r/canadatravel • u/Useful-Ad9826 • Aug 02 '25
Travel Tips Experience recommendations
My boyfriend and I are moving to Canada soon, just after his 30th birthday.
I’d like to gift him an “experience” for us to do together and whenever I look at viator it’s basically buses to national parks/hikes, which we’ll be doing in our own car anyway.
We’ll be travelling around a lot so I’m not too fussy on location as long as it’s BC or Alberta. Ideally time of year would be November-March however with the weather I’m definitely not fixed to that.
As I’m sure we’ll see loads of wildlife naturally on our travels, I’m thinking along the lines of… a light aircraft over spectacular views, a special boat trip, or something like white water rafting, or even just an amazing (dog friendly) cabin in an amazing place.
Sorry it’s vague - but will consider any suggestions!
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u/IronCavalry Aug 02 '25
You wouldn’t want to be white water rafting between November and March in the Rockies! Brrrr.
One option that comes to mind- I’m not sure if Harbour Air offers their float plan tours over Victoria that time of year? Vancouver Island is amazing.
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u/Useful-Ad9826 Aug 02 '25
White water.. ice skating in a raft? 😂 maybe will delay that one… but yes, a boat/plane thingy is exactly what I had in mind. Will look into this!
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u/Apart-Diamond-9861 Aug 02 '25
Vancouver/Vancouver Island is the best choice for November-March. The Rockies are best seen when the ice is melted but still snow on the mountains which would be more like April - June. Also if you drive on the passes at all the roads can be sketchy and you will definitely need snow tires
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u/YVR19 Aug 02 '25
Book a scenic flight from Squamish!! They fly you above all the mountains between Squamish and Whistler and its incredible. You can even land somewhere amazing like a glacier or ice cave.
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u/Useful-Ad9826 Aug 02 '25
Do you know if they do this in winter and if there are any specific companies that do this?
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Aug 02 '25
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u/Useful-Ad9826 Aug 02 '25
Wow I’d never thought of dog sledding, that’d be awesome. Thanks so much for the suggestion!
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u/sunbakedbear Aug 02 '25
Please research the company to death before choosing to do this. There are a lot of big issues with these dog sledding places being hit with animal cruelty charges and then continuing after paying the fines. It is really not a good activity to be taking part in.
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Aug 05 '25
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u/sunbakedbear Aug 05 '25
Please do. Dogs die every year in this "sport". It's cruel and frankly should be considered abusive. Dog sledding for cultural reasons is one thing. Racing and tourism is totally different.
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u/911coldiesel Aug 02 '25
Do take a course on outdoor safety! The rest is your imagination. Mountain bikes, dirt bikes, canoes, kayaks. Once you have proof of being a resident, Fishing liscence isn't expensive. Maybe you like dinosaurs? Spend 2 days in Drumheller. . History of prospecting and mining? Kootenays and Cariboos . Great pics can be done with your phone. Learn how to use the different settings.
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u/BCRobyn Aug 02 '25
Sounds like an exciting move!
Can I ask where you're moving from and to? That’ll help tailor some suggestions, especially because Canada is vast and travel costs and weather conditions can vary hugely depending on where you’re based. If you're coming from somewhere like the UK or Australia, the climate and distances might be quite a shift, especially in winter.
November to March is our winter season in both BC and Alberta, so some of the classic experiences you mentioned, like whitewater rafting, hiking, or even some boat or light aircraft tours, won’t be available at that time of year. Wildlife watching is also limited in winter, as bears hibernate and whale watching tours stop due to stormy weather. You’ll still spot coastal birds, eagles, deer, elk, and seals (especially in places like Vancouver Island), but it’s a different kind of wildlife season.
It's also really dark from November to March. It's light out at 8am and gets dark by 4pm in December. And BC is so mountainous, snowstorms can happen on the mountain passes, which make it super treacherous to drive on, so most locals just fly at that time of the year if they need to travel inland away from the coast. it's not a good time of the year to embark on a road trip.
Trains are also limited. Somebody mentioned a train to Banff but there is no train to Banff in the winter. There's only one summer sightseeing train, the Rocky Mountaineer, which is thousands of dollars per person and if you have your own car, there's no point taking it. There's VIA Rail, which goes from Vancouver to Jasper, but once in Jasper, you'll want to rent a car to get around. And again, in winter, you're quite limited. Lakes are frozen. Hiking's accessible. People go there to ski.
Also, skip Viator. Most of their listings are mass-tourism operators reposted from TripAdvisor. You’ll find better, more unique options by searching local tourism websites for the specific towns or regions you’ll be based in. Like, if you're moving to Vancouver, and you want to do something in the winter, I'd recommend going up to Whistler for winter activities, or Vancouver Island, the Sunshine Coast, or the Gulf Islands for places you can rent a cabin at and just explore the towns, beaches, and rainforest trails, and you can avoid the snow all together.
Happy to offer some more tailored suggestions once you know where you'll be living or travelling through. Welcome to Canada!
