Travelling with kids doesn’t have to break the bank (or your sanity!) – here’s how we explored Calgary, Alberta on a budget while keeping things manageable with a family of 5!
I’m sharing all the things we did and how we planned it all out! Highly recommend making an itinerary in advance if there is a lot you want to see and do in a short amount of time!
TRAVEL:
We chose to fly with a discount airline (Flaire) since it was what we could budget for. It also offered the best flight times for the kids. Honestly, we’ve flown with this airline once before and it wasn’t great so not sure I would choose to fly this way again. Thankfully the flight wasn’t cancelled (this time)- it was delayed, but the flight itself was definitely very basic. For the length of the flight it would have been better to pay a little extra and get some additional space, drinks or snacks on board or even on board entertainment.
We used Costco Travel to book our rental car and that has always worked out super well for us! We needed a bigger vehicle since there were 5 of us + all of our luggage, so we opted for the affordable option, which was a minivan. We could have upgraded to a large size SUV, but the minivan offered all the space we needed and it was much less than the SUV. For a week long trip, it saved us a few hundred $$ going with that option!
DAY 1
HOTEL: Fairmont Palliser– 133 9 Ave SW, Calgary, AB T2P 2M3 (3/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️)
Hotel was nice- located right downtown so its close to everything and easy to walk around to sightsee. It’s in an older building so some things haven’t been updated or aren’t as new.
Activity: Calgary Zoo ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3.5/5
COST: $$
Food Options: Minimal
This was a great experience for all ages! Affordable and lots to see and do. Definitely a great day trip for a family, especially if you don’t live near a zoo. Has a great playground as well if you have kids. Does require a lot of walking, so be prepared for that. Food options were not great so if you’re able to bring snacks I’d recommend it!
Day 2
HOTEL: Fairmont Palliser- 133 9 Ave SW, Calgary, AB T2P 2M3
Activity: Downhill Karting Calgary ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5
COST: $$
Food Options: Minimal
We chose to go karting and the kids had an incredible time! Highly recommend this activity! Younger kids can go with an adult as well. I would recommend bringing snacks and water with you!
Day 3
Leave Fairmont Palliser & Drive to Banff for the day
HOTEL: Canalta Hotel- Rocky Mountain House , 4406 41 Ave, Rocky Mountain House, AB 3/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Staying in Banff is $$$$. If you have the ability to stay somewhere else and drive in for the day, I would recommend that. This hotel was about 2 hours away from Banff, and we chose this hotel for cost reasons and because it was located between our next 2 destinations. It was affordable, had 3 double beds, which was great for a family of 5. We left Calgary in the AM and drove to Banff for the day. We explored and then made the 2 hour drive to our hotel in Rocky Mountain House.
Activity: Explore Banff- Lake Louise ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5
COST: $ (You’ll either pay for Parking, approx $15, OR a tour bus)
Food Options: NA
Lake Louise was beautiful, but it is BUSY. You aren’t guaranteed access into the park unless you book a tour, but we managed to keep driving around and checking and we finally got in. I would suggest bringing a tripod or selfie stick to take photos and give yourself lots of time to get in and get a parking spot if you aren’t doing the tour!
Day 4
HOTEL: Canalta Hotel Rocky Mountain House 4406 41 Ave, Rocky Mountain House, AB
Activity: Glacier Tour- Columbia Ice Fields ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5
COST: $$$
Food Options: Minimal- they had a Starbucks inside the main building
HIGHLY recommend this tour. It wasn’t cheap, but it is a once in a lifetime experience. Would strongly recommend bringing rain boots or hiking shoes if possible, as well as a spare pair of socks (you can easily step in puddles on the glacier and the water is VERY COLD). Our kids got soakers and it was painful- spare socks would have been helpful! You also get to do the Skywalk (included in the tour) and its amazing!
Day 5
Depart Rocky Mountain House & Drive to Drumheller
HOTEL: Ramada by Wyndham Drumheller 680 2nd St SE, Drumheller
Activity: Royal Tyrrell Museum- 5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
COST: $$
Food Options: Good- They had a cafeteria on site, and there are a lot of food options nearby.
HIGHLY recommend visiting the museum if you are in Drumheller. We purchased the annual membership, which included unlimited visits to the museum as well as 1 excursion for our entire family of 5, discounts on food and the gift shop. The annual membership is $110 per family. We priced out how much it would have cost us for 5 people admission to the museum for 2 days and the cost for the excursion and the annual pass actually saved us money. We would have paid an extra $30, NOT purchasing the annual membership! Definitely price out this option first as it could cost less than buying everything separately!
Day 6
HOTEL: Ramada by Wyndham 680 2nd St SE, Drumheller 4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This hotel was decently priced, newer and had a GREAT pool/slide. Our room had 2 king sized beds with a small kitchenette area as well.
Activity: Royal Tyrrell Museum 5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Fossil Hunting Hike 9:30- 11:00
- The Dig Experience 1:00-2:15
Both of these excursions were fantastic. Both the Fossil Hunting Hike and The Dig Experience give you a guided tour through the Badlands. During The Dig Experience there is a simulated dig. I would recommend that part of that excursion is better for kids than adults, however the rest of the tour was great for adults. Bring a umbrella or something for shade if you plan to do the dig experience as it was incredibly hot and no shade.
Day 7
Depart Drumheller & Flight Home
Thats our trip! At the end of the day, kids remember the adventures, not the price tag. Keeping it affordable and simple made the trip enjoyable for all of us!
If you have any questions, leave a comment below or reach out on Instagram: @melb_lifeandhome for a quicker response!
Melissa
