Winter Road Trip: Two weeks in Canada
I never really “enjoyed” snow or cold while growing up in Russia, but after moving to a desert oasis for some years, then relocating to an oceanside corner of the world (where I now live), my mind started to reconsider the winter wonderland experience I seemingly took for granted as a youth. Now, I crave it!
I think there are just a few places in the world where winter can be experienced to its fullest extent. Today I'd like to highlight one of these places - I present you a winter road trip itinerary, that’ll easily check off on your bucket list, through none other than the great landscapes of Canada! Note, this is a flexible two-week itinerary that covers three distinct planning scenarios. Here we go!
Follow along on this interactive map!
Scenario ONE:
Starting point - Vancouver
Ending point - Calgary
Total drive time: 11 hours (972 km).
Stop 1: Vancouver (3 days).
It's the city of culture and natural beauty and amazing quinine!
If you're a resident of "Hancouver" you’ve likely become a foodie without even knowing it. For those that aren't, it is a town lined with smorgasbords of top-rated culinary experiences. I racked up quite a list of my favorite restaurants and was impressed with just about every eatery I dined at. Now, I don’t want to push your choice in any one direction, but if you’re inclined here are a few places that topped my list:
Breakfast and Branch: Medina Cafe in Downtown
Lunch Phnom Penh in Strathcona
Dinner: The Flying Pig in Yaleton
Now, things to do in, or near, the city:
1. Gastown: this neighborhood is known for its whistling Steam Clock, Victorian buildings with a great variety of souvenir shops, and indie art galleries.
2. Downtown Vancouver: Downtown is known for a neon-lit Granville Street that that is a prime nightlife spot, with a variety of bars, clubs, and live bands at the art deco Commodore Ballroom. During the day it’s a great shopping destination – check out CF Pacific Centre mall, where you’ll find chain and luxury boutiques. (Tip: lots of yummy food trucks and cute lunch spots here).
3. Stanley Park: Stanley Park is a 405-hectare public park that borders the downtown of Vancouver, and is mostly surrounded by waters of Burrard Inlet and English Bay. Here are some amazing parts of the park that you don’t want to miss:
The Lions Gate Bridge: A suspension bridge. You can actually walk over the iconic bridge from Stanley Park to see Vancouver from an entirely new perspective (my favorite);
First Nations Art: brightly painted totem poles feature legendary creatures like thunderbirds.
Brockton Point: you will find a 100- year-old lighthouse there and a few totem poles;
Seawall: The most popular spot as well as the most used feature within Stanley Park;
Vancouver Aquarium: it is currently closed as they are working on making some changes to the setup, but check their website for an update;
Morton Park and A-maze-ing Laughter - this patinated bronze sculpture, composed of 14 statues, creates a great photo opportunity;
English Bay Beach: Perfect for catching a sunset.
4. Granville Island: A peninsula and shopping district in Vancouver, famous for its Public Market, delis, restaurants, and lunch counters.
5. Pacific Spirit Regional Park is a free-to-visit and fun place for an outdoor adventure in the Pacific Northwest rainforest. You’ll be able to enjoy forests, beaches, and wildlife in its various hikes/trails
6. Capilano Suspension Bridge is the longest suspension bridge in the world spanning 430ft across a tree-lined canyon and suspended 230ft above a raging blue river. The visit is pricey. but worth every penny in my opinion.
7. Queen Elizabeth Park is a 130-acre municipal park and a home for Bloedel Conservatory where you can pretend to be on a tropical vacation.
8. Lynn Headwaters Regional Park is an area of North Vancouver that boasts a variety of trails for hikers, including easy, intermediate, and challenging paths. The trails are color-coded and range from 3 kilometers to 21.4 kilometers. Both Diez Vista and Buntzen Lake Loop are nice choices.
9. Sea-to-Sky drive: this Highway stretches from Vancouver to Whistler ski resort. It’s a great way to see some dramatic landscapes. The road wraps around the cliffs of Howe Sound fjord, then climbs the Coast Mountains, with waterfall hikes and eagle-spotting points along the way.
Stop 2: Whistler (1 day)
It is a charming ski and snowboarder town with plenty of things to see:
Whistler Blackcomb – infamous ski resort (a must for skiers/snowboarders)
Pemberton and Mount Currie: A 16 km round trip hike that takes you to one of the most dramatic mountains in the Whistler / Pemberton area.
Nairin Falls Park: A nice, short hike to a beautiful waterfall. After seeing the first falls, continue hiking till you reach the lowest accessible point of a view on the lower falls, which tumbles down into the canyon.
Activities at Whistler Village:
Ice Skating
Bobsled Experience
Tube Park
Eat Your Way Around Whistler Village
Indulge in a Pampering Spa Treatment.
