Not all those who wander are lost
This customized trip begins and ends in Calgary for those who arrived at Calgary International Airport. Pick up and drop off options available for these travelers who included visit to Banff in their travel plans.
Experiencing the Canadian Rocky Mountains in the winter feels like a completely different experience from the summer as the winter transforms the visual color palette. The blue-green lakes are frozen in white, while sunsets quicken with new colors. With white, fluffy snow covering the Foothills, Mountains and Trees, everything looks magical.
No drive is ever the same on the Columbia Icefields Parkway. The scenic drives turn into a winter wonderland. A compelling stillness settles that transforms everything around into a beautiful world of solitude and wonder. Ancient glaciers shifting and growling, and cascading waterfalls become icefalls.
3 Days Canadian Rockies Winter Weekend Escape
Winter Limber Pine Adventure Package
3 Days | 3 Nights | Semi - Inclusive
Tour Operator: Elite Brands Culture Discovery Tours | Certified to Operate in Canadian Rockies National Parks
from $400/day CAD
Per couple Semi - Inclusive Flexible Dates
Meals: The responsibility for making breakfast and lunch falls on you. We will arrange for the delivery to supply the ingredients eggs, meats (like bacon and sausage), grains (oats, toast, pancakes, waffles), fruits (berries, bananas), and dairy (milk, yogurt, cheese).
Dinners: Offered package adventure does not include dinner, we can recommend suitable local restaurants and provide transportation to and from the restaurant.
Lodging Location: Included | Banff National Park Boundary (30-45 minutes in winter driving condition) | Banff or Calgary last night before next day take off to your destination
Transportation: Included
Couples +21 Welcome
2026 Departure Dates
January 15 - March 30, 2026
Tour Dates: Contact us and provide the specific start and end dates of your planning trip
Booking: Minium 2 | Maximum 4 people
Tour Itinerary
Day One: Travel with Ease: Airport to Destination
Pick up and transfer from Calgary Airport.
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Enjoy the scenic views of the Canadian Rockies Easter Slopes during your transfer to your accommodation.
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Alberta’s Cowboy Trail is all about the feeling of wide horizons, crisp air and winding two-lane highway that seem to roll on forever.
It's 205 miles or 330km road that runs south along the eastern slopes of the Rockies, tracing ranchland, rolling foothills and historic small towns where cowboy boots are standard and the prairie sky feels endless.
The David Thompson Highway, also known as Alberta Highway 11, is a scenic route in central Alberta, famous for its picturesque landscapes and wildlife, connecting Red Deer to Saskatchewan River Crossing in Banff National Park. The highway follows the historic fur trading routes of explorer David Thompson, passing through towns like Rocky Mountain House. -
Cabin/Lodge
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As per traveler flight schedule. Estimated driving time from Calgary airport to your accommodation is 3 1/2 hour
Day Two: Where liquid life becomes icy art in Banff National Park and Upper North Saskatchewan River Valley
The winter drive to the Columbia Icefield on the Icefields Parkway is a stunning but challenging journey through a snow-covered mountain landscape, with features like frozen waterfalls and snow-laden peaks and no cellular reception Be prepared for compact snow and black ice. Our Jeep Wrangler Sport is equipped with snow tires, chains and carry Starlink Satellite mobile device.
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That day the plan involves driving from the Bighorn Country area to the Columbia Icefield, situated on the border od Banff and Jasper National Parks and offers spectacular glacier views.
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Crescent Falls is a scenic, two-tiered waterfall located in Clearwater County, Alberta, cascading 27 meters over the Bighorn River. In winter these waterfalls turn into a wall of ice. The area has multiple viewing platforms. One of which is a whopping 27 m tall — as well as the Bighorn River, canyons, gorges and more along the trail, including one that juts out over the falls for the most thrilling vantage.
Columbia Icefield in winter is a spectacular and the quiet winter scenery offers a unique sense of solitude.
Icefalls and frozen waterfalls like Tangle Fall and the "Weeping Wall" freeze solid, creating striking ice formations.
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Cabin
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11am till sunset
Day Three: Finding peace in the frozen stillness and drinking a hot chocolate in Lake Louise
What better way to walk and listen to the soft sound of the snow crunching underfoot. Walking on the snow is one of the best ways to experience the breathtaking winter landscapes of Bow and Peyto Lakes.
The best things about going for walk that day with crepons under your shoes is the exercise, the fresh air, clearing your mind and experiencing the beauty of the snowy landscape. Walking on the snow is Good for The Soul!
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The Bighorn River is a short tributary of the North Saskatchewan River. Crescent Falls are a series of waterfalls on that river.
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In winter, Peyto Lake is a frozen, snow-covered "winter wonderland" that offers a quieter experience with dramatic scenery.
