Our Epic Canadian Adventure - Part 2

Whistler & Revelstoke: Sea to Sky and alpine thrills

From Nanaimo we caught the ferry back to the mainland and joined the Sea to Sky Highway up to Whistler. The drive itself was stunning: mountains dropping into inlets, huge views around every bend and that feeling that the scenery was getting bigger the further we went. We had planned to stop at Shannon Falls but, thanks to heavy traffic, decided to keep going and simply soak up the views from the car instead.

Whistler turned out to be another major highlight of the holiday. The village has a brilliant atmosphere, with everything centred around the pedestrian area and mountains rising on both sides. On the afternoon we arrived we did the full summer alpine Peak 2 Peak experience: up Blackcomb, across on the Peak 2 Peak Gondola and out to the Cloudraker Skybridge, surrounded by incredible mountain views. The next day was all about the Sasquatch zipline. It was amazing and absolutely terrifying in equal measure, and definitely one of our favourite moments of the entire trip.

After Whistler we had a long scenic drive to Kamloops, which for us was simply an overnight stop to break the journey and give everyone a rest before moving on.

Originally, our plan was to continue on to Jasper, but 2024 was the year of the bad wildfire there, so we changed course and headed to Revelstoke instead. It turned out to be a brilliant decision. We spent an afternoon at Revelstoke Mountain Resort on the Aerial Adventure Park and the Pipe Mountain Coaster, which went down very well. Revelstoke itself is a really charming little town with a friendly, laid back feel. It was also where we finally bought our bear spray, ready for the hiking and wildlife time we had planned in Banff.

Banff & the Rockies: hikes, wildlife and pinch me lakes

The scenery on the drive from Revelstoke to Banff was stunning. We passed Salmon Arm and had a pit stop in Golden, and we never tired of those Rocky Mountain views. It was one of those drives where the mountains just keep getting bigger and you keep saying “wow, look at that” every few minutes.

In Banff we decided to tackle the Sulphur Mountain hike. It turned out to be a much tougher climb than we had imagined, with lots of switchbacks and steady uphill sections. Reaching the main station area at around 7,486 feet above Banff felt like a huge achievement and the views were absolutely worth it. Top tip: take plenty of water. We were all so thirsty by the time we reached the top. After exploring the boardwalk and soaking up the panorama, we treated ourselves to the cable car back down, which felt very well earned.

That same evening we joined a wildlife tour, which replaced the one we had originally planned to do in Jasper. Sadly there were no bear sightings this time, but we did see plenty of elk and even a moose, which still made it a really memorable outing.

The next day was one of those real “not to be missed” highlights: a full day at Lake Louise and Moraine Lake. We used the shuttle bus rather than attempting to park ourselves, which I would absolutely recommend as it gets so busy. Lake Louise was incredibly beautiful and buzzing with visitors, while Moraine Lake felt much quieter and more peaceful, which we loved. Both lakes were utterly breathtaking and it was a real pinch me day, standing on the shorelines looking at those turquoise waters and jagged peaks and feeling very small in the best possible way.

The day after, we slowed the pace with a bit of souvenir shopping in Banff, then it was time to say goodbye to the Rockies. We drove to Calgary Airport, dropped off the hire car and caught our flight to Toronto for the final five nights of our Canada adventure.

Toronto & Niagara: big city, big thrills and a big finish

We started our time in Toronto in true North American style, with a baseball game at the Rogers Centre, cheering on the Toronto Blue Jays. It was a brilliant way to arrive in the city: stadium atmosphere, hot dogs and the buzz of the crowd.

Our second full day was all about Niagara Falls. We joined a trip that stopped at Niagara‑on‑the‑Lake on the way, which is a really pretty little town and a lovely contrast to the big city. Niagara Falls itself is absolutely a must see. We did the boat ride right up to the falls with Niagara City Cruises on the Canadian side. A lot of people still call it the Maid of the Mist, but that is actually the boat on the American side. The experience was such a fun, soaking adventure. Top tip: take flip flops or shoes you do not mind getting wet, because you really do get drenched despite the ponchos. We also made sure we stood on the right hand side of the boat, so that when we reached the Canadian Horseshoe Falls we were perfectly placed for the best views.

On our third day we headed out to Canada’s Wonderland for a full theme park day. We decided to get an Uber there and back, which worked really well and was much quicker and easier than using public transport with tired legs at the end of the day.

The following day became our main city sightseeing day. We spent time at the Royal Ontario Museum, had lunch around Kensington Market and I really enjoyed wandering through the Distillery District, which is a lovely area to stop for a drink and soak up the atmosphere. We saved the CN Tower for last, timing our visit so that we could watch the sunset from the top. As a fun extra, Pink was playing at the Rogers Centre that night, so the stadium was lit up pink, which gave the skyline a lovely finishing touch.

On our final day we took the ferry across to the Toronto Islands, which was a brilliant way to round things off. I had not realised quite how big the Toronto Islands are, but we enjoyed a lovely walk which was really peaceful and felt so quiet compared to the main city. It also gave us some fantastic photo opportunities of the Toronto skyline from the water before we headed back for a final shopping spree and then on to the airport for our flight home.

We had such an amazing holiday that we definitely want to go back one day and see more of this fabulous country.

Why this Canada trip worked so well

Looking back, what really made this adventure work was the rhythm:

city, coast, wilderness, mountains, then city again; big experiences balanced with slower days and plenty of scenic stops on the road so the journey itself became part of the holiday.

For us it was the combination of iconic sights (Niagara Falls, Lake Louise, Moraine Lake, Capilano), big North American experiences (baseball, theme parks, zip lining) and those quieter, more personal moments: hot tub time in a rainforest cottage, spotting our first eagle, and catching the Olympic torch being lit completely by chance.

If this sounds like your kind of Canada trip, I would love to help you create your own version: shorter or longer, more coast or more mountains, with the right balance of must dos and white space for those spontaneous moments that become the best memories.

Get in touch and let’s start plotting your own Canada road trip.