11 DAY ALBERTA LANDSCAPE AND CULTURAL DISCOVERY
ALBERTA LANDSCAPE AND CULTURAL DISCOVERY
Rolling foothills, intimidating mountains, pre-historic hoodos, emerald lakes and world-renowned resorts, Alberta is home to a vast, changing landscape and an array of adventure activities. Shimmering glaciers, abundant wildlife, crystal-clear lakes and deep canyons surrounded by mountain peaks are waiting to be explored. This tour explores the very diverse scenery and cultures that makeup Alberta. From the majestic Canadian Rockies to the prairie lands of Alberta, the unique coulee landscapes and hoodo rock formations in the Badlands.
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Start Location: Calgary
End Location: Calgary
TOP HIGHLIGHTS
- City Tour of Calgary with visit to Heritage Park Historical Village
- Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology
- Guided Hike at Dinosaur Provincial Park
- Medalta Potteries and Esplanade Arts and Heritage Centre in Medicine Hat
- Archaeological Preserve Tour at Writing-on-Stone Provincial Park
- UNESCO World Heritage Site Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump
- Waterton Lake Boat Cruise
- Bar U Ranch National Historic Site Experience
- Eau Claire Distillery Tour and Tasting
- Painted Warriors Ranch Indigenous Experience
- Metis Crossing and Elk Island National Park
- Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village
ITINERARY
Day 1: Arrive in Calgary, AB
Welcome to Calgary, a cosmopolitan city rooted in cowboy history and more recently the heart of Canada’s oil industry. With two rivers, the Bow and the Elbow running through the centre of the city, Calgary is an active community where the great outdoors and urban living collide.
Overnight: Calgary
Meals: Dinner
Day 2: Calgary, AB
Today we embark on a tour of Calgary and discover the history, arts and culture that define the city. Explore unique communities including Eau Claire, Kensington and Inglewood, named the best neighbourhood in Canada in 2014. We spend time at Studio Bell, home of the National Music Centre of Canada, which honours and preserves Canadian Music’s diverse history through interactive exhibits and displays showcasing all musical genres. This afternoon we step back in time at Heritage Park Historical Village, Canada’s largest living history museum. Explore nearly a century of Alberta’s history from the fur traders and first nation way of life in 1860 to a more modern time of the 1950’s. From the antique midway, the steam train and Gasoline Alley, showcasing one of the largest collections of antique cars in Canada, there is something for everyone at Heritage Park.
Overnight: Calgary
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 3: Calgary to Drumheller, AB
Travelling northeast of Calgary, we soon arrive in Drumheller, Alberta. Located in the Badlands of the Red Deer Valley, Drumheller was once a booming Coal town with over 100 active coal mines in the region. Now, it is best known as the home of the Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology. Before arriving at Drumheller, we will make a stop at the Horseshoe Canyon viewpoint. Stand on the edge of this huge u-shaped canyon and survey the beauty and mystery of the badlands. The two arms of the canyon extend approximately 5 km each and the platforms at the top provide amazing vistas for picture-perfect photos. After taking in the view, we will make our way to the Royal Tyrrell Museum. Royal Tyrrell Museum was named after, Joseph Burr Tyrrell, a geologist who accidentally unearthed the first dinosaur fossil in the Red Deer Valley in 1884 while searching for coal seams. Royal Tyrrell opened in 1985 and is a world-renowned museum boasting over 130 000 fossils and one of the most complete Tyrannosaurus Rex (T-Rex) skeletons in the world.
Overnight: Drumheller
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 4: Drumheller to Medicine Hat, AB
This morning we depart from Drumheller and drive though the iconic Hoodoos and shape the landscape of the Badlands. Our exploration of the Badlands will continue as we make our way to the Atlas Coal Mine on an underground experience. Here we join an Atlas interpreter on a journey exploring the Atlas’ underground and upper site spaces. This tour will take us on a 75-minute hike up the valley wall and through some of the site’s most unique (and darkest) spaces, as well as some of the best viewpoints in the Drumheller Valley. The tour involves enclosed spaces, heights and many rough steps cut into the valley wall. Guests are provided with hard hats and lamps to wear.This afternoon we will spend some time in Dinosaur Provincial Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site situated in the Red Deer River valley, and has become famous for its striking badlands topography, and abundance of dinosaur fossils.
