Day One · Wednesday August 5 · Arrival
Land at 2:20, mountains by dark.
WS639 touches down 2:20 PM. Quick family hello in Calgary, then west as the Rockies rise into view. Grocery run, halal dinner, easy first evening in Canmore.
LAND 2:20 PM YYCDRIVE ~95 km · 1 hrSUNSET 9:13 PM
★ Do this on the plane
Lake Louise Gondola — book your day
Your Gondola ticket (Booking #B-JG37VGJ) is flexible but requires a time slot reservation at the Gondola website before you arrive. Best fit: Aug 7 afternoon (~4:30 PM) after Moraine + Golden Skybridge. Book at skilouise.com or call the number on your ticket before you land.
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✈ConfirmedLand YYC — WS6392:20 PMAVIS counter is in-terminal — no shuttle needed. Pick-up is booked for 3:00 PM (Chevrolet Malibu or similar, automatic, unlimited mileage, additional driver included). Bag claim usually takes 20–30 min, so you'll arrive at the counter right on time. Note: AVIS YYC hours are 12:00 AM–1:00 AM and 7:00 AM–12:00 AM — the midday gap doesn't affect you. You're now on Alberta Mountain Time (MDT = 2 hrs behind Toronto).
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👋Family Hello — Calgary3:30 PMQuick lunch or tea with family. Aim to leave by 4:30 PM. Take Hwy 1 west — Three Sisters peaks appear about 30 min before Canmore and always get a gasp.
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🏠Confirmed · 5 nightsCoast Canmore Hotel — Check In~5:30 PMCoast Canmore Hotel & Conference Centre · Aug 5–10 · US$2,205. Drop bags, freshen up. Then: grocery run at Save-On-Foods or Safeway (5 min, Hwy 1A) for breakfast supplies, trail snacks, water bottles. Rent bear spray from Gear Up (~$10/day) for the week.
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🍽Halal · CertifiedMediterraneanCanmore Shawarma — Dinner7:00 PMFully halal. Chicken biryani (full piece + raita + egg), mixed shawarma platter, lamb samosas. Generous portions. 4.5★ 900+ reviews.
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🍦Ice creamNight walkMain Street Walk + Ice Cream8:15 PMRocky Mountain Bagel Co for soft serve, or Beamer's for a chai/coffee. Walk 5 min south to the Engine Bridge over the Bow River — Ha Ling Peak in twilight. Early night.
Day Two · Thursday August 6 · Banff Gondola Day
Easy morning, then the summit boardwalk.
A relaxed start in Canmore — proper sit-down breakfast, a short hike to the Grassi Lakes. Head to Banff after noon for your confirmed 2:10 PM Gondola, ice cream on the strip and the best sunset in the valley.
DRIVE ~30 kmWALKING ~4 kmSUNSET 9:12 PM
Confirmed Pursuit tickets today — Order 28794040
Banff Gondola — August 6, 2026
2:10 PMBoard time · join line at 2:00
3:30 PMDownload (descend) time
4 tickets3 Adult + 1 Child
Present ticket barcodes from the 🎫 Tickets tab. Tickets are NON-REFUNDABLE NON-TRANSFERABLE.
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🍳★ Sit-down breakfastBest chaiCommunitea Cafe — Sit-down Breakfast8:30 AMNo rush today — this is the first morning without a 5 AM alarm. Communitea is Canmore's most-loved local café. Full menu: avocado toast, breakfast bowls, eggs, house-baked goods. One of the best masala chai lattes in the Rockies. Sit by the window and take in the mountain view.
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🌿Easy · 4 kmTwin turquoise lakesGrassi Lakes — Morning Hike10:00 AM10 min from Communitea. Take the harder trail up (stairs alongside a small waterfall — 30 min, 200m gain), easy interpretive trail down. Twin emerald-green lakes at the top with rock climbers on the cliffs above. Total ~4 km, ~1.5 hrs. Free, no shuttle, ample parking. Perfect gentle morning energy.
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🍽Halal · FullyMediterraneanBanff Shawarma — Lunch1:30 PMFully halal. Chicken shawarma poutine (local legend), mixed plates, falafel. Fast service — be at the Gondola boarding line by 2:00 PM so eat quickly.
