Alberta trip planner

Alberta Holiday Planning Guide

Home to two of the world's oldest national parks, Alberta draws millions of visitors with its scenic landscapes ideal for skiing, hiking, and camping. Few leave this western Canadian province without a visit to Lake Louise, arguably the biggest attraction in Alberta. The pristine area around this glacial body of water offers some of the world's finest trails for mountain biking and horseback riding, while a nearby ski resort provides runs for alpine and cross-country skiing, snowboarding, and heli-skiing. Besides those picture-perfect natural landscapes, you'll want to add Calgary or Edmonton to your Alberta itinerary. Both offer a good tourist infrastructure and host renowned festivals, celebrating everything from the country's ranching culture to folk music.

Places to Visit in Alberta

Cities in Alberta

Banff: The undisputed jewel of Alberta tourism, this alpine town offers incredible hiking in the summer, with the chance to ski the slopes of the Rockies during winter.

Edmonton: While not surrounded by quite such dramatic scenery as some other Alberta destinations, the provincial capital offers an interesting selection of museums, provides plenty of shopping opportunities, and serves as a great hub for onward travel.

Calgary: Retaining a touch of the old Wild West with its massive annual rodeo, Calgary also showcases its modern side in a bustling city center.

Jasper: Outdoor activities and breathtaking natural scenery typify this faraway but still accessible mountain town, widely regarded as one of the hubs of adventure tourism in Alberta.

Popular Alberta Tourist Attractions

Moraine Lake: With its vibrant aquamarine water fringed by a pine forest on one side and a range of jagged peaks on the other, this iconic lake in the heart of grizzly bear territory may be the centerpiece of your Alberta vacation.

Lake Louise: Glide across this glacial lake’s smooth surface on a cruise boat, or hike around its perimeter to enjoy views over the water; either way, you’ll get a taste for this authentically Canadian alpine setting.

Athabasca Falls: Hear the roar and feel the spray of fine mist against your skin as you admire these iconic falls, which pump huge volumes of water through a bottleneck in the Athabasca River.

The Calgary Zoo: Flocks of native gentoo penguins steal the show at this expansive zoo, which displays more than 100 species of animals kept in shelters meticulously designed to replicate their natural habitats.

West Edmonton Mall: If you’re looking for some retail therapy during your Alberta holiday, you can't pass up this enormous mall, which as one of the largest in the world offers an unbeatable range of local and international brands.

Maligne Canyon: A haven for local animal life, and one of the most picturesque natural attractions in the region, this verdant gorge offers excellent opportunities for hiking and photography.

Columbia Ice Field: No trip to Alberta is complete without setting foot on this massive former glacier, whose meltwater flows into some of the largest rivers in the country.

Bow Falls: Looking more like a crack in the river than a cascade, these powerful falls churn white water out at a ferocious pace, feeding the Bow River before it connects with the Spray River.

Lake Minnewanka: As the longest lake in Canada (and one of its largest), this expansive body of water lies among soaring peaks, serving as an excellent backdrop for a relaxing cruise.

Heritage Park Historical Village: Add this recreation of a 19th-century Canadian frontier town to your Alberta itinerary for a taste of life in a simpler time.

Planning an Alberta Vacation with Kids

Places to Visit in Alberta with Kids

Canada as a whole is considered one of the safest, most family-friendly places on the planet. The same applies for Alberta, and you’ll find this to be the case no matter where you go on your Alberta holiday. Start in Calgary, where you and the kids can get a sense of the country’s frontier heritage, then head to nearby Banff to immerse yourself in the majestic nature of the Canadian Rockies. As you travel farther north on your Alberta itinerary to Jasper, the kids will have the chance to engage in a wide range of outdoor activities, such as hiking, skiing, and even dog-sledding.

Things to Do in Alberta with Kids

Kids will have a blast during a family trip to Alberta, with plenty of child-friendly attractions across the province. Urban favorites include The Calgary Zoo, where children come face-to-face with some adorable penguins, and Heritage Park Historical Village, offering interactive exploration of the area’s culture and heritage. An Alberta vacation also offers excellent opportunities to immerse yourself in pristine nature. Kids will love the province’s most scenic highlights, such as Columbia Ice Field and Moraine Lake.

