Blog

You are currently viewing The Canadian Rockies in Summer: Our 21-Day Route + Map
Lake Louise from the road to Lake Agnes

The Canadian Rockies in summer: our 21-day itinerary + map

Welcome to our logbook of our route through the Rocky Mountains of for immigration to Canada. One of our new routes through this wonderful world, where trip after trip, we continue to be surprised by all its corners. 

How lucky we are to have been born on Earth!

On this occasion, We travel to western Canada. Exactly for some of the national parks in the west of the second largest country in the world. One of the most impressive areas in terms of natural beauty, where the Canadian Rockies are the main attraction and the object of our visit. 

Before traveling to Canada we do all the needs checklist of logistics and bureaucracy, detailed in the Super guide to travel to Canada that we have developed. 

Once the tasks of doing the eTA visa On the official website of the Government of Canada, hire the travel insurance required, review the validity of our passport, buy the adapter plug that we will need, buy a SIM card for having internet on mobile in Canada, reserve the tours and activities from the trip and pack your bags with what you need, leaving the unnecessary at home. We can now leave for Canada and its impressive landscapes!

Our route through Canada is in motorhome rental (we rented with Roadsurfer, second time we do it). A way of travelling that we are used to. In Spain we have our own motorhome, the Kucavana, which has given its name to this blog for more than 7 years. If you are considering doing this trip through the Canadian Rockies in a motorhome like us, we recommend you read our post about Traveling to Canada by motorhome, where you have all the regulations and things you should know beforehand.

TIP: If you want to do this route by Canada by motorhome Like us, we recommend renting a motorhome. Do it in Calgary or Vancouver with Road surfers, a company we would repeat with. Roadsurfer  gave us un discount of 150 $ that you as readers can also benefit from applying the DISCOUNT CODE: KUCAVANAAMERICA

-150 $ ROADSURFER MOTORHOME RENTAL CODE: KUCAVANAAMERICA

About us

Banff National Park, Morain Lake
Banff National Park, Morain Lake

We are the kucavana familyWe travel with our two children and our adopted dog, Max. We usually travel in our campervan, Kucavana, hence the name of our blog (as a baby, Anna couldn't pronounce "campervan" and said "Kucavana"). But we also enjoy traveling by bicycle, by plane, and backpacking—the point is to have adventures as a family. The one writing this is me, Pilar, the mom of the family and perhaps the craziest one. I enjoy every family learning experience and I hope to help you enjoy it as much as we do. We do it by traveling.

To be closer to you follow us on our social networks: YouTube e Instagram

6 curiosities about Canada that you should know

This is our first trip to this wonderful country that has captivated us and made us fall in love with it. So much so that we know we will definitely return and perhaps even live there. A country that is one of the record-breakers, if not, keep reading and you will see.

When we arrived, there were 7 things that surprised us, apart from the fact that everything there is huge (like in the United States) and that the world map does not really reflect the distances, which are the curiosities that I will tell you about.

Curiosities of the Rocky Mountains and Canada that surprised us

  1. It is a country of world records. The one that has longest coastline in the world, largest area of ​​lakes in the world (31.700 lakes, which are 20% of the world's fresh water!), largest number of large islands (not small ones, eh) in the world and the second largest country in the world, which is only surpassed in size by Russia.
  2. Multilingualism in Canada is omnipresent, and although being Catalan I am used to bilingualism, there I really enjoyed being able to practice two of my favorite languages: English and French. Of course, in the West the main language is English.
  3. The National Parks of Canada are extensive and there are many, in total 48!
  4. La security and quality of life In Canada, they make you breathe every second that this country is one of the best places to live in the world, without a doubt. 
  5. Generally there is very low population density, Despite being the second largest country in the world, it only 4 people per square kilometer They live in Canada. But, of course, the cold in the north in winter is not very inviting to populate those lands of tundra and ice where temperatures reach -40 degrees hahaha. Precisely in the north is where they are more Métis and Inuit indigenous reserves.
  6. Hay 6 time zones, what a crazy clock! In Toronto it is 6 hours shorter than in Spain, in Calgary it is 8 hours shorter and in Vancouver it is 9 hours shorter!
  7. The Maple syrup is a culture in CanadaIf you weren't already a fan of it, I recommend you start trying it along with some good pancakes.
The mind-blowing Prismatic Hot Springs Pool in Yellowston National Park, deep in the Rocky Mountains
The mind-blowing Prismatic Hot Springs Pool in Yellowston National Park, deep in the Rocky Mountains

Location and formation of the Rocky Mountains, the backbone of North America 

The Rocky Mountains, are an impressive mountain range that stretches across the Canadian provinces of Alberta and British Columbia, down to the state of New Mexico in the United StatesIn Canada, administrative divisions are made in provinces and not in states like in the United States.

