After this, it was on to Algonquin where we enjoyed the tranquility and nature. We paddled, hiked, enjoyed campfires, swimming, and fishing in the lakes. The guides were so knowledgeable, the food delicious and the sunrise paddle was a particular highlight.

Then on to Ottawa which we loved and the hotel was lovely and a great base to explore from. Ottawa as a city was in total contrast to Toronto and felt like a very ‘European’ city. The bike tour was brilliant and a fantastic way to explore the city cycling was easy with lots of short stops with a brilliant guide who gave us lots of interesting info about the city, The kids particularly enjoyed cycling over the bridge to French-speaking Quebec. I could easily have spent another day there to explore the museums and galleries.

Finally, on to Thunder Bay to see our family which was wonderful. Thank you so much for everything. Looking forward to our next trip already!’

We found Lake Louise a tourist trap (albeit we’re glad we got there) but loved visiting Peyto and Bow Lakes just a short drive away where you can walk/hike/paddle board etc.

We also thought Canmore was well worth a stop en route to Calgary and had we been more organised might have looked to do a horse riding trip in that area.

Overall, we thought the pre-booked activities were great and we didn’t struggle with doing both whales and bears in one day in Tofino – I’d keep that as a suggestion for other families.

Re accommodation, this all worked out fine. We thought our suite at Ucluelet was great (the best accommodation of the trip) and the outlook on the rocky Pacific coast was stunning. I’d definitely keep that in your itinerary.

The hotel at Harrison Hot Springs was very tired and dated by contrast, but the pools scored with the kids and was fine for a 1-night pitstop.

In terms of other recommendations, we were mostly keen to mention some places we’d loved in Jasper – really sadly, our favourite breakfast and dinner spots were badly damaged by the fires, as was the area around Lake Edith where we also spent a very happy day.

Sun Peaks was lovely and we did a horse riding trek there and visited a great sushi restaurant (Oya). The hotel decor was a little tired and old-fashioned but brilliantly located and we appreciate it was a last-minute change.

We enjoyed the survival course towards the end of the trip and visited Tofino on Vancouver Island which was a beautiful place to visit – arguably prettier than Ukee though we found a great supermarket and BBQ restaurant (Frankie’s Resto-Bar) at Ukee.

All in all a great trip that we all enjoyed with lots of memories to treasure.

Thanks for your help with planning and along the way.

All of the excursions were very well organised throughout the trip, thank you for that. 

Vancouver Island was also beautiful, great drive to Ucluelet with a pit stop as suggested at MacMillan Park. We thought Ucluelet was a bit odd at first but it definitely grew on us.

On our whale trip from Tofino, we had some bumpy waves (all good fun) and saw sea otters, sea lions and a pod of orcas! Amazing and we were really lucky, once again. Sea kayaking was also fantastic, just us four with our guide, Morgan. We saw seals this time and a sea otter, a mum and baby dear swimming between islands, and loads of bald eagles. A great lunch was supplied too which we were not aware of. Definitely recommend this excursion.

We had an afternoon on Tonquin beach near Tofino which was stunning with great rock pools and A was in his element with the even better rock pools at our lunch stop during sea kayaking!

The fishing trip was also exceptional.. J and A caught a sturgeon nearly as big as me and A also had a fight with an even bigger one for an hour which they had to give up on in the end. He had the time of his life. We popped up to Harrison Hot Springs for a dip in the lake too and it would be worth making the trip here for dinner options.

We were not expecting the 22km mountain unpaved drive up to our resort near Clearwater, nor its beauty or the lake to swim in. Again, it was fantastic and beautiful. We did lots of mucking about on the lake, SUPs, canoes, swims etc. The restaurant on site was really good (pricey) as was the fireside grill for quick eats. The facilities and staff were excellent. We went on a waterfall trail in Wells Gray Park and our first hike with our bear bells on. We didn’t use them again really, getting more confident about encountering a bear. The waterfalls are impressive.

Our stop at Blue River was another excellent excursion and we saw our first bears! One swimming too. The jet boat was great fun and the cafe at the site, excellent.