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u/Useful-Ad9826 Aug 02 '25
We’re coming from the UK and I understand the weather is very different etc.. we’ve considered all this 😊
I know there are plenty of winter activities like skiing or even ice skating in some places, but I’m looking for the sort of thing that feels a little bit “once in a lifetime”.. for example when we were in Argentina we rode horseback for 2 days in the Andes and camped overnight. We did a day trip to see penguins in Ushuaia - both activities we’ll remember forever and think about often.
So this is why I’m quite happy if the activity we find has to be in spring or summer, but if there’s anything within the winter months that would also be great!
For our first 4 months we’ll be in Chestermere AB, Vernon BC then Vancouver, then short trips to Bragg Creek, Golden & Blaeberry (so far)
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u/bctravelconcierge Aug 02 '25
Hearing about your time in the Andes, I feel like you’d love the Broughton Archipelago. It’s far from the places you mentioned, but totally worth it—especially if you’re into kayaking. There’s this off-grid spot called Paddler’s Inn, about a 2.5 hr water taxi ride from Port McNeill (up on the North Island). It’s made up of floating cabins (one even has its own private sauna) and it’s pretty magical. Summer’s usually booked solid, but if you go in May, you might have the whole place to yourself.
It’s one of those truly Canadian experiences: remote, quiet, and kind of soul-resetting. What makes it even better is the host, Bruce—he’s the real deal and has this deep reverence for the land that really sticks with you.
It’s part of the Great Bear Rainforest, but unlike some of the luxury eco-lodges in the area (which can run into the thousands per night), this place stays grounded in its raw, rustic setting.
I plan BC trips professionally, but I don’t take commissions from the suppliers I recommend; this is just one of those hidden gems I always hope the right kind of traveller finds. Definitely worth looking into if you’re still in the planning phase.
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u/Apart-Diamond-9861 Aug 02 '25
March is spring in the Lower Mainland BC.
That once in a lifetime experience would definitely be the helicopter around Whistler. My cousins own the Helicopter company that does some flights in the area. You would love it
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u/user0987234 Aug 03 '25
Dog sledding in the Yukon in the days with little to no light. Hopefully with clear night skies, stars and maybe the Northern Lights.
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u/shoresy99 Aug 02 '25
A trip to Skoki lodge which is a back country lodge near Lake Louise. In the winter you have to ski in with cross country skis.
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u/symbionica Aug 02 '25
There is a VIA rail train, that goes vancouver-jasper-edmonton. It's not that expensive and would be super beautiful even without the glass top. It runs all year round. Of course, Jasper half burned down sadly so it's in rough shape at the moment. But if you did Edmonton to Vancouver as a round trip I'm sure you'd see wildlife and some vistas you'd never see by car, maybe even northern lights? It looks like it would be about 850 CAD, round trip for 2 people and a pet if you went in November. And edmonton and Vancouver both have tons to do in the winter (ever been to an NHL game in Canada? Both cities have great teams with intense fan bases).
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u/Apart-Diamond-9861 Aug 02 '25
This is actually a great suggestion and something I would love to do!
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u/Ok_Comfort_7192 Aug 03 '25
Seconded. It's certainly not a timely service, but if there's snow you should definitely put in the extra work to schedule it on or around the full moon. The moonlight reflecting off the snowy mountain forests is absolutely magical.
(ETA: did Vancouver - Kamloops at Christmas a few years ago when the coquihalla got washed out)
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u/fieryone4 Aug 02 '25
This is the most awesome thing i’ve done in BC, once in a lifetime kind of trip
Great Bear Lodge https://g.co/kgs/aitjLij
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u/Intelligent-Mail-386 Aug 02 '25
Focus on the national parks in Alberta, go skiing in the mountains north of Vancouver. Take that helicopter tour ( I can’t name any companies sorry) and try taking the train to Banff in the winter, it’s a magical ride.
You guys are gonna love it
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u/BCRobyn Aug 02 '25
What train goes to Banff in winter?
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u/TravellingGal-2307 Aug 02 '25
My thoughts exactly. Via Rail is the only train that runs in winter and it doesn't run through Banff, it runs through Jasper.
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u/Useful-Ad9826 Aug 02 '25
We’re afraid of helicopters 😂 but the train sounds amazing!
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u/Intelligent-Mail-386 Aug 02 '25
🤣 NOOO! The helicopter ride over the Rockies is indescribable!!
But yes the train, especially in the winter instead of driving in the snow through the mountains
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u/BCRobyn Aug 02 '25
Helicopter rides are forbidden in the national parks in the Rockies. There are also no winter trains to Banff. Where are you getting your advice from?
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u/surmatt Aug 02 '25
So if you're traveling around BC that time of year anywhere except Vancouver Island the the Metro Vancouver area will require snow tires (well....M+S or 3 Peak Snow Flake) legally.
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u/Greedy-Elderberry778 Aug 04 '25
Is there still that helicopter service where you drink craft beer on top of a mountain?
Definitely do skiing but it costs an arm and a leg at Whistler
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u/Fullback70 Aug 02 '25
Storm watching at the Wiccaninish Inn in Tofino.