Now that Canada is slowly re-opening, traveling within the country would be a safer option and a lesser hassle compared to flying abroad. Canada is such a beautiful country, teeming with attractions from coast to coast. There are so many places to explore and discover. I would highly recommend making the province of Alberta a must see. This province keeps on making one’s jaw drop as you marvel one majestic sight to another. Its breathtaking snow-capped Rockies/mountains, turquoise lakes, lush forests, awesome and untouched landscapes, would guarantee to leave unforgettable memories. Even now, after being there 2 years ago, whenever I feel stressed, closing my eyes and imagining being back is my 60 seconds of peace and calm.
My trip back in 2019 was even made more memorable as this was a family trip and a reunion with our closest friends. We were a group of 13 travelers from all generations – kids, teenagers, adults to seniors coming from 3 provinces – Ontario, British Columbia and a local of Alberta. We were so blessed because our friend who was based in Calgary that time was our ultimate guide! He is an avid traveler and from his own YouTube channel, Kuya Ge The Explorer, you can surely say he has done it all. He created the best itinerary for us. On top of that, he also knew the best angles for those Instagram-worthy shots. We went in July and the weather has been unpredictable. In fact, at the peak of Sulphur Mountain in Banff we had snow, in the middle of summer! Our friend adjusted our daily itinerary depending on the forecast for the day. We were fortunate that there were no forest fires that time. With global warming, this has been occurring more frequently and with greater intensity. We pray that this province will be spared from any future fires that can destroy its natural beauty.
Our family of 6 took a flight via WestJet and rented a car for the duration of our stay. I used my company discount via Hertz. We then met up with another family of 6 coming from Vancouver. We rented a big Airbnb house that accommodated 12 of us. Our friend had his own place 10-15 minutes’ drive away. This arrangement was more convenient for our group for faster coordination and dissemination of information in terms of daily plans. It was more economical as well. We have early risers and great cooks in the group. We would take turns in preparing breakfast and at times packed meals for picnic lunches. We would also buy takeout food for most of our dinners. We went to restaurants on few occasions only as having sit-down meals for 13 people can be challenging and time consuming. The good thing with this province is that there is always an available spot beside the lake or a park where you can have a picnic. What better view and it’s all for free! If you are traveling with a large group, it is ideal to bring packed meals or buy takeout food and enjoy it outside. This would minimize the hassle as well from any Covid restrictions when dining in restaurants.
One thing to note, this itinerary was put together with seniors and kids in mind. We would want to go back with friends our age to cover more trails and have longer hikes. For this trip, we hit the viewing areas right away with minimal walk/hike.
Here is the sequence of our 7-day trip and the places we covered. Enjoy and you can consider this itinerary too in your next trip!
Downtown Calgary: On our first day, we touched down Calgary, Alberta’s biggest city. We checked in our Airbnb place and hit downtown right away. We covered Peace Bridge also known as Finger Trap Bridge because of its similarity in design to a finger trap puzzle. It was designed by the Spanish architect, Santiago Calatrava. We also covered Crescent Heights which has a magnificent view of the city skyline. If you have the time, then there is a pathway that you can hike from Crescent Heights up to the Peace Bridge. Another one we visited was the Saddledome which is located at the Stampede Park. The dome’s architecture is a sight to behold. It also has a good view of the city and Stampede grounds. As an added information, the Calgary Stampede is a major annual event that falls on July attracting a lot of tourists. This is an event where Western culture is celebrated. If you want to check out various rodeo shows, bull riding, horse riding, competitions/exhibitions and don on some cowboy/cowgirl hats/attires then do check it out. At this time of writing, I can see that it will be open again for 2022. For our group, we are not fond of the crowd, so we timed our trip outside of the Stampede festival.
Lake Moraine, Lake Louise, Sulphur Mountain: I kid you not, but we left 530am. We packed our breakfast so we can have it along the way. The reason why we went early was to get spots at the parking place near the lake. It does fill up even before 7:30am. Otherwise, we would have to take the shuttle. We made it just in time! I think we were the last to get the slots in this small parking area. In Lake Moraine, oh my I can’t describe the feeling of awe I had – seeing this turquoise lake surrounded by snow capped Rocky Mountains and forests. It was definitely one of the highlights of this trip.
Then we headed to Lake Louise – it is more touristy and crowded but still breathtaking. We took time to explore the luxurious Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise. We had our picnic lunch near one of the lakes. We headed next to have the gondola ride to Sulphur Mountain. I think that was one of the scariest rides I’ve had. At the time of our ascent, a wild wind just came by whipping and the operator had to stop the gondola midway until it was safe to continue. Imagine being on a high altitude, confined in this small gondola that was rocking back and forth. We felt like we were going to be detached and blown away any minute. I had to listen to some music to calm my nerves. Once on top, we had to stay in the visitors’ center for some time as it suddenly snowed. Our guests from the Philippines were ecstatic as this was their first experience of snow. Soon after, we hiked the walkway to the highest peak. This was another beautiful experience with the awesome view of the Rocky Mountains, Lake Minnewanka and Two Jack Lake.