The hotel in Jasper was ok. This was our least favourite place but still ok and everything we needed. The on-site restaurant was decent too. We headed to Lake Edith and did the trail around the lake before having a swim and chilling for a few hours. We did our own evening animal discovery trails each evening and saw loads. Elks, deer, bears (a mother and two cubs..I will send the video, wonderful), and a moose!  White water rafting made me smile the whole time, I loved it, as we all did. Some great rapids and we didn’t want it to end.

The stop at the Icefields was also good, not so much J’s thing but still he enjoyed it and we had a giggle.

The Lake Louise hotel gave us an upgrade to a two-bed suite and that was one of our favs. Great location and hotel. We played mini golf and went to Lake Louise in the evening which a tourist guide told us to do. Parking is free after 7 pm and it’s quieter. Good shout.

We also did the chairlift up the mountain in the morning before our shuttle, again recommended by the tourist info. We saw three grizzly bears! One on the way up and two chilling together on the way down! Wildlife checklist, complete!

O was the only one to dip in Lake Moraine as it was icy 🥶 the rest of us only paddled very briefly. Beautiful lake and worth the visit.

Banff was great, much busier but we enjoyed it. The gondola was good and the Wolfdog Sanctuary worth the drive. We got to feed the puppies. Great day in Banff, shopping and seeing the waterfall there before heading to Canmore.

Our Canmore resort was also great, a massive apartment with pool access, just what we needed. There’s lots of building going on around Canmore and its centre is pretty. We ate out on the last night and visited Quarry Lake for a swim both of which were good.

Some tips for future travellers:

– When driving to the ferry for Vancouver Island, get in the queue early (we were 2 hours early) and you can leave the car and head into the village via the gantry, just be back 30 minutes before departure time and take your ticket with you. We had a great breakfast in Horseshoe Bay village at Troll’s.

– Take water bottles and refill them where you can!

– Get supplies (drinks and snacks) to take up to Clearwater.

– Stop at Mount Robson viewpoint en route to Jasper, impressive.

– Get to places early, it’s worth it to beat the crowds.

– Go to Lake Louise in the evening and get the shuttle direct to Moraine Lake the next day. Book the Moraine Lake shuttle rather than Lake Lousie.

– Have a day to chill out at the end!

– Buy an eSIM ahead of your trip for data when there’s no wifi.

As you can tell Molly, we had a blast; memories to cherish forever. Canada is absolutely stunning.  So many amazing moments, so much fun and lots of laughs together and at each other sometimes. The boys kept thanking us for taking them throughout the trip. I think they were at a perfect age to appreciate it all.

Thank you so much for your help and to Charlotte too, I can’t think of any more adjectives to describe what a brilliant time we had and how it all worked so well following your hard work. 

The full-day canoe trip on Clearwater is another one that stands out for us. Our guide was ever so friendly and knowledgeable. We canoed, hiked up to Eagle’s view, and had a lovely picnic lunch in a beautiful spot by the side of the lake – just a perfect day all round.

We also thought the bike tour in Vancouver at the very start was a lovely way to start the holiday. It was a nice, gentle, very relaxing way to see the sights of Vancouver. The most memorable moment for our girls has to be quite literally bumping into a mother bear and her cub while hiking at Moraine Lake…! Whilst slightly terrifying, we were very lucky that they both were very calm and just carried on walking past us. It definitely ticked the box for spotting a bear though! 

From a hotel point of view, we all loved our hotel on Vancouver Island and the location of the hotel in Banff was perfect. The other hotels were all clean and comfortable and we were perfectly happy with them.

Our hire car – we ended up having to upgrade at the airport as they said they didn’t keep sat navs on site so to use a sat nav we had to upgrade to a car with inbuilt sat nav. But it worked out fine in the end as the new car was slightly bigger which worked well for us.

We very much hope to return to Canada one day to carry on exploring! 

A big thank you for everyone’s help in planning and booking our Canadian adventure.

