Great Resorts of the Canadian Rockies & the Calgary Stampede — Self-Launched
10 days · Canadian Rockies (Calgary, Lake Louise, Jasper, Banff)
Globus charges £5,210
No-markup version: ~£1,680 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A do-it-yourself version of Globus's 10-day Rockies coach tour: fly into Calgary, ride the Icefields Parkway at your own pace in a rental car or shuttle, hike and canoe around Lake Louise and Jasper, and finish with three days at the Calgary Stampede. You'll swap luxury resort hotels for hostels, guesthouses and budget motels, skip the tour director and coach, and — with a bit of early booking for Stampede week — land roughly 60% below the operator's price. Note that the Rockies are one of the few places where a self-drive rental genuinely beats buses: VIA Rail and scheduled shuttles exist but are expensive and inflexible, so costs below assume a shared rental car plus one-way drop-off split between travellers.
Day-by-day
Arrive in Calgary
Calgary
Fly into YYC and take the Route 300 airport bus or CTrain downtown (~CAD 11 / £6). Settle into a hostel or budget hotel near Stephen Avenue, walk the downtown core, and pick up groceries so breakfasts aren't restaurant-priced all week. If you're renting a car, collect it downtown rather than at the airport to dodge the airport surcharge. Evening: stroll Prince's Island Park and the Bow River pathway.
🚌Route 300 bus from YYC airport (~£6), on foot/CTrain in town
🛏Downtown Calgary hostel dorm or budget hotel (e.g. HI Calgary City Centre area), £30–45 pp/night
- →Route 300 airport bus to downtown
- →Stephen Avenue & Prince's Island Park walk
- →Grocery shop for breakfast supplies
Calgary to Lake Louise via Banff
Lake Louise / Banff
Pick up your rental car (booking 2–3 months ahead gets rates around CAD 60–80/day; split 2–3 ways it's cheap) and drive west on the Trans-Canada Highway, about 2 hours to Banff and a further 45 minutes to Lake Louise. Stop at Banff for a wander along Bow Falls, then reach Lake Louise for the classic lakeshore walk — free and better in late afternoon when day-trippers clear out. Canoe hire on the lake is ~CAD 115/hour if you fancy it; a cheaper alternative is paddling at Emerald Lake later in the week.
🚌Shared rental car, ~2h45 drive Calgary–Lake Louise; fuel ~£25 total for the day
🛏Lake Louise hostel (HI Lake Louise) or hostel in Banff, £35–50 pp/night
- →Self-guided lakeshore walk at Lake Louise
- →Bow Falls and Banff townsite wander
- →Optional canoe hire on Lake Louise
Lake Louise to Jasper via the Icefields Parkway
Jasper
The big scenery day. Drive the Icefields Parkway north — 230 km of glaciers, turquoise lakes and peaks. Stop at Emerald Lake and Natural Bridge near Field, walk to Peyto Lake viewpoint (short uphill trail, weather permitting), and pull in at Bow Lake. Fuel up in Lake Louise before setting off; services on the parkway are sparse and pricey. Arrive Jasper in the evening. Book your Maligne Lake cruise for tomorrow morning tonight — it sells out in peak season.
🚌Rental car, ~4–5h driving plus stops; fuel ~£30
🛏Jasper hostel dorm or budget motel, £35–50 pp/night
- →Self-drive Icefields Parkway
- →Peyto Lake viewpoint hike
- →Emerald Lake and Natural Bridge stops
Maligne Lake and Spirit Island
Jasper
Take the Parks Canada or Maligne Lake Tours boat cruise to Spirit Island (book direct online, ~CAD 85–95 / £50–55 for 90 minutes) — the same trip the coach tour includes, just without the group. Afternoon free: hike the Valley of the Five Lakes loop (4.5 km, easy) or the Maligne Canyon trail right from the hostel area. Evening at Beauvert Lake or a soak-free chill in town; Miette Hot Springs is a cheap bus/self-drive option if the car's free.
🚌Rental car or Jasper town shuttle to Maligne Lake (~£6 return)
🛏Jasper hostel dorm or budget motel, £35–50 pp/night
- →Maligne Lake cruise to Spirit Island (self-booked)
- →Valley of the Five Lakes hike
- →Maligne Canyon trail
Columbia Icefield and back to Banff
Banff
Retrace the Icefields Parkway south, stopping at the Columbia Icefield Discovery Centre. The Ice Explorer glacier ride is bookable direct with Pursuit (~CAD 120 / £70) — comparable to what the tour includes but you can also just walk to the Athabasca Glacier toe for free from the roadside parking. Continue south, stopping at Sunwapta and Athabasca Falls, and overnight in Banff. This is the longest driving day, so start early.
🚌Rental car, ~4h driving plus stops; fuel ~£30
🛏Banff hostel dorm or budget guesthouse, £40–55 pp/night
- →Athabasca Glacier toe walk (free) or Ice Explorer ride
- →Athabasca and Sunwapta Falls stops
- →Icefields Parkway southbound drive
Banff: hoodoos, gondola and horseback
Banff
Morning drive the Tunnel Mountain loop and walk the Hoodoos Trail along the Bow River. Ride the Banff Gondola up Sulphur Mountain (book online, ~CAD 70 / £40 — cheaper before 10am). In the afternoon take a one-hour trail ride with Warner Stables or Banff Trail Riders along the Bow (~CAD 90 / £52), the self-bookable equivalent of the tour's included horseback ride. Visit the Whyte Museum (~CAD 15) or the free Cave and Basin historic site if you're museum-minded.
