One option for a two-week tour of the Canadian Rockies is simply to pad out the preceding itinerary with more hikes and activities. Although that’s what many travelers do, two weeks gives you the opportunity to explore beyond the core national parks, as laid out in this itinerary.

DAY 1
Arrive in Banff for a two-night stay. Explore the town and start your mountain journey with an easy walk—maybe along the Bow River or to Vermilion Lakes.

DAY 2
Expand your exploration of the town to include Lake Minnewanka and the Bow Valley Parkway. Depending on your interests, take an afternoon gondola ride up Sulphur Mountain or book a tee time at the hallowed Banff Springs Golf Course.

DAY 3
Spend the day exploring Kananaskis Country. At Canoe Meadows, just off Highway 40, kayakers often put on quite a show in the rapids of the Kananaskis River.

DAY 4
If you leave Kananaskis Village early you should arrive in Waterton Lakes National Park for a late lunch, even with a one-hour stop at Highwood Pass. Choose between a hike to Bertha Lake or afternoon tea at the Prince of Wales Hotel.

DAY 5
Take a border-crossing tour boat to Goat Haunt, Montana. Keen hikers will want to give the boat trip a miss and instead hike to Crypt Lake. Spend another night in Waterton. You may see deer, elk, and bears on an evening drive to Cameron Lake.

DAY 6
Day 6 is the longest day on the road, around six hours to Invermere. The trip can be broken up with a chairlift ride at Fernie Alpine Resort and a detour to Whiteswan Lake Provincial Park.

DAY 7
Drive north to Radium Hot Springs and Kootenay National Park. Pick a local hike that suits your level of fitness, then rest your weary bones in the hot springs.

DAY 8
It’s a two-hour drive between Radium Hot Springs and Golden, but there’s no hurry as the Kicking Horse Mountain Resort gondola doesn’t beginning running until 11 a.m. Arrive at your Yoho National Park accommodation early and spend the rest of the day at your leisure.

DAY 9
If you’ve done your planning thoroughly, you’ll be booked on the shuttle bus to Lake O’Hara on the morning of Day 9. Spend the night along the Bow Valley Parkway.

DAY 10
Rise early for the short drive to Moraine Lake. The rest of the day is yours to spend in the village of Lake Louise.

DAY 11
The earlier you hit the road for Jasper the better your chances of spotting wildlife along the Icefields Parkway. Stop at Bow Lake, Peyto Lake, Columbia Icefield, and as many other spots as time allows.

DAY 12
Visit Maligne Canyon and Maligne Lake, then make the Mt. Edith Cavell Road your main detour on the leisurely southbound journey back through Banff National Park to Canmore.

DAY 13
In Canmore, do some shopping, play a round of golf, take a helicopter ride, or ride the trails of the Nordic Centre.

DAY 14
Depart Canmore for Calgary and your flight home.