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▲✓ Confirmed · Order 28794040Banff Gondola — Sulphur MountainBOARD 2:10 PMBe at the gondola boarding line by 2:00 PM. Pick up individual barcode tickets from the 🎫 tab. 8-min ride to 2,281 m. 1-km summit boardwalk to Sanson's Peak — sweeping views. Download (descend) by 3:30 PM per your time slot. Watch for marmots on the rocks. Tickets: NON-REFUNDABLE — don't miss this time.
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◉Photo stopQuickSurprise Corner + Bow Falls4:00 PM5-min drive from gondola base. Park at Surprise Corner for the classic Fairmont Banff Springs + river view. Walk 10 min down to Bow Falls — wide, accessible, good photo angles.
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🍦★ Ice creamCOWS Ice Cream + Banff Ave Stroll5:00 PMCOWS (138 Banff Ave) — Canadian institution. Try Wowie Cowie or Gooey Mooey. Add a Beavertail fried pastry for the kids. Whitebark Café for espresso. Window shop, watch for the elk-on-the-corner moments.
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☀★ Best in BanffStars afterVermilion Lakes — Sunset8:45 PM5 min from Banff Ave. Mt Rundle reflects in glass-still water. Sunset 9:12 PM — arrive 25 min early. Second pull-off is best. Bug spray essential. After dark: this is excellent stargazing — new moon Aug 12 means all nights are prime this week.
Day Three · Friday August 7 · The Big Day
Moraine at 7:55, skybridge by noon.
Your confirmed 7:55 AM Moraine Lake bus, then Lake Louise lakeshore, drive to Golden Skybridge, then back for the flexible Lake Louise Summer Gondola. The trip's headline day.
LEAVE CANMORE 6:00 AMBUS 7:55 AM sharpDRIVE ~310 km loop
Confirmed tickets today — Booking B-4G4N7GR + B-JG37VGJ
Moraine Lake Bus + Lake Louise Gondola — August 7, 2026
7:55 AMMoraine Lake Bus departs
7:45 AMBe at the bus stop
No ticket to boardName on manifest · B-4G4N7GR
GondolaFlexible · Pick up at Whisky Jack Lodge · B-JG37VGJ
Park at Lake Louise Summer Gondola lot. NO parking at Samson Mall or Lake Louise Village — guests parked there will NOT be allowed to board and no refund issued. Walk 15 min across the parking lot to the bus pick-up outside Lodge of the Ten Peaks.
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☕Prep night beforeThermos Coffee — In the Car5:00 AMMake coffee in a thermos and pack pastries the night before. Leave Canmore by 6:00 AM — it's a 75-min drive to Lake Louise. Good news: shuttle drivers often set up a small coffee and pastry table at the bus stop for early arrivals.
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🚌✓ B-4G4N7GR · Must park hereLake Louise Gondola Parking → Bus StopPark by 7:30 AMPark at the Lake Louise Summer Gondola lot (1 Whitehorn Rd). Your ticket says be at the stop 10 min before departure — that means 7:45 AM. The walk from the car to the bus pickup outside Lodge of the Ten Peaks is 15 min, so park by 7:30 AM. Leave Canmore at 6:00 AM for the 75-min drive. Name is on the manifest; no paper ticket needed to board.
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✦★ The shotValley of Ten PeaksMoraine Lake — 1 hr stop + Lake LouiseBus includes 1hr stop + LLYour ticket includes a 1-hour stop at Moraine Lake + a stop at Lake Louise. You'll arrive at ~8:15 AM — past pure blue hour but the morning light on the Ten Peaks is still spectacular. Here's exactly where to go:
① Rockpile Trail first (15 min up) — the "Twenty Dollar View." Take the official trail left of the lakeshore near the toilets. Climb the switchback stairs to the flat rocky platform at the very top for the widest unobstructed frame of all Ten Peaks + turquoise water. Be at the top for 20–30 min. 📷 Timelapse: set up at 3–5 sec intervals, frame the Ten Peaks on the left with lake below — 20 min compresses to a great 30-second clip of clouds moving over the peaks.