Here are some useful links where to buy passes. If you happen to go to Jasper which we did, we got ourselves the combo packages to get some additional savings.
Banff park fees: https://www.banff.com/banff-park-fees/
Combo packages: https://www.banffjaspercollection.com/attractions/attraction-combo-packages/
Bow Falls, Cave and Basin, Kananaskis Country: On our third day, we went to Bow Falls – one which was near the falls and the other one in an angle above the falls with the background of the beautiful Banff Spring Hotel.
For an educational tour, Cave and Basin museum is a must see. This was our next destination. Cave and Basin is just one part of the nine sulphurous hot springs on the northeast flank of Sulphur Mountain. Discover how hot springs are formed and how the Banff National Park was founded. You get to see the tiny Banff Spring snails, only found here, and is listed as an endangered species.
We then explored Kananaskis Country for more of those majestic mountain views. We had this one slope we went to that had lovely wild flowers which was a great photo opportunity for us all.
Horseshoe Canyon, Drumheller Hoodoos, Canola Fields: On our fourth day, we started the day going to Horseshoe Canyon which is part of the Canadian Badlands. It felt like stepping into another world with it’s dry, rocky, barren and maroon-stripped canyon walls. We then proceeded to Drumheller where we found these hoodoos, 5-7 meters tall sandstone pillars. We learned that these pillars took millions of years to form. We went to Royal Tyrell Museum next which showcases a personal collection of over 160,000 cataloged fossils. This museum has major contributions in paleontology spreading awareness, field trainings and research programs. The kids in the group excitedly learned more about dinosaurs and other pre-historic subjects. On our way back to Calgary, we could not resist to park near the Canola fields and take photos of its yellow flowers that stretches for miles.
Bow Lake, Peyto Lake, Jasper: On our fifth day, we prepared ourselves for a longer trip to Jasper (about 5 hours from Calgary). Along the way, we stopped by Bow Lake which at that time was so still as it was early morning with minimal wind action. The mountains reflected on to the lake like a mirror. Oh it looked so surreal and even our photos looked like we had it in a studio. I cannot explain the feeling of peace I had. I can’t help but praise my Great Creator for allowing us to catch this at this perfect time and be once again in awe of His creation. Personally, that was one moment that I truly treasured in my heart because I was deeply grateful for the privilege of seeing this beauty.
We stopped by another breathtaking place – Peyto Lake and it was another amazing moment. Going up the peak, you go through this lovely trail and at the top, another view of the blue-green lake surrounded by the mountains. I can say that during this whole trip, I would have praise and worship sessions in my head. With all these natural beauty, no one can deny that these are masterfully created and crafted by someone great and powerful!
Finally, we arrived at Jasper where we went to check out the Columbia Icefield Skywalk. Its main attraction is this clear walkway situated up the mountain that you can see the natural habitat (forests, springs, falls and even the wild animals) below.
We then headed to Athabasca Glacier which was just across the Jasper tourism office. Here we learned about the effects of global warming. The park marked the erosion of the glaciers through the decades.
Jasper is still a bit remote, there is minimal to none cellular signal in most areas. We had to take advantage of the wifi in the tourism office. Whatever coordination you need to do with the group had to be done within the office building or it would be difficult to reach anyone.
In Jasper, we parted ways with our family friends who drove back to Vancouver. They were able to visit Mount Edith Cavell, part of the Jasper National Park. A must see when you are spending a longer time here.
Waterton National Park, Lundbreck Falls: On our sixth day, we were supposed to explore Red Rock Canyon but it was closed that day. Going to this place, had a grim reality of the effects of the forest fires from the previous year. Gone were the lush forest but just black and dead trees which was a heartbreaking scene.
At the top of the Prince of Wales Hotel is a good spot to see the lake below and the mountains surrounding it. We also had a mother and baby bear sighting playing at a not-so-distant area. You’ll get plenty of chances to see bears but always keep your distance. They are cute but still wild and dangerous when they feel threatened.
Not far and on the way back to Calgary, we stopped by this mini-falls, Lundbreck Falls …
On our seventh and last day, it was time to say goodbye. We flew back to Toronto with our hearts full of amazement and minds refreshed. We were all deeply grateful for this wonderful opportunity to experience this trip with the whole family and dearest friends.
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