Soak at a Mountaintop Scandinavian Spa
Cross-Country Skiing Around Lost Lake
Strap on Snowshoes
Stop 3: Kamloops (1 day)
What to see:
Kamloops Lake has a view that takes your breath away, even on gloomy days its backlit silver linings are breathtaking.
Sun Peaks Resort (45-minutes north of Kamloops) - Canada’s second-largest ski area. Day tickets must be purchased in advance online.
Tower Trail in Kenna Cartwright Nature Park is perfect for snowshoeing and winter hiking while enjoying panoramic views. If you would like to rent snowshoes, check out Runners Sole. At Overlander Ski Club and Harper Mountain.
At Overlander Ski Club you can rent a pair of Cross-Country Skis and explore expertly grooms trails.
Activities:
Tubing at Snow Town Tube Park
Skating is at Inks Lake
Ice Fishing is at Tunkwa Lake, Monte Lake, Edith Lake, Walloper, or Heffley Lake. Lakeside Country Inn is the best place to fish for trout - they provide dependable boats and fishing gear for rent. Or try your hand at canoeing. Kamloops Lake and the area are not crowded with many exciting places to explore. Be sure to visit Fishbc.com for more information!
Kamloops is a great town to visit for a beer lover. There are five local craft breweries:
Noble Pig Brewhouse: Pair a Mocha Porter with their scratch kitchen menu infused with craft beer flavors.
Red Collar Brewing: Compliment an IPA by ordering Tongdak Korean Fried Chicken from your server and have it delivered.
Bright Eye Brewing: Revel in a seasonal Pale Ale poured directly from the tank with their famous Brussel Sprouts.
Iron Road Brewing: Indulge in their taqueria or nacho menu paired with a railroad-inspired flight.
Alchemy Brewing: Satisfy your taste buds with their smoked chicken wings and a pint of lager.
FULL DAY DRIVE: On the way to Jasper (total drive 441 km (about 4hours and 40 min).
Note: there is also a one-hour time change at the BC/Alberta border (you will "lose" an hour - Alberta is one hour later than BC).
To break up this long drive here are a few places to check out while stretching your legs:
Spahats Creek Falls (aka Spahats Falls) is a tall (about 80m) waterfall pouring out into a gorge on Spahats Creek within Wells Gray Provincial Park.
Valemount bridge is located where Yellowhead Highway leaves the North Thompson River behind, trading North Thompson River Valley scenery here for Albreda River Valley scenery. This bridge is ~100 meters/325 feet.
Provincial Park Mt. Robson: there are plenty of trails to choose from difficult/long to light/easy. Here are a few I personally enjoyed: Overlander Falls (don’t confuse with (Overlander Falls Long Trail) is a light and easy hike (about 0.6 miles/1 km); Rearguard Falls (about 0.4 miles/0.6 km); Toboggan Falls and Hargreaves Lake Loop is a 3.9 mile/6.3 km.
Side Trip Option: Wells Gray park Helmcken Falls is a detour on your way to Jasper. It’s a 40 min drive from Clearwater each way up the road that goes into the park to Helmcken Falls from the highway. You can view maps here, at the official page for the park.
Stop 4: Jasper (3 days)
Jasper National Park is the largest national park within Alberta's Rocky Mountains spanning 11,000 km² and contains the glaciers of the Columbia Icefield, springs, lakes, waterfalls and mountains.
What to see:
Maligne Lake: Azure water with surrounding peaks, three glaciers visible from the lake, and Spirit Island - a frequently and very famously photographed islet. There are a few hikes to explore: Opal Hills and Bald Hills loops. Winter activities include cross-country skiing and snowboarding.
Pyramid Lake, Patricia Lake, Edith Lake, Annette Lake, Beauvert Lake. I liked Pyramid Lake the most, which lies at the foot of Pyramid Mountain - a natural landmark that overlooks the town of Jasper.
Mount Edith Cavell is a mountain located in the Athabasca River and Astoria River valleys. It is the most prominent peak within Alberta. A close-up view of the north face of Mount Edith Cavell is visible on the hike to Cavell Meadows. The trailhead is by the parking lot at the end of Mount Edith Cavell Road. The trail to the meadows is 3.8 km/ 2.4 miles one way.
Athabasca Falls is a waterfall on the upper Athabasca River. When driving to it don’t miss out on incredible views from the highway on the Athabasca River.
Sunwapta Falls is a pair of waterfalls of the Sunwapta River: upper and lower. The falls have a drop of about 18.5 m.
Maligne Canyon ice walk. Maligne Canyon is the deepest canyon in Jasper National Park, with a depth of more than 50 meters at certain points. During wintertime, it is even more majestic. Join an ice walk tour and explore natural landmarks with frozen falls and icy caverns all around. You will be cross six bridges built across various points of the canyon.