Tips for a Family Vacation in Alberta

You can save money and time during your Alberta holiday by taking day tours that cater to families with young children. These are especially common in popular Alberta tourism spots, including Banff and Jasper, where you can also choose from a wide range of family-friendly accommodations. If your trip to Alberta falls in the winter months, or anytime between November and April, prepare for extreme cold. Pack appropriate clothing for you and your children, and ensure kids dress in layers so they can maintain a comfortable temperature throughout the day, no matter where you go.

Dining and Shopping on Holiday in Alberta

Cuisine of Alberta

It’s more about international variety than local specialties when it comes to cuisine in Alberta, with larger cities like Edmonton and Calgary offering a wide range of international restaurants to reflect the province’s diverse, multicultural population. Nevertheless, an Alberta holiday gives you the chance to sample some local game meats, including bison, pheasant, duck, and venison. You can also taste the province’s world-renowned beef: barbecued or served as part of a hearty stew, this sought-after meat is renowned for its tenderness and rich flavor.

Shopping in Alberta

In terms of range, grandeur, and sheer volume, all other shopping destinations in Alberta pale in comparison to West Edmonton Mall. With more than 800 shops, as well as a range of cinemas and even its own theme parks, this colossal shopping center serves as the best place in the province to pick up well-known international brands. For authentic souvenirs of your Alberta holiday, you can shop for traditional First Nation souvenirs, including dream catchers, jewelry, hand-woven textiles, and even ornate totem poles. Large cities like Calgary or tourist hotspots like Banff tend to offer the best range of independent souvenir shops, boutiques selling locally made apparel, and small art galleries.

Know Before You Go on a Trip to Alberta

Interesting Facts About Alberta

* The economy in Alberta tends to be strong, with workers in the province earning well above the national average.

* Community spirit is also high, with an estimated four in five Albertans engaging in some kind of volunteer work.

* The province is a major producer of Canada’s barley, canola, and wheat crops.

* The Sundance Kid--a major figure in cowboy folklore--worked on an Albertan cattle ranch in the 1890s.

Holidays & Festivals in Alberta

Depending on when you plan your trip to Alberta, you can enjoy a range of festivals--some traditional, and others celebrating contemporary music and arts. By far the province’s largest and best-known event, the Calgary Stampede has taken place every year since 1886; today it is the world’s largest rodeo, with a range of Wild West activities celebrating the region’s agricultural heritage. Edmonton also offers an array of cultural events, including the Fringe Festival in August--during which live music, arts, and comedy performances take over the city--and the Works Art & Design Festival, when artists and artisans fill the city’s central square. If your Alberta itinerary takes you to Banff during November, make sure you catch the town’s internationally renowned film festival.

Useful Alberta Travel Tips

Climate of Alberta

Your experience of an Alberta holiday will depend significantly on what time of year you decide to visit, with the province experiencing four distinct seasons. Lower-altitude Alberta destinations, including Edmonton and Calgary, experience warm to hot weather between June and August, while alpine destinations like Baff enjoy a milder summer. Winter (December through February) can best be described as frigid, with the mercury occasionally plummeting below -50 C (-58 F) in the province’s northern reaches, and remaining around or below freezing in the south. Check local weather forecasts for tornado warnings during your Alberta vacation--the province experiences these extreme storms fairly frequently.

Transportation in Alberta

Large distances and harsh weather conditions can present difficulties in getting from place to place on a tour of Alberta, but the province’s infrastructure is well-equipped to handle such problems. Within Edmonton and Calgary, you can get around easily using the cities’ light rail and bus networks, which serve as affordable and reliable transportation options. You can travel between destinations in Alberta overland--via bus, rail, or rental car--or fly to save yourself several hours. Massive snowfalls in winter don’t necessarily hinder transportation; the province’s powerful trains are designed to plow through deep snowdrifts.