Day trips from Calgary
Admire the ingenuity of the spiral tunnels along the Canadian Pacific Railway, learn to craft Indigenous art from elders, or discover the best places to visit in the Rocky Mountain parks. Look no further, there’s plenty to do near Calgary!
Let these must-see destinations inspire your next outing!
Canada’s first National Park.
- Driving:1.5 hours
Banff National Park, AB
How to get there
- Drive: Around 1 hour and 15 minutes via Trans Canada highway AB-1 west.
What to do
- If you want to avoid the hot spots, hit the Bow Valley Parkway to hike the easy Muleshoe Trail.
- Go see the magnificent blue-green Ink Pots mineral pools by way of the lesser-travelled Moose Meadows trail instead of the busy Johnston Canyon area.
- Rent a bike and pedal out from Banff or Canmore on the Rocky Mountain Legacy Trail to explore 26.8 km of paved paths and parkways.
A historic ranch dating back to 1882.
- Driving: 70 minutes
Bar U Ranch National Historic Site, AB
How to get there
- Drive: Just 1 hour and 10 minutes on the Deerfoot Trail/AB-2 south.
What to do
- Take a guided tour and step back into the 1800s to learn about the Northwest Cattle Company.
- Sip on a cowboy-brewed coffee and learn to lasso a replica steer’s horn.
- Sign up to a Livestock Animal Program and learn more about the ranch’s gentle giants, the famous Percheron horses.
Stay for lunch
Get a taste of the West at the Bar U Ranch Café with a tasty Cow Boss Burger.
Historic fur trading post and original highway to the West.
- Driving: 2 hours
Rocky Mountain House National Historic Site, AB
How to get there
- Drive: Just over 2 hours via highway AB-2 north and AB-11 west.
What to do
- Have a 3D Virtual Reality experience at the Visitor Centre and travel back in time to when Rocky Mountain House was a bustling fur trade post.
- Learn more about the First Nations who lived here thousands of years ago when you sign up to a Dream Catcher workshop.
- Head for a hike on the David Thompson trail, following the banks of the North Saskatchewan River in the footsteps of the famous explorer.
Brilliant for birders:
You may spot plenty of bird species here from mountain bluebirds, red-tailed hawks and northern harriers to bald eagles and sandhill cranes.
The highest point of the Trans Canada Highway.
- Driving: 2 hours
Kicking Horse Pass National Historic Site, BC
How to get there
- Drive: Just over 2 hours on highway AB-1 west.
What to do
- Drive to the highest point on the Trans Canada Highway (1627 metres) to watch trains enter the Spiral Tunnels and exit higher or lower on the Rocky Mountain slopes.
- Take a stroll through Canadian history on the Walk-in-the-Past trail which leads to an old spur line and an abandoned locomotive.
Did you know?
The decision to construct the Canadian Pacific Railway in 1885 through the Rockies rather than the more northerly Yellowhead pass greatly influenced the development of the West and opened up British Columbia to the rest of Canada by rail in the 19th century.
Pristine national park with 28 peaks soaring over 3,000 metres.
- Driving: 2.5 hours
Yoho National Park, BC
How to get there
- Drive: About 2 and a half hours on highway AB-1 west.
What to do
- Book a guided fossil tour of the Burgess Shale and explore the origins of life on earth at one of the world’s most famous fossil sites.
- Head out to hike the spectacular Twin Falls trail past Laughing Falls along the Yoho River.
- Snap a selfie and #ShareTheChair at Takakkaw Falls and Yoho Lake and enjoy the view with a friend in those cozy bright red Adirondack chairs.
Attention all Xplorer kids
There are 14 pages of activities to enjoy in the Xplorer booklet for Yoho, and when you complete at least six of them, you’ll receive a souvenir.
Home of icy rivers and steamy hot springs.
- Driving: 2 hours
Kootenay National Park, BC
How to get there
- Drive: 2 hours following Trans Canada highway 1 west and BC 93 south at Castle Junction.
What to do
- Pack a picnic and enjoy a scenic drive along the famous highway 93 south. Download the Kootenay App.
- For a perfect post-hike or bike trip, soak those sore muscles in Radium Hot Springs surrounded by the beautiful rock cliffs of Sinclair Canyon.
- Enjoy impressive views on the short Marble Canyon trail to see the dramatic limestone and dolomite gorge eroded by the pounding waters of Tokumm Creek.
Span the Continental Divide
Learn about the exploration and surveying of Canada as you stop to stretch your legs at the Continental Divide day-use area, showcasing the border between provinces, watersheds and two national parks!
Western Canada’s oldest natural history museum.
- Driving: 1.5 hours
Banff Park Museum National Historic Site, AB
How to get there
- Drive: 1 hour and 30 minutes along highway AB1-west.
What to do
- Spend a few hours attending the ‘University of the Hills’, delving through some of its botanical and zoological specimens including stuffed bison, bears and elk.
- Younger visitors between 6-11 years old will love joining the Xplorers Club to earn a souvenir after tracking down the museum’s original curator, Norman Bethune Sanson, solving puzzles and playing games.
- Fascinating inside and out! Architecture fans are in for a treat with this museum's decorative cross-log construction which dates back to 1903 and showcases the 'railway pagoda' style that features plenty of Douglas Fir trees.
Parks Fact
Established in 1903, the museum’s collection began with eight mammals, 259 birds, a turtle and a variety of mineral and botanical specimens. The present collection now has over 5000 specimens!
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