The Bow Lake in winter freezes over completely, and a thick layer of snow covers the ice. This creates a stunning expanse of pristine white, with the surrounding snow-draped mountains towering overhead.
Lake Louise and Banff are generally quieter in the winter compared to the peak summer season. While there's still activity, especially around winter sports like skiing and ice skating, the areas experience significantly fewer crowds, creating a more peaceful and serene experience.
Crescent Falls is a scenic, two-tiered waterfall located in Clearwater County, Alberta, cascading 27 meters over the Bighorn River. In winter these waterfalls turn into a wall of ice. The area has multiple viewing platforms. One of which is a whopping 27 m tall — as well as the Bighorn River, canyons, gorges and more along the trail, including one that juts out over the falls for the most thrilling vantage.
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Calgary hotel near Calgary Airport
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9am till sunset
[ HIGHLIGHTS ]World class journey to Upper North Saskatchewan River Valley, through the heart of the Canadian Rockies and their Eastern Slopes.
Journey Features
The Canadian Rockies in winter offer a unique and enchanting experience. Visitors can enjoy activities such as snowshoeing and dog sledding. The region's landscapes are transformed into a winter wonderland, with frozen lakes, snow-covered peaks, and cozy mountain towns. Upper North Saskatchewan River Valley, located on the border with the Banff National Park provide a peaceful and quiet retreat, perfect for those looking to escape the crowds and enjoy the beauty of nature in its purest form.
Food & Drink
Alberta's food culture is deeply influenced by its agricultural landscape, emphasizing locally sourced ingredients like beef, bison, canola, saskatoon berries, root vegetables, honey, and heritage grains. This region's identity is tied to the land, showcasing a diverse dining scene with influences from Indigenous traditions with emphasis on fresh, high-quality ingredients, supported by a network of farms and ranches.
Sightseeing & Culture
Winter sightseeing in the Canadian Rockies and on the eastern slopes includes iconic locations like Banff National Park, Jasper National Park Icefields Parkway and Abraham Lake at the Upper North Saskatchewan River Valley. These locations offer scenic views of the frozen lakes, mountains, and glaciers. Cultural experiences include learning about Indigenous culture and visiting local towns and communities with the best time to visit generally being from February to early April.
Lodging Enhancements
Cabin
Travel by Feeling, Not by Speed.
Slow Tourism
This is a type of tourism that is centered on experiencing a destination's cultural heritage, art, history, traditions, and lifestyle. Once providing you with the opportunities, you will be motivated to learn, discover, and immerse oneself in local culture and help to preserve the local cultural heritage. This journey aim is to recognize and cultivate the feeling that:
You are part of nature:
A fundamental belief in the interconnectedness between humanity and the natural world.
You care for nature:
This sense of belonging leads to a deeper emotional connection and a desire to care for and protect the environment.
There is a commitment:
Caring for nature.
Over Tourism
A trend of the moment is the tourism phenomenon influenced by mass culture where people chose the destination based on social media, influencers, television programs and often films. In effect tourist destinations suffer from over tourism and overcrowding.
Currently, all Banff National Park travel experiences involve tourists rushing from one hotspot to another. This influx of tourists seeking such experiences results in negative environmental impacts such as pollution and devastation of nature, along with social distress due to overcrowding and a diminished visitor experience.
Today, the constant creation and re-creation of tourist imaginaries through social media can lead to an influx of visitors eager to replicate experiences seen online and demand from local tour operators to offer tour itinerary that copy these experiences.
Authenticity Awaits… Find Your Own Story
Jerzy Maslanka
Alberta, Canada
Responsible Tourism is the mindset that guides me to offer these tours and workshops, and I believe in promoting sustainable practices to reduce environmental impact for the benefits of tourism with the imperative to protect the park's natural resources and character. I prioritize conservation over commercial interests.
All tours are designed in ways which reflect the natural, cultural and the geological character of a place – its environment, culture, aesthetics, heritage and people who live there. I am hoping that while I can offer these exclusive private tours, true passions and purpose will be presented to those who decided to support mine and these hospitality providers that are collaborating with 55plusTravel and Elite Brands Culture Discovery Tours.
As a small tour operator, I face genuine challenges due to Parks Canada's restrictions (access to Moraine Lake and Lake Louise), which favor larger-capacity commercial vehicles. This situation can disadvantage smaller businesses and affect the visitor experience, even if the regulations are intended to manage overcrowding and protect the environment.
Travelers often feel gratitude and satisfaction after a Canadian Rockies tour with a knowledgeable and thoughtful guide and for many, booking a tour creates a mix of excitement, anticipation, and occasional anxiety. Reading the reviews below, it may help you when thinking of booking, going for a tour and support me.
Jerzy Founder 55plusTravel
