The First Passage to the West route runs only in daylight: from Vancouver through the Fraser Canyon to an overnight in Kamloops, then over the Spiral Tunnels and Kicking Horse Pass into Banff. Pair it with Vancouver at the start and Lake Louise and Moraine Lake at the end; trains run April to October.
Month by month
Best: May, June, July, August, September
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Avoid Poor OK Good Excellent Peak
Worth avoiding: January, February, March, November, December.
Shoulder season: June, September, good weather with typically fewer crowds and lower prices.
Weather and crowds
| Month | Avg high | Avg low | Wet days | Crowds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6°C / 43°F | 2°C / 35°F | 17 | Quiet |
| February | 6°C / 43°F | 1°C / 34°F | 15 | Quiet |
| March | 10°C / 49°F | 3°C / 38°F | 18 | Quiet |
| April | 12°C / 54°F | 5°C / 41°F | 14 | Moderate |
| May | 16°C / 61°F | 9°C / 48°F | 11 | Moderate |
| June | 20°C / 68°F | 12°C / 54°F | 10 | Moderate |
| July | 24°C / 74°F | 15°C / 59°F | 3 | Busy |
| August | 23°C / 74°F | 16°C / 60°F | 6 | Busy |
| September | 20°C / 67°F | 13°C / 55°F | 9 | Moderate |
| October | 14°C / 57°F | 8°C / 47°F | 17 | Moderate |
| November | 9°C / 47°F | 4°C / 39°F | 18 | Quiet |
| December | 6°C / 43°F | 2°C / 35°F | 22 | Quiet |
Weather: averages of recent years from Open-Meteo historical data (CC BY 4.0). Crowds: estimated from the seasons and holiday periods, not measured.
How long to stay
5–10 days is the sweet spot.
Flight time
About 5.5h from the US East Coast, 9.5h from Europe, 15.5h from South Asia.
Good to know
- Book a year ahead for June to September; the train sells out.
- Moraine Lake is reached by shuttle only; book Parks Canada or a private bus ahead.
- Fly home from Calgary, about 90 minutes from Banff.
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