It's a big hike. You walk 18 km and climb 900 metres. At the top there's a lake so blue it looks fake. We drive you from downtown Vancouver right to the trail and back again, and your park pass comes with your ticket.
Pick your date below. The bus leaves from 1025 Dunsmuir Street in downtown Vancouver. Tickets are $95 regular, $86 for students and seniors, and $48 for children aged 2 to 12.
Cancel 14 or more days before you go and you get 90% back.
Choose your own adventure: we drop you off, and the bus picks you up in the same spot.
18 km there and back with 900 metres of climbing, which can take longer than the 9.5 hours you have before the bus leaves.
A full-size coach: reclining seats, air conditioning, large windows, a washroom on board and room for daypacks and gear.
Garibaldi Lake sits 1,484 metres up. It's held back by a wall of old lava called The Barrier, and it's fed by the glaciers above it. That's why it's so blue. The colour comes from tiny bits of rock ground up by the ice, floating in the water.
The trail up is six kilometres of switchbacks through the forest. It's steep, and it doesn't really let up. After that it flattens out and the trees open up. By late July the meadows are full of wildflowers. By late September the crowds are gone and the light is better.
One of the best days out in BC. And you don't need a car.
Everyone starts on the same six kilometres of switchbacks. After that you get to choose. It helps to decide before you're standing at the junction.
We pick you up
Look for us in front of the Bentall Centre Courtyard, next to the Bank of China. It's a two minute walk from Burrard SkyTrain Station. The first train of the day gets you here in plenty of time.
This route runs a full-size coach, with a washroom on board.
Six kilometres of steep switchbacks through the forest to the Barrier viewpoint. Then an easier stretch to the lake. Most people get there in three to four hours, which leaves two or three hours by the water. Some take longer: Parkbus's own guidance is that the 18 km round trip can run past ten hours, and the bus leaves at 6:30 PM whether you are on it or not. Watch the clock at the lake rather than on the way down.
Good to know:
Take the left fork at the junction instead of heading straight for the lake. This trail goes up through alpine meadow. The flowers change all summer, and they're at their best in July and August.
Good to know:
You've seen the photo. It's a great photo. But you have 9.5 hours and the ridge takes 10 to 12 hours of walking. The numbers just don't work. People who try it miss the bus, and the bus can't wait.
Note: Please don't attempt Panorama Ridge unless you're camping overnight. If the ridge is what you want, come on this trip first and have a look at the route. Then book a camping spot with BC Parks and do it over two days.
We drop you back
The bus returns to the same place it left from, so you go home the way you came.
This is our estimated return time, not a guarantee. Traffic can change it and some trips do run late, so please leave yourself some room afterwards rather than booking something tight against it.
The first six aren't optional on this one.
18 km with 900 metres of climbing is a serious day. There's no shorter version, and once you're above the switchbacks there's no easy way to bail out. If you hike often, you'll love it. If you don't, please try Golden Ears or Cultus Lake first. You'll have a much better day.
There's nothing to buy at the trail or on the way up. Bring 2 to 3 litres of water each, plus all your food. You might get a signal in the parking lot. On the trail and at the lake you won't. Download an offline map before you leave the city.
Be back at the Rubble Creek parking lot before then. Plan your turnaround time with room to spare. If you do miss it, the closest taxi is Howe Sound Taxi Service at (604) 898-8888. It's a long, expensive ride back to Vancouver.
Black bears and hoary marmots both live here. Carry bear spray, make noise as you walk, and never leave food sitting out. The marmots at the lake are bold, and they will go through an unattended pack.
Dogs aren't allowed anywhere in Garibaldi Provincial Park. Most Parkbus trips welcome pets, but this one can't.
The snow is usually gone from late July through September. Late summer is the sweet spot: clear trail, long days, and the meadows still in flower.
We're Canada's outdoor bus service. Since 2010 we've taken more than 300,000 people to parks and trails without a car. You bring a daypack. We handle everything else.
Your BC Parks day pass is included. No car rental. No gas. No permit to sort out.
The Rubble Creek lot fills up before sunrise on a sunny weekend. We drop you right at the trail.
You start at 9:00 AM and the bus leaves at 6:30 PM. That's time to reach the lake, eat lunch by it, and walk back.
Your legs will be tired. Ours won't. Sit back and let someone else take the highway.
★★★★★ 4.6/5.0 on Google
“Highly recommend them for Joffre's Lake or even Golden Ears/Garibaldi trip. The bus service is so useful for people who doesn't want to drive and gives return facility. They were on time and bus facility was good too. Total worth the cost if you want to avoid hassle driving/parking.”Sidhant Duggal · Facebook · Aug 2022
This is a great service if you don't have a vehicle or just don't want to drive. I'm so happy to have discovered this. There will definitely be more Parkbus trips in my future!James Taylor Wilson · Happy Parkbus customer
This is the 1st time I used Parkbus but it won't be the last.Brenda H. · Google
All stops enable guests ample time to explore the destination. This is a highly a good idea trip for those that appreciate spending time in nature minus distractions.OnAir48444 · Tripadvisor · Oct 2025
Speaking from someone who doesn't drive. This is a must!! I highly recommend this!Linda Ann · Facebook · Jun 2024
Factor in the cost of gas, parking and renting a car, it's a lot cheaper than taking a personal vehicle.Toronto Star
Parkbus is a great option for nature lovers, whether it's a day trip or overnight camping getaway.The Globe and Mail
Cancel more than 14 days before departure and you get a 90% refund, with 10% withheld for payment processing. Inside 14 days refunds are not available, except for a medical emergency in the 48 hours before departure, which needs a signed doctor’s note within 14 days of the missed trip and returns 50%. Tickets are transferable: you can change the passenger name up to 48 hours before departure.
If Parkbus cancels a trip, you get a full refund. We decide no later than 48 hours before departure and only on confirmed conditions: the park closed or the park authority asking us to stand down, an evacuation order or alert, an area restriction order, the highway closed, or the trip judged unsafe to run. A forecast is not one of those things, and trips run rain or shine.
Grab a seat, pack your boots and three litres of water, and let us handle the highway both ways.
Not quite the right fit? These all leave from the same spot downtown.
