This all-women hiking journey on the Pacific Coast gathers the best of both worlds—bustling urban spots fused with the raw, unspoiled nature of the Canadian Rockies. Next to the ocean sits Vancouver—the City of Glass—offering both lively markets and enormous parks featuring ever-blooming gardens of the iconic Stanley Park. But just when you start craving the mountains, you’ll fly to the 2-million-acre Tumbler Ridge UNESCO Geopark in the foothills of the Rockies. Apart from 728-million-year-old geosites and astounding dinosaur trackways, you’ll feel the misty spray of majestic Kinuseo Falls and enjoy the sunrise summit of The Terminator perched up at 7,877 ft. With a great team of women by your side, this will be a Canadian holiday to remember.
Follow dinosaur trackways alongside like-minded women in 600-million-year-old park
Feel like Indiana Jones traversing suspension bridges over rivers in Vancouver’s park
Discover fauna of the Pacific Province: orcas, moose, elk, and mountain goats
Once you arrive in Vancouver, you’ll meet your guide and travel together to the hotel. In the evening, go to a welcome diner, where you’ll meet the rest of the group. Mingle over drinks and delicious food, and have a good night’s rest!
Accommodation: YWCA Hotel in Vancouver
After breakfast, meet your Discover Canada Tour Guide in the hotel lobby, who will show you iconic Vancouver landmarks. Enjoy the First Nations nature walk through Stanley Park with the woman-owned Talaysay Tours. Guided by a local Indigenous guide, you’ll discover local trees and plants of the Pacific Northwest that have been harvested for food, medicine, and technology for thousands of years. The guide will share with you their ecological practices, ancient and contemporary history, stories, legends, and the way of life. Return to your hotel and spend the evening as you wish.
Accommodation: YWCA Hotel in Vancouver
Spend the morning touring Granville Island, Canada’s second most-visited destination, with the woman-owned Vancouver Foodie Tours. Savor fine foods from independent farmers and food artisans, from cheeses to charcuterie, candied salmon, and donuts. Move onto the Capilano Suspension Bridge Park led by Discover North Vancouver: walk across the iconic bridge, stroll through the Living Forest, or give Cliffwalk a go. Next stop is Lonsdale Quay Public Market, where you could spend days exploring its eclectic boutiques. You can also climb its iconic Q tower, offering great views. Finally, discover the Shipyards District and its many restaurants and shops—be sure to stroll the Shipbuilders’ pier. Return to your hotel.
Accommodation: YWCA Hotel in Vancouver
This is your free day to explore Vancouver according to your interests. There are options to join other tours, but at an additional cost: Vancouver Foodie’s Gastown, Discover Whistler & Sea-to-Sky Tour, or the Discover Victoria & Butchart Gardens. Have a good night’s rest at the hotel, as this is your final night before heading to the wilderness.
Accommodation: YWCA Hotel in Vancouver
First you’ll take a one-hour flight from Vancouver to Fort St. John. Upon arrival, you’ll be greeted by Danielle Roscher, owner and operator of JADEFit, and transferred to Tumbler Ridge. Tumbler Ridge is famous for its dinosaur artifacts, so you’ll take a “Dinosaur Hike”, following real dinosaur prints, and visit a museum. Afterwards head to the Compass Mountain Outfitters Camp for the Sunrise Summit Adventure, a once-in-a-lifetime experience which you don’t want to miss. Head to bed in time, as you’ll be waking up very early.
Accommodation: Sunrise Summit Camp in Tumbler Ridge
Rise and shine! At 2 am, you’ll begin your ascent to the top of “The Terminator” for sunrise. You’ll take trucks to reach the trailhead. The hike itself is a strenuous vertical climb, but when you reach it, it will all be worth it. You’ll be served coffee and breakfast as you watch the sun
come up over the mountains. Return to the camp at around 10 am—naps are usually in order and you’ll revive in the afternoon. You have two options later on: stay in the area and enjoy the lake, hot tub, or go paddleboarding. The second option is going on a guided trip to the Shipyard and Babcock Falls, a 30-min drive and a 6-km walk. Gather for dinner in the evening next to the fire to enjoy the Canadian outdoor experience.
Accommodation: Sunrise Summit Camp in Tumbler Ridge
Distance: 6 km / 3.7 miles
Elevation change: 300 m / 984 ft
Note: When it comes to the Sunrise Summit, keep in mind that weather may not cooperate. Hiking in the dark on steep sections without much sleep is challenging enough on its own, but it gets even harder with bad weather. Having said that, even the most inexperienced hiker can still make it to the top with the help of the team.