Overnight: Medicine Hat
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 5: Medicine Hat Lethbridge, AB via Writing-On-Stone Provincial Parks
Often described as an oasis in the midst of the prairies, the historic city of Medicine Hat has a vibrant art and cultural scene and a down-home atmosphere. Tour the Historic Clay District – the Medalta pottery made here was shipped around the world and partake in a Progressive Cafe tour, highlighting places favoured by the locals. Visit the Esplanade Arts & Heritage Centre. A marvel of contemporary Canadian architecture on traditional Blackfoot territory, just steps from the South Saskatchewan River, the Esplanade occupies an eminent position on downtown’s elegant First Street South. From its rooftop terrace, you can see Saamis, the shoreline escarpment which is the setting for the story of how Medicine Hat got its name. The petroglyphs (rock carvings) and pictographs (rock paintings) at Writing-on-Stone / Áísínai'pi Provincial Park are depictions of life for the Indigenous people who have seen this as a spiritual place for more than 10,000 years. Combined with the nearby hoodoo hikes, it makes for an otherworldly, spiritual experience. Writing-On-Stone Provincial Park is on our way through to Milk River. This afternoon we arrive in Lethbridge where we will see the iconic High-Level Bridge. Then we will hear the story about the region and the people from the mid-1860s to the early 1890s at the Fort Whoop-Up a replica of an original fur trading fort built in the late 1800s. We tell the story of the buffalo robe and illegal whisky trade, the years leading up to and the years that followed. It is a complex story that includes the Niitsitapi (Blackfoot), other First Nations, Métis, Canadians, Americans, and British.
Overnight: Lethbridge
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 6: Lethbridge to Waterton National Park via Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump
Today we will drive to Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump Interpretive Centre, a UNESCO-designated World Heritage Site that preserves and interprets over 6,00 years of Plains Buffalo Indigenous culture. Through vast landscapes, exhibits, and diverse programming, you will learn from a Blackfoot Nations guide about the cultural significance of this cliff to the Plains people. From the interpretive Centre, venture out along a paved trail that leads you to a spectacular view of Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump Cliff, Calderwood Buffalo Jump & Vision Quest Hill to the north, the great prairies to the east, and the Rocky Mountains to the south.On our way to Waterton National Park, is the famous Remington Carriage Museum. The largest museum of its kind in the world, the Remington Carriage Museum tells the story of horse-drawn transportation in North America and features interactive displays, horses, a working restoration shop, carriages, wagons, sleighs, and fun activities. We will also have a tour of the horse facilities and a demonstration of horse care.
Overnight: Waterton
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 7: Waterton National Park, AB
Today we enjoy the beauty of the Canadian Rockies in Waterton Lakes National Park. You will have the morning at your leisure to explore this quaint town nestled among incredible mountainous landscapes. There's something for everyone at Waterton Lakes: great hikes, horseback riding, canoeing, Red Rock Canyon, and even scooter rentals. Later this afternoon you will enjoy a scenic boat cruise and take in the beautiful views of the mountains.
Overnight: Waterton
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 8: Waterton to Airdrie, AB
After breakfast, we will make our way to the famous Bar U Ranch National Historic Site where you can discover the life of a ranching cowboy from the late 1800s. The Bar U Ranch has the largest collection of historical ranch buildings in Canada. From here we will visit the Eau Claire Distillery, Alberta's original craft distillery. Enjoy a tour of the facility with a stop in the tasting rooms. Time permitting, we will stop at Okotoks Erratic, visible from a considerable distance across the relatively flat terrain of the prairie landscape, ‘Big Rock’ is an enormous glacial erratic. The 16,500-tonne (18,200-ton) boulder was transported far from its mountainous place of origin by a rockslide, then by a glacial sheet of ice between 10,000 to 30,000 years ago, to its present-day location just west of the Town of Okotoks.
Overnight: Airdrie
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 9: Airdrie to Edmonton, AB via Painted Warriors Ranch
Today we will experience Painted Warriors Ranch, an indigenous ranch on 82-acre pristine forest land in the foothills of the Canadian Rockies. Here we will experience the traditional and modern-day lifestyle of the Cree and Saulteaux people, known for skills such as animal tracking, snowshoeing, horse riding, archery and many others.
