Choose your own day trip from Calgary based on what you’re into: relaxing or adventurous mountain trips, dinosaurs or immersive Alberta history.
This itinerary is great for people staying in Calgary who want to check out all the fantastic and diverse day trips within a few hours of the city.
At a glance
- 4 day itinerary
- 893 km (555 mi) total distance
- 9 hrs 35 mins drive time
- Your starting point is in Calgary
Option 1: Lake Louise
Seeing the striking turquoise lake alone is worth the drive, but take advantage of the natural beauty, too. Hike to Lake Agnes Tea House for lunch, hop a shuttle to stroll Moraine Lake, rent a canoe and paddle toward Victoria Glacier, and have a cocktail in style at Fairmont Château Lake Louise.
Option 2: Waterton Lakes National Park
Tucked just slightly off the beaten trail, this national park is beloved for its hiking, fun on the lake and a sublime wildflower season. Rent stand-up paddleboards or kayaks in town or book a lake cruise. There’s plenty of hikes for all skills. Make time to check out Red Rock Canyon.
Option 3: Columbia Icefield & Glacier Skywalk
Step on 10,000-year-old ice, drink water fresh from a glacier and then view the icy expanse from a cliff edge. You’ll start by riding a massive Ice Explorer bus to the glacier for a tour. Then, walk the glass floor of the Glacier Skywalk to see the Sunwapta Valley and icefield from way, way up.
Option 1: Banff Gondola
Gorgeous mountain vistas—no hiking required. Ride the enclosed gondola up Sulphur Mountain and remember to breathe when that view fully hits you. At the top, enjoy lunch and a film about the Rockies. Walk the summit boardwalk for fresh mountain air and great viewpoints.
Option 2: Banff Upper Hot Springs
These historic hot springs were the genesis of Canada’s entire national parks system. And they make for a restorative way to wind down any day trip to Banff. Pair a soak here with a visit to the nearby Cave and Basin National Historic site to learn more about the history and ecology of the springs.
Option 3: Kananaskis Nordic Spa
Indulge in alpine self-care when you book yourself a hydrotherapy circuit. Start with hot—the hot pool or one of several saunas—then take the cold plunge to stimulate white blood cell production. Relax or visit the exfoliation cabin, then repeat the cycle. Even better? Book a massage, too.
Option 4: Lake Minnewanka Cruise
Cruise Banff’s largest lake on this leisurely and pretty tour. Your guide is full of wildlife facts and stories (like the underwater ghost town below the lake’s surface). Choose from the classic cruise, the craft beer cruise or the premium cruise that visits beautiful Devil’s Gap.
Option 1: Bar U Ranch National Historic Site
Spend a day in an 1800s cowboy’s boots at this highly hands-on interpretive centre. Learn to lasso a (replica) steer, take a wagon ride, try cowboy coffee, and ask the interpreters for cowboy stories around the campfire. Meet the local cows, calves, Percheron horses and even bison, too.
Option 2: Aspen Crossing
Relive the glory days of railway travel in the Badlands. Choose between themed train journeys including a champagne brunch, craft beer tasting and snacks, a retro music party or even a grain elevator tour. And, brace yourself, they each include a train robbery!
Option 3: Frank Slide Interpretive Centre
An enormous chunk of mountain fell from Turtle Mountain on April 29, 1903, culminating in Canada’s deadliest rockslide. The comprehensive and engaging interpretive centre walks visitors through how and why the mountain crumbled, and what happened to the people in the town of Frank below.
Option 4: Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump World Heritage Site
For more than 6,000 years, Plains people skillfully led buffalo over this picturesque, but deadly, precipice. Learn the intricacies of the mass hunt and how it supported communities through punishing winters, and enjoy the beautiful setting that surrounds this storied site.
Option 5: Rocky Mountain House National Historic Site
What was it like to be a fur trader or trapper here as early as 1799? Find out through stories of Indigenous people, explorers and early European traders. Explore the archeological sites of the North West Company and Hudson’s Bay Company forts. Book a session to learn to make moccasins or a dream catcher.
Option 1: Dinosaur Provincial Park
Dinosaur fans, hikers and those curious about the ancient world will love this UNESCO World Heritage Site. Book a tour through Alberta Parks to see dinosaur bonebeds, spot newly revealed fossils in the wild and learn about Alberta when dinosaurs roamed. Self-guided hikes are available, too.
Option 2: Royal Tyrrell Museum
Walk amongst dinosaurs at Canada’s only paleontology museum. The museum displays specimens, casts and artistic renderings of many of the dozens of prehistoric species excavated in Alberta. Enjoy an easy and picturesque hike on the Badlands Interpretive Trail just outside the museum.
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