The Rockies are the main objective of our route and trip. These mountains are famous for their spectacular natural beauty, rich biodiversity and opportunities for a thousand outdoor activities.

Last year we visited part of the Rocky Mountain National Parks of the United States in our West Coast of the USA in a motorhome. On that trip we went as far as Yellowstone National Park. This year, we will do the remaining part of the northern United States and the part of the Canadian Rockies.

Hiking the Logan Pass Interpretive Trail, the highest point on the Going to the Sun Scenic Byway in Glacier National Park in Montana, USA
Hiking the Logan Pass Interpretive Trail, the highest point on the Going to the Sun Scenic Byway in Glacier National Park in Montana, USA

The mountains Canadian Rockies, formed between 55 and 80 million years ago, occupy 1200 kilometers from the border with the United States, near Montana.

You must understand, then, that the Canadian Rockies are only part of the Rocky Mountain Range, The other part It continues in the United States through the states of Montana until reaching New Mexico., total 4800 kilometers of a mountain range. Imagine its immensity!

In Glacier National Park in Canada, with the northern mountains in the background
In Glacier National Park in Canada, with the northern mountains in the background

The Canadian Rockies, UNESCO and the rest

Within the Canadian Rockies there are different National Parks and also many others Provincial Parks, equally protected but managed by different administrations. 

Parks full of emblematic fauna such as black and grizzly bears, cougars, moose and caribou. Where the highest point is the Mount Robson at 3954 meters.

Main Canadian Rockies National Parks are declared as UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1984 and are next:

Apart from the Canadian Rockies, There are 3 more National Parks on the west side of British Columbia Province: Glacier National Park of Canada y Mount Revelstoke National Park and to the South touching Alberta and the Waterton Lakes National Park which was also declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site a little later.


In total, There are 7 national parks those that officially house the Canadian Rockies and not as many say only the top 4 or 5 adding some others. 

Every time I see a blog that doesn't do research on things I get nervous, and I haven't seen a single blog that gives this information correctly.

In the typical red chairs of Parks Canada at the Banff Hoodoos viewing point
In the typical red chairs of Parks Canada at the Banff Hoodoos viewing point

Our 21-day route through the Canadian Rockies in summer

Our 21-day itinerary in August through Canada suffered a major change 15 days before departure towards Canada. The Jasper National Park, precisely the largest natural park in the Canadian Rockies, suffered a major fire. So all our reservations there were cancelled and access to the Park was completely closed.

The Fires are Canada's great battleIt has so many hectares of completely wild forests that when there is a fire it is huge and can easily become complicated.

IMPORTANT SAFETY TIP: The first thing you should do is download the Alertable App, where official Canadian administrations warn of emergencies or evacuation orders due to emergencies such as fires, tornadoes, torrential rains or any other reason.

About Jasper National Park that we couldn't visit due to a huge fire

When preparing our initial itinerary for spending 5 days in Jasper National Park, I did a lot of research and wrote about this National Park. That is why I am leaving you below an article about what to see in Jasper National Park that may be useful to you, since you will not find any stories about this National Park here.

Post: What to do and see in Jasper National Park

Although Jasper was going to be one of the most desired points of our visit and where we would spend more days on our route, we finally had to change it for other destinations, which today I can tell you were a great success, making our route more circular and with different landscapes.

Exchanging Jasper for Alberta's Dinosaur Provincial Park, Drumheller and Glacier National Park in the United States, thus crossing the border into the USA, gave us the opportunity to have new experiences and above all to change landscapes and see other realities of Canada very different from the Rocky Mountains of the north.

Driving next to an emerald lake in the Canadian Rockies
Driving next to an emerald lake in the Canadian Rockies

Our route and itinerary through the Canadian Rockies day by day

If you ask me today if we would repeat this route or go to Jasper, everyone at home is clear: we would repeat what we did as is. We liked it so much and enjoyed it so much that why change it!

Jasper National Park, we have already said that we would visit it on a route to Alaska along the TransCanadien, which is on the way to the north, another route that we are looking forward to and will surely do in the future.

