The Best Winter Experiences in Western Canada, From Ice Canyons to Heli-adventures

From the rugged Pacific Coast to the towering Rockies, the provinces of British Columbia and Alberta in Western Canada are an adventurer’s paradise, where snow-capped peaks pierce the sky and ancient forests cradle tranquil walking trails. In winter, the landscape transforms into a fairytale setting: waterfalls freeze into shimmering sculptures and snow blankets the ground, creating the ideal conditions for skiing, dog-sledding and even an enchanting horse-drawn carriage ride.

Ready to embark on the trip of a lifetime? Here’s our guide to the best things to do in British Columbia and Alberta during the cooler months.

Vancouver

Famous for its mild climate and edge-of-nature location, Vancouver offers a diverse range of thrills.

Visit Vancouver’s North Pole

At Grouse Mountain, a 20-minute drive from Downtown Vancouver, you’ll spend one day skiing down slopes with stunning views of the Pacific Ocean and wandering through temperate rainforest in snowshoes the next. Every December, the Peak of Christmas event takes over the area, complete with reindeer, a tunnel of twinkling lights and a mountain-top ice-skating pond.

Explore an enchanting rainforest 

A 15-minute shuttle ride from Downtown Vancouver is Capilano Suspension Bridge Park, where the namesake walkway floats 70 metres above the river. Walk among the treetops then head to the Kia’palano educational centre to learn about the Indigneous people and their connection to the area. From November to January during the Canyon Lights festival, the entire park – including the 137-metre bridge and canyon below – is covered in thousands of colourful lights. 

Admire the works of local creatives

Extend your knowledge of Canada’s Indigenous people at the Museum of Anthropology on The University of British Columbia campus, which houses an extensive collection of traditional carvings, weavings, jewellery and more. At the Bill Reid Gallery of Northwest Coast Art, you’ll find works by the renowned Haida sculptor and other local artists. 

Skate while the city sparkles

When night falls in winter, Vancouver transforms into a glittering wonderland. One of the best spots to take in the city lights is an outdoor skating rink. In Robson Square, you can glide beneath a glowing glass dome nestled between the skyscrapers. In North Vancouver, the rink at the Shipyards Commons Skate Plaza offers postcard-worthy views of the water and skyline.

Savour the diverse culinary scene

Alfresco dining should never be just a summer prospect. At Per Se Social Corner, in the popular Yaletown district, the 54-seat heated patio is the ideal spot to perch for punchy Italian and Spanish dishes, such as lobster-and-crab ravioli with chipotle in a coconut-milk reduction, while basking in the warm winter sun.

Salmon n’ Bannock is an Indigenous-owned restaurant that uses local ingredients and traditional methods to create unique dishes with sustainability at their core. Think salmon mousse slathered on baked bannock (flatbread) and a 24-hour braised bison pot roast. For a taste before heading to your next destination, the eatery has a new location at Vancouver International Airport.

From mid-January to the first week of February, Dine Out Vancouver – Canada’s largest food and drink festival – showcases the city’s diverse culinary offerings. The calendar of events includes neighbourhood culinary tours and hundreds of restaurants hosting special dinners.

Where to stay in Vancouver

Azur Legacy Collection Hotel

Don’t miss golden-hour cocktails at the rooftop bar of Downtown Vancouver’s new Art Deco-inspired hotel.

Wedgewood Hotel & Spa

A touch of country luxury in the city, this Relais & Châteaux hotel is home to an award-winning restaurant and revitalising spa.

Granville Island Hotel

Stay right on the waterfront of False Creek to enjoy city skyline views and proximity to Vancouver’s renowned Public Market.

Explore British Columbia

Ten mountain ranges, 13 destination resorts and every type of terrain in between – British Columbia offers some of the best skiing in the world and so much more.

Whistler: North America’s biggest winter playground

Whistler Blackcomb, a two-hour bus ride from Vancouver, is regularly described as the best ski resort in North America. There’s a lot of snow, the season is long and it has some 3200 hectares of skiable terrain across its two namesake mountains, plus more than 200 runs that range from gentle beginner greens to dizzying descents for the experts.

