🇨🇦 ALBERTA

10-DAY ROAD TRIP IN ALBERTA

I’ve just returned from a 10-day Alberta Road Trip (September 23rd – October 2^nd) from Calgary to Edmonton. Since we are in the midst of a pandemic, I’ve decided to stay in Canada for my vacation rather than going abroad. And let me tell you, I was not disappointed! I had been there once in 2010, but in the winter season, which allowed me to see a completely different setting this time around.

So, in this blog I will share with you all the details of my travel itinerary including all costs. Note that all of these prices are in Canadian dollars (CAD).

If you have read my previous blogs, you will know that I love to do “travel hacking” and that I like to accumulate points on credit cards and websites which allow me to travel for free or for a lesser cost. So, this time around, I once again used points accumulated with a TD Aeroplan Visa card. So, I booked my flights: Ottawa-Calgary for the outward journey and Edmonton-Ottawa for the return for the modest sum of the airport taxes which was $180 and 25,000 Aeroplan points. On the other hand, if you want to pay for the flights, my friend got hers for these same flights with Air Canada for approximately $650.

DAY 1 – TRAVEL DAY (Ottawa-Calgary)

Our flight arrived in Calgary in the evening around 9:30 p.m., so we decided to book a hotel room near the airport at the Riviera Plaza and Conference Center Calgary for a whopping $62. It was ideal for us as parking and breakfast were also included.

Before heading to our hotel, we picked up our rental car at the Calgary Airport. I had made the reservation in advance on Expedia with Alamo for an SUV (ideal in case of snow), which we could return to the Edmonton Airport 10 days later.

Renting our car cost $505 and we spent $130 in gasoline for the whole trip.

DAY 2 – CALGARY & COCHRANE

After having breakfast at the hotel, we decided to spend the morning exploring downtown Calgary.

We parked our car near the Calgary Tower and decided to walk to a place that would give us a great view of the city. We found an awesome scenic vantage point behind the Stampede and Saddledome at the top of the steps of the Enmax Waterfront Park. To get there, it’s an easy walk of about 20-25 minutes over a distance of 1.6km.

When we returned from our walk, we climbed to the top of the Calgary Tower which is located 191m high and gives a 360-degree view of the city with a glass floor on one side of the tower. The entrance fee for an adult was $18. For more details, click here.

We then drove West to Cochrane, which is 30 minutes away, to visit a friend and to do an activity we were really looking forward to doing!

We booked an interactive tour at the Yamnuska Wolfdog Sanctuary.

The sanctuary, which opened in 2011, is home to around 40 wolf-dogs that have unfortunately been domesticated and abandoned. They are saved and rehabilitated by this organization which offers educational programs. Honestly, if you are going to take a tour, you have to choose the interactive tour where you can hand feed the animals, meet them and learn more about them, it was magical! Our visit lasted approximately 1.5 hours and the cost of the ticket was $58 per person. If you just want to take the tour without the interaction, you can do it for $21. Note that there are no visits possible on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, so plan your itinerary accordingly!

We then hit the road for 1h15 towards Banff where we were going to stay for 3 nights.

*** It is important to mention that to have access to the National Parks (we were going to stay a total of 6 days in Banff and Jasper National Parks), you must pay a fee of $10 per adult per day. Admission is free for those 17 and under. If you plan to stay there longer, you can get the Discovery Card which is valid for unlimited entries over a period of 1 year. ($70 per adult and $140 per family / up to 7 people in a vehicle). We therefore had to pay $120 at the entrance to the park, since there were two of us.

DAYS 3-4 – BANFF

In Banff, we stayed a total of 3 nights at the Banff Ptarmigan Inn, which was honestly in a great location in the village near shops, restaurants and grocery stores. Our hotel included free underground parking as well as a very nice hot breakfast. I highly recommend it! For 3 nights, it cost us $ 490.81, which I booked via Expedia.

We started our visit in Banff by doing the “Bow Falls Trail“. It’s a fairly easy hike which starts right after the Banff Avenue Bridge. The hike is approximately 1.5km and takes you to Bow Falls located at the base of the majestic Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel.

We then took the public transport bus from the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel (about $8 round-trip for 2) to the base of the summit to board the Banff Gondola. Small disclaimer, we should have taken our vehicle since parking was free, but we thought we could walk there before realizing that we had to go another 4km. Since we had been walking all morning, we opted to jump on the bus! I believe a bus ticket was $2 per person.

So … we got to the gondola. I had purchased our tickets in advance. I didn’t want to take any risks due to the Covid-19 and by purchasing the tickets online in combination with a Lake Minnewanka Cruise, which we did the next day (available June 13th – October 18th) allowed us to save $10 per person. So, I booked these two activities online with Pursuit a few days prior for $89 per person. You can book the Gondola only for around $57 per person. Note that it is closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

We boarded the Banff Gondola which took us to the top of Sulfur Mountain and had stunning views of the Bow Valley. What a spectacle for the eyes! Our morning walk made us hungry so we had a light lunch at the Sky Bistro which is located at the top as well.

