California to the Rockies
The return run of our Rockies to California tour: the same route in reverse, finishing in the Canadian Rockies and Calgary.
- Length
- 9 Days
- Start / end
- San Francisco → Calgary
- Overnights
- 8 nights: Eureka / Arcata, Roseburg or Grants Pass, Portland, Spokane or Coeur d'Alene, Kalispell, St. Mary / East Glacier, Canmore
- Longest driving day
- ≈ 6.5 h
- Season
- Fixed departures, June 15 – October 15, 2027 · Moraine Lake: June to mid-October, weather permitting
Included
- One-way coach transportation (San Francisco to Calgary)
- One-way flight ticket home: Calgary (YYC) → San Francisco (SFO)
- Daily breakfast at your hotel
- Daily lunch — order your favourite meal from our chosen restaurant for the group
- Hotel accommodation
Not included
- Dinners
- Gratuities / tips
- Personal expenses
- Optional activities and entry fees not listed as included
- Travel insurance
Payment: full payment at booking. Cancellation policy: Full refund if cancelled 60 or more days before departure. No refund for cancellations less than 60 days before departure.
Fixed departure dates 2027 (group coach tours)
- Sat, Jun 26 – Sun, Jul 4, 2027
- Sun, Jul 18 – Mon, Jul 26, 2027
- Mon, Aug 9 – Tue, Aug 17, 2027
- Tue, Aug 31 – Wed, Sep 8, 2027
- Wed, Sep 22 – Thu, Sep 30, 2027
Choose one of these dates in the quote form. The same coach then runs the return tour: Rockies to California.
Day 1San Francisco to Eureka
Morning pickup in San Francisco, across the Golden Gate Bridge and north to Eureka / Arcata. Overnight in Eureka / Arcata.
🚌 Driving: ≈ 5.5 h · 🛏 Overnight: Eureka / Arcata🍽 Meals: Lunch (group restaurant)Day 2Redwoods
The coast redwoods and Crescent City, then inland to Southern Oregon. Overnight in Grants Pass or Roseburg.
🚌 Driving: ≈ 4–5.5 h · 🛏 Overnight: Roseburg or Grants Pass🍽 Meals: Breakfast (hotel), Lunch (group restaurant)Day 3Southern Oregon to Portland
Drive north through the Willamette Valley to Portland. Overnight in Portland.
🚌 Driving: ≈ 3.5–5 h · 🛏 Overnight: Portland🍽 Meals: Breakfast (hotel), Lunch (group restaurant)Day 4Columbia River Gorge
Portland → Multnomah Falls / Columbia River Gorge → Spokane. Overnight in Spokane or Coeur d'Alene.
🚌 Driving: ≈ 6.5 h · 🛏 Overnight: Spokane or Coeur d'Alene🍽 Meals: Breakfast (hotel), Lunch (group restaurant)Day 5Spokane to West Glacier
Stop at Coeur d'Alene Lake, then drive to the Kalispell area. Overnight in Kalispell.
🚌 Driving: ≈ 5 h · 🛏 Overnight: Kalispell🍽 Meals: Breakfast (hotel), Lunch (group restaurant)Day 6Glacier National Park
Lake McDonald on the west side, then cross the Continental Divide on US-2 (Marias Pass) to St. Mary Lake and the Rising Sun area on the east side. Optional Red Bus tour over Going-to-the-Sun Road can be booked separately (seasonal). Overnight in the St. Mary / East Glacier area.
🚌 Driving: ≈ 4 h · 🛏 Overnight: St. Mary / East Glacier🍽 Meals: Breakfast (hotel), Lunch (group restaurant)Day 7Glacier to Canmore, Alberta
Morning departure north, crossing into Canada at Piegan/Carway, then along the foothills to the Canadian Rockies. Overnight in Canmore.
🚌 Driving: ≈ 5 h · 🛏 Overnight: Canmore🍽 Meals: Breakfast (hotel), Lunch (group restaurant)Day 8Lakes Day
Canmore → Lake Louise → Moraine Lake → Peyto Lake → return to Canmore.
🚌 Driving: ≈ 4.5 h · 🛏 Overnight: Canmore🍽 Meals: Breakfast (hotel), Lunch (group restaurant)Day 9Banff, then Calgary & Tour Ends
Explore Banff town, ride the Banff Gondola, visit Bow Falls and Lake Minnewanka, then drive to Calgary in the afternoon. Tour ends in Calgary – transfer to Calgary International Airport (YYC) for your flight home.
🚌 Driving: ≈ 3 h🍽 Meals: Breakfast (hotel), Lunch (group restaurant)| Day | Route | Approx. driving | Overnight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | San Francisco to Eureka | ≈ 5.5 h | Eureka / Arcata |
| Day 2 | Redwoods | ≈ 4–5.5 h | Roseburg or Grants Pass |
| Day 3 | Southern Oregon to Portland | ≈ 3.5–5 h | Portland |
| Day 4 | Columbia River Gorge | ≈ 6.5 h | Spokane or Coeur d'Alene |
| Day 5 | Spokane to West Glacier | ≈ 5 h | Kalispell |
| Day 6 | Glacier National Park | ≈ 4 h | St. Mary / East Glacier |
| Day 7 | Glacier to Canmore, Alberta | ≈ 5 h | Canmore |
| Day 8 | Lakes Day | ≈ 4.5 h | Canmore |
| Day 9 | Banff, then Calgary & Tour Ends | ≈ 3 h | Tour ends |
Good to know
- This tour starts in the morning in San Francisco; plan to arrive the day before (we can add a pre-tour hotel night on request).
- US border crossing: please bring a valid passport and any required US entry documents.
- Moraine Lake: the road is closed to personal vehicles. Visits run in season (roughly June to mid-October; 2026 Parks Canada shuttle season was June 1 – Oct 12) by Parks Canada shuttle or a licensed commercial operator. Outside the season we substitute another stop.
- Glacier National Park: commercial tour vehicles are not permitted on the alpine section of Going-to-the-Sun Road (Lake McDonald Lodge – Rising Sun), so we visit St. Mary Lake and Lake McDonald from each side and cross via US-2 (Marias Pass). The park’s historic Red Bus tours over the pass (seasonal, roughly July to September) can be booked separately. The Carway/Piegan border crossing is open year-round.
Driving times are estimates (OpenStreetMap routing data plus extra time for a coach). Status of parks and attractions checked October 2026 — we confirm details with your quote. Back to the website