Alberta
Best of Banff: Our Mountain Heritage
Program No. 13178RJ
Delve deep into Canada’s history as you visit Chateau Lake Louise, Banff National Park and take expert walks through the Canadian Rockies to learn about artists and outdoorsmen.
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800-454-5768
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Prices displayed below are based on per person,doubleoccupancy.
DATES
& starting prices
PRICES
Jun 16 - Jun 21, 2024
Starting at
2,899Jul 7 - Jul 12, 2024
Starting at
2,999Jul 14 - Jul 19, 2024
Starting at
2,999Jul 21 - Jul 26, 2024
Starting at
2,999Aug 11 - Aug 16, 2024
Starting at
2,999Aug 18 - Aug 23, 2024
Starting at
2,999Aug 25 - Aug 30, 2024
Starting at
2,999Sep 1 - Sep 6, 2024
Starting at
2,949Sep 8 - Sep 13, 2024
Starting at
2,949Sep 15 - Sep 20, 2024
Starting at
2,899DATES
& starting prices
PRICES
Jun 16 - Jun 21, 2024
Starting at
3,789Jul 7 - Jul 12, 2024
Starting at
3,929Jul 14 - Jul 19, 2024
Starting at
3,929Jul 21 - Jul 26, 2024
Starting at
3,929Aug 11 - Aug 16, 2024
Starting at
3,929Aug 18 - Aug 23, 2024
Starting at
3,929Aug 25 - Aug 30, 2024
Starting at
3,929Sep 1 - Sep 6, 2024
Starting at
3,849Sep 8 - Sep 13, 2024
Starting at
3,849Sep 15 - Sep 20, 2024
Starting at
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6 days
5 nights
10 meals
5B 2L 3D
1
Check-in, Registration, Welcome Dinner, Orientation
Banff, Alberta
2
Cave & Basin Historic Site, Gondola Ride
Banff, Alberta
3
Lake Louise, Moraine Lake, Yoho National Park
Banff, Alberta
4
Women of the Rockies, Historic Banff & Museum, Free Time
Banff, Alberta
5
Icefields Parkway
Banff, Alberta
6
Transfer to Airport, Program Concludes
Banff, Alberta
At a Glance
Established in 1885, Banff National Park is Canada’s oldest national park. Join us in Banff and Lake Louise, where history echoes through its pine forests and mountain peaks. Hear about the colonists who arrived in the 19th century and learn how the Canadian Pacific railway was instrumental in transforming the pristine landscapes of Banff into a Victorian resort. Explore rocky peaks and vast forests, and experience expert-led walks to Bow Falls, Moraine Lake and Lake Louise to see how this natural paradise inspired voyagers, artists and outdoorsmen alike. Discover the incredible geological history and rich ecology at the Cave and Basin Historic Site, and leave mesmerized by the ubiquitous beauty of the land.
Activity Level
Keep the Pace
Walking up to two miles, some stairs, standing. Elevations up to 5,700 feet.
Small Group
Love to learn and explore in a small-group setting? These adventures offer small, personal experiences with groups of 13 to 24 participants.
What You'll Learn
- Celebrate the environmental efforts that led to the establishment of Banff National Park, Canada’s first national park, and its unique geothermal hot springs.
- Witness Victorian splendor at the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise, and the Whyte Museum’s collection of art dedicated to the cultural heritage of the Canadian Rocky Mountains.
- Uncover the geological history of the Canadian Rockies on an in-depth field trip with a local expert.
Featured Expert
All trip experts
Brent MacDonald
Brent Macdonald has been a resident of the Canadian Rockies for almost 30 years. As a geology expert, he provides a wealth of knowledge about geography and geomorphology. Brent has had a diverse career as a freelance natural history interpreter, also working as a consultant for a geotechnical engineering company. He has shared his knowledge of geology and natural history as an interpreter and guest lecturer. Brent is also a certified mountain leader and ski instructor.
Please note: This expert may not be available for every date of this program.
Brent MacDonald
View biography
Brent Macdonald has been a resident of the Canadian Rockies for almost 30 years. As a geology expert, he provides a wealth of knowledge about geography and geomorphology. Brent has had a diverse career as a freelance natural history interpreter, also working as a consultant for a geotechnical engineering company. He has shared his knowledge of geology and natural history as an interpreter and guest lecturer. Brent is also a certified mountain leader and ski instructor.