Activities included an alpine hike, forest & coastal walks, kayaking, cycling, surfing, swimming in a lake, watching a Canadian football game, and 3 wildlife safaris (inc. black bears, grey whales, seals & sea-lions, sea & river otters, chipmunks, and marmots).  We also enjoyed learning about the culture and history of the First Nations. This trip had everything – thank you!

We did visit Long Beach which is incredible – you only need to pay for parking here and do not need a park pass, which was a bonus. Great waves and tons of sand. The Woodside Grill was a gem of a food find, a small shack on the main road between Ucluelet and Tofino, burgers, tacos all homemade and seafood caught on their own boats and there is an ice cream shop next door. Kayaking was so much fun and a friendly seal took a liking to us as we explored the harbour. Ucluelet Brewing Company was ideal for family dining, as was the floating restaurant, which was within walking distance from the cabins (we loved the cabin accommodation).

When we got back to Vancouver via ferry the next few days we could take in the spectacular scenery.

Jasper was great, some lovely food places here, again the Jasper Brewing Co was great for families, we also had a more upmarket dinner at Syrah in town (they served Elk, buffalo, and Canadian fare). We also ate at Kimchi a fab understated Korean restaurant in town – amazing food.

Lake Louise was a worthwhile stop although apart from the lake not much else – we ate at the pizza restaurant in the hotel and it was delicious and would recommend. I should say it would help to mention in your paperwork that as you get to Jasper you will need to buy a park pass, because we were there for 7 nights it was cheaper to buy an annual pass ($140) it wasn’t an issue for us but may be worth mentioning to families to expect this expense.

From Lake Louise, we did a little detour to zip lining which the family really enjoyed and we would highly recommend. The last stop was Banff – we just loved it and wished we had a little more time. The accommodation was exceptional, pools, location, and facilities great. The boys chose a ghost walk tour for our first night which was an excellent way to navigate the streets of Banff and set us up for our free time the next day.

The icefields and glacier were wonderful; glass walkway was fun too. All unmissable. We really enjoyed Banff the Three Bears Brewery was excellent for food and you could sit outside. There was so much choice and everything was accessible. Before we left Banff we visited the Hotsprings – you can visit the caves here for free with your park pass and it is worth it.

We then made our way to Calgary, we did stop and the Iron Springs Mall en route back which the kids really enjoyed as a change and they were able to buy any last-minute gifts etc.

All in all a fantastic time – thank you so so much for all of your help and advice. We are looking at South America next year so any advice or recommendations welcome. We would definitely use Stubborn Mule again! Thank you.

The Royal Ontario Museum was also a great family visit. Luckily, we got the CN Tower tickets in time and would totally recommend an early morning visit as it just gets super busy as the day goes on.

The Gananoque trip was a great day of kayaking and Mike and Ryan were especially good guides.

Niagara Falls lived up to expectations and was as good as I remember; we were all blown away by the prettiness of Niagara-on-the-Lake, which was the first visit for all of us. The historic fort in N-o-t-L was shut on Mondays and Tuesdays, our days there, which was a bit unfortunate, as we would have probably tried to squeeze in a visit otherwise.

The mountain resort was full of activity and amenities, especially after the wilderness experience. However, in hindsight, we would probably have stayed a day less here and added it on to Ottawa instead, as we only feel we just scratched the surface of the city with so much more to see. The accommodation was good and we particularly liked the B&B in Ottawa, great character and location.

While at the mountain resort, we did add on the additional activity of the high tree tops zip lines, and walkways – a great activity for all the family to enjoy. The hotel in Niagara on the Lake was really lovely too and a great location for exploring the area.

The Toronto hotel was perfectly situated, and we did find parking nearby. However, as we stayed in the city all the time, it just added to the parking costs. Instead, it might have been better and possibly cheaper to get the car for the day we left Toronto and take public transportation to the hotel from the airport.

As we are fans of Schitt’s Creek and our return flight wasn’t until the evening, we made visits to key filming locations in the Greater Toronto Area on our last day, a good use of a travel day. Overall, our travel was fine and we made it without too many problems. 