🚌Rental car in town, or Banff Roam bus (~£2.30/ride)
🛏Banff hostel dorm or budget guesthouse, £40–55 pp/night
- →Banff Gondola up Sulphur Mountain
- →Hoodoos Trail and Bow Falls walk
- →One-hour Bow River horseback ride (booked direct)
- →Whyte Museum entry
Banff to Calgary — Stampede eve
Calgary
Leisurely morning: maybe the Johnston Canyon walk (free, 30 min from Banff) or a last lakeside coffee. Drive back to Calgary (~1h30), return the rental car, and move into your Stampede-week accommodation — book this six months out, as Calgary prices triple during Stampede. Evening: explore Inglewood or Kensington for food and pick up your Stampede Park admission for the next day (advance online tickets are cheaper than gate).
🚌Rental car ~1h30 drive, fuel ~£15; CTrain in city
🛏Calgary hostel or budget hotel near CTrain (Stampede-week rates), £40–60 pp/night
- →Johnston Canyon walk
- →Return rental car
- →Evening in Inglewood/Kensington
Calgary Stampede — grounds and Elbow River Camp
Calgary
Full day at Stampede Park. Buy the Stampede Park admission + rodeo combo ticket in advance online (~CAD 60–90 depending on day/seat). Wander the grounds, visit Elbow River Camp to see the First Nations encampment and tipis, catch the free entertainment stages and the evening outdoor stage show. The chuckwagon races and Grandstand Show are extra (~CAD 60–120) but a memorable add-on. Eat well — mini donuts and corn dogs are practically mandatory.
🚌CTrain to Stampede station (~£2.30)
🛏Calgary hostel or budget hotel near CTrain, £40–60 pp/night
- →Stampede Park admission and rodeo
- →Elbow River Camp First Nations village
- →Entertainment stages and outdoor stage show
- →Optional chuckwagon races and Grandstand Show
Stampede rodeo and Rope Square
Calgary
Back to Stampede Park for the rodeo and bull riding events, and hit Rope Square downtown for free western entertainment, pancake breakfasts and street performances. Pace yourself — a morning start at the pancake breakfast (many are free or by donation) keeps costs down. Optional evening: a Stampede concert or the Nashville North tent if you want the full party.
🚌CTrain and walking (~£5)
🛏Calgary hostel or budget hotel near CTrain, £40–60 pp/night
- →Rodeo and bull riding viewing
- →Rope Square western entertainment
- →Free Stampede pancake breakfast
Calgary city morning and departure
Calgary
Morning self-guided walk of downtown Calgary: Calgary Tower (optional, ~CAD 22), the Bow River pathway, and the new Central Library. Route 300 bus back to YYC for your flight home. If you can, stack an extra night to catch the Stampede parade or a final rodeo session — Calgary rewards a slower pace after a week of driving.
🚌Route 300 bus to YYC airport (~£6)
🛏Departure day (or optional extra night, £40–60)
- →Self-guided downtown Calgary walk
- →Bow River pathway
- →Optional Calgary Tower
Self-launched vs. Globus
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Globus | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£1,680 | £5,210 |
| Duration | 10 days | 10 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £3,530 per person (68%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Globus-style trips? Check them out here.~£1,680
estimated per person
You never pay Travel Crew for this — you pay hostels, transport, and activity providers directly, the same as if you'd booked it all yourself.
This publishes your dates so other travellers can find and join you — no tour operator needed.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does Great Resorts of the Canadian Rockies & the Calgary Stampede — Self-Launched cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £1,680 per person for 10 days in Canadian Rockies (Calgary, Lake Louise, Jasper, Banff). This is an AI-generated estimate based on typical budget-traveller prices — actual costs will vary by season and how you book.
Is this cheaper than booking with Globus?+
Yes — Globus charges around £5,210 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £1,680 — a saving of roughly £3,530 (68%) per person.
How long is the Canadian Rockies (Calgary, Lake Louise, Jasper, Banff) trip?+
This itinerary runs 10 days, covering 10 day-by-day stops through Canadian Rockies (Calgary, Lake Louise, Jasper, Banff).
How do I join this trip?+
You can join an existing open departure using this itinerary if one is scheduled, or launch your own departure with your own dates and invite other travellers to join you — no tour operator required.
Isn't it easier to just use a tour operator?+
Well, yes, a tour operator will book all the individual parts of your travel for you and provide a guide. That's obvious, but doing this has the potential to save the group thousands, which can in turn improve your itinerary substantially or save you huge amounts of money. Also, when you launch a departure, Travel Crew has tools in place to help you book the individual sections of the trip or make it easier for you to do this as a group. Really, you do not need a middle man. If you are more comfortable paying more and using a middle man, then you should certainly do this.
Is it safer to book through a tour operator?+
Arguably, there isn't much difference. A self-launched trip runs on the same principle as a group travel crew: collective responsibility, everyone looking out for each other, the same way it would if a group of friends organised the trip themselves — because that's exactly what's happening. You should always take out travel insurance before you go, self-launched or not; that doesn't change either way. Every open departure is published publicly with real dates and a real trip organiser, so it's never an anonymous arrangement, and our support team is reachable any time you need help, including in an emergency while you're away. Longer-term, we're building direct relationships with ground DMCs in popular destinations, offered as an optional paid add-on for extra on-the-ground support. Ultimately, though, the group is responsible for its own conduct and safety on a self-launched trip, same as on any trip you plan yourself.
What kind of trip is this?+
This is a adventure, culture, hiking trip through Canadian Rockies (Calgary, Lake Louise, Jasper, Banff), self-launched rather than run by a tour operator — you organise it with a group you find or bring yourself.
Would you like to name the operator, name the trip, or have any suggestions about how to improve this itinerary?
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