Canada in 2 weeks: Vancouver, Banff, Toronto and Montreal
Two weeks is the single most searched Canada trip length — and with good reason. It is long enough to move through three time zones without feeling rushed, to see both the Pacific coast and the St Lawrence corridor, and to include the Canadian Rockies at the pace they deserve. This itinerary combines Canada’s four signature experiences: Vancouver and the Pacific gateway, Banff and Jasper in the Rockies, Toronto with Niagara Falls, and Montreal for French-Canadian culture.
The route runs west-to-east by design. The Rockies reward fresh legs for hiking, and the cultural cities at the end let you decompress. Reverse it freely if your flights dictate. One internal flight (Calgary to Toronto, 3.5 hours) is the only air leg; the rest is rental car and train.
Overview
| Days | Base | Highlights |
|---|---|---|
| 1-2 | Vancouver | Stanley Park, Granville Island, Museum of Anthropology |
| 3 | Whistler | Sea-to-Sky Highway, Peak 2 Peak Gondola |
| 4-6 | Banff | Lake Louise, Moraine Lake, Banff town, Johnston Canyon |
| 7-8 | Jasper | Icefields Parkway, Columbia Icefield, Maligne Lake |
| 9 | Calgary + fly east | Stephen Avenue, evening flight to Toronto |
| 10-11 | Toronto | CN Tower, Distillery District, ROM, Kensington |
| 12 | Niagara Falls | Horseshoe Falls, Hornblower cruise, wine country |
| 13-14 | Montreal | Old Montreal, Plateau, Jean-Talon Market, Mont-Royal |
Days 1-2: Vancouver
Fly into Vancouver International Airport (YVR). The Canada Line SkyTrain reaches downtown in 26 minutes for CAD 9. No car needed for the first two days — the city is flat, compact, and easy to walk or cycle.
Day 1. Recover from the flight with a slow first afternoon. Rent a bike at Denman Street and ride the Stanley Park Seawall (8.8 km, flat, 2-3 hours at browsing pace). The totem poles at Brockton Point give essential First Nations context. Dinner in Gastown or Yaletown.
Day 2. Morning at the Museum of Anthropology at UBC — the Great Hall of Northwest Coast carving is one of Canada’s most important cultural experiences. Afternoon at Granville Island Public Market (the best food hall in western Canada) and a wander through Kitsilano. Optional: a suspension bridge — Capilano is famous but busy; Lynn Canyon is free and has better walking trails.
Browse Vancouver tours and attractionsDay 3: Sea-to-Sky Highway to Whistler
Pick up the rental car downtown or at YVR. Drive Highway 99 north — the Sea-to-Sky Highway is one of Canada’s iconic drives, 120 km of cliffs plunging into Howe Sound below the Coast Mountains. Stops: Shannon Falls (5 minute walk to an 84 m waterfall), the Sea to Sky Gondola at Squamish (optional 10-minute ride to a suspension bridge at 885 m), and lunch in Squamish.
Arrive in Whistler by early afternoon. In summer, ride the Peak 2 Peak Gondola between Whistler and Blackcomb mountains — 4.4 km suspended 436 m above the valley floor. In winter, the village is one of North America’s great ski resorts. Dinner at Araxi or Il Caminetto. Overnight in Whistler.
Days 4-6: Banff National Park
Day 4. Long driving day: Whistler to Banff via Highway 99, Lillooet, and Highway 1 through Revelstoke and Rogers Pass (approximately 8-9 hours with stops). Alternative: return to Vancouver and fly to Calgary, then drive 90 minutes to Banff — saves a day but misses Rogers Pass. Arrive Banff town, check in, soak in the Banff Upper Hot Springs.
Day 5. The priority day. Lake Louise requires an early start — the Parks Canada shuttle from the park-and-ride is mandatory in summer (reserve online). Aim for the lakeshore before 9am. Hike the Plain of Six Glaciers trail (11 km round trip, 2-4 hours) for genuine alpine scenery above the lake. Afternoon at Moraine Lake (shuttle only, no private cars) — the rockpile viewpoint over the Valley of the Ten Peaks is arguably the single most beautiful scene in Canada.
Day 6. Banff town and surroundings. Johnston Canyon (1.1 km to Lower Falls, 2.7 km to Upper Falls) is the classic morning hike. Banff Gondola up Sulphur Mountain for the panoramic Bow Valley view. Evening stroll along Banff Avenue.
Book Banff, Lake Louise and Moraine Lake toursDays 7-8: Icefields Parkway to Jasper
Day 7. The Icefields Parkway (Highway 93) from Lake Louise to Jasper is 232 km of sustained grandeur — one of the world’s most scenic drives. Allow a full day. Major stops: Bow Lake (coffee at Num-Ti-Jah Lodge), Peyto Lake Viewpoint (1.5 km return walk to the electric-blue wolf-head panorama), Columbia Icefield (Ice Explorer bus onto the Athabasca Glacier), Athabasca Falls (the Rockies’ most powerful waterfall). Overnight in Jasper.