Would totally recommend a holiday like ours to Ontario and we would happily travel again with Stubborn Mule. 

Thank you so much again, we are very grateful for such a wonderful family holiday, and many memories to treasure.  

The next day we head off on a group tour of Capilano suspension bridge and Grouse Mountain but were the only ones on the tour so had the guide and minibus to ourselves. The suspension bridge and high rope bridges through the forest made for a great day out and were only a few miles from central Vancouver.

Next stop on the tour was the car ferry to Vancouver Island and a picturesque drive north to the pickup point for our island lodge. Tim and Kelly run a great lodge with comfortable rooms and first-class food while offering bespoke activity packages to accommodate all interests. We saw Grizzly bears, black bears, Killer whales, Humpback whales, Sea otters, Eagles and more, it was like being in the middle of a David Attenborough documentary.

We also got to visit a First Nation Village and learn a little about their culture, language, and customs.

Everything was superbly planned and executed, for example when we went kayaking the guide packed hot chocolate and homemade cookies for when we stopped to explore an island. It is the little extra things that set places apart. Each night at 5 pm, Tim lead the ‘swim club’, encouraging staff and guests to jump off the dock. The water is 9 degrees centigrade and was certainly a life-affirming experience! Our 4-day stay on Vancouver Island was truly special and will live long in the memory.

We spent the next 3 days travelling through the Rockies to Jasper. To be honest the boys got bored with the long car journeys and pitching up at a new hotel each night. Once in Jasper I decided to inject a bit of luxury into the holiday and we checked into the Fairmont, which was situated on a stunning lake just outside of Jasper and proved to be just what we needed. My son took the cable car up Whistler Mountain and then ran to the summit, (amazing views apparently!), whilst the rest of us relaxed by the pool and enjoyed a cocktail in the hot tub.

Jasper is the 2nd largest designated dark sky area in the world so that night we went on a star gazing trip and got to use high-tech telescopes to see many different constellations and planets. The boys loved it!

National Geographic claims that the Icefields Parkway from Jasper to Lake Louise is one of the most stunning car journeys in the world and I would certainly vouch for that. We stopped to see waterfalls, lakes, and canyons, each more beautiful than the last. The Lake Louise Inn was a great choice, with comfortable rooms, a nice pool, and mini golf on-site. We had good meals in both restaurants and it was a great base to explore the area.

Stubborn Mule’s suggestion of a visit to Emerald Lake was an inspired one, it was in fact our favourite lake and we walked all around it early in the morning and took some amazing photos.

Our final stop was in Banff, where we had a great duplex family suite, with a full kitchen and sitting area. After 2 weeks of eating out every day, this was exactly what we needed. Banff is busy, so we enjoyed staying slightly out of town and the bus stops right outside reception.

All guests receive free bus passes and a timetable, so it couldn’t have been easier to get around. We enjoyed a trip to the Banff Natural Springs, although at 40 degrees it’s best not to stay for too long. A cowboy ride and steak cook-up at some stables a few miles out of Banff was a great way to end the holiday. On our last day, we stopped at the outlet mall en route to the airport for the boys to hit the Nike shop and luckily we had a very smooth journey home.

Our trip exceeded my expectations and left me wondering why we have never been to Canada before. The wide open spaces, stunning scenery, abundant wildlife, and super friendly people make it a perfect destination… We will certainly return!

I look forward to getting next year’s holiday organised in the next few weeks.

The Rockies were just as magnificent as we had heard and we had an incredible week exploring here. We were worried that the kids would get bored with all of the hikes but as long as we kept them well-fed, with a constant supply of snacks, they were very happy. The trail to Lake O’Hara in Yoho was a great recommendation, thank you, as the views were incredible. The lodge here was a real splurge but so worth it, we loved it.

Banff was also amazing. The hoodoo float tour was really fun – amazing views – and the kids also loved the Glacial Skywalk although I thought that this was total terrifying. All in all a great trip, thanks so much. We’ll be back for more!