I enjoy watching several travel vloggers on YouTube and some of my favorite Youtubers (Flying the Nest / The Endless Adventure) had mentioned that they had loved their experience at the Grizzly House restaurant located in the heart of the village. Once again, to ensure we would have a table, we’d decided to reserve a table a few weeks in advance.

So that night, we ate the Grizzly House‘s 4-course menu. Interestingly, the establishment opened in the 60s and used to be a swingers’ club! Truce of history, the 4-course menu included a starter of our choice, a typical Swiss cheese fondue, meats and seafoods to cook on a hot stone as well as a chocolate fondue to finish. What a decadent meal and unforgettable experience! To book, you must phone 403-762-4055.

The next morning, we went to Lake Minnewanka, which is about 15 mins from Banff by car, and we took a cruise which was really interesting and beautiful. Reminder that the ticket was included in the combo we had purchased for the Gondola. The cruise lasted for about 1 hour and our guide taught us a lot about the history of the lake.

Then at 2:00 pm, we had booked an Afternoon Tea at the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel. I recommend that you leave your car parked in the Village and walk or take the public bus to get there since parking is around $30 for just a few hours. Public parking in the village is free. This experience is possible from Friday to Sunday from 11:30 am to 3:00 pm at the Rundle Bar located in the castle. You can book online on their website with OpenTable. You have the choice between two menus. One is the Traditional Tea at $64 and the other is the Canadian Tea at $74. We opted the second since we had skipped lunch and wanted the ultimate experience. We were not disappointed; it was delicious and the service impeccable! I suggest you bring a cute little dress or dressier pants to do this activity.

For our last diner in Banff, we opted for a delicious Ramen Soup to go, which we grabbed at Ramen Arashi located at the Sundance Mall on Banff Avenue, not too far from our hotel.

DAY 5 – LAKE LOUISE

After eating our last included breakfast at our hotel in Banff, we drove to Lake Louise. It was about a 40 mins drive West.

We spoiled ourselves and booked one night at the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise. We had a deluxe room with a lake view. Sometimes in life there are times when you have to indulge yourself when you can afford it! Again, I used a “travel hack” to save on the room. When you book online with Expedia, you accumulate points, so I used 12,181 points that I had accumulated, which was the equivalent of $87 to lower the cost of our room. So, the original cost of our room was $546 and we actually paid $459. The price for parking our vehicle was $25 for 24 hours.

After checking in to our room, we walked around the lake and had the most beautiful hike of our trip! We did the “Lake Agnes Trail” which has an elevation of 400m and a distance of 3.4km. So, about 7km round-trip. I would say the difficulty was moderate since it’s uphill, but we saw several families doing it. The start of the hike is located on the right when you face Lake Louise and it is very well signposted. What is interesting about this hike is that at the top you will find another lake, Lake Agnes as well as a Tea House where you can have a snack and warm up with a yummy hot cider. Note that this is only open in early June until Thanksgiving in mid-October. On your way there, you will also pass Mirror Lake and a beautiful waterfall. It’s definitely a must do!

When we finished our hike, we had a drink and a good meal on the terrace of the Fairmont restaurant. It was delicious and quite affordable … and the view was breathtaking! In addition, we had a beautiful sunset to end a perfect day!

DAY 6 – MORAINE LAKE & ICEFIELDS PARKWAY

That morning, we set our alarm very early to go catch the sunrise at Moraine Lake which is located 15km (20 mins by car) from Lake Louise. You need to get there early since the parking lot fills up very quickly and it is not possible to park on the roadside. So, we arrived in the dark, (I suggest you bring a headlamp and a blanket), and we took a seat on the rocks to watch the sunrise over Moraine Lake. A very beautiful moment, despite the cloudy sky!

It was then time to reluctantly leave the magnificent Lake Louise towards Jasper by taking one of the most beautiful scenic drives in the world: the Icefields Parkway.

The Icefields Parkway (Route 93) extends over a distance of 232km and connects Lake Louise to Jasper, which was our next destination.

Here are the stops we made on the way:

Unfortunately, the famous Peyto Lake was inaccessible at that time (at km 44).

• Mistaya Canyon (my favorite) (at km 74)
• Columbia Icefield & Glacier Skywalk (at km 128): Walk to the Athabasca        Glacier for free and experience walking on the glass observatory located 280m above the Sunwapta Valley. For the observatory you must buy a ticket at a cost of $35 and a bus will take you there. Open until mid-October only.
• Sunwapta Falls (at km 177)
• Athabasca Falls (at km 200)

We arrived in Jasper around 4:30 pm and went straight to our hotel after spending a good part of the day on the road. We booked two nights at the Sawridge Inn Jasper for $410.71 through Expedia. The hotel was a bit far from the center of town, about 7 minutes by car, but parking was free. Parking on the streets of Jasper was also free so that was not a problem.

DAY 7 – JASPER

We started our day with an amazing breakfast on the outdoor patio on the 2nd floor of the Sunhouse Cafe located on Patricia St., in downtown Jasper. It was so good that we went back the next day! We left our car parked in the streets for free and did a little shopping (we loved the Ransom store) and picked up the famous raspberry and white chocolate scones from Bear’s Paw Bakery. We brought our pastries with us for our next activity.