The après-ski scene here is a destination unto itself, from craft breweries and buzzing bars to snowmobile tours. After a day on the slopes, you can also unwind in an outdoor thermal pool at Scandinave Spa Whistler or wander through an illuminated forest on the Vallea Lumina night walk.

At the Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre in Whistler Village, connect with Cultural Ambassadors on guided tours featuring traditional drum songs and captivating stories. The museum, housed in a building inspired by a Squamish Longhouse and a Lil’wat istken (underground house), showcases Indigenous art and artefacts such as carvings, canoes and garments.

Sun Peaks: Fun for the whole family

Located in British Columbia’s Thompson Okanagan region, Sun Peaks Resort is Canada’s second-largest ski resort, offering more than 1700 hectares for all skill levels. Families love that green, blue and black runs are accessible from every lift. And, for the 2024-25 season, the new West Bowl Express chairlift – located in one of the highest-elevation ski areas – will be open.

Adventure awaits beyond the slopes, too – try dog-sledding or snowmobiling through conifer forests. The charming village is crisscrossed with  pedestrian-only streets that allow you to ski between dining, drinking and shopping hotspots.

Revelstoke: A thrillseeker’s paradise

Laying claim to the highest vertical drop in North America, Revelstoke Mountain Resort is where seasoned skiers come to push their limits. Go off the beaten track and enlist a helicopter or snowcat to take you to untouched back-country runs.

Keep an eye out for eclectic art installations fashioned from old skis, snowboards and climbing gear tucked in secret spots along the trails –

the Revelstoke Outdoor Art Movement (ROAM) has transformed the resort into a playful outdoor gallery.

Calgary

Continue your journey to Calgary via a one-hour flight from Kelowna or 1.5-hour flight from Vancouver. Alberta’s cultural and culinary hub oozes big urban energy and small-town hospitality.

Relive Winter Olympic magic

The 1988 Winter Olympic Games were one of the most memorable in history, thanks to British ski jumper Eddie the Eagle and the Jamaican bobsled team. You can check out where they both competed at Calgary’s world-class athletic hub WinSport. In the heart of the city, Olympic Plaza – where the medals were awarded – becomes a free public skating rink during winter.

Just on the edge of the CBD, the iconic saddle-shaped Scotiabank Saddledome – originally built for Olympic figure skating and ice hockey – is the home and key playground for the National Hockey League’s Calgary Flames.

Stroll the downtown core

Calgary is very walkable, with cultural highlights in every direction. In addition to Studio Bell, home of the National Music Centre, and dozens of galleries, there are more than 1300 pieces of public art scattered across the city, including the 12-metre-high wire-mesh head Wonderland. Visiting around Christmas? Alberta is the only Canadian province without a provincial sales tax so it’s a dream for shopping. Stroll along Stephen Avenue Walk, a café-lined pedestrian way, while browsing the 120-plus stores at Core Shopping Centre. On a chilly day, you can explore the streets without braving the cold via Calgary’s Plus 15 skywalk, a series of more than 80 bridges (totalling more than 16 kilometres in length) that stretch between skyscrapers and float 4.5 metres above the ground.

Eat local

Ideal grazing conditions and strict quality standards make the grass-fed beef in Calgary a must-order. Long-time favourite Rouge offers a farm-to-table experience set in a historic mansion. Here, grilled flank steak is topped with chimichurri and complemented by seasonal produce such as roasted carrots and Swiss chard. Meanwhile, Major Tom, on the 40th floor of Stephen Avenue Place, has its own beef program built around “flavour, consistency and respectful practices”. Order an Angus butcher’s cut with a glass of cabernet sauvignon and take in the spectacular city views.

Immerse yourself in culture

At the centrally located Sam Centre, you’ll get a taste of the city’s famous summer festival, the Calgary Stampede, at any time of year. This new venue is filled with interactive installations, including a 270-degree multimedia show that puts you right in the virtual action. Hear the thunderous crowds, watch the thrilling rodeo and be immersed in the culture of the First Nations of Treaty 7 in Elbow River Camp.

