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
Canyon catwalks, then the summit boardwalk.
Johnston Canyon in the morning, then your confirmed Gondola time at 2:10 PM. Evening ice cream on Banff Ave and the best sunset spot in the valley.
DRIVE ~60 kmWALKING ~7 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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☕Coffee · ChaiCommunitea Cafe — Coffee to go7:30 AMSerious chai latte, breakfast wraps, strong drip. Order to-go — eat in the car on the 45-min drive to Johnston Canyon to arrive before parking fills.
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⛰★ Family classicCatwalksJohnston Canyon8:30 AMArrive before 9 AM — parking fills fast. Lower Falls: 2.4 km RT, 45 min. Upper Falls: 5.4 km RT, 2 hrs. Steel catwalks pinned to canyon walls take you over rushing turquoise water. Bear spray in hand.
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🍽Halal · FullyMediterraneanBanff Shawarma — Lunch12:30 PMFully halal. Chicken shawarma poutine (local legend), mixed plates, falafel. Fast, fair price for Banff Ave. 317 Banff Ave.
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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.
WAKE 4:45 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 and pack pastries the night before. Leave Canmore by 5:15 AM. No time for a café stop today.
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🚌✓ B-4G4N7GR · Must park hereLake Louise Gondola Parking → Bus StopArrive 6:45 AMPark at the Lake Louise Summer Gondola lot (1 Whitehorn Rd). Allow 15 min to walk from the car to the bus pick-up outside Lodge of the Ten Peaks. Be at the stop by 7:45 AM — bus departs 7:55 AM. 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. At Moraine: walk the Rockpile Trail immediately (15 min) for the classic Valley of Ten Peaks view. Then lakeshore trail. At Lake Louise: 2 km flat walk along the turquoise shore to the Victoria Glacier face.
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☕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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🍽Halal · FullyCanmore Shawarma Takeout — In-Suite7:30 PMPhone ahead from the car — mixed grill platter + biryani. Eat on the couch in pyjamas. Early bed. Quatro Asian Bistro is closed Fridays — not an option today.
Day Four · Saturday August 8 · Adventure + Cruise
Ropes in the morning, lake cruise at five.
Heart Creek canyoning and rappelling in the morning, Grassi Lakes hike mid-afternoon, then your confirmed 5:00 PM Lake Minnewanka cruise. Big varied day.
RAPPEL 9:00 AMCRUISE 5:00 PM sharpCHECK IN 4:45 PM dock
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 — Breakfast7:30 AMFull menu — omelettes, breakfast sandwiches, strong espresso. Proper fuel before rappelling. Eat in or take to-go.
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🧗★ AdventureHeart Creek Canyoning + Rappelling9:00 AM15-min drive east. Half-day guided canyoning with Canadian Wilderness Adventures or Inside Out Experience. Wetsuits + harnesses, 3–5 rappel drops (10–40 ft) through Heart Creek's slot canyon with waterfall behind you. Min age ~10; both kids qualify — confirm at booking. ~$200 CAD/person. Quick-dry clothes + towel essential.
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🍽Halal · FullyCanmore Shawarma — Lunch2:00 PMAfter canyoning everyone is ravenous. Mixed grill plate, lamb samosas, wraps. Change into dry clothes first.
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⛰Hidden gemTwin turquoise lakesGrassi Lakes — Quick Version3:15 PM10 min from town. Take the harder trail up (stairs alongside a waterfall — 30 min to top), easy trail down. Twin emerald-green lakes at the top with rock climbers above. ~4 km, 1.5 hrs, 200 m gain. Leave Grassi Lakes by 4:15 PM to reach Minnewanka on time.
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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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🍽In-suiteDinner — Cook in Suite8:00 PMEasy kitchen night. Pasta, salads, fruit. Pack the car tonight for tomorrow's early Icefields departure. Cooler: Canmore Shawarma family platter for the road, fruit, water, snacks.
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 · Canmore/Banff → Calgary
One last mountain morning, then city lights.
Checkout from Coast Canmore. Quick Banff loop and Vermilion morning walk. Drive to Calgary, check into the Westin Airport. Proper Calgary evening.
CHECKOUT By 11 AMCHECKIN Westin YYCSUNSET 9:02 PM
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☕Coffee · ChaiCommunitea or Beamer's — Last Canmore Coffee8:00 AMSlow last morning. Proper sit-down breakfast. Walk the Engine Bridge one final time for the Three Sisters reflection while the valley's quiet. Try Communitea's masala chai — one of the better chai spots in the Rockies.
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🏠Checkout by 11 AMCoast Canmore — Checkout10:00 AMSettle bill, hand back keys. Check out the hotel shop for any last-minute Alberta souvenirs before driving east.
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◐Morning reflectionVermilion Lakes — Morning Walk11:00 AM5-min detour into Banff on the way east. Morning light on Vermilion Lakes is completely different from the sunset — Mt Rundle glows pink-orange. A quiet goodbye to the Rockies before the highway east.
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🍽Halal · CertifiedPakistani · Open noon MonKarahi Boys — Halal Lunch12:45 PM20 min from the Westin Airport, NE Calgary. Chicken karahi + butter naan + masala chai. Karahi Boys is open from noon on Mondays. Great spot to meet Calgary family if they want to join.
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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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🍽Halal · Indo-ArabicMarhaba — Halal Dinner8:30 PM15 min from Calgary Tower by Uber. Hyderabadi halal: lamb mandi, chicken 65 biryani, mutton kadai. Masala chai. 4.6★ 1,200+ reviews. 55 Westwinds Crescent NE.
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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.