Athabasca - Lakes & National Parks

It’s time to visit those famous blue lakes that you’ve seen in postcards! Lake Louise is calling, as is Moraine Lake (seasonal) before heading along the Icefields Parkway for breathtaking views of jagged mountain peaks, glaciers, raging rivers and more turquoise lakes. Keep your eyes peeled for iconic Canadian wildlife such as bears, moose and elk as we make stops at the Crowfoot Glacier, Peyto Lake (our favourite) and Mistaya Canyon. We invite you to immerse yourself in your beautiful surroundings at our unique Wilderness Hostel stays with a dip and a sauna, and then spend time with your fellow travellers over a home cooked pot luck dinner.

Moose Accommodation: HI Rampart Creek Wilderness Hostel, HI Nordegg Shunda Creek Wilderness Hostel or HI Banff Alpine Centre
Optional Meal Inclusion: Home style group meal or dinner with your guide in Banff

Note: There are no alternative accommodation options at our wilderness hostels, but we know you’ll love having a true taste of Canada at one of our wilderness hostel stays.

Depending on your tour itinerary (contact us for specific date changes), today we will start on the beautiful David Thompson highway! First stop is at the stunning the beautiful Siffleur Falls, where after short hike you can appreciate the beauty of the cascading water carving a dramatic path through the rock. Next, we will arrive at the stunning Abraham Lake, known for its rugged peaks and striking ice bubbles in winter. We will also have a brief stop at Crescent Falls at the edge of the incredible Bighorn River Canyon. Finally, we will finish the day with a relaxing walk around Fish Lake then head to the Wilderness Hostel for a homecooked meal, some stargazing and optional sauna.

Included Activity: Short hike to Siffleur Falls and brief walk to the Cresent Falls lookout
Optional Meal Inclusion: Home style group meal or dinner with your guide in Banff
Moose Accommodation: HI Nordegg Shunda Creek Wilderness Hostel, HI Banff Alpine Centre or HI Rampart Creek Wilderness Hostel

Note: There are no alternative accommodation options at our wilderness hostels, but we know you’ll love having a true taste of Canada at one of our wilderness hostel stays.

Sadly, we leave David Thompson Country and head towards Banff, back along the Icefields Parkway to Banff – stopping at Waterfowl Lakes to soak in the backdrop of Mount Chephren (which was named after the 4th Dynasty Egyptian Pharaoh). Then, we continue down the Icefields Parkway where we will make another stop at the gorgeous Hector Lake viewpoint. Finally, we will return to Banff for a group dinner, and (once our bellies are full), the night is yours! See what Banff nightlife has to offer or take a relaxing dip in the Banff Upper Hot Springs.

Morning Meal Inclusion: Breakfast at Miner’s Café Nordegg
Evening Meal Inclusion: Dinner at Cougar Pete’s Restaurant & Lookout
Moose Accommodation: HI Banff Alpine Centre

Athabasca – Lakes & National Parks Tour begins in the heart of the Rocky Mountains & offers incredible experiences for nature lovers and outdoor enthusiasts. Go mountain biking through the alpine forests, or whitewater rafting through the gushing valleys. There are plenty of options to experience the incredible mountain vistas no matter what your activity level and budget – from hiking to soaking in mountain hot springs. (Note: some of the activities below are only available after finishing the tour in Banff).

Optional activities are booked and paid through your Moose tour guide while on the tour. No need to pre-book! The following optional activities are available on this Athabasca tour:  

On the accommodated Athabasca tour option, accommodation is included for all nights of the tour, in mixed gender, hostel dormitory rooms. Please note that you can request female only dorm rooms, and this is usually possible to accommodate, but we cannot guarantee it.

Most travellers book the accommodated tour option because it provides the best value for your money since we receive discounts from our accommodation providers that aren’t available to the general public. We choose hostels for their budget value, as well as offering great facilities and a warm, friendly atmosphere. By staying in shared dorm rooms you get a chance to meet more people, hang out with other tour guests, and keep the price as low as possible.

Would you prefer to stay in a private or gender specific room?

If you’d prefer to book your own accommodation, to stay in private rooms or in alternative properties, check out the Athabasca – 3 Day, Lakes & National Parks non-accommodated version of this tour.

Our Athabasca tour is the middle 3 days of the 8 day Caribou tour, and is part of numerous combination tours we offer. Some of your fellow travellers will have started together in Vancouver before you join them. After you finish in Banff, many travellers will continue towards Vancouver the following day.

All tour finish times are approximate. We strongly recommend that you DO NOT book onward travel on the final day of the tour, since traffic or other unexpected circumstances may cause delays.

Please note that our itineraries can change and/or activities can be cancelled without notice as a result of circumstances beyond our control, such as weather, traffic and unforeseen events. If this does occur, there may be alternatives available, or you may get to enjoy more free time to explore on your own!

Some sites on this tour are only available seasonally. Moraine Lake is only accessible from late May until mid-October. If you want to visit this site, please choose a departure within the appropriate date range.

The Athabasca tour finishes in Banff. The closest airport is in Calgary (YYC). If Vancouver (YVR) is easier for flights, check out our Wapiti tour.

Flexible about when you can travel? Consider the pros and cons of our travel seasons. In Low Season, you’ll get the BEST VALUE on our tours, there’s less traffic, and far fewer people at the most popular sites. The trade off is that the weather is typically more variable, cooler and wetter. Plus, a few sites may be closed, and the glacial lakes may still be frozen in the spring, although that’s also beautiful! In Peak Season, everything is open, the weather is more consistent, warmer and generally drier, and the glacial lakes are in their full glory. However, our tours cost more, traffic is busier, and the most popular locations on our itineraries can be very busy.

We take your safety, and the safety of our staff and partners very seriously. Check our Saftey Policy here.