Further south, Calgary’s Heritage Park is Canada’s largest living history museum and showcases more than 180 exhibits and meticulously restored historic buildings. At Gasoline Alley Museum, you can see one of the world’s largest collections of antique vehicles alongside auto artefacts, such vintage signs and pumps, dating from the turn of the 20th century to the 1950s. 

Banff and Lake Louise

From snow-dusted trees and glassy frozen lakes to the untamed beauty of the Rockies, the UNESCO-World Heritage-listed Banff National Park is where winter comes alive.

Dial up the action

A one-hour drive west of Calgary, Banff National Park is where you’ll be able to  hit the slopes at three world-class resorts: Banff Sunshine, Lake Louise and Mount Norquay. All are accessible with a SkiBig3 lift ticket, which includes daily shuttles from Banff and Lake Louise. With Rockies Heli Canada, you’ll soar over glaciers in a chopper, snowshoe along remote trails and marvel at the surreal methane bubbles frozen beneath the surface of Abraham Lake. You can also try guiding a team of Canadian huskies across the scenic Spray Lakes or admire frozen waterfalls inside a cave while exploring Johnston Canyon with Discover Banff Tours.

Ascend to further adventures

Gondolas aren’t just for hitting the ski fields. Ride the Sunshine Village Gondola for back-country snowshoeing with White Mountain Adventures; the Banff Gondola to indulge in fine dining at Sky Bistro – try the seafood chowder; or the Lake Louise Gondola to admire the white-capped Rocky Mountains. 

Relax and unwind

Not far from the base of the Banff Gondola, Banff Upper Hot Springs is a soothing natural mineral pool where you’ll soak in steamy waters while gazing up at the dramatic faces of Cascade Mountain and the Rundle range. If you’d rather keep dry, cosy up in a horse-drawn carriage and enjoy the leisurely ride around picturesque Lake Louise.

Jasper

A three-and-a-half-hour drive from Banff, Jasper has a staggering 1.1 million hectares of secluded, pristine nature, making it a wild wonderland that’s ripe for exploration.

Meet the local wildlife 

It may feel vast and isolated (in the best possible way) but Jasper National Park is far from empty. On any given day, you’ll have the chance to spot elk, caribou, moose, deer or bighorn sheep as they traipse across the brush. Increase your odds by teaming up with the SunDog Tour Co.’s expert guides,  who’ll take you to the park’s lesser-known vantage points for wildlife-spotting and amazing views.

Experience solitude in the mountains

With plenty of natural snow and uncrowded runs, you’d be forgiven for thinking that you have the whole place to yourself when you ski at Marmot Basin resort. Take the tranquillity to the next level on a guided excursion with the SunDog Tour Co. to Maligne Canyon, where you’ll don ice cleats and hike along snow-covered trails to frozen falls and towering cliffs.

Embark on a culinary adventure

Heading out with Jasper Food Tours means starting the day with a wildlife tour to seek out moose, elk, deer and more mountain fauna, then fuelling up with specially selected dishes and tipples at four of the best restaurants in Jasper’s quaint downtown.

Go on a spiritual journey

Many Indigenous Canadians believe in the presence of spirit in all things – plant spirit, animal spirit and even sacred rock spirit. Matricia Bauer, who hails from Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation, has dedicated her life to sharing the secrets of the land. During her evening fireside chats you’ll meditate to the beat of a drum, hear First Nations stories and songs and converse about traditions as the flames dance and stars sparkle.

Getting around

Group transport between Calgary, Banff/Lake Louise and Jasper is easily accessible and encouraged. Brewster Express offers regular transfers (including luggage) between all destinations and skiers can use the free SkiBig3 shuttle service between Banff hotels and Banff Sunshine Village, Lake Louise Ski Resort and Mount Norquay. Sundog Tours & Transportation  offers round-trip shuttle service from Calgary to Jasper, available over the winter months, while and Brewster Express  operates the service over the summer months. You can also travel by train between Jasper and Vancouver on a comfy overnight sleeper with VIA Rail Canada .

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