Ever since my Intrepid trip to the Canadian Rockies in August 2019, I knew that I would have to come back and experience it in the winter. Below you will find my itinerary - from someone who tried really hard to make this trip on a little bit of a budget, while still being super comfortable.

When curating this road trip, I searched extensively on blogs, google maps & Instagram. There was not a particular blog or sample itinerary that suited me, and as such this trip is definitely with it’s own greatness & imperfections. Nevertheless I wanted to return the favour to anyone who might be in the same position I was. Someone looking for something different, but still touristy so they don’t miss the big stuff.

But please keep in mind, Canada in winter is not very pocket-friendly, so if you are hoping for a cheap getaway, look away now! This 16 day trip was approximately AUD$4200 per person. This does NOT include flights & extra spending money (ubers, alcohol, shopping) but I did average food to cost about $100 per day. This is to account for days where we ate like peasants, and other days like Kings. All costs below are priced per person, (based on accommodation for two people).

IMPORTANT: This trip uses a mix of public transport and driving. When deciding on what car we needed, there was only two factors:

We needed a car that was guaranteed legal to drive on the Icefields parkway. I highly suggest reading this post from the Canadian Government website for important information regarding driving conditions on this famous highway.
We needed to pick a car rental company that would allow a different pick up & drop off location.

With this said we decided to go with Enterprise. They have heaps of locations in big cities, although try not to return a car on a Sunday, as most offices will be closed. But they were the cheapest option and ticked both boxes. They don’t guarantee winter tyres, but all of their cars have mud & snow tyres.

*Driving from Banff to Jasper. We were very lucky to have immaculate driving conditions!*

Moving on with the trip!

My biggest tip when travelling in big cities, even if I might rent a car, is to always try and find accommodation next to a bus stop or train station. It is incredibly helpful, from getting your grocery shopping home to being able to have more than just one drink at dinner. And it can be a lot cheaper, of course.

Now since I was travelling with my bestie, I had to make sure she would be comfortable too. There are big days and slow days, and although I am the kind of traveller who likes to pack as much as possible in one day, my friend is a vacationer who loves to chill and admire the views.

Our combined interests made the below itinerary, and I for one think it’s a pretty solid trip specifically for solo travellers & duos. Its easy to manage, driving times are not long in between so you can have a dedicated driver if needed. You can definitely do this as a family or with a friend group too, but your accommodation might make a difference in budgeting.

My Itinerary:

Vancouver 2 nights

Accommodation: Airbnb $100. We stayed close to Burnaby area, so 20 mins away from Downtown Vancouver by bus. Vancouver is known to be a bit on the pricey side, so I had to find somewhere further away to fit the budget.

Explored the markets of Granville Island, watched an ice hockey game at Rogers Arena (Gifted to me, but otherwise tickets start from $100)
Rented bikes ($50 for 3 hours) and rode around Stanley Park, visited Capilano Suspension Bridge ($80) in the evening.

Some Vancity highlights below!

WHISTLER 2 nights - For transport info in Whistler, see my blog post here!

Accommodation: Booking.com $300. The cheapest place I could find that was not a hostel was actually at Whistler Creekside. It is a separate village about a 10 minute drive (or 15-20 minute bus ride) to the main Whistler Village.

Bus with Epic Rides ($54) from Vancouver to Whistler, booked the Ziptrek Zipline “Apés” Tour ($175) for that afternoon.
Explored Whistler village, went tubing ($25) in the evening.
Bus back to Vancouver, taxi straight to airport and fly to Calgary (one way, luggage included $200)

CALGARY 1 night

Accommodation: Airbnb $69. We just needed a comfortable place to crash not far from either the airport or the pick up location for the rental car. Ended up at one of the best Airbnb’s I ever stayed at. It was a shame we only stayed one night!

Pick up rental car $300) & drive to Yamnuska Wolfdog Sanctuary ($108)
Enjoy magical scenic route through the Rockies, bought our Park Passes (mandatory $90) enjoy early dinner in Banff

BANFF 4 nights

Accommodation: Booking.com $311. We found what seemed like the most worth it option, a bed & breakfast at the start of Banff town. Unfortunately breakfast was far from decent, but we tried to eat what we could to not spend too much money.

Booked a 4 hour beginner ski lesson at Mt Norquay ($215)
Relaxed morning, hiked Cave & Basin, explored the town of Banff
Lake Louise & hiked Johnston Canyon (no ice climbing), then did Banff Gondola in the evening ($70)
Drive to Hinton, stop at Peyto Lake lookout, stop at Jasper for early dinner at Earl’s Kitchen & Bar.

A few photos below to highlight our moments around Banff National Park.