Pack up and head towards your next hiking destination. No trip to Tumbler Ridge is complete without seeing Kinuseo Falls—this 70-meter tall monumental wonder of nature showers over 40m3 of water a second. Just across the road is the historic Stone Corral trail. Around each bend is a new surprise with 15 different stops including two caves, a massive rock coral, and a tiny underground, stream-fed lake. Expect a 4-5-km (6.4-8 miles) walk with 230 m (755 ft) of elevation change. Drive back into Tumbler and check into your hotel.
Accommodation: Trend Mountain Hotel in Tumbler Ridge
Distance: 4-5 km / 6.4-8 miles
Elevation change: 230 m / 755 ft
Today you’re hiking through the forest and marveling at a spectacular alpine lake. There’s an option of adding a ridge walk and making things more difficult. This is a good area if you’re looking for a challenge, as there are many areas to explore!
Accommodation: Trend Mountain Hotel in Tumbler Ridge
Distance: 10 km / 6.2 miles
Elevation change: 300 m / 984 ft
This is a relaxing day with two stops. Bullmoose Marshes host a myriad of birds and Canadian moose, so there’s a chance of spotting them. Continue onto Gwillim Lake, a lovely place for a short hike along the shoreline and a great lunch spot. There are also optional activities of swimming or paddleboarding.
Accommodation: Trend Mountain Hotel in Tumbler Ridge
Distance: 3 km / 2 miles
You’ve got two options today. Following a relaxing morning, join your guides on a trip to Cameron Lakes Lodge Beach area and try out dragon boating. The second option is going on a once-in-a-lifetime heli tour with Ridge Heli Tours at an additional cost. Your guide will explain other options on the day depending on the weather.
Accommodation: Trend Mountain Hotel in Tumbler Ridge
After several days spent in the wild Tumbler Ridge, it’s time to leave. Transfer to Fort St. John, where you’ll hop on a plane and fly back to Vancouver. You’ll get transferred to your hotel, and after settling in, you can spend the evening as you wish.
Accommodation: Barclay Hotel in Vancouver
Visit the historic fishing village of Steveston and then join an exciting whale watching tour aboard a zodiac boat led by Vancouver Whale Watch. The Pacific Coast is home to majestic orcas and humpback whales, along with many other extraordinary species. After that, head to Richmond Night Market, the Asian-themed night market, largest of its kind in North America. With thousands of visitors each weekend and hundreds of vendors, you’ll have plenty to explore.
Accommodation: Barclay Hotel in Vancouver
Your all-women Canada adventure has come to an end. If you’ve booked your flights, head to the airport. There’s also the option of adding an Alaska Cruise or some other post-tour option. Let your guides know and they’ll make arrangements.
What you get on this adventure:
What’s not included:
In order to join the all-women hiking tour in Canada, you need to have a decent level of fitness. You’ll be on your feet for 11 days, with most days being between 4 and 6 hours of walking or hiking with regular refreshment stops. Some days you’ll be touring the city and parks, other days you’ll be hiking on uneven terrain in Tumbler Ridge Geopark. The most you’ll hike is 10 miles with 984 ft of elevation change, and the most challenging day will be the Sunrise Summit.
Here’s a list of the equipment you need to bring:
Dress comfortably and for the weather in clothes you can move in. We suggest bringing clothing appropriate for the season. Layers are best and don’t wear jeans.
In order to experience as much as you can on this tour, you’ll be staying in different accommodations.
Return to Vancouver for 2 nights at the Barclay Hotel, owned and run by Barbara Cheng. This is a heritage-style hotel right in the heart of Vancouver, perfect to end your trip.
Group sizes and prices:
Hiking in Canada can be arranged for larger groups. Contact us to make arrangements.
Min. age requirements:
If your group has hikers under the age of 18, contact us prior to booking to make arrangements.
A 25% deposit to secure your place is due upon booking. The remaining amount is paid 3 months (90 days) prior to departure. Once the trip is confirmed by the guide, the cancellation policy stated below applies.
To get to Vancouver, the starting point of your adventure, most people fly into Vancouver International Airport. Once you and your guide agree on the details of your itinerary, your guide will suggest the best place to meet, whether that’s at the hotel you’re staying or a predetermined location.
57hours is committed to providing safe outdoor adventure experiences. We require all guides using our platform to have a COVID-19 safety plan and to make the details of that plan accessible to travelers. In most cases, group sizes will be reduced, guides will avoid overcrowded locations, and other safety measures will be met depending on the location and activity.
We also expect clients to respect local regulations and take measures to protect themselves, their guides, and the communities they’re traveling to. For more information on COVID-19 measures in Canada, please refer to the COVID-19 travel advice by the Government of Canada.
Please contact us if you have any questions or require further information. We are happy to provide you with the most up-to-date information!