② Lakeshore trail (walk right from the dock) — completely different mood, arguably better for photography. Lower angle, water as a mirror. If the water is still before 9 AM (wind picks up later), the reflection of the Ten Peaks in the lake is the best shot here. Walk 10 min along the north shore for quieter compositions with rocky foreground. 📷 Timelapse: tripod low near the water's edge, 1–3 sec intervals to capture cloud reflections moving across the still surface.
③ Canoe dock — bright red canoes add colour, and the dock gives a centred symmetry shot straight down the lake. Worth 5 min.
At Lake Louise: 2 km flat walk along the turquoise shore to the Victoria Glacier face. -
☕CoffeeTrailhead Cafe — Coffee + Snacks11:00 AMSamson Mall, Lake Louise Village. Sandwiches and espresso for the road to Golden. Fill water bottles — nothing between here and the Skybridge.
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🌉✓ Order 28794040Canada's highest bridgeGolden Skybridge~1:00 PM1-hr drive from Lake Louise. Two bridges — the upper span is 130 m / 426 ft, Canada's highest suspension bridge. Present your Golden Skybridge barcodes from the 🎫 tab at entry. Canyon trails, river views, Outpost Pub for lunch. Optional Giant Swing for the 16-year-old (~$50 add-on). Tickets are flexible — no reserved time needed.
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⛷✓ B-JG37VGJ · Whisky Jack LodgeBear countryLake Louise Summer Gondola~4:30 PMBack at the ski resort parking lot (where you parked this morning). Pick up tickets at the Group Sales desk in Whisky Jack Lodge — Booking #B-JG37VGJ. If no attendant is at the desk, use the courtesy phone and call 1341. Late afternoon = prime grizzly bear viewing in the meadows. Open chairlift OR enclosed gondola — kids will vote chairlift. Last lift ~4:45 PM.
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🍔Smash Burgers · CanmoreIYYCBURG — Dinner7:30 PMAfter an epic day (Moraine sunrise, Lake Louise, Golden Skybridge, Summer Gondola) the last thing you want is a formal restaurant. IYYCBURG is Canmore's go-to smash burger spot — loaded fries, thick milkshakes, casual and fast. No reservation needed. Both kids will be thrilled. Ask about their beef sourcing for halal preference.
Day Four · Saturday August 8 · Cruise + Stargazing
Lake cruise at dusk, stars till 2:30 AM.
A balanced day easing into an epic night. Easy morning around Banff, 5:00 PM boat cruise on Lake Minnewanka, then Into the Wild Tours picks up from your hotel at 9:30 PM for a 5-hour dark-sky stargazing tour. Home at 2:30 AM.
CRUISE 5:00 PM sharpSTARGAZING PICKUP 9:30 PM at hotelBACK 2:30 AM
Confirmed Pursuit ticket today — Order 28794040
Lake Minnewanka Cruise — August 8, 2026
5:00 PMCruise departure
4:45 PMCheck in at ticket office on the dock
4 tickets3 Adult + 1 Child
Present barcodes from the 🎫 tab at the dock ticket office. Barcode tickets are also required alongside the tour time ticket.
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🍳Full breakfastBeamer's Coffee Bar — Breakfast9:00 AMRelaxed start — you were up till past midnight (back from stargazing tomorrow). Omelettes, breakfast sandwiches, espresso. Eat in. Today ends at 2:30 AM so pace yourself from the start.
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🌿Morning lightEasy flatVermilion Lakes Morning Walk10:30 AMDrive to Banff (~25 min). Vermilion Lakes in morning light — Mt Rundle glows pink-gold. Walk the road pulloffs, flat and easy. Great wildlife hour — elk, herons, ducks. Fresh mountain air before tonight's late finish.
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🍽Halal · FullyBanff Shawarma — Lunch12:30 PMFully halal. Mixed grill plate, lamb samosas, shawarma wraps. Eat well — there's no proper dinner tonight, just snacks before the cruise and during stargazing.
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🍦Ice creamEasy afternoonCOWS Ice Cream + Banff Ave Browse1:45 PMStroll Banff Ave, browse shops, grab a COWS ice cream. No agenda. Back to Canmore by 3:30 PM for a rest before the late night. The kids should nap if possible — they'll be awake until 2:30 AM.