Overnight: Edmonton
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 10: Day Trip to Métis Crossing, Elk Island National Park, and the Ukrainian Cultural Village
Today we will visit some of the sites that have shaped the culture of Alberta. Our First stop of the day will be to Métis Crossing, a cultural interpretation, education, and gatherings center encompassing over 500 acres of land. This site is the first major Métis cultural interpretive center in Alberta and has original Métis land from settlers dating back to the 1800s. Next, we will visit Elk Island National Park, a UNESCO-designated Biosphere Reserve and home to Canada’s bison conservation legacy. Just 35 minutes east of Edmonton, Elk Island National Park is the place to see the iconic bison and learn how this magnificent animal was brought back from near extinction. The Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village is an open-air museum that recreates pioneer settlements. Get ready to step back in time and experience what life was like in Alberta in the early 20th century.
Overnight: Edmonton
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 11: Depart Calgary, AB
We say goodbye to our Alberta tour and fond memories from such a fantastic cultural journey of Dinosaurs, Hoodoos and Cowboys. After breakfast, depart Edmonton with a stop at the airport before heading to Calgary International airport.
Meals: Breakfast
DATES & PRICES
We accept 
AVAILABILITY
START DATE
END DATE
PRICE
SINGLE SUPPLEMENT
DEPOSIT
BOOK
CAD (does not include 5% tax).
Please Note: Arrival and departure flights can be booked to for any time on first day of tour. Option to depart from Edmonton. Do not book departure flights before 2:00 pm if departing from Calgary.
Please Note: Arrival and departure flights can be booked to for any time on first day of tour. Option to depart from Edmonton. Do not book departure flights before 2:00 pm if departing from Calgary.
Applicable taxes vary depending on travel destination and are not included. Please ask your sales agent what extra taxes will be payable for your tour.
WHAT'S INCLUDED
- 11 nights of accommodation (3.5 - 4 star, or best available)
- Professional Tour Leader
- Transportation on comfortable motorcoach
- 21 meals: 11 breakfasts, 10 dinners
EXCLUSIONS
- 5% provincial tax on top of tour base rate
- Gratuities to driver (Recommend $3-$4 per person per day)
- Gratuities to guide (Recommend $5-$7 per person per day)
- Meals not listed
- Attractions not listed
- Credit card payment fees, where applicable
- Airfare — domestic and international (Unless Specified)
- Travel insurance (Strongly recommended, ask us for a quote!)
- Items of a personal nature
Why Take An Anderson Tour?
Seasoned Tour Guides
Get a deeper understanding with storytelling tailored to your interests.
Space To Breathe
We never max out buses even if we use the same size bus as the competition.
All Inclusive
No hidden expenses along the way. Competitors offer activities as an extra - we don't
Our guide training manual is accredited by ACTA/CITC Canadian Educational Standard Inc. Now used as the standard in educational college programs.
FEATURED ACTIVITIES
Experience the Canadian Rockies from a new perspective while cruising beautiful Lake Minnewanka on this panoramic one-hour interpretive cruise. Bask in the breathtaking mountain scenery and...
Can't find what you're looking for?
Our specialists can take away the stress and create a custom trip tailored to your exact interests and budget.
Get A Custom Quote
OR CALL
1.866.814.7378
Custom Trip Plans
You can see what you want, when you want, how you want.
Unique Experiences
Experiences that help you take in the region in a different way.
Freedom To Explore
Time to take in each place with only the tours you want to do.
Tour Questions
What is the maximum number of travellers in a group?
Anderson Vacations specializes in Small Group Fully Escorted tours. If the tour is classified as a ‘Classic Tour’ up to 24 persons may join the tour although tours commonly travel with anywhere between 18 to 24 travellers. If the tour is classified as a 'Tour of Distinction’ only up to 18 persons may join the tour and many 'Tours of Distinction' travel with 12 to 18 travellers.
What are Guaranteed Departures?
After dreaming about travel to an exciting destination, arranging for time off work, booking your flights the last thing you need is for your trip to be cancelled. Anderson vacation's pre-Guaranteed tours take the uncertainty away from planning your travel and give you peace of mind to book our tours. Pre-Guaranteed Tours are group tours that we have already confirmed as certain to travel on the specified date. All 'Guaranteed Tours' will travel except in the event of a natural disaster or a catastrophic event that is beyond our control. They may already have the minimum number of people booked or else are tours that are known to be popular. Only select departures of tours are 'pre-Guaranteed'.
What happens if I book on a tour that is not Guaranteed?
We pride ourselves on providing “a small shared group experience.” In the event that we have fewer than ten participants on a tour we will offer a “small-group surcharge” to ensure that the tour runs as scheduled. This fee, which is up to 15% of the “land” portion of the tour, will be offered to you as an option to continue with the trip. This fee will cover the costs associated with handling a smaller group.