Day 8. Maligne Lake is the Jasper centrepiece — a 22 km glacial lake at 1,670 m. The two-hour boat tour to Spirit Island is among Canada’s most photographed scenes. After lunch, walk the Maligne Canyon (six natural limestone bridges over a 55 m gorge). Wildlife is Jasper’s trademark: elk on the golf course at dusk, black bears along the Parkway, moose in wetland meadows.
Day 9: Calgary and flight to Toronto
Drive Jasper to Calgary (approximately 4 hours via Highway 93 and 1). Drop the rental car at Calgary International Airport. If time allows, detour to Drumheller for the Royal Tyrrell Museum (the finest dinosaur museum in the world, 1.5 hours east of Calgary).
Evening flight Calgary to Toronto (3.5 hours, WestJet or Air Canada). Book well in advance for reasonable fares (CAD 200-400). Arrive Toronto late evening; taxi or Union Pearson Express to downtown.
Days 10-11: Toronto
Day 10. Start at the CN Tower for orientation. Walk to St Lawrence Market for lunch (closed Sun/Mon), then the Distillery District for post-lunch galleries and breweries. Evening in Little Italy or West Queen West.
Day 11. Royal Ontario Museum morning (dinosaurs, Indigenous Peoples galleries). Kensington Market for global street food lunch. Afternoon: ferry to the Toronto Islands for the best skyline photo in Canada. Dinner in Chinatown or Yorkville.
Browse Toronto tours and CN Tower ticketsDay 12: Niagara Falls
Drive or take a day tour to Niagara Falls (1.5 hours from Toronto via the QEW). The Canadian Horseshoe Falls — 57 m high, 168,000 cubic metres of water per minute — is the dominant cascade. Morning: Hornblower Niagara Cruise into the base (you will get wet), then Journey Behind the Falls for tunnel portals behind the cataract.
Afternoon: drive the Niagara Parkway to Niagara-on-the-Lake — one of Canada’s most intact 19th-century streetscapes. Wine tastings at Peller Estates (ice wine), Inniskillin, or Trius. Return to Toronto evening, or overnight in Niagara-on-the-Lake.
Book Niagara Falls boat cruise and attractionsDays 13-14: Montreal
VIA Rail train Toronto to Montreal (5 hours, scenic and comfortable, CAD 90-180) or fly (1.5 hours). Train is the better experience.
Day 13. Old Montreal morning — Notre-Dame Basilica’s interior is essential (the blue-and-gold ceiling is one of Canada’s most extraordinary sights). Lunch at Jean-Talon Market in Little Italy. Afternoon in the Plateau-Mont-Royal — Canada’s most interesting bohemian neighbourhood, with staircase houses, murals, and boutique shopping.
Day 14. Climb or drive up Mont Royal for the panoramic city view from the belvedere. Visit the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts or the Biodome depending on weather. Fly home from Montreal-Trudeau Airport (YUL) — excellent direct connections to Europe and major US hubs.
Browse Montreal tours and experiencesBudget estimate (per person, CAD, two sharing)
| Category | Moderate | Comfort | Luxury |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accommodation (13 nights) | 2,900 | 4,800 | 9,500 |
| Food and drink | 1,300 | 2,000 | 3,500 |
| Car rental, fuel, internal flight, trains | 1,700 | 2,200 | 3,200 |
| Activities and park passes | 600 | 1,000 | 2,000 |
| Total per person | 6,500 | 10,000 | 18,200 |
International flights not included. Peak summer (July-August) adds 20-30 per cent to accommodation. Book Icefields Parkway attractions and the Hornblower cruise ahead.
Alternatives and variations
Train version: Replace the Calgary-Toronto flight with VIA Rail’s The Canadian — a 4-day dome-car journey through the Rockies, Prairies, and Canadian Shield. Adds 3 days and approximately CAD 1,500-4,000 per person. See the dedicated VIA Rail Canadian itinerary.
With Quebec City: Drop one Toronto day and add Quebec City (4 hours from Montreal by train). Canada’s only walled city is worth the reshuffle.
Without a car: The eastern section (Toronto, Niagara, Montreal) works entirely on train and bus. The western section needs a car or a multi-day tour — Banff and Jasper by guided tour is the main alternative.
Winter version: Replace Moraine Lake (closed in winter) with skiing at Lake Louise and Banff Sunshine. Replace Niagara with Ottawa for the Rideau Canal skateway. See Canada winter 2-week itinerary.
Best time to go
June to September is the prime window — all mountain roads open, long daylight hours, warm cities. Late September to mid-October is spectacular for fall colours in Ontario and Quebec but the Rockies turn cold. Winter (December-March) is a completely different trip — see the dedicated winter itinerary.
Related guides
- 14-day Canada coast-to-coast for the detailed full version
- 10-day Canada essentials if you have less time
- Canada 3 weeks for the extended version
- Best time to visit Canada
- How much does a Canada trip cost