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😴Rest is mandatoryHotel Rest + Pack Stargazing Gear3:30 PMYou will not be home until 2:30 AM. Have everyone rest or nap. Eat a light early meal around 5 PM from hotel supplies. Then pack warm layers for stargazing now: winter jacket, insulated gloves, warm hat, scarf, waterproof boots. Have snacks and water bottles ready. Pickup is at the hotel front door at 9:30 PM.
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⛵✓ Order 28794040 · NON-REFUNDABLELake Minnewanka CruiseCHECK IN 4:45 PM · DEPARTS 5:00 PMCheck in at the Ticket Office on the dock by 4:45 PM — 15 minutes before departure. Present barcode tickets from the 🎫 tab + the tour time ticket. Largest lake in Banff (21 km). Guides share stories of the underwater town of Minnewanka Landing (flooded 1941). Often spot bighorn sheep on shore. Glass-calm evening light at this hour.
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🎒Get readyReturn Hotel · Gear Up for Stargazing7:30 PMLight snack from hotel supplies — not a full meal. Get everyone layered up now: winter jacket, insulated gloves, warm hat, scarf, waterproof boots. Into the Wild Tours may refuse boarding if guests are dressed unsafely. Pack water and snacks for the night.
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⭐✓ Booking #364921752 · CA$555Until 2:30 AMInto the Wild Tours — Stargazing TourPICKUP 9:30 PM sharpBe outside at 9:20 PM — pickup is from Coast Canmore Hotel front door exclusively for hotel guests. Your guides take you into Banff National Park for 5 hours of dark-sky stargazing — Milky Way, constellations, deep-sky objects, and possibly aurora. New moon Aug 12 means this is one of the darkest nights of the year. Booking #364921752 · Order #FZSXYL · Sign waivers before you go at intothewildtours.ca · (403) 493-9103.
★ Tonight — Into the Wild Tours pack list
Dress for mountain cold — they will refuse boarding if underdressed
- Winter jacket (not just a fleece — actual puffer or ski jacket)
- Insulated gloves · warm hat · scarf
- Sturdy waterproof boots with good grip
- Water + snacks for the 5-hour tour
- Camera or phone for the Milky Way
Contact: (403) 493-9103 · explore@intothewildtours.ca · intothewildtours.ca · Cancel free up to 24 hrs before.
Day Five · Sunday August 9 · Icefields Parkway Day-trip
Ice walk at 2, waterfalls on the way home.
There-and-back on the world's most scenic highway. Your confirmed 2:00 PM Ice Explorer + Skywalk midway, two thundering waterfalls, back to Canmore for your last night there.
LEAVE 7:00 AMICE EXPLORER 2:00 PM sharpRETURN ~9:30 PM
Confirmed Pursuit tickets today — Order 28794040
Columbia Icefield Adventure + Skywalk — August 9, 2026
2:00 PMIce Explorer tour time
1:50 PMJoin the boarding line
4 ticketsIce Explorer: 3 Adult + 1 Child
4 ticketsSkywalk: 3 Adult + 1 Child
NON-REFUNDABLE. Discovery Centre is ~3 hrs from Canmore — leave Canmore by 7 AM to arrive with buffer. Present individual barcodes from the 🎫 tab. Skywalk is a short shuttle from the Icefield Centre — flexible timing after Ice Explorer.
★ Before you leave
Fill the tank + pack the cooler
Fill up in Lake Louise before turning onto Hwy 93. One Parkway gas station (Saskatchewan River Crossing) is expensive. Pack a full cooler: Canmore Shawarma platter for the road, fruit, water, snacks for the kids. Download Google Maps offline for the entire Parkway — cell drops for long stretches.
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◐Glacial lakeBow Lake8:30 AMLeave Canmore 7:00 AM. First Parkway stop. Glacial blue lake backed by Crowfoot Glacier. Walk to the rocky shore at Num-Ti-Jah Lodge (bathrooms here).
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◐★ Wolf-head lakePeyto Lake Viewpoint9:20 AM10-min paved walk uphill. Vivid turquoise wolf-head shaped lake below. Upper platform worth the 5-min extra climb.
