We did this on our last trip, and we thought it would be fun to try and do the same for each portion of our Canada trip too this time. Based on a defined list of categories, we’ve each independently thought of our highlights for our time in Western Canada. Some of them may end up being the same, but let’s see.

Si’s Picks

Best stop

It’s a close call between Whistler and Banff but I think I’m going to go for Banff. They had some amazing lakes there (Lake Louise, Moraine Lake, Emerald Lake) and some good, but often very challenging walks. We had Banff National Park and Yoho National Park to visit and a very nice Airbnb to relax in after long days out. The weather was lovely there too. 

Best hike

I really enjoyed the part of the Berg Lake Trial hike we did in Mount Robson Provincial Park to reach Lake Kinney. It was a decent length but not too much uphill climbing, and the lake was amazing at the end point we reached. And to top it off when we got back to the car park at the end they were giving away free drinks and cake, and of course, Jerry the moose. 

Best waterfall 

I’ll pick Takakkaw Falls in Yoho National Park I think. It was really high and impressive but you did get quite wet from the spray when you got near. It was only a short walk from the car too which was very welcome after a long day of hiking. 

Best lake

It’s got to be Lake Louise. Really picturesque and an amazing place to visit. The only downside is how busy it can be in places there. The hike up to Lake Agnes tea house and then to the top of the mountain at the Bee Hive is very hard work but worth it for the amazing views up there, and the coffee and cake on the way back down from the remote tea house. 

Best beer

This is tricky as we’ve tried so many beers at so many different breweries, with many of them being 4 – 6 oz sample sizes. I had a nice blackberry blonde wheat beer from our local liquor store in Revelstoke which was really nice, so I’ll pick that. I’ll have to look out for it in the shops as we go, although it was from a Vancouver brewery so I’ve probably missed my chance now. No pineapple beers yet sadly…

Best bar

I’ll pick Stanley Park Brew Pub in Vancouver, somewhere we went on our first day in Canada, the first bar in fact. It’s in a lovely setting in the park, we sat out on the deck having a tasting flight and it was warm and sunny. A great start to the trip. 

Honourable mentions to Empty Keg Brewing Co in Merritt (left above) which has cool beer flight glasses and was a nice local place. And to Bear Paw Brewing in Banff (right above) where we sat out in the beer garden with live music, a food truck and the sun out. 

Best food

I’ll pick the BBQ we had in Vernon for dinner one night. We haven’t eaten dinner out much at all, but this was really nice!

Best accommodation 

This is a tie for me (I know, it’s cheating!). It’s between our cabin in the woods when we stayed in Valemount / Jasper. It was a really big place but very peaceful and comfy and was only a short trip down the road to the local brewery. What more could you want?

And the Airbnb we had in Revelstoke which was really modern and comfortable and one of the best we’ve stayed in I think. 

Wow moment

I’ll pick the off-road buggy ride we did in Whistler. It was really good fun skidding along the bumpy routes in the mountains and the view when we stopped at the top was amazing too. 

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Lucy’s picks

Best stop

This was a tough one as we haven’t really had a bad stop but after much consideration I have chosen Whistler. On reflection I think this was the only place where I felt we needed longer than the 3 nights we were actually there. We also were staying in one of the ski resort areas so we could walk to everything in the village. Plus we did loads of great things here. Obviously the off-road buggy driving was a highlight but we did a lot of fun and unique hikes too such as the train wreck trail and the lake trail.

Best hike

That’s easy, the Grouse Grind…ha ha ha NOT! My actual choice is the Berg Lake trail. Although we didn’t make it all the way to Berg Lake (which is 24km one way and requires overnight camping) the portion we did do was worthy of it being my number one hike. You do get to see another lake (Lake Kinney) which was very picturesque. This was also the walk where they had the free cake and coffee at the end to celebrate the trail reopening after restoration. It was also when we bagged Jerry the moose which was the icing on the cake.

Best waterfall 

I am cheating a bit here by picking two, but they are both in the same park so I figure it’s ok. And these are Moul Falls and Dawson Falls and they were