FULL DAY DRIVE: On the way to Banff (287 km/178 miles, about 4 hours).
Spend a full day exploring sights on the way to Banff. Highway 93 is epic in its own right, but there are a few awesome locations to choose from that you simply don’t want to miss:
Columbia Icefield is the largest icefield in the Canadian Rockies. Nearly three-quarters of the park's highest peaks are located close to the icefield.
Athabasca is the most-visited glacier on the North American continent, it is situated across from the Icefield Centre.
Bow lake lies at the base of Bow Summit and sits at an elevation of 1,920 m (6,300 ft), it is one of the largest lakes in Banff National Park.
Yoho National Park has many groomed trails for skiing and snowshoeing. The maintenance is done by the Kicking Horse Ski Club and Emerald Sports. One of the good choices for a winter hike is Emerald Lake Loop (3.3 mile/ 5.3 km). If you choose to ski, you can continue past the lake’s end onto the Alluvial Fan Loop (2.7 miles/ 4.3 km). Another beautiful trail at Emerald Lake is the Hamilton Falls Trail is about 1.4 miles/ 2.25 km round trip with a small amount of elevation gain. If you decide to go with this hike, don’t miss Emerald Lake’s Natural Bridge. One more hiking option that leads to Wapta Falls takes 5.6 miles/9.0 km round trip.
Lake Louise is very charming in the winter. Fairmont hotel is located right on the edge of the lake arranges ice skating on the lake, decorates outside with beautiful Ice sculptures, and even has an opportunity for a sleigh ride with horses.
Lake Louise ski resort is also nearby.
Johnston Canyon Ice Walk is 2.6 miles/ 4.2km and has an elevation of 100 meters (328 feet), with a total walking time of 2 – 2.5 hours.
Stop 5: Banff and Canmore (3 days). You can find a place to stay in either of the towns.
Things to see near Banff:
Banff National Park is Canada's oldest national park, encompasses 6,641 square kilometers of mountainous terrain, with many glaciers and ice fields, dense coniferous forest, and alpine landscapes. There are so many trails to check out, refer to the list here.
Mount Norquay is a large ski resort & tubing park.
In the Cave and Basin National Historic Site, you will find natural thermal mineral springs. You will probably don’t need more than an hour to enjoy this place.
Surprise Corner is a scenic viewpoint overlooking the 1888 Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel & Sulphur Mountain.
Bow Falls is a major waterfall on the Bow River.
Lake Minnewanka is a glacial lake that is the 2nd longest lake in the mountain parks of the Canadian Rockies.
Extra Activities:
Helicopter ride to see Banff from above
Highly recommend trying Dog sliding at Spray Lakes Reservoir
Things to do near Canmore:
The Grotto Canyon Ice Walk through a frozen creek bed you will explore the bottom of the canyon with frozen waterfalls all around. This tour of Grotto Canyon takes around 4 hours, with transportation to and from the Grotto Canyon trailhead
Canmore winter carnival that celebrates the area’s unique winter lifestyle, all-inclusive with downtown dog sled races, ice sculpture contests, and plenty of indoor activities as well.
Helicopter Ride to see Canmore from above: there are options for 15, 30, or 60-minute tours with Alpine Helicopters- Canmore Base around some of Canmore’s most beautiful mountains and valleys. You can also take up a heli-skiing with them.
Ice Climbing opportunities could be found as a quick 5-minute drive from downtown
Canmore Nordic Centre's groomed ski trails are perfect for cross country skiing.
Canmore Nordic Centre has a dedicated snowshoe loop with orange signage about 3 km long. Check our map for details.
Hiking and photography opportunities: Wedge Pond Loop Trail is a 0.6 mile; East End Of Rundle (EEOR) is a 3.5 mile with a climb; Three Sisters Pathway 13 km round trip; Spray Lake Reservoir and Elbow Lake.
Dog Sliding with Snowy Owl Dog Sled will take you to the the mountains for some fun on the trails.
Rinks for Ice skating around town:
Cougar Creek Boarded Ice Rink
Rundle Crescent Ice Surface
Peaks Park Ice Surface
Larch Outdoor Ice Rink
Last day: Calgary - fly out
Scenario TWO: Start in Calgary and make your way to Vancouver. In this case use this itinerary from the bottom to top.
Scenario THREE: Split this trip into 2 road trips and explore one area at a time. You’ll save a day of driving while enjoying each area to the fullest, exploring more options that they have to offer .
Vancouver to Kamloops - 1 week trip
Calgary to Jasper - 1 week trip.
I hope you enjoyed these suggestions. Let me know what scenario you found most intriguing, and which itinerary you actually chose. Have a WONDERFUL trip!!!