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💧Narrow canyonMistaya Canyon10:30 AM10-min walk to a dramatic narrow slot canyon where turquoise water carves deep rock walls. Stay back from edges.
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🍽Cafeteria on-siteColumbia Icefield Discovery Centre — Lunch12:30 PMDiscovery Centre cafeteria: pizza, sandwiches, fish & chips, salads, soup. Grab lunch here — you need to be at the boarding line by 1:50 PM. Get warm jackets out of bags now (it's 0°C on the glacier).
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❄✓ Order 28794040 · NON-REFUNDABLE★ On the glacierColumbia Icefield — Ice Explorer + Skywalk2:00 PM BOARDINGJoin the Ice Explorer boarding line by 1:50 PM. Six-wheel-drive vehicle takes you onto the Athabasca Glacier — you walk on 10,000-year-old ice. Bring: warm jacket, hat, gloves, sunscreen — it's 0°C and UV reflects off snow. After the Explorer: short shuttle to the Skywalk — glass-floored cliff platform 280 m above the Sunwapta Valley. Use Skywalk tickets from 🎫 tab. 3 Adult + 1 Child Ice Explorer, 3 Adult + 1 Child Skywalk.
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💧★ Forked fallsSunwapta Falls6:00 PM20 min south of the Icefield. Forked waterfall splitting around a small island. Easy bridge view in 5 min. Sunwapta Lodge here if anyone needs a quick snack.
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💧★ Most powerfulAthabasca Falls7:00 PMThe Athabasca River narrows to a thundering 23-m drop — you feel the spray and vibration before you see it. Wooden walkways, multiple angles. Walk the full loop. Then the long drive back to Canmore (~3 hrs). Last night at Coast Canmore — pack tonight.
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🍽Halal · TakeoutBack to Canmore — Late Halal Dinner~9:30 PMCall Canmore Shawarma from the car to check hours (sometimes open late on weekends). If closed: kitchen night from the hotel suite supplies. Pack the car tonight — checkout tomorrow morning.
Day Six · Monday August 10 · Canyoning → Calgary
Rappel the canyon, then drive to Calgary.
Early checkout from Coast Canmore, Heart Creek Canyoning with Banff Canyoning (10 AM–3 PM), then Karahi Boys in Calgary, check into the Westin Airport, Calgary Tower at sunset, and Nothing Fancy Noodles for dinner.
CANYONING 10:00 AM–3:00 PMCHECKOUT Early startCHECKIN Westin ~6 PM
Confirmed booking today — Banff Canyoning #364934706
Heart Creek Canyoning — Monday August 10, 2026
10:00 AMTour starts
9:45 AMMeet at Heart Creek parking lot
3:00 PMTour ends
CA$691.53Paid · Booking #364934706
iPhone: Type "Heart Creek Parking Lot" in Google Maps directly. Kananaskis conservation pass required to park. NO water shoes or Keen sandals — you will be turned away. No backpack needed — all equipment provided.
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🍳Quick · Early startEarly Breakfast + Coast Canmore Checkout7:30 AMLast night was a late one (stargazing until 2:30 AM) so set an alarm and eat quickly from hotel supplies. Settle the bill and load the car. You need to be at Heart Creek parking lot by 9:45 AM, which means leaving Canmore by 9:15 AM.
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🧗✓ Booking #364934706 · CA$691.53★ RappellingHeart Creek Canyoning — Banff Canyoning10:00 AM – 3:00 PMMeet your guide at the Heart Creek parking lot by 9:45 AM. All equipment provided: wetsuit, harness, helmet, dry-pack. Bring: bathing suit worn under clothes, closed shoes that can get wet — NO water shoes, NO Keen sandals (you will be denied, non-refundable) — rain jacket, snacks + 1L water per person, towel + spare shoes left in car. Participants: Sameer Hashmi, Haniya Sameer, Izma Sameer (12). Cancel 48+ hrs before for full refund. Contact: info@banffcanyoning.ca · +1 587 997 4011.
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🍽Halal · CertifiedPakistaniKarahi Boys — Halal Late Lunch4:30 PMDrive from Heart Creek to NE Calgary (~1.5 hrs). After 5 hours of canyoning, you will be very hungry. Chicken karahi, lamb karahi, butter naan, masala chai. Karahi Boys is open in the afternoon on Mondays. Great spot to meet Calgary family if they want to join the celebration.
