Self-Launched Canadian Rockies & Glacier National Park
7 days · Canadian Rockies & Glacier National Park (Alberta & Montana)
Collette charges £3,050
No-markup version: ~£1,290 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A DIY version of Collette's 7-day Calgary–Waterton–Glacier–Banff loop, done by self-drive car rental (or a mix of Greyhound-style coaches and shuttles) with hostel and budget-motel beds instead of Marriott/Bayshore/Banff Inn hotels. You see the same headline sights — Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump, Waterton Lakes, Going-to-the-Sun Road in Glacier National Park, the Icefields Parkway, Athabasca Glacier, Peyto Lake, Lake Louise and the Banff Gondola — but book each entry, shuttle and Jammer ride yourself. Costs below assume one person sharing a rental car and a twin hostel/motel room; solo travellers should add roughly 40–60% for single-occupancy room and car costs. Prices are approximate 2026 estimates in GBP.
Day-by-day
Arrive Calgary — pick up car and explore the city
Calgary, Alberta
Land at YYC and take the Calgary Transit Route 300 bus downtown (~CAD 12) or a shared shuttle. Check into a downtown hostel (HI Calgary City Centre or Wicked Hostels) or a budget motel near the C-Train. Pick up a rental car the following morning rather than at the airport to save on airport surcharges — compare on Kayak or book direct with Enterprise/Routes. Spend the afternoon walking Stephen Avenue, the Calgary Tower exterior and Prince's Island Park, or the free Glenbow-adjacent RiverWalk. Grab a cheap dinner in Kensington or Chinatown (£10–14).
🚌Route 300 bus from YYC to downtown (~£7); walk/C-Train locally (~£2 per trip)
🛏HI Calgary City Centre hostel dorm (~£28/night) or Wicked Hostels private twin (~£40/room)
- →Stephen Avenue walk
- →Prince's Island Park
- →Kensington & Chinatown food wander
Calgary to Waterton Lakes via Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump
Waterton Lakes National Park, Alberta
Collect your rental car early (~£55/day including unlimited kilometres and insurance) and drive south on Highway 2/Highway 3, ~2h45 to Fort Macleod and Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump. Pay the Parks Canada/UNESCO site entry (~£9) and join one of the site's scheduled interpretive talks or the self-guided trail — the Blackfoot-led programming Collette includes is delivered by the site's own guides on a set timetable, so check times when you arrive. Continue ~1h to Waterton Lakes National Park (Parks Canada day pass ~£6.50/person, or buy a Discovery Pass if staying multiple days). Check into a budget option in the townsite — Waterton Glacier Suites budget rooms, Crandell Mountain Lodge or the Waterton hostel-style options; book early as summer beds sell out. Evening walk to the Prince of Wales Hotel viewpoint for lake photos, then a pub dinner in the townsite (~£14).
🚌Rental car, ~230 km driving; fuel ~£18
🛏Budget motel/guesthouse in Waterton townsite (~£65/room shared)
- →Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump entry + interpretive talk
- →Prince of Wales Hotel viewpoint
- →Waterton townsite lakeshore walk
Glacier National Park & Going-to-the-Sun Road
Glacier National Park, Montana, USA
Cross the US border at Chief Mountain or Cardston (bring passport; allow 30–45 min). Glacier National Park charges a vehicle entry fee (~£27/car for 7 days) plus, in summer, a timed entry reservation for Going-to-the-Sun Road (free but must be booked on recreation.gov up to 120 days ahead — do this the moment your dates are fixed). Skip the operator's Jammer car and instead ride the park's own free hiker shuttle from Apgar or drive the road yourself, stopping at Logan Pass, Jackson Glacier Overlook and St. Mary Falls. Jammer red-bus tours can be booked direct with Glacier National Park Lodges (~£90/adult for a 4-hour tour) if you want the same experience. Return to Waterton for the night; fill up with fuel in Cardston or St. Mary — it's much cheaper than inside the parks.
🚌Rental car, ~200 km round trip; fuel ~£16
🛏Budget motel/guesthouse in Waterton townsite (~£65/room shared)
- →Glacier NP 7-day vehicle pass (shared cost)
- →Going-to-the-Sun Road self-drive or free park shuttle
- →Logan Pass & St. Mary Falls stops
Waterton to Banff via Longview and Kananaskis
Banff, Alberta
Drive north ~4h via Highway 6/22 (the Cowboy Trail) with a coffee stop in Longview, then Highway 40 through Kananaskis Country for wildlife spotting — much more scenic than the main highway. Arrive in Banff and check into a hostel (HI Banff Alpine Centre or SameSun Banff, ~£35–45/night for a dorm, ~£90/room for a private twin). Do the Bow Falls and Surprise Corner viewpoints on foot from town — both free and a 15-minute walk from Banff Avenue. Optional paid soak at the Banff Upper Hot Springs (~£11). Dinner: cheap eats at Banff's Eddie Burger or the Elk & Oarsman (~£15).
