I am a seasoned traveler . I specifically go on tours just like this at least once if not twice a year for past decade .

This was a new company that I never knew or heard before , reviews looked good so me and my wife decided to give them a shot .

Let me tell you – 5/5 reviews are lying . They deserve more . A lot more .

Organization

Tour took place over 5 days. There was NEVER any lag . All activities were working smoothly and precisely as planned. There were times where we were on a tight schedule , but what’s app reminders , involvement of the tour guide and her assistant in the activities steered entire group into the direction where I didn’t even feel that there was any pressure for time . Entire experience was seamless, and that takes a lot of skill to execute .

On top of that , the plan…

I do not know who has planned this tour – but whoever did deserves a medal . Everything just worked . Transition between lush Vancouver mainland , to the fertile Okanagan valley then passing through the Rockies and epic glacial lakes … long drive coming back ( which didn’t feel long at all thanks to the attractions on the way ), and then coming back finally to BC – every location we had a night stop at or even a rest stop made sense. Kelowna marked prairie climate .
Banff and Jasper were the crown of the tour , just so they could be slightly diffused by Kamloops . There was a flow to it . Every location made sense , every rest stop gave opportunity to facilitate backpackers who were on a tight budget and allowed bit luxury for those who could splurge a bit more .

Very important message to the owners of the company – listen to your operators . They know when things work and when the need improvement .

There was / is a plan – and our guide adhered to it 100%. That being said I really liked the freedom given to our guide to adjust the itinerary when
Needed.Through the tour , when forest fires

caused air in Kamloops to be unbreathable ,
Janelle( our guide , but about her in a moment ) decided to change hikes around – and it worked !!! We saw waterfalls and lakes that maybe were not in initial plan – but completed the tour beautifully .

Extracurricular activities

There are / were:

Gondola over Banff . Solid 9/10 . Gondola itself as cool as it was ,was nothing in comparison to the view over the city. Perfect morning trip, that prepared us for more things to come .

Hike over ice fields ( glacier tour) 10/10
3 major melting glaciers created “ice fields “ a sheet of ice covering a valley.This trip was cool from the beginning to the end. ( you HAVE to see vehicles they use to climb the glacier – I felt like a little kid again ) Don’t forget to bring your bottle for the water from the glacier -purest water you will ever try .

Lake tour over maligne lake – 11/10 . I must admit
I was pretty skeptical over doing a cruise over a
glacial lake- I mean what’s so special about
another blue hued lake ( we saw 3 over the trip) .
Wrong . I was convinced by my wife to do it and I am glad we did it . A valley with an emerald lake in the middle surrounded by glaciers will give one of the most picturesque vistas in the world . I don’t imagine any human alive that wouldn’t be moved by it . Personal favorite of the tour .

Jasper stargazing . – cannot grade didn’t attend it . Both me and my wife did identical activity in our

home Ontario and we felt it would be redundant . I half regret not going as it probably was pretty good.

Accommodations

Exceeded our expectations. Every hostel was
clean , and through the tour every consecutive
hostel was getting better and better. Every hostel provided us with Breakfest ( yey) , except jasper
Where we could buy it .

Jasper had best quality wise hostel , but I am
guessing it was probably also the most expensive as it was simply brand spanking new .

I know hotels with worse quality than those
hostels .Bus was new , had air condition , was cleaned and sanitized daily . USB ports in the seats were a nice addition .

Ideal for first timers !

Staff

We had a team- tour leader and part time driver Janelle , and her young sidekick – Hayden.
They made the tour the experience it was and I do not imagine it without them .

Janelle is/ was a perfect example of how professional veteran of tourism industry should be. She knew a lot about the region , it’s history , ecosystem and culture . At every rest stop we could count on her to point out places of interests.
And she had that spark that motivated people to
“ make the moose out of life “ ( reference to a book one of my friends bought on the tour).

She took part of every activity and you could feel that she had fun doing it . Some people do their job because they must – but she does it because she loves it . And it shows . I met many guides In My travels but she beats them all by a long shot .

I still can’t believe that she run the trip AND drove all of us . It’s a hell of a skill.

Overall- (tldr)

Why are you reading this ? Whether you are a seasoned globetrotter , or beginner backpacker this tour is for you . Stop reading start booking it’s 10 /10 and if you don’t believe me read other reviews . This trip is worth every penny because of people running it . If you worry about hostels – don’t – they are nice , clean and safe .itinerary is pure gold .

I cannot emphasize how good this experience was . Book it already !!!