Well, hello to you, my reader chums! I'm in love with Canada and constantly reminiscing about my time spent exploring the country over two weeks. During those two weeks, I was able to see three states, three national parks, and two cities. I definitely packed in a lot during 14 days, but it's very doable and a fast-track way to see two sides of the country, enjoying city life and the Canadian Rockies.
If you're planning a 2-week holiday to Canada, here's my experience of 14 days in the country and how I spent it.
3-5 days in Toronto
Day 1
- Take a morning flight from the UK and land in the city at lunchtime
- Check into your hotel, refresh yourself and plan to stay away to beat jet lag
- Get your bearings in the city - wander around, mooch in the shops and restaurants
- Explore Kensington Market
- Head back to central and have dinner in Downtown Toronto
Day 2
- Start your day with a boat trip to Toronto Islands
- Spend the morning hiring a bike and exploring the islands, grabbing a drink or food at one of the local cafes
- Enjoy a mooch at St Lawrence Market and have some lunch
- Explore the Distillery District and wander around the shops
- Visit the Yonge-Dundas Square and mooch Downtown Toronto
- Head up the CN Tower at sunset
Day 3
- Day trip to Niagara Falls
- You can book a tour or bus - We booked a Flix Bus from central Toronto to Niagara Falls (which takes around 2 hours)
- Wander around Niagara Falls
- Mooch around the bright Clifton Hill and grab some lunch
- Take a Niagara Falls cruise (around 20 min journey into the falls)
- Soak up the sunshine and relax, grabbing dinner before a bus back to the city
Day 4
- Venture outside of the city to the more rural side
- Options for a hike or walk include: Rouge Park, Scarborough Bluffs or High Park
Day 5
- Enjoy the last dose of city air, whether that's going back to a favourite area or exploring the cafe scene with a book
- Take a late afternoon or evening flight to Calgary
- Depending on when you land, have some dinner and head back to your hotel to rest up for the following day (I'd recommend booking a hotel near the airport)
7-8 days exploring the Canadian Rockies
Day 6
- Collect your rental car from Calgary Airport and drive to Banff National Park
- Explore Banff town, have lunch and marvel at the surrounding beauty
- Hike along Bow River to Bow Falls
- Book the afternoon slot on the Banff Gondola and experience dreamy views
- Head to Banff Upper Hot Springs and relax
Day 7
- Drive over to the Lake Louise shuttle (book in advance)
- Explore Lake Louise, including walking around the lake and hiking up (see Mirror Lake on the way) to Lake Agnes
- Stop off at the Lake Agnes Tea House and admire the mountainous views
- Walk back down the hiking trail (the other route if possible)
- Take the Lake Louise shuttle over to Moraine Lake
- Explore the beauty of Moraine Lake and even go canoeing if you fancy
- Stop off at Vermilion Lakes on the way back to Banff Town
Day 8
- Head to Johnston Canyon for a morning hike and explore the lower and upper falls
- Drive over to Lake Minnewanka (can take a lake cruise)
- Go back to Banff Town and explore the shops
- Canoe along the Bow River and enjoy dinner in Banff Town
Day 9
- Explore Canmore Town and the shopping scene
- Dive towards Jasper National Park
- On the way, stop off at Bow Lake
- Then, stop off at Peyto Lake and take the short hike (20-30 minutes) to see the lake
- Drive along Icefields Parkway and lap up the gorgeous views
- Visit the Columbia Icefield and Skybridge and go on an exhibition of the Athabasca Glacier
- Arrive in Jasper and check into your hotel
Day 10
- Wander around Jasper Town
- Head over to Pyramid Island and Pyramid Lake
- Other sights in Jasper you could see: Medicine Lake
- Relax at the Miette Hot Springs
Day 11
- Drive to Golden (takes around 4 hours)
- Visit Athabasca Falls on route
- Walk along the Golden Skybridge (many other attractions here, such as ziplining)
Day 12
- Explore Downtown Golden
- Head to Yoho National Park and visit Emerald Lake (enjoy the hike around the lake), Takkakaw Falls and the Natural Bridge
- Relax and enjoy the natural air - we stayed in a cabin in Golden which I'd highly recommend
Day 13
- Head back towards Calgary (takes around 3 hours)
- See the Canadian Rockies sights on your way back, including returning to Banff
- Head to Canmore and do the Grassi Lakes hike - an absolute must
- Return the car in Calgary and relax in your hotel
Day 14 - Travel back to the UK
- Spend the day mooching around Calgary, seeing the best sights, such as Prince Island Park and Peach Bridge
- Take an afternoon or evening flight back to the UK
I hope you enjoyed this post! When are you planning your trip to Canada?
Thank you for reading <3
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Thank you for reading my blog! I hope you enjoyed this post and found it helpful in anyway. I'd love to hear any feedback you may have.