🚌Rental car, ~290 km; fuel ~£20
🛏HI Banff Alpine Centre dorm (~£38) or SameSun private twin (~£90/room)
- →Cowboy Trail & Kananaskis scenic drive
- →Bow Falls viewpoint
- →Surprise Corner viewpoint
- →Optional Banff Upper Hot Springs
Icefields Parkway day trip — Peyto Lake & Athabasca Glacier
Banff / Icefields Parkway
Full-day self-drive north on the Icefields Parkway (Highway 93). Start early (7am) to beat the tour coaches. Stop at Bow Lake and Peyto Lake (short 15-min uphill walk from the car park — free), then continue to the Columbia Icefield Discovery Centre. Book the Athabasca Glacier Ice Explorer + Skywalk combo direct with Pursuit (~£85/adult; cheaper if booked online in advance, or ~£55 for the Skywalk alone) — arrive by 11am as afternoon slots sell out. Alternatively do the free 1-hour guided toe-of-glacier walk from the centre, or hike to Wilcox Pass for the view instead. Return to Banff (~3h), watching for bears and elk along the roadside at dusk.
🚌Rental car, ~370 km round trip; fuel ~£26
🛏HI Banff Alpine Centre dorm (~£38) or SameSun private twin (~£90/room)
- →Peyto Lake viewpoint (free)
- →Bow Lake stop
- →Athabasca Glacier Ice Explorer + Skywalk (book direct with Pursuit)
- →Wilcox Pass hike alternative
Lake Louise, gondola and back to Calgary
Lake Louise to Calgary
Drive ~45 min to Lake Louise early (before 8am to get parking at the lakeshore lot; otherwise use the free Parks Canada shuttle from the Lake Louise Ski Resort park-and-ride). Walk the free Lakeshore Trail and, if you have legs for it, the 2.6 km climb to the Lake Agnes Tea House (~£8 for tea and a scone at the top). Next, ride the Banff Gondola at Sulphur Mountain or the Lake Louise Sightseeing Gondola direct (~£40–48/adult, pre-book online for a discount) for the summit views the tour includes. Lunch at the Lake Louise Ski Resort's café instead of the included lodge lunch (~£12). Drive back to Calgary (~1h45), drop the car and stay downtown. Farewell dinner: the Calgary Farmers' Market or a Kensington pub (~£18) rather than the Heritage Park dinner.
🚌Rental car, ~230 km; fuel ~£16
🛏HI Calgary City Centre dorm (~£28) or Wicked Hostels private twin (~£40/room)
- →Lake Louise lakeshore walk
- →Lake Agnes Tea House hike
- →Lake Louise or Banff Sightseeing Gondola
Calgary — depart
Calgary, Alberta
Return the rental car and take the Route 300 bus or a shared shuttle to YYC for your flight. If your flight is later in the day, the Glenbow Museum or Studio Bell music centre (both ~£10–14) make good morning fillers, or walk the Inglewood neighbourhood. Budget a little for a final brunch (~£10).
🚌Route 300 bus to YYC (~£7)
🛏None (departure day)
- →Optional Glenbow Museum or Studio Bell
- →Inglewood wander
Self-launched vs. Collette
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Collette | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£1,290 | £3,050 |
| Duration | 7 days | 7 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £1,760 per person (58%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Collette-style trips? Check them out here.~£1,290
estimated per person
You never pay Travel Crew for this — you pay hostels, transport, and activity providers directly, the same as if you'd booked it all yourself.
This publishes your dates so other travellers can find and join you — no tour operator needed.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does Self-Launched Canadian Rockies & Glacier National Park cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £1,290 per person for 7 days in Canadian Rockies & Glacier National Park (Alberta & Montana). This is an AI-generated estimate based on typical budget-traveller prices — actual costs will vary by season and how you book.
Is this cheaper than booking with Collette?+
Yes — Collette charges around £3,050 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £1,290 — a saving of roughly £1,760 (58%) per person.
How long is the Canadian Rockies & Glacier National Park (Alberta & Montana) trip?+
This itinerary runs 7 days, covering 7 day-by-day stops through Canadian Rockies & Glacier National Park (Alberta & Montana).
How do I join this trip?+
You can join an existing open departure using this itinerary if one is scheduled, or launch your own departure with your own dates and invite other travellers to join you — no tour operator required.
Isn't it easier to just use a tour operator?+
Well, yes, a tour operator will book all the individual parts of your travel for you and provide a guide. That's obvious, but doing this has the potential to save the group thousands, which can in turn improve your itinerary substantially or save you huge amounts of money. Also, when you launch a departure, Travel Crew has tools in place to help you book the individual sections of the trip or make it easier for you to do this as a group. Really, you do not need a middle man. If you are more comfortable paying more and using a middle man, then you should certainly do this.
Is it safer to book through a tour operator?+
Arguably, there isn't much difference. A self-launched trip runs on the same principle as a group travel crew: collective responsibility, everyone looking out for each other, the same way it would if a group of friends organised the trip themselves — because that's exactly what's happening. You should always take out travel insurance before you go, self-launched or not; that doesn't change either way. Every open departure is published publicly with real dates and a real trip organiser, so it's never an anonymous arrangement, and our support team is reachable any time you need help, including in an emergency while you're away. Longer-term, we're building direct relationships with ground DMCs in popular destinations, offered as an optional paid add-on for extra on-the-ground support. Ultimately, though, the group is responsible for its own conduct and safety on a self-launched trip, same as on any trip you plan yourself.
What kind of trip is this?+
This is a adventure, hiking, wildlife trip through Canadian Rockies & Glacier National Park (Alberta & Montana), self-launched rather than run by a tour operator — you organise it with a group you find or bring yourself.
Would you like to name the operator, name the trip, or have any suggestions about how to improve this itinerary?
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