Alberta holidays enjoy access to some of the finest escorted tours and outdoors culture anywhere in the world, with a host of amazing summer and winter activities all set against a backdrop of epic mountains, glacial lakes, eerie stone formations and endless forests.
From the fossil fields of Drumheller, where dinosaur hunters flock to the Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology to the distinct, prehistoric hoodoo landmarks and the world famous resorts of Banff, Jasper and Lake Louise, holidays to Alberta offer access to the vast range of attractions and activities.
Explore Alberta
Alberta has five national parks and sixty provincial parks, making it the ideal location for wildlife viewing, hiking and pony-trekking. The Icefields Parkway Ridge Trail is a popular hiking destination offering spectacular views over the valley and mountain ranges. Whether you relax better on horseback; in a rubber boat with a paddle in your hand; a pair of binoculars hung around your neck; or swinging a golf club, holidays in Alberta really do offer something for everyone.
Touring in Alberta is absolutely the best way to get the most out of this wonderful province. It boasts some of Canada’s top cities and ski resorts including; Jasper, Jasper National Park, Banff, Calgary, Canmore, Edmonton, Lake Louise. Northern Alberta is mostly covered by boreal forest and has a subarctic climate that makes it perfect for arctic escorted tours and wildlife viewing experiences. Holidays to Alberta also enjoy a rich cultural heritage based around the aboriginal peoples such as the Blackfoot tribes. The West Edmonton Shopping Mall is very popular and is reckoned to be the largest of its kind in North America. It has some 800 outlets under one roof and incredibly includes its own water park, cinema, sea life centre, ice rink and other indoor family attractions, all set within distinctly-styled zones.
When to go to Alberta
Climatic conditions can vary considerably in Alberta due to its size. Winters can see average temperatures in January of around -8°C in the south to a -24°C in the north. In summer, the average temperatures range from around 21°C in the Rocky Mountain valleys and far north to 27°C in the dry prairie of the southeast. Calgary sees average summer high temperatures of 22.9°C in July and winter lows of around -15°C.
Visiting Alberta
The beautiful Alberta landscape offers opportunities for a huge array of outdoor activities including; camping, hiking, pony-trekking, fishing, white water rafting, climbing, glacial tours and more. Organised tours have a wealth of sights to choose from including; glacier tours, sleigh rides, northern lights and viewing experiences.
The visitor centre at the evocatively named ‘Head-smashed-in Buffalo jump’ is a Unesco World Heritage archaeological site that traces the effective hunting techniques of the aboriginal people, who used the high cliffs to drive herds of buffalo over for more than 6,000 years. One of the best ways to get to grips with this beautiful landscape is on horseback and Alberta offers some fantastic working ranches and opportunities to join real cattle drives with expert cowboys who will tailor the experience to your skill level and agenda.
Touring in Alberta
Canadian Sky offers a huge number of touring options in Alberta from self-drive to fully-escorted rail tours through the Rocky Mountains that can even incorporate a cruise at your destination – the ultimate way to view the sights of Canada. The Self-Drive Northwestern Trails begins in Seattle before crossing into Canada and moving towards Alberta to include Jasper, the Columbia Ice Fields, Lake Louise, Banff, Calgary and the Glacier National Park.
Planning a holiday to Alberta in 2017/2018?
If you are planning a holiday to Alberta in 2017 or 2018, Canadian Sky can help you to organise your perfect holiday. Call our Alberta Specialists and make the most of your next holiday.
Holiday highlights
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Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology
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West Edmonton Mall
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Head-smashed-in buffalo jump
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Calaway Park, Calgary
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Edmonton Valley Zoo
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Banff National Park
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Glacial Lake Ice Fields Parkway
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Rexall Place
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The Winspear Centre
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Calgary Tower