What is the average age of passengers for this tour?
Our tours are suitable for all age demographics. The average age of travelers is typically 45+.
How physically demanding is this tour? Are you able to accommodate people with mobility restrictions/limitations?
Some tours are mainly coach based and may not be physically demanding while others may require walking inclines or on rough surfaces to access interesting locations. Please check with us and your booking agent carefully and discuss your mobility restrictions before completing any tour booking to ensure this style of travel is right for you.
Can you accommodate passengers with dietary restrictions (food allergies, vegan, vegetarian etc.)?
Yes, we do accommodate dietary restrictions (within reason) such as, food allergies, vegan, vegetarian, etc. There are many meals included on our fully escorted tours. Please inform us of any dietary restrictions at the time of booking so we can ensure there are alternative meal choices.
Booking & Flight Questions
Do you arrange airport transfers?
Yes, we can assist you with airport transfers for you in most locations at a reasonable extra cost. Several tours have airport transfers already included. Please contact us for more details.
Can you assist with booking additional accommodation?
Yes, we can certainly assist with booking additional nights of hotel accommodation for you before and after your fully escorted tour. This is available upon request and subject to availability. Please inquire for further information and prices.
How much luggage should I bring?
Each passenger may bring one large suitcase and one carry-on bag. The weight limit for baggage is 20 kilograms or about 40 pounds. Baggage handling is provided at the hotels in our tour packages but there may be places where you will be required to wheel in your bags for quicker access. Be sure to advise our reservations staff if you will be bringing additional items such as a cane, walker, or wheelchair. You may also bring one small soft-sided carry-on bag, which should easily fit into the overhead shelf of a coach. Each person is responsible for his/her own carryon luggage. Remember to check your airline baggage restrictions if you are flying, as they may differ from Anderson Vacations guidelines.
I am a solo traveller. Is there a single surcharge?
There are options for single travelers to join most tours. Solo travellers can choose to pay a Single Supplement and have their own room throughout the tour. For those willing to share with a co-traveller of the same gender, we have a Twin Share option that is offered for most tours where you share a hotel room with another same gender traveller. In this case, you will not be charged for Single Supplement.
Is it possible to book a triple share accommodation?
Yes, it is possible to book triple share accommodations on select trips. Please inquire or contact us regarding this option, as prices and availability vary from tour to tour.
Can we book this tour with our exclusive group?
Yes, you can! Anderson Vacations works with many private groups and helps to customize a tour to traveller’s needs. Please contact us for more details.
Are gratuities included in the tour cost?
For convenience, gratuities for local guides and meals that are specified in the itinerary are included in the tour price. For meals not included in your tour package please remember that it is customary to tip your server 10-20% in North America. Gratuities for your Coach Driver (where appropriate) and Tour Director are entirely at your discretion. We recommend about CDN $5.00 per person, per day, for your Driver and CDN$7.00 per person, per day for your Tour Leader.
Ready? Have More Questions?
Over 25 years offering custom trips and small group tours.
INQUIRE ABOUT THIS TRIP
OR CALL
1.866.814.7378
Seasoned Tour Guides
Get a deeper understanding with storytelling tailored to your interests.
Space To Breathe
We never max out buses even if we use the same size bus as the competition.
All Inclusive
No hidden expenses along the way. Competitors offer activities as an extra - we don't
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Tour Code
ALCD
11 Day Alberta Landscape and Cultural Discovery
11 days
Created On: 25 Sep 2023
Highlights
- City Tour of Calgary with visit to Heritage Park Historical Village
- Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology
- Guided Hike at Dinosaur Provincial Park
- Medalta Potteries and Esplanade Arts and Heritage Centre in Medicine Hat
- Archaeological Preserve Tour at Writing-on-Stone Provincial Park
- UNESCO World Heritage Site Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump
- Waterton Lake Boat Cruise
- Bar U Ranch National Historic Site Experience
- Eau Claire Distillery Tour and Tasting
- Painted Warriors Ranch Indigenous Experience
- Metis Crossing and Elk Island National Park
- Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village
Inclusions
- 11 nights of accommodation (3.5 - 4 star, or best available)
- Professional Tour Leader
- Transportation on comfortable motorcoach
- 21 meals: 11 breakfasts, 10 dinners
Exclusions
- 5% provincial tax on top of tour base rate
- Gratuities to driver (Recommend $3-$4 per person per day)
- Gratuities to guide (Recommend $5-$7 per person per day)
- Meals not listed
- Attractions not listed
- Credit card payment fees, where applicable
- Airfare — domestic and international (Unless Specified)
- Travel insurance (Strongly recommended, ask us for a quote!)
