7-Day Canadian Rockies Camping Tour – Itinerary and Price
The 7-Day Rockies Camping Adventure is the shortest and cheapest of the guided multi-day Rockies tours we compare on this site, and for many people the most sensible first trip. It packs five full hiking days into one week, covers four national parks plus Kananaskis Country, and includes all meals. The trade-off is that you sleep in a tent for six nights.
All details below come from the operator's tour page, checked in October 2026. Prices are in Canadian dollars and have 5% local tax added on top.
The tour in short
- Length: 7 days, 6 nights camping (double occupancy)
- Start: 2 pm at the Marriott Downtown Hotel, Calgary (9th Ave SE). The operator says flights landing before noon are fine.
- End: 2 pm on day 7 at the same hotel or Calgary airport
- Group: two guides, a 15-passenger van with trailer; the 2027 calendar shows up to 12 places per departure
- Activity level: Level 3, "Active": 10–18 km a day, up to 1,000 m of elevation gain
- Season: June to September
Day by day
The operator calls the hikes "typical"; guides can swap them for weather, trail conditions or closures.
| Day | Where | Typical hike | Driving |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Calgary, stop in Canmore, camp at Lake Louise | none | 2 h |
| 2 | Lake Louise and Moraine Lake | Plain of Six Glaciers, 15 km, 700 m | 1.5 h |
| 3 | Icefields Parkway, Athabasca Glacier, Peyto Lake | Wilcox Pass, 10 km, 450 m | 2 h |
| 4 | Yoho: Takakkaw Falls, Emerald Lake; camp moves to Banff | Iceline Trail, 12–15 km, 500 m | 1.5 h |
| 5 | Kootenay, then dinner and hot springs in Banff | Stanley Glacier, 12 km, 600 m | 1 h |
| 6 | Kananaskis Country | Chester Lake, 10–12 km, 500 m | 1 h |
| 7 | Banff hot springs, back to Calgary | none | 3.5 h |
Day 1 is an afternoon transfer. The stop in Canmore is your last chance to buy things like sunscreen, bug spray or alcohol. At Lake Louise the group sets up camp with the guides' help, then eats the welcome dinner.
Day 2 is the classic Lake Louise hike: up the valley behind the lake to the historic teahouse below the Plain of Six Glaciers, the longest climb of the week. Afterwards the van goes up to Moraine Lake. Since 2023 the Moraine Lake road has been closed to private cars, so getting there on your own means a Parks Canada shuttle or a licensed tour; the operator includes the access fee.
Day 3 follows the Icefields Parkway north to the Columbia Icefield. Wilcox Pass climbs through meadows to a viewpoint high above the Athabasca Glacier. Instead of hiking you can book a guided walk on the glacier itself (around C$125, not included). Peyto Lake comes on the way back.
Day 4 crosses into British Columbia and Yoho National Park. The Iceline Trail starts near Takakkaw Falls and climbs to a bench below the Emerald Glacier with views back to the falls. If time allows, the group stops at Emerald Lake. That evening camp moves to Banff.
Day 5 goes into Kootenay National Park for the Stanley Glacier hike into a hanging valley under steep rock walls. Dinner is in Banff, followed by a soak in the hot springs on Sulphur Mountain.
Day 6 heads south into Kananaskis Country, a provincial area outside the national parks with an unpaved road and noticeably fewer people. Chester Lake sits below a big rock face; with time, the group may continue to the Elephant Rocks. The last evening is a group dinner at camp.
Day 7 is pack-up day: breakfast, tents down, one more hot springs soak in Banff, and the drive back to Calgary for 2 pm.
Price and dates
| 2026 | 2027 | |
|---|---|---|
| Tour price | C$2,995 | C$3,295 |
| With 5% tax | C$3,145 | C$3,460 |
| Roughly in EUR (with tax) | €2,100 | €2,300 |
Extras: single tent C$300 (there is no mandatory single supplement, so you only pay this if you want a tent to yourself), sleeping bag rental C$80. Private departures for your own group start at C$14,995.
The 2027 calendar lists weekly Sunday departures from 20 June to 19 September. The last of these, in late September, is listed at a higher price of C$3,695. Check the live dates on the tour page, because availability changes daily.
What is included, and what is not
Included: guiding by two guides, transport in the van, six nights of camping, all meals from pickup to drop-off (dinner on day 1, three meals on days 2–6, breakfast and lunch on day 7), park passes, hot springs entry, Moraine Lake access fees, daily guided hikes, tent and 3.5-inch inflatable sleeping pad.
Not included: flights and travel to Calgary, travel insurance, alcohol, the optional glacier walk or horseback ride (each around C$125), the sleeping bag unless you rent one, and gratuities. The operator calls C$10–20 per guest, per guide, per day typical, which for a week with two guides comes to C$140–280.
What camping on this tour involves
The campgrounds have hot showers and flush toilets or outhouses, and most have some mobile reception. You set up and take down your own tent two to three times during the week; the operator says each tent takes under five minutes even for beginners. You will also help with light kitchen tasks a few times and do the dishes in teams of two or three, two or three times, about 15 minutes each. You can decline, but the operator is open about expecting it.
Nights are the hard part. Summer nights are around 10–15°C according to the operator, and in early June or September they can be much colder. Bring or rent a sleeping bag rated to about 0°C. Our packing list covers the rest.
Who it suits, and who should skip it
Good fit: reasonably fit walkers who want to see the main sights of the Rockies in a week without driving or planning; solo travellers (the operator says 50–70% of guests come alone); anyone who values good value over comfort.
Think twice if: you sleep badly on the ground or dislike shared bathrooms; you need regular rest days (there are none between day 2 and day 6); you want time on your own in Banff or Lake Louise, since the days are full; or long hikes with 500–700 m of climbing are a stretch for you.
Honest downsides
- It is a busy week. Five hiking days in a row, plus up to two hours of driving most days and 3.5 hours on the last day.
- Weather and smoke can change the plan. The operator's fine print says that if a wildfire forces the group off a campground, extra hotel costs are yours (claimable through travel insurance), though it says this has happened for one night in ten years.
- If you miss the 2 pm start, the group leaves without you and you pay for a shuttle to catch up. Arriving in Calgary the day before avoids that stress.
- The 5% tax and gratuities add roughly C$300–450 to the headline price.
If the tent is the deal-breaker, the inn-based Banff hiking tour covers much of the same ground with hotels, at a considerably higher price. For the bigger picture of all options, see how to choose a guided Rockies tour. When you are ready, the 7-day tour page has the booking calendar.