Rockies Winter Self-Launched Adventure: Vancouver to Banff & Back

Start early near Canada Place and the Flyover Canada centre (the same meeting point the tour bus uses). Take the Rider Express or Ebus coach from Vancouver Pacific Central Station to Kamloops (roughly 4.5–5.5 hrs, ~£35–45 one way); the route climbs the Coquihalla Highway past Bridal Falls and Hope with big mountain views. In Kamloops, check into a hostel or budget motel, then in the afternoon do a self-booked tasting at a Kamloops-area winery (several, e.g. Monte Creek or Privato, are reachable by local taxi or a short rideshare) and, if you want the cultural element, join a First Nations talk or storytelling session at the Secwépemc Museum & Heritage Park (small admission, book ahead). Evening: cook at the hostel or eat cheap downtown.

🚌Rider Express/Ebus coach Vancouver–Kamloops, ~£35–45; local taxi/rideshare to winery ~£10

🛏Budget motel or hostel dorm in Kamloops (~£18–25/night)

• →Scenic coach ride on the Coquihalla Highway
• →Self-booked winery tasting in Kamloops (~£12–18)
• →Secwépemc Museum & Heritage Park visit (~£6)
• →Canada Place / Vancouver waterfront send-off

Take the early Rider Express/Ebus or VIA Rail (The Canadian, if schedules align — book weeks ahead) east toward Banff, breaking the journey in Revelstoke and Lake Louise. From Revelstoke you can do a short local transfer or tour into Mount Revelstoke National Park, and the highway continues through Glacier National Park with its snowy peaks. Stop at Lake Louise in the afternoon for a free wander on the frozen lake (ice skating is free if you bring/buy skates — rental ~£10) before the short local bus or shared shuttle into Banff townsite. Check into a Banff hostel (HI Banff or Samesun) and walk Banff Avenue in the evening.

🚌Rider Express/Ebus or VIA Rail Kamloops–Banff, ~£40–60; Lake Louise–Banff local coach ~£10

🛏HI Banff or Samesun Banff dorm (~£28–35/night)

• →Mount Revelstoke & Glacier National Park viewpoints
• →Frozen Lake Louise walk and self-booked ice skating (~£10 skates)
• →Banff Avenue stroll

A self-guided day in the Rockies. Book the Banff Gondola online in advance (~£35) for the Sulphur Mountain boardwalk views, then rent snowshoes (~£12) and hike a marked trail near town — Tunnel Mountain or the Bow River trail are easy and free. Keen skiers can take the Roam Route 8X or a ski shuttle to Lake Louise Ski Resort (~£12 return) and buy a lift pass (~£55–65) with rental (~£30). Alternatively, join a self-bookable Johnston Canyon ice walk with GetYourGuide or a local operator (~£45–60 including crampons). Evening soak at the Banff Upper Hot Springs (~£12) and a cheap dinner in town.

🚌Roam public bus in Banff ~£2/trip; ski shuttle to Lake Louise ~£12 return

🛏HI Banff or Samesun Banff dorm (~£28–35/night)

• →Banff Gondola (~£35, book direct)
• →Snowshoe rental and self-guided trail (~£12)
• →Optional Lake Louise ski day (~£85–95 with rental)
• →Optional Johnston Canyon ice walk (~£50)
• →Banff Upper Hot Springs (~£12)

Morning self-guided walking/driving tour of the Banff landmarks the coach covers: Bow Falls, the Hoodoos viewpoint, the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel exterior and the Bow Valley Parkway (walkable in parts, or use the Roam bus). Then head west: take the Rider Express/Ebus or VIA Rail toward Salmon Arm, breaking at Emerald Lake (a short taxi from Field, ~£12, or arrange a shared shuttle) and stopping at Roger's Pass National Historic Site and Craigellachie, where the last spike of the CPR was driven. Arrive Salmon Arm on Shuswap Lake and check into a budget motel or guesthouse; sunset over the lake is free.

🚌Rider Express/Ebus or VIA Rail Banff–Salmon Arm ~£35–50; local taxi to Emerald Lake ~£12

🛏Budget motel/guesthouse in Salmon Arm (~£30–40/night)

• →Bow Falls, Hoodoos and Banff Springs Hotel walk
• →Bow Valley Parkway
• →Emerald Lake viewpoint
• →Roger's Pass National Historic Site & Craigellachie stop
• →Shuswap Lake sunset

Morning visit to BC Wildlife Park near Kamloops (public bus or taxi from Kamloops, admission ~£10) — home to rescued bears, cougars and owls, the same included stop on the original tour. Then take the afternoon Rider Express/Ebus or VIA Rail back to Vancouver, arriving at Pacific Central Station (a short walk/transit hop from Canada Place, where the tour ends around 20:00). Drop bags and finish with a cheap dinner downtown.

🚌Local bus/taxi Salmon Arm–Kamloops ~£10; Rider Express/Ebus or VIA Rail Kamloops–Vancouver ~£35–50

🛏Not included — hostel in Vancouver if you stay on (~£25–35)

• →BC Wildlife Park admission (~£10)
• →Return scenic coach/train ride through the Fraser Canyon or Coquihalla