- Items of a personal nature
Dates & Prices
AVAILABILITY
START DATE
END DATE
PRICE
SINGLE SUPPLEMENT
DEPOSIT
AVAILABLE
Wed, 17 Jul 2024
Sat, 27 Jul 2024
$4,400 USD
$1,140 USD
$500 USD
Itinerary
Day 1: Arrive in Calgary, AB
Welcome to Calgary, a cosmopolitan city rooted in cowboy history and more recently the heart of Canada’s oil industry. With two rivers, the Bow and the Elbow running through the centre of the city, Calgary is an active community where the great outdoors and urban living collide.
Overnight: Calgary
Meals: Dinner
Day 2: Calgary, AB
Today we embark on a tour of Calgary and discover the history, arts and culture that define the city. Explore unique communities including Eau Claire, Kensington and Inglewood, named the best neighbourhood in Canada in 2014. We spend time at Studio Bell, home of the National Music Centre of Canada, which honours and preserves Canadian Music’s diverse history through interactive exhibits and displays showcasing all musical genres. This afternoon we step back in time at Heritage Park Historical Village, Canada’s largest living history museum. Explore nearly a century of Alberta’s history from the fur traders and first nation way of life in 1860 to a more modern time of the 1950’s. From the antique midway, the steam train and Gasoline Alley, showcasing one of the largest collections of antique cars in Canada, there is something for everyone at Heritage Park.
Overnight: Calgary
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 3: Calgary to Drumheller, AB
Travelling northeast of Calgary, we soon arrive in Drumheller, Alberta. Located in the Badlands of the Red Deer Valley, Drumheller was once a booming Coal town with over 100 active coal mines in the region. Now, it is best known as the home of the Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology. Before arriving at Drumheller, we will make a stop at the Horseshoe Canyon viewpoint. Stand on the edge of this huge u-shaped canyon and survey the beauty and mystery of the badlands. The two arms of the canyon extend approximately 5 km each and the platforms at the top provide amazing vistas for picture-perfect photos. After taking in the view, we will make our way to the Royal Tyrrell Museum. Royal Tyrrell Museum was named after, Joseph Burr Tyrrell, a geologist who accidentally unearthed the first dinosaur fossil in the Red Deer Valley in 1884 while searching for coal seams. Royal Tyrrell opened in 1985 and is a world-renowned museum boasting over 130 000 fossils and one of the most complete Tyrannosaurus Rex (T-Rex) skeletons in the world.
Overnight: Drumheller
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 4: Drumheller to Medicine Hat, AB
This morning we depart from Drumheller and drive though the iconic Hoodoos and shape the landscape of the Badlands. Our exploration of the Badlands will continue as we make our way to the Atlas Coal Mine on an underground experience. Here we join an Atlas interpreter on a journey exploring the Atlas’ underground and upper site spaces. This tour will take us on a 75-minute hike up the valley wall and through some of the site’s most unique (and darkest) spaces, as well as some of the best viewpoints in the Drumheller Valley. The tour involves enclosed spaces, heights and many rough steps cut into the valley wall. Guests are provided with hard hats and lamps to wear.This afternoon we will spend some time in Dinosaur Provincial Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site situated in the Red Deer River valley, and has become famous for its striking badlands topography, and abundance of dinosaur fossils.
Overnight: Medicine Hat
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 5: Medicine Hat Lethbridge, AB via Writing-On-Stone Provincial Parks
Often described as an oasis in the midst of the prairies, the historic city of Medicine Hat has a vibrant art and cultural scene and a down-home atmosphere. Tour the Historic Clay District – the Medalta pottery made here was shipped around the world and partake in a Progressive Cafe tour, highlighting places favoured by the locals. Visit the Esplanade Arts & Heritage Centre. A marvel of contemporary Canadian architecture on traditional Blackfoot territory, just steps from the South Saskatchewan River, the Esplanade occupies an eminent position on downtown’s elegant First Street South. From its rooftop terrace, you can see Saamis, the shoreline escarpment which is the setting for the story of how Medicine Hat got its name. The petroglyphs (rock carvings) and pictographs (rock paintings) at Writing-on-Stone / Áísínai'pi Provincial Park are depictions of life for the Indigenous people who have seen this as a spiritual place for more than 10,000 years. Combined with the nearby hoodoo hikes, it makes for an otherworldly, spiritual experience. Writing-On-Stone Provincial Park is on our way through to Milk River. This afternoon we arrive in Lethbridge where we will see the iconic High-Level Bridge. Then we will hear the story about the region and the people from the mid-1860s to the early 1890s at the Fort Whoop-Up a replica of an original fur trading fort built in the late 1800s. We tell the story of the buffalo robe and illegal whisky trade, the years leading up to and the years that followed. It is a complex story that includes the Niitsitapi (Blackfoot), other First Nations, Métis, Canadians, Americans, and British.
