Looking for a short Western Canada trip that combines city exploring with mountain scenery? Our five days in August paired Calgary and Vancouver with day trips to Banff, Squamish and Whistler.
If you’re considering a similar short trip, here’s our route, what we saw, and the part we would give more time to.
The route: two bases, two mountain day trips
This five-day August itinerary uses Calgary and Vancouver as bases. Explore Banff and the lakes on a day trip from Calgary, fly to Vancouver, then head out along the Sea to Sky route toward Squamish and Whistler.
Select a marker for the stop, or choose a region to zoom in. Lines show the trip’s direction, rather than exact roads.
- Day 1: Arrive in Calgary. Begin exploring downtown, with time for city sights and riverside walks.
- Day 2: Banff and the lakes. Take a small-group day trip from Calgary to Moraine Lake, Lake Louise and Banff town, with stops at Bow Falls and Surprise Corner before returning to Calgary.
- Day 3: Calgary → Vancouver. Explore the +15 Skywalk before flying to Vancouver, then settle in and begin exploring the city.
- Day 4: Squamish and Whistler. Join a Sea to Sky day trip from Vancouver, including the gondola, Sky Pilot Suspension Bridge, Whistler, Lost Lake Park and Shannon Falls, then return to Vancouver.
- Day 5: More Vancouver. Leave time for the waterfront, shops and restaurants before the journey home.
We spread Calgary’s city sights around the Banff excursion and left time for Vancouver’s waterfront, shops and restaurants around the Whistler tour.
Calgary: city views and riverside walks
Calgary was our introduction to Western Canada. We visited Calgary Tower, explored Stephen Avenue, and walked along the RiverWalk and through Prince’s Island Park.
Calgary Tower
Seeing the tower from the street and then looking out from its observation deck gave us two very different views of the city. From above, we could take in downtown’s buildings, the streets between them, and the city stretching into the distance.
Prince’s Island Park
Our exploring also took us from downtown across the footbridge to Prince’s Island Park. The greenery and water made a lovely setting for a walk, with the city skyline still close by.
A full day in Banff from Calgary
We booked our Banff day trip through Viator and travelled in a small-group van with around 12 people. Pickup was at 7:45 a.m., and we were back in Calgary around 5:30 p.m.
It was a full day, but it allowed us to visit the lakes and several stops around Banff without organising the driving ourselves.
Moraine Lake
Moraine Lake brought together turquoise water, evergreens and a dramatic mountain backdrop. We took in the views and went for a walk, stopping for photos both above the lake and along the shore.
The photos tell this part of the trip better than a long description could. Even beneath the clouds, the colour of the water stood out.
Lake Louise and Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise
Next came Lake Louise and the Fairmont. We spent time by the water and walked along the lakeside, with the hotel forming part of the scenery.
Visiting both Moraine Lake and Lake Louise on the same excursion helped us make the most of our short stay in Calgary. Each deserved its own pause—and plenty of photos.
Lunch in Banff town
We stopped in Banff town for lunch and a look around. With its shops, restaurants and mountain backdrop, it was somewhere we wished we had longer to explore.
That was the main compromise of the day tour: we covered several places, but followed a set schedule. If we changed one thing about this part of the trip, we would give Banff town more time.
Bow Falls
Our stop at Bow Falls was brief, around 10 to 15 minutes. We saw the falls, spent a little time by the river, and took photos with the surrounding mountains behind us.
Surprise Corner
We also stopped at Surprise Corner for a view of Fairmont Banff Springs among the trees. Our guide added ghost stories to the hotel’s dramatic setting, giving us something extra to remember from the stop.
Back in Calgary that evening, we met a longtime friend for a stroll and dinner. After a day of sightseeing, it was good to end it catching up.
Before Vancouver: exploring Calgary’s +15 Skywalk
Before our afternoon flight to Vancouver, we explored the +15 Skywalk. The enclosed bridges connected buildings above the streets, giving us another way to experience downtown.
Along the way, we found cafés, restaurants, seating, washrooms and water stations. It was interesting to see the spaces between destinations become part of the city experience themselves.
Vancouver: waterfront walks, shops and restaurants
In Vancouver, we explored the city, the wharf, the shops and the restaurants. It is a beautiful city, and we enjoyed taking it in on foot.
The waterfront was a big part of that experience: boats in the marina, mountain views across the water, and places to stop and look around. Our city exploring also took us past the Vancouver Art Gallery.
Alongside the organised excursions, this was time to enjoy simply being somewhere new—walking, browsing and finding places to eat.
Squamish and the Sea to Sky Gondola
From Vancouver, we joined a Viator tour that included the Sea to Sky Gondola and Whistler. It brought another set of mountain views into the trip, this time around Squamish and along the Sea to Sky journey.
The gondola ride opened up views of the water, forest and mountains below. At the top, we spent time taking in the scenery and walked across the Sky Pilot Suspension Bridge.
The bridge gave us a different perspective above the trees, while the summit offered a place to pause with a drink and enjoy the view.
Whistler, Lost Lake Park and Shannon Falls
Our tour also took us to Whistler, where we explored the village and stopped for photos at the Olympic rings. We visited Lost Lake Park too.
There were gorgeous views throughout this part of the trip. Between the village, the park and the scenery along the journey, there was plenty to take in beyond a single attraction.
A stop at Shannon Falls
Shannon Falls was another stop on our day out. Seeing the waterfall added a different kind of scenery to a day already filled with mountain and water views.
What we would keep—and what we would change
Keep the two city bases. Calgary gave us access to our Banff day trip, while Vancouver combined city exploring with our Sea to Sky and Whistler excursion.
Keep some time for walking. Calgary’s riverside and Vancouver’s waterfront were part of the experience, alongside the headline stops.
Allow longer in Banff town. Our small-group tour covered a lot, but this was the stop where we most wanted extra time.
Five days gave us a taste of Western Canada: city streets, lakes, waterfalls, a gondola ride and a suspension bridge. We came home with a full camera roll—and plenty of reasons to return.