Western Canada Adventure Travel Guide

Discover the best of western Canada, from stunning Lake Louise and the snow-capped summits of Banff National Park to the scenic splendour of Vancouver Island, Johnston Strait and the friendly city of Vancouver – the perfect place in north America for an outdoors adventure.

Things to do and see
Western Canada is renowned for its stunningly beautiful landscapes and frontier heritage. Experience gold-rush ghost towns and pioneer villages set amid rugged peaks, glaciers, rivers, lakes and forests in a region famous for some of the best hiking, fishing, canoeing and skiing in the world – perfect for that adventure getaway in summer or winter.

In summer, explore the backcountry of Banff National Park on horseback. Spot brown bear, deer, osprey and eagles in between shooting rapids along the Chilko-Chilcotin-Fraser Rivers. Watch enormous grizzly bears frolic in the rivers and inlets on the north-west coast at Great Bear Rainforest or encounter orca, minke and humpback whales, porpoises and dolphins from a sea kayak in Johnstone Strait.

Watch pods of whales frolic just off the coast of Vancouver Island as bald eagles soar overhead and enjoy breathtaking views across Burrard Inlet and English Bay on a bike ride along Vancouver's Stanley Park Seawall.

In winter, head to the perfect ski and snowboarding slopes of Whistler Blackcomb and Banff/Lake Louise.

Best time to visit western Canada?
Any time, depending on what you want to do. Summer, from June to August, averages 20˚C, with a high of 26˚C. Winter, from November to March, averages a daytime high of anywhere between 5˚C and 13˚C and is generally milder than most parts of Canada, although night-time temperatures can range from a chilly minus 25˚C to 8˚C.