The Grand Canadian (now Ultimate Canada) 3-week journey across Canada was my second trip with Contiki.

(If you’d like to read more about my 25-day European Quest with Contiki, you can check out my pros and cons list, or follow along with my travel journal.)

Contiki is a travel company that provides group travel options all around the world for people ages 18-35. They have trips that go to many different countries and for various lengths of time, but coming out of pandemic shutdowns, I thought staying within my own country would be a good way to ease back into travel.

Here are some pros and cons with my Grand Canadian experience.

*Sophie, me, Janine and Line in Toronto (July 2022)*

Travelling solo with the right strangers

I feel so lucky to have connected with the people I did on this trip.

I feel so lucky that I sat next to Line the first day on the bus, and ended up hitting it off with her.

I feel so lucky that I was roomed with Janine for the trip, and was able to have such a fun time together.

I feel so lucky that I went to dinner one night when I wasn’t feeling up to it, and met Sophie at that meal – my travel soul sister.

And countless other people on this trip. This entire group was honestly just so good. We supported each other. We respected each other. It was very lucky that everyone on a bus full of 50-ish people got on so well.

Hotels

Unlike my European Quest trip that had us in hostels as groups of four, the Canadian trip was mostly hotels, so two to a room generally. As a person in my early 30s at this point, I really did appreciate not having to climb into bunk beds.

We had two special stays on the West Coast side of this adventure: Pangea Pod in Whistler, and our cabins in Banff.

The pods were more like a single bunk bed situation, but it was fun for a couple of nights and very comfortable. And the cabin came equipped with 2 beds and a pull out couch, so 5 people could easily fit.

The accommodations were a lot more comfortable on this trip, and I think the older me really appreciated it.

Bus Life

Another thing I touched on in my last Contiki Pros and Cons, is that you have to be okay with being on the bus for long driving days.

You don’t really stay too long in one location – you arrive at a destination in the afternoon, have the next full day, and then you’re back on the bus for another full day of driving.

But this cross-Canada road trip was kind of perfect for that sort of adventure. The views along the drives are a huge part of the fun. We’d stop regularly at beautiful lakes for a stretch and a photo op before continuing on.

If you’re going to be driving for hours, this was the best way to do it.

Age Gap

I did the Grand Canadian Contiki when I was 32 years old – which technically does fall within their 18-35 age range. But when you’re 32, it’s hard to hang out with the kids in their early 20s.

In my European Contiki, I hung out with them more because I was 28 and went out drinking with the whole group as often as they went out (which was almost every night). As someone who was nearly 10 years older than most of the people on this trip, I couldn’t find the energy.

I had fun doing it my way. If it meant going to bed early to make sure I avoided the dreaded Contiki Cough, or branching off and doing my own thing while the group did a more physically demanding activity, I was happy that I prioritized my health on this one.

Now is a good time to note that I did, in fact, do another Contiki trip after this one – so the age gap wasn’t a complete dealbreaker, haha. I just felt it a little more this time around.

*Janine, Line, me and Sophie (July 2022)*

Overall, this trip was one of my favourites I’ve ever been on. I mean that as I write this in April 2025. Out of all of my travels, this has been one of the best. It was absolutely incredible.

Jaw-dropping views. A new appreciation for my home country. Travelling with the best group of women I could ever have met in this context. It was just better than I ever could have hoped.

If you’re considering taking a Contiki, but you’re from Canada or the US and don’t necessarily feel like being too far from home, I would suggest taking a trip in your own backyard.