Now without further delay, here you have the rSummary of our final route and below is our logbook with the route we finally took:

Outline of our itinerary for our route through Canada and a bit of the USA, click to expand the information of each place:

Walking on the trail to Boom Lake
Walking on the trail to Boom Lake

Tips for your trip through the Canadian Rockies

Below I summarize some tips that I wish I had known when planning my route and trip through the Canadian Rockies:

  • Book everything well in advance if you go in July and August like us. I already had problems doing it 3 months before.
  • Don't go crazy looking in a supermarket for the beer, you will only find it in the Liquor Store.
  • In your Mountain routes always lead bear spray, make noise by talking loudly, water, energy bars and a raincoat.
  • They close almost everything at 17pm, especially museums, so don't fall asleep.
  • El Euro is stronger than the Canadian dollarTake advantage of it to do activities, here they are much cheaper than in other places like Iceland or Switzerland where we have been.
  • There is only coverage in population centers, in the middle of the national parks you will live disconnected
  • The Canadian Rockies There are lakes, rivers, waterfalls, canyons, hot springs and glaciers. Come prepared to walk and enjoy nature at your leisure, there is no better plan. In general, there are few museums and leisure activities. Where there are more activities and museums is in Golden and Revelstoke.
  • The weather conditions (tornadoes, heavy rain, wind, snow...) and fires can be a problem and disrupt your route. Be prepared on the route and check the weather forecasts and the conditions every day. Alertable app or website where you will find official emergency notices.
The deer that let us photograph him during our visit to Inglewood Sactuary
The deer that let us photograph him during our visit to Inglewood Sactuary

Tips to save

  • The prices of the food Prices are much lower at Walmarts in big cities like Calgary. In towns within National Parks everything is more expensive. Do a big shopping spree in Calgary before you head out to the parks.
  • The same thing happens with the gasoline, as soon as you leave the National Parks it is much cheaper. Although in general gasoline in Canada is cheaper than in Europe, they are producers, the 4th most important in the world and it shows. In some places we were putting it at less than €1. Although you should know that Canadian cars have a lot of power and use more gasoline on average than European ones.
  • Take the Picnics And save money on restaurants in Canada, they are very expensive and the food is not very varied and healthy. Basically there are hamburgers and pizzas or oriental restaurants. In all the National Parks of the Canadian Rockies there are picnic areas galore.
  • Apart from Discovery Pass To access Canada's National Parks, you will not have to pay anything extra for visiting, parking in the car parks or driving on highways. Therefore, rest free.
  • Always pay with card and in dollars, you won't have any problems and it's the best way to make your currency exchange more profitable. And if you want a card with no currency exchange fees for everyone, get one Revolut I carry it in my mobile wallet and I have paid everywhere without problems or commissions in Canada.

Rocky Mountains Canada Map

Below I show you the Map we made to prepare our route through the Canadian Rockies, with everything you can see and do there, including Glacier National Park in the United States and the Dinosaur Valley in Drumheller, as well as other places that we ultimately did not visit on our route.

Latest posts from our blog

Ethical code:

On our blog you will find affiliate links. These are always placed with our highest ethics. We never publish any service or product that we have not used before and that we are sincerely happy with. That is why our recommendations are always ethical. In addition, there is no additional cost for you to book through our links and, on the other hand, it means a small commission for us that helps us maintain this blog so that you can continue enjoying it for free.

Tags: ,

This entry has 2 comments

  1. María 27/06/2025 Reply

    Hello family. How are you? I hope you're already preparing for a new adventure. I'm writing this message, first of all, to thank you for all the information you provide. It's one of the best blogs I've found about Canada, a well-researched, well-curated blog with precise and practical information. It's great. And it's also very real because you also talk about the touristification of certain places and offer alternatives.
    I read that you were unable to visit Jasper National Park due to a fire. However, you've left a link with the information you gathered about that park. The link isn't working right now. I don't know if you could please share it. It would be a great help. In any case, congratulations on the blog!

    1. Kucavanera family 24/07/2025 Reply

      Hi Maria, thank you so much for your message first of all. We're glad what we do is useful 🙂 Let me see the link. I did prepare a post with all the information I had prepared, and I wanted to leave it, even though we couldn't visit because of the fire. I'll look for it and see why the link isn't working. Thanks for letting me know!

Leave your comment