Greg Allemang
View biography
Growing up in the military has brought Greg across Canada and given him a real taste of everything the country has to offer. Finally settled now in the Calgary area, Greg has followed his passions for his country to study travel management and become a certified hiking instructor. Greg also enjoys climbing and enjoying the beautiful wilderness that surrounds his home. His love of nature has fueled his passion for connecting people to their environment and showing off his country to visitors.
Suggested Reading List
(17 books)
Visit the Road Scholar Bookshop
You can find many of the books we recommend at the Road Scholar store on bookshop.org, a website that supports local bookstores.
Best of Banff: Our Mountain Heritage
Program Number: 13178
Handbook of the Canadian Rockies
Geology, plants, animals, history and recreation from Waterton/Glacier to the Yukon.
Selected Stories
This collection of 28 short stories represents some of Munro's finest work. A powerful range of emotional, evocative tales set throughout the cities and rural towns of her native country.
National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of North America
This guide is the veteran's choice for birding anywhere in the United States. Practical to use in the field, it has maps, illustrations and descriptions of the birds on facing pages.
Switchbacks, True Stories from the Canadian Rockies
A native Albertan and park warden in the Canadian Rockies, Marty relates colorful anecdotes from friends, colleagues and his own youth in this collection of tales, which includes A Horse Named Candy.
Raven's End
A young raven, with no memory of his past, arrives to the beautiful and dangerous landscape of Yamnuska, Banff. A book that looks at the complex world of ravens.
After the Ice Age: The Return of Life to Glaciated North America
Eighteen thousand years ago, an immense sheet of ice covered all of present day Canada and northernmost U.S. This story tells of how a harsh terrain was transformed into the environment we know today.
Rocky Mountain Nature Guide
This guide includes information on mammals, fish, birds, trees, shrubs, wildflowers, insects and reptiles from the entire span of the Rockies - Alaska to New Mexico. Featuring over 300 exact full-color illustrations.
Mountain Home, Tales of Seeking a Family Life in Harmony with Nature
PAPER, 168 PAGES, $14.95
Getting back to the land isn’t easy, as Mr. Hungry Wolf will testify, after 25 years of raising his family in the wilderness of the Canadian Rockies. He shares tales of natural foods, wild animals, home schooling his four children, and living without running water, phone, TV or electricity. (Item no. CND31)
Field Guide to Banff National Park
This fold-up, laminated card features 133 color drawings and short descriptions of commonly encountered wildlife and a map.
The Great Rocky Mountain Nature Factbook
Ewing's family-friendly guide, with black-and-white drawings throughout, answers the curiosity of engaged visitors about the plants, animals and natural features of the Rockies.
Northern Rocky Mountain Wildflowers, Including Glacier, Waterton Lakes, Banff, Jasper, Kootenay, Mount Revelstoke, and Yoho
Compiled by a former forest service ecologist and botany teacher at Yellowstone Institute, this handy guide features 300 species, expertly photographed, explained and organized by color and family for quick identification.
Rocky Mountain Natural History, Grand Teton to Jasper, A Trailside Reference
A comprehensive field guide and handbook covering the plants, animals, insects, geology and history of the region. With 480 color photographs and 11 line drawings.
The Amazing Death of Calf Shirt and Other Blackfoot Stories, Three Hundred Years of Blackfoot History
A wonderful collection of stories, illuminating the history of the Blackfoot people of the prairies of southern Alberta and northern Montana.
Spectacular Canada
Featuring 177 color photographs showcasing the diversity and grandeur of our neighbor to the north.
Lonely Planet Banff, Jasper & Glacier National Parks
This informative, compact guidebook in the excellent Lonely Planet series includes details on the history, geology and wildlife of the region.
This Wild Spirit: Women in the Rocky Mountains of Canada
In 1912, Mary Vaux, a botanist, glaciologist, painter, and photographer, wrote about her mountain adventures: “A day on the trail, or a scramble over the glacier, or even with a quiet day in camp to get things in order for the morrow's conquests? Some how when once this wild spirit enters the blood…I can hardly wait to be off again." Vaux's compulsion was shared by many women whose intellects, imaginations, and spirits rose to the challenge of the mountains between the late-nineteenth and mid-twentieth centuries. This Wild Spirit explores a sampling of women's creative responses—in fiction and travel writing, photographs and paintings, embroidery and beadwork, letters and diaries, poetry and posters—to their experiences in the Rocky Mountains of Canada.
Scats and Tracks of the Rocky Mountains
An essential pocket guide to tracks, scats and signs of not just the mammals of the region, but also of the reptiles, amphibians and birds. Each of 70 species gets a double-page spread, with line drawings of the animal, scat and track, range map and description.