assemblage of mountain ranges stretching all the way from Alaska through South America. This informative book encompasses the northern and central Rockies from southern British Columbia down through Idaho, Montana, and into Utah and Colorado. This introductory book with maps, line illustrations and index gives the student, tourist and new residents of this area an excellent introduction to the most famous mountain region in the western parts of the United States and Canada.

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Scats and Tracks of the Rocky Mountains: A Field Guide to the Signs of 70 Wildlife Species (Scats and Tracks Series)

By: James Halfpenny

See those animal signs on the trail? Was that footprint left by a fox or a wolf? Was that pile of droppings deposited by a moose, a mouse, or a marten? Scats and Tracks of the Rocky Mountains will help you determine which mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians have passed your way and could still be nearby. Clearly written descriptions and illustrations of scats, tracks, and gait patterns will help you recognize seventy Rocky Mountain species. An identification key, a glossary of tracking terms, and detailed instructions on how to document your finds are also included here. Easy-to-use scat and track measurements appear on each page, making this book especially field friendly and letting you know if a white tailed ptarmigan, a red fox, or even a black bear has been your way.

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Banff National Park, Field Guide to: A Folding Pocket Guide to Familiar Species (A Pocket Naturalist Guide)

By: James Kavanagh, Waterford Press

A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Banff National Park spans three eco-regions and is home to 56 mammal species and over 275 bird species. Visitors to Banff National Park Wildlife will appreciate this pocket-sized, folding guide. Beautifully detailed illustrations highlight over 130 familiar species of birds, mammals, trees and wildflower. This guide also features an area map of the park for quick reference. Laminated for durability, it is the ideal guide to enhance your Banff National Park experience. Researched in collaboration with the Friends of the Banff National Park, a portion of the proceeds from the sale of this guide support the work of this important organization.

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After the Ice Age: The Return of Life to Glaciated North America

By: E. C. Pielou

The fascinating story of how a harsh terrain that resembled modern Antarctica has been transformed gradually into the forests, grasslands, and wetlands we know today."One of the best scientific books published in the last ten years."—Ottowa Journal"A valuable new synthesis of facts and ideas about climate, geography, and life during the past 20,000 years. More important, the book conveys an intimate appreciation of the rich variety of nature through time."—S. David Webb,Science

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Imagining Head-Smashed-In: Aboriginal Buffalo Hunting on the Northern Plains (Athabasca University Press)

By: Brink, Jack W.

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History of the World Map by Map (DK History Map by Map)

By: DK

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Travel Insurance

For the convenience of our travelers, Smithsonian Journeys includes a basic medical expense and evacuation plan through Trip Mate, a Generali Global Assistance & Insurance Services brand, at no additional charge. This plan provides post-departure Medical and Dental coverage of $250,000 per person and Emergency Assistance and Transportation coverage of $1,000,000 per person (U.S. Residents Only). Note: For full details regarding these coverages please review the following Plan Documents here.

In addition, we recommend that travelers purchase a travel protection plan to help protect their travel investment from unforeseen events such as cancellation due to illness, flight delays due to adverse weather, baggage loss, and more. For your convenience, Smithsonian Journeys offers an optional Travel Protection Plan administered by Trip Mate, a Generali Global Assistance & Insurance Services brand. For those interested, optional "Cancel for Any Reason" coverage is available for an additional charge. Note: Certain eligibility requirements apply and Cancel for Any Reason coverage is not available to New York residents. For full details regarding this coverage please review the following Plan Documents here.

To learn more about the Travel Protection Plan, you may visit https://www.generalipartner.com/smithsonianjourneys or call the administrator, Trip Mate, a Generali Global Assistance & Insurance Services brand at (866) 501-3252.

The Northern Rockies

Featuring Glacier, Banff, and Jasper National Parks