Welcome to the Ultimate Canada Motorcycle Route guide! This ride report details one of the absolute best rides in Canada. It’s got it all from bears to mountains, amazing people and out of this world scenery. It’s one of the best places on earth to go on a motorcycle tour.
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The Best Motorcycle Route in Canada
Wild West Canada
This route is in the West of Canada. My girlfriend and I rode this route years ago and fell in love with the place.
It took us 14 days and around 1,600 miles. We rode two-up and took our time. It’s a comfortable 9-day trip with one rest day in the middle if you haven’t got the full two weeks. But you will most likely want at least one extra day either side for picking up and dropping off your bike if you’re renting.
What makes this route special is that it takes on BC and Alberta, along the Gold Rush Trail, to hot springs, waterfalls, Banff, Lake Louise, the boiling hot desert region of Kamloops, the highest mountain in the Rockies and the epic Icefields Parkway route with its overhanging glaciers – the Icefields Parkway are the one thing you cannot miss on your Canada motorcycle tour.
For more info on what this ride was like for us, check out this story…
READ MORE: A Canadian Rockies Motorcycle Adventure
Route map
You can download this map to your phone or desktop by clicking ‘More options’ under the red pin in the top left hand corner of the map.
Day by day route
Day 1: Vancouver to Whistler 100 miles
Stanley Park, Lion’s Gate Bridge, Highway 99, Sea to Sky Highway to the world-famous ski resort town of Whistler
Day 2: Whistler to Kelowna 260 miles
Pemberton, into the mountains, Coast Range Mountains, cowboy country past cattle ranches to Kelowna.
Day 3: Kelowna to Ainsworth Hot Springs 230 miles
The route changes from hills to mountains. You’ll ride through the Kootenay Mountain region, famous for ski resorts, breweries and the hot springs of Ainsworth.
Day 4: Ainsworth Hot Springs to Revelstoke 135 miles
Brilliant roads that flit between tarmac and little ferry crossings over turquoise blue lakes. There are plenty of hidden gems and off-piste routes here, so take a little extra time to dig them out.
Day 5: Revelstoke to Banff 205 miles
Storied Kicking Horse Pass, narrow valleys and plenty of switchbacks.
Day 6: Rest Day in Banff
Day 7: Banff to Mount Robson 235 miles
This one’s special. Today is the Icefields Parkway and one of the best roads in the world. Mount Robson is the highest mountain in the Canadian Rockies are the riding around that area is very cool. You’ll probably see the most wildlife of your trip on this stretch too.
Day 8: Mount Robson to Kamloops 230 miles
Follow the Thompson River and the Canadian National Railway Line. Kamloops is the wild west part of BC. It was 42C when we arrived. It’s an arid desert region.
Day 9: Kamloops to Vancouver 280 miles
Follow the 1800’s Gold Rush Trail through Fraser River Canyon from Cache Creek to Hope and stop off at Hell’s Gate Canyon, jump onto the Trans Canada Highway before arriving back in Vancouver.
How to rent a motorcycle
Motorcycle rental in Canada is very straightforward. We have a dedicated guide to help you rent a bike there packed with info on the best time to visit, prices, what you’ll need etc.
You can also check out our recommended rental and tour companies finder for more companies in Canada.
For our trip in Canada, we personally used vancouver.cyclebc.ca
READ MORE: How to Rent a Motorcycle in Canada
READ MORE: Recommended Rental and Tour Companies
How to take a foreign motorcycle
You can take your own vehicle into Canada if you don’t want to rent or are on a world tour. For shipping companies, check out our shipping finder and visit the UK companies as they’re experienced with shipping into Canada.
READ MORE: The Ultimate Motorcycle Shipping Guide
READ MORE: Recommended Motorcycle Shipping Companies
Read more on Motorcycle Travel in Canada
Thanks for checking out this Canada Motorcycle Trip Report. We hope you enjoyed it! Here’s a few more articles on motorcycling in Canada that we recommend you read next.
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We have a Can–am Spyder and would like to take this ultimate Canada tour this summer. We live in the Niagara Falls area. Can you send us some maps or can we download maps? Is there fuel stops we can make, b/c I don’t think we could make it on a tank for one day. We would have to tank up somewhere down route. Also can you send us accommodations web site? Thanks. Hearing from you.
Hi John, thanks for your comment. That’s great to hear you’re looking to ride this route in Canada.
We’re from the UK and have only ridden on the western side of Canada and haven’t done the route you’re asking about from east to west.
However, I can still help you with this! All of the questions you’re asking can be answered easily with one free mobile phone app called iOverlander. And also download Maps.Me too.
I have written an article explaining how these two apps work here: https://www.madornomad.com/travel-apps/
You download iOverlander and then zoom in on your route, it will show you hundreds and hundreds of Points of Interest along the way including mechanic shops, hotels, petrol stations, places to see, hotels and much more. All of these way points are added by fellow travellers with coordinates and information. Once you click it, you will see the option to View in Mapping App which is where you can open the location in Maps.Me (which is a free map app for directions) and then plot your route there.
I have checked it for Canada and there are hotels, petrol stations etc all along your route. Just keep zooming in and they will all show up.
I hope this helps and if you need any more info, then please get in touch or email.
All the best and I hope you have an amazing trip!
Andy
Thanks buddy. We will look into this information. Have a great day and travel and stay safe. 🧳🏍
Hi John, no problem at all, hope it helps and as I said just give us a shout if you need anything else!
Cheers,
Andy
Nice trip, however there are a couple of errors in your copy.
The Icefields Parkway is in the province of Alberta, not BC. Highway 93. Epic ride when it’s not busy. Or snowing. And it can snow there in July.
The Rockies are only along the Alberta-BC border from Grande Cache to Montana. Your ride also took you through the Cariboo, Purcell, Selkirk and Monashee mountain ranges. All worthy of exploring.
Hi Darren, thanks for your comment,
I had to read through the article a few times to find where it said the IFP was in BC because at the beginning of the article it says this is a BC and Alberta guide. But! I found it and corrected it, so thanks for pointing that out! 🙂
And thanks for noting the additional mountain ranges, i’m sure some readers who are planning longer trips there will find that helpful to look into.
Cheers,
Andy
Hey there,
What kind of license do you need to need to drive a motorcycle along this route? Would a foreign motorcycle license work?
Hi Agustin,
You will need a full licence to ride whichever size motorcycle or vehicle you would like to rent. Some rental companies may ask for an International Driver’s Permit – but this depends on where you’re from. My advice would be to contact the rental or tour company you’re thinking of hiring from and ask them exactly what they require.
Cheers and all the best!
Andy
I’m planning a trip from Utah with 3 other riders in July. How far in advance should we make hotel reservations, realistically, on this route. We typically ride until we’re tired 6-8 hours a day with breaks every 100 miles and look to find hotels the same day preferably in semi-remote towns. Could you give me an idea of how much availability for rooms there is, please.
Thank you
Hi Roger,
Good question. Things have changed a lot since Covid, so it’s very hard to tell how much availability there is nowadays or if you need to book in advance. The best advice I can give is to pick like 6 or 7 hotels/ motels or guest houses spread out along your planned route and just give them a call or email and ask directly what availability is like in July. You’ll then get an accurate and up-to-date idea from the people in the know.
Sorry I can’t be of more help here.
Best of luck with your trip, I’m sure you’ll have an awesome time!
All the best,
Andy