The Best of Calgary, Banff and Jasper

Canada’s Banff National Park is spectacular. The white-tipped peaks of the Rockies that dominate the province of Alberta are overwhelming in scale and good looks. The tree-ringed lakes shimmer so brightly they will make you blink. But it isn’t all about what you see. In the city of Calgary and the alpine townships of Banff and Jasper, you’ll taste mountain flavours at critically acclaimed restaurants before you feel the powder shift under your feet on a snowshoe tour or sink into silence in a hot-spring-fed natural spa. 

Here are just some of the highlights: 

Cool Calgary

It’s not Alberta’s official capital city (that’s Edmonton, 300 kilometres north) but lively Calgary has the landmark Calgary Tower and, given it stands in front of the Rockies, an enviable location. It also knows how to do an event. The annual Calgary Stampede is a rodeo and festival of epic proportions that runs for 10 days each July. Throughout the year you’ll find good vibes all along the stretch of 9th Avenue SE known as Music Mile, where live music venues are jammed between galleries and buzzing eateries. This avenue also connects two of Calgary’s coolest neighbourhoods: the East Village, a walkable precinct where modern art meets historic buildings (that in turn house culinary entrepreneurs), and Inglewood, Calgary’s quirky gem, packed with independent boutiques, cafes and more music venues.

In Inglewood, go to Moonstone Creation for art, clothing, jewellery and books from more than 60 Indigenous artists. Then reserve a table at Deane House, a multi-award-winning restaurant beloved for both its seafood-slanting menu (Alberta’s rainbow trout and Saltspring Island mussels are a revelation) and its setting inside a heritage house on the banks where the Bow and Elbow rivers meet. 

Immersive Indigenous Culture

Be immersed in Western Canada’s rich past at Heritage Park, Canada’s largest living history museum, in Calgary’s southwestern quadrant. Set on 51 hectares of parkland with the Rocky Mountains serving as a majestic backdrop, you'll wander through four time periods and more than 180 exhibits and step back in time while exploring the Historical Village. At the First Nations Encampment Indigenous cultural guides share stories of the lands’ traditional owners – the Blackfoot, Tsuut’ina, Îyârhe Nakoda and Métis Peoples.

Quintessential Banff

The enormous marbled face of Cascade Mountain towers over a huddle of historic streets. Charming shopfronts and locals make you feel welcome in that easygoing Canadian way. Welcome to the Rocky Mountains town of Banff.

To get your bearings, take a stroll up and down Banff Avenue (the main strip) and Bear Street (the newly revitalised street that runs parallel) before brunching at The Maple Leaf or tasting some locally distilled gin and "campfire cuisine" at Park Distillery (try the bison burgers and gourmet s’mores).  Ride the glass-enclosed Banff Gondola 700 metres up to the summit of Sulphur Mountain for an unmatched view of the town and Bow Valley, as well as a 360-degree vista of six mountain ranges.. In winter, Discover Banff Tours look for bighorn sheep, deer and elk around Banff.

Banff is also the gateway to adrenaline-pumping experiences across Banff National Park – expect skiing, snowboarding, dogsledding, snowshoeing, ice skating, and horse sleigh rides throughout winter.

A holiday in Banff isn’t complete without a stay in the castle-like Fairmont Banff Springs, where, as the name suggests, you can immerse yourself in luxuriously appointed, heated pools surrounded by trees and mountains. It’s particularly magical in winter when the view is coated in shimmering snow.

SEE ALSO: 5 Reasons Canada is the Ultimate Ski Destination

Postcard-perfect Lake Louise

The hamlet of Lake Louise lies 40-ish minutes northwest of Banff in an even more idyllic scene. Rising dramatically into the sky, the Victoria Glacier towers over an ice-blue lake while on the opposite side, the castle-like Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise glitters in all its regal glory. The hotel’s interior is lavish – plush patterned carpets, winding staircases and glittering chandeliers – but the way its giant windows take in the view is what a stay here is all about.

During winter, this flawless lake freezes solid – you can ice skate its winking surface or ride a horse-drawn carriage around its shore to see a frozen waterfall. To put the finishing touch on a White Christmas fantasy, snowshoe by starlight to an igloo where a mug of hot chocolate awaits.

Lake Louise is your gateway to Banff National Park’s epic ski scene, which includes Lake Louise Ski Resort, Banff Sunshine and Mt Norquay – purchase a Ski-Big3 pass to access them all.

SEE ALSO: A Magical Christmas in Banff and Lake Louise with Kids

Jasper, Canada’s Cabin Capital

The 232-kilometre stretch of road between Banff and the town of Jasper known as the Icefields Parkway rewards travellers with gigantic Rocky Mountain vistas and valleys packed so densely with snow that they have become permanent traps of ice. This journey is rated one of the top drives in the world.

Jasper National Park has the second-largest dark sky preserve in the world (spanning more than 11,200 square kilometres): skies don’t get blacker or the stars more brilliant. Fringed by snow-capped mountains, Maligne Lake is the largest natural lake in the Canadian Rockies, stretching past Spirit Island to the meltwater channels of Coronet Glacier. Jasper town itself recently made Time's list of World’s Greatest Places thanks in part to its cabin culture: there are more than 400 cosy alpine stays to choose from. You’ll want to rug up and stay a while – there’s a bounty of winter sports on offer, from beginner-friendly snowshoeing to cross-country skiing for more advanced adventurers. Some of Canada’s most sublime winter landscapes are also in the park, including the Maligne Valley’s magical frozen waterfalls and its striking stalactite-like formations.

A Lake of Icy Bubbles

Just an hour off the Icefields Parkway, Abraham Lake is an artificial reservoir that does an enchanting party trick. The decay of vegetation on the lake bed causes methane bubbles to form and in winter they freeze, looking like giant pearls under the ice. When the conditions are right – for you to see the phenomenon, the lake needs to be frozen but without snow – the sight is something spectacular. Take a scenic flight with Rockies Heli Canada to get a big-picture sense of the surreal and an incredible view of the glaciers, too.

SEE ALSO: Where to See the Magic of the Northern Lights in Canada