Dinosaurs & Badlands

On arrival in Calgary make your way to your hotel for a 2-night stay. The evening is yours to explore at your leisure.

This vibrant city is easy to explore, and it’s easy to combine historic sites, urban cultural and outdoor attractions. Studio Bell /National Music Centre is a multi-level museum that walks visitors through Canadian music history, whilst the SAM Centre is dedicated to the Calgary legend that is the Calgary Stampede.

Collect your rental car this morning and leave the city behind. Travel into the heart of Alberta's Canadian Badlands, a remarkable landscape of eroded sandstone, layered rock formations and wide-open valleys. Drumheller is often known as the Dinosaur Capital of the World, thanks to the extraordinary fossils discovered throughout the region.

Spend a full day discovering the region's remarkable prehistoric heritage and rugged natural beauty. Attractions include the renowned Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology where visitors can explore its impressive dinosaur skeletons, fossil collections and exhibits revealing how life on earth evolved over millions of years. If time allows plan a visit to Horseshoe Canyon, where sweeping viewpoints reveal dramatic bands of colourful sedimentary rock.

Leave Drumheller and travel south across Alberta's open prairie landscapes to Lethbridge, a welcoming city known for its rich history, distinctive coulee scenery and striking railway bridge.

Travel southwest towards the spectacular landscapes of Waterton Lakes National Park, where the open prairie meets rugged Rocky Mountain peaks. The park is renowned for its clear lakes, dramatic valleys, waterfalls and abundant wildlife.

Spend a full day exploring Waterton's scenic landscape and striking natural attractions. Take the scenic drive along the Red Rock Parkway, with its sweeping views and explore Red Rock Canyon, where you can follow short hiking trails around the colourful red and green rock formations.

Leave Waterton and travel north towards Banff, one of Canada's most iconic mountain towns. Nestled within Banff National Park, the town is surrounded by towering peaks, forested slopes and beautiful alpine lakes.

Today is dedicated to Banff's most memorable sights, combining panoramic mountain views with lakeside scenery. Perhaps take the Banff Gondola to the summit of Sulphur Mountain and enjoy expansive views over the Bow Valley, Banff town and the surrounding Rocky Mountains. Or visit Lake Minnewanka, a beautiful glacial lake surrounded by rugged peaks. This evening, join your Banff Evening Wildlife Safari, travelling through Banff National Park with a knowledgeable local guide.

Enjoy your final day in the Rockies with time to explore Banff's surroundings at your own pace. Take an easy walk along the Bow River or visit Vermilion Lakes, a trio of pretty lakes just outside the township. Depart for Calgary in time for your homeward flight.