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🏠1 night · US$226Westin Calgary Airport — Check In2:30 PMWestin Calgary Airport — confirmed Aug 10–11, US$226. Steps from the departure hall — ideal for tomorrow's 7:10 PM flight. Hold the rental car until tomorrow morning (return at YYC) or drop it now to avoid parking fees overnight.
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🌳FreeRiversidePrince's Island Park + Bow River Walk4:00 PM20-min Uber from Westin (or drive if you kept the car). 50-acre park island in the Bow River — paths, public art, summer buskers. 3 km loop. Easy mountain decompression.
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▲City skylineGlass floorCalgary Tower — Sunset6:30 PM191 m tower, 360° deck, glass floor section — the 12-year-old will love it. Sunset at 9:02 PM — arrive before 8 PM for golden light. From the deck: the whole Bow Valley visible, Rockies as a faint silhouette to the west. ~$22 CAD adult / $10 child.
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🍜Noodles · CalgaryNothing Fancy Noodles — Dinner8:30 PMAfter a day of rappelling canyons and a Calgary Tower sunset, this is exactly what dinner should feel like. Nothing Fancy Noodles is a local Calgary favourite — comforting noodle dishes, relaxed and casual. Perfect energy for a second-to-last night after a big activity day. Check their current menu for options.
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🍦★ Craft ice creamLast night walkStephen Ave + Made by Marcus Ice Cream10:15 PM8 Ave SW pedestrian street — lit-up heritage buildings, summer buskers, patios still busy. End at Made by Marcus (130 8 Ave SW) — Mexican Hot Chocolate, Earl Grey, Salted Caramel. Open till 10–11 PM.
Day Seven · Tuesday August 11 · Calgary + WS652
Slow morning, evening flight home.
Relaxed last day. East Village coffee, riverside walk, halal lunch near YYC, through security by 5:30 PM. WS652 departs 7:10 PM. Land Toronto 1:05 AM.
FLIGHT WS652 · 7:10 PMSECURITY BY 5:30 PMLAND YYZ 1:05 AM ET
Today's confirmed flight
WS652 · YYC 7:10 PM → YYZ 1:05 AM · Aug 11
5:00 PMReturn rental car
5:30 PMThrough security
7:10 PMWS652 departs
1:05 AM ETLand YYZ
Westin to YYC terminal is a 5-min covered walkway. Domestic check-in + security takes ~45 min. Give yourself 90 min total buffer.
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☕Slow morningWestin Breakfast + Pool8:30 AMSleep in. Hotel breakfast or room service. Kids swim in the hotel pool. No alarms, no trails, no shuttles. Pure decompression. Checkout by 11 AM.
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☕★ Calgary's best coffeePhil & Sebastian — Simmons Building11:30 AMCalgary's home-grown specialty roaster in a converted heritage mattress factory (East Village, 618 Confluence Way SE). P&S coffee + Sidewalk Citizen pastries + Charbar all in one building. Order a flat white and grab a bag of whole-bean to take home — best Calgary souvenir, hard to find in Toronto.
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🌳Easy flat walkPublic artSt. Patrick's Island + Wonderland Walk12:15 PMWalk from the Simmons Building along the East Village riverfront to the iconic Wonderland sculpture — a giant wire-frame head you can walk inside. Cross to St. Patrick's Island: sandy beach, fishing dock, skyline lookout. ~3 km, completely flat.
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🍽Halal · Indo-Arabic10 min from YYCMarhaba — Last Halal Meal2:30 PMLast proper halal meal before Toronto. Hyderabadi biryani, lamb mandi, masala chai. Order fast dishes — you have a flight to catch. Alternatively: Karahi Boys if you want a change.
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✈WS652 · 7:10 PMYYC — Return Rental + Security5:00 PMReturn rental car (30 min). Walk the covered walkway from Westin to YYC terminal (5 min). Check in bags, go through domestic security (~30 min). Post-security: Tim Hortons, sit-down restaurants, Alberta gift shops. Board WS652 · departs 7:10 PM · land YYZ 1:05 AM ET.