Overnight: Lethbridge
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 6: Lethbridge to Waterton National Park via Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump
Today we will drive to Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump Interpretive Centre, a UNESCO-designated World Heritage Site that preserves and interprets over 6,00 years of Plains Buffalo Indigenous culture. Through vast landscapes, exhibits, and diverse programming, you will learn from a Blackfoot Nations guide about the cultural significance of this cliff to the Plains people. From the interpretive Centre, venture out along a paved trail that leads you to a spectacular view of Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump Cliff, Calderwood Buffalo Jump & Vision Quest Hill to the north, the great prairies to the east, and the Rocky Mountains to the south.On our way to Waterton National Park, is the famous Remington Carriage Museum. The largest museum of its kind in the world, the Remington Carriage Museum tells the story of horse-drawn transportation in North America and features interactive displays, horses, a working restoration shop, carriages, wagons, sleighs, and fun activities. We will also have a tour of the horse facilities and a demonstration of horse care.
Overnight: Waterton
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 7: Waterton National Park, AB
Today we enjoy the beauty of the Canadian Rockies in Waterton Lakes National Park. You will have the morning at your leisure to explore this quaint town nestled among incredible mountainous landscapes. There's something for everyone at Waterton Lakes: great hikes, horseback riding, canoeing, Red Rock Canyon, and even scooter rentals. Later this afternoon you will enjoy a scenic boat cruise and take in the beautiful views of the mountains.
Overnight: Waterton
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 8: Waterton to Airdrie, AB
After breakfast, we will make our way to the famous Bar U Ranch National Historic Site where you can discover the life of a ranching cowboy from the late 1800s. The Bar U Ranch has the largest collection of historical ranch buildings in Canada. From here we will visit the Eau Claire Distillery, Alberta's original craft distillery. Enjoy a tour of the facility with a stop in the tasting rooms. Time permitting, we will stop at Okotoks Erratic, visible from a considerable distance across the relatively flat terrain of the prairie landscape, ‘Big Rock’ is an enormous glacial erratic. The 16,500-tonne (18,200-ton) boulder was transported far from its mountainous place of origin by a rockslide, then by a glacial sheet of ice between 10,000 to 30,000 years ago, to its present-day location just west of the Town of Okotoks.
Overnight: Airdrie
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 9: Airdrie to Edmonton, AB via Painted Warriors Ranch
Today we will experience Painted Warriors Ranch, an indigenous ranch on 82-acre pristine forest land in the foothills of the Canadian Rockies. Here we will experience the traditional and modern-day lifestyle of the Cree and Saulteaux people, known for skills such as animal tracking, snowshoeing, horse riding, archery and many others.
Overnight: Edmonton
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 10: Day Trip to Métis Crossing, Elk Island National Park, and the Ukrainian Cultural Village
Today we will visit some of the sites that have shaped the culture of Alberta. Our First stop of the day will be to Métis Crossing, a cultural interpretation, education, and gatherings center encompassing over 500 acres of land. This site is the first major Métis cultural interpretive center in Alberta and has original Métis land from settlers dating back to the 1800s. Next, we will visit Elk Island National Park, a UNESCO-designated Biosphere Reserve and home to Canada’s bison conservation legacy. Just 35 minutes east of Edmonton, Elk Island National Park is the place to see the iconic bison and learn how this magnificent animal was brought back from near extinction. The Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village is an open-air museum that recreates pioneer settlements. Get ready to step back in time and experience what life was like in Alberta in the early 20th century.
Overnight: Edmonton
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 11: Depart Calgary, AB
We say goodbye to our Alberta tour and fond memories from such a fantastic cultural journey of Dinosaurs, Hoodoos and Cowboys. After breakfast, depart Edmonton with a stop at the airport before heading to Calgary International airport.
Meals: Breakfast