We loved Maligne Canyon located 11km from the center of Jasper! Honestly, what an amazing hike! The first part, from the start to the 6th bridge was a distance of 3.7km and was easy. We followed the canyon all the way and… wow, it was breathtaking! Then you have the choice to turn back or to take other trails. We took the 7H, I’d say it was pretty difficult as it goes up all along, be warned!

We then went to Maligne Lake. You can take a cruise there and, in my opinion if you don’t take the cruise it’s not really worth the trip. Since we had already chosen to do the one at Lake Minnewanka, we didn’t do the one at Maligne Lake, but apparently it is very beautiful. We made it to Maligne Lake anyway, but there wasn’t much to see and it’s about a 50-minute drive to Jasper and 40 minutes from the Canyon. So, keep that in mind!

Back in Jasper, we spent the rest of the afternoon at the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge where we had a drink with a beautiful view of Beauvert Lake. If I ever have the chance to go back to Jasper, I would try and stay in one of their individual cabins.

In Jasper you can also ride a gondola to get a view from the top, but we were happy with the one in Banff.

DAYS 8-9 – EDMONTON

After having breakfast for a second time at the Sunhouse Cafe, we departed for Edmonton. A 3h45 (366km) trip awaited us heading northeast on Route 16. Honestly, after about 30 minutes of driving we are already leaving the Rockies and there wasn’t much for us to see after that. We made no stops on our way to Edmonton.

We arrived in Edmonton in the early afternoon and went straight to our hotel to check-in. We stayed at the Courtyard by Marriott Downtown Edmonton. Once again, I resorted to a “travel hack” and we got this hotel night for free, thanks to the points accumulated on an Amex Bonvoy credit card. The night would have normally been $95. The hotel is in a great downtown location near restaurants and we had a wonderful view of the city.

We then went to the biggest shopping mall in North America, the West Edmonton Mall. We played a game of mini-golf in black lights at Dragon’s Tale for $14 each.  You can also go to the indoor water park, do a few rides, go-kart, ice-skate or shop. Sky is the limit at the WEM!

For dinner we ate at a great Italian restaurant, the Uccellino, which was located on Jasper Avenue within walking distance of our hotel. We tried the leek arancini, the Wagyu beef carpaccio, the ricotta gnocchi, and the lamb and pancetta sausage.

The next morning, we went for brunch in the historic Strathcona district at Pip. It was really delicious.

We then drove 35 minutes East from Edmonton to Elk Island National Park where we had to pay $10 each to access the park. If you have taken the annual pass, it will cost you nothing. We were able to see many buffalos.

For our last dinner, we opted for the Clementine Bar which also located on Jasper Avenue. It is a small, intimate cocktail bar with a very good menu. We had a board of cold meats and cheeses, fresh oysters, mushroom croutons and a lemon creme brulee. Yum!

For our last night in Alberta, since our flight was early the next morning, we opted for a conveniently located hotel. In fact, a corridor connected our hotel to the airport, which was ideal. To book it, I used the free night we get each year on our birthday with the Amex Bonvoy card at the Renaissance Edmonton Airport Hotel. It would have normally cost us $115. The hotel was great, I was even able to return our rental car that evening to avoid a $35 hotel parking fee. We also took advantage of the pool and spa and had one last drink in the hotel bar which had a great atmosphere to end our vacation on a high note.

DAY 10 – TRAVEL (Edmonton-Ottawa)

Unfortunately, since all good things must come to an end, we had to go home!

TOTAL BUDGET: 

• Air Canada flights (Ottawa-Calgary / Edmonton-Ottawa): $ 650/person
• SUV car rental for 10 days (Alamo): $505
• Gasoline: $130
• 1 night in Calgary at the Riviera Plaza and Conference Center Calgary Airport: $62
• Calgary Tower: $18/person
• Interactive tour at Yamnuska Wolfdog Sanctuary in Cochrane: $58/person
• Access to National Parks for 2 people for 6 days: $120
• 3 nights at the Banff Ptarmigana Inn: $491
• Banff Gondola and Lake Minnewanka Cruise: $89/person
• Afternoon Tea at Fairmont Banff Springs: $74/person
• 1 night at Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise: $546 (actually $459 for us)
• Lake Louise parking: $25
• Glacier Skywalk / observatory: $35/person
• 2 nights at Sawridge Inn Jasper: $410.71
• 1 night at the Courtyard Marriott Edmonton Downtown: $95 (actually $0 for us)
• Mini-Golf at West Edmonton Mall – Dragon’s Tale: $ 14/person
• Access to Elk Island National Park: $10/person
• 1 night at Renaissance Edmonton Airport: $115 (actually $0 for us)

TOTAL PER PERSON WITHOUT TRAVEL HACKING: $ 2,197.86

(including 4 breakfasts and one lunch)

WHAT IT REALLY COST ME WITH TRAVEL HACKS: $ 1,579.36

Happy Travels!

XX

Mlle Wanderlust