HINTON 3 nights

Accommodation: Airbnb $116. In hindsight I would have spent more money to stay in the town of Jasper. Hinton is 1 hour away which just made it a little hard to explore.

chill day, drove to Jasper to explore the town & Dinner
Hiked around Pyramid Lake & booked a horse sleigh ride ($53)
Drive to Edmonton

EDMONTON 3 nights

Accommodation: Airbnb $150. Really great location, right next to a train station & bus stop north east of downtown Edmonton. There was a lovely café a short 5 minute walk away which was great considering temperatures came down to -32°C!!!

Unfortunately I was super unwell for almost the full 3 days so I pretty much did nothing apart from returning the car. However my plans included visiting the Aviation Museum, Galaxy Land, riding the High level Bridge Streetcar & finding some good bars & restaurants. I only managed to visit a cool looking ramen place called JINYA, and although the atmosphere was excellent, the ramen really was not that great! We also went to Earl’s another night and honestly we had such a good time, the food was amazing, our server was so charismatic, and it’s always decently priced.

And now for my Recommendations!

You can scroll to the bottom to save a map of all locations below.

Things to do:

Capilano Suspension Bridge At night time for a beautiful display of lights, giving you a whole new perception of the park.
Ziplining in Whistler with ZipTrek Eco Tours for the best thrill experience
Tubing in the last hour at Bubly Tube Park - You get a 10% discount, have the place to yourself, and have the most wholesome fun. FYI bring a physical credit/debit card as they don’t accept cash or contactless (phone) payments.
Visiting the Yamnuska Wolfdog Sanctuary for an incredibly adorable & educational experience about Wolfdog.
Booking a Ski lesson at Mt Norquay (NOT on weekends) it wasn’t busy, the magic carpet run was big enough to actually have the time to earn and everyone was friendly.
Hiking Johnston Canyon in the afternoon. Not as busy & beautiful dusk colours on your way back. We did both the Lower & Upper Falls with photo stops, which took approximately 2 hours. Many people will try to scare you away by saying you need to wear ice cleats, however as long as it hasn’t been bad weather (heavy rain/snow) just take it slow, and don’t be afraid to slide down some of the steeper parts of the trail! It made it so fun I felt like a little kid again.

For my foodies:

VANCOUVER:

Fanny Bay Oyster Bar for an amazing selection of seafood & more. Come during Happy Hour for $2 oysters (with no limit!) I can’t believe I only had 18!!

CALGARY:

although we were only here overnight, we were lucky to have Luke’s Coffee Bar literally in front of our Airbnb. Probably the best coffee I had in the entire country so far.

BANFF:

Magpie & Stump Mexican Restaurant. Immaculate vibes, something in between old western but boujee. Service was top notch, food amazing & the drinks were just exceptional.
White Bark Cafe for the closest thing you’ll find to an Australian Flat White.

JASPER:

Andromeda Coffee for not only the best coffee in town, but they also have a wide range of seasonal creations that are actually amazing (not just a cup full of sugar and calling it Winter Warmer)
Earl’s Kitchen & Bar - HEAR ME OUT! I’m not sure if Canadians think Earl’s is a gimmick or not, but I personally love going to a restaurant knowing I’m going to have a really nice, well refined meal (and solid cocktails). I love their modern type of cuisine, and I found the one in Jasper had a more elegant style compared to some of the other Earl’s I’ve been to.

Things to skip:

This is going to be a pretty short list, as there are so many wonderful things to do in Canada. I have my reasons, I’ll write them down, but you do what you will with this information.

Renting E-Bikes and riding around Stanley Park (in WINTER) So I didn’t miiind doing this, however it was cold. There was snow. And they go really fast. Fast + cold weather = freezing. It was not really an enjoyable ride. Also Stanley park just isn’t as pretty in winter, so it was hard to appreciate it.
Banff Gondola. We did the “Nightrise” thing which was a unique experience, however it was just a few lights & sounds on repeat. Yes the view was nice, but unless you are planning on dining at the top, it’s not really worth going just to visit.
Horse Sleigh Ride at Pyramid Lake in Jasper. For the price, I really felt like it was a complete tourist trap. You would think a 20 minute sleigh ride would be nice, and although it was super cute at first, the gimmick was over in literally 2 minutes. It was the longest 18 minutes of my life. You can walk exactly where the horses go. Also, don’t sit right at the front. You’ll just have horse butt as your view. And lastly, the horses looked kinda sad. It felt weird knowing they walk back & forth all day pulling people.

Map of the places I went to during my road trip that I absolutely loved & recommend!

And that sums it all up. I would love to hear what you think, and if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to send me a message (or dm!) I would love to help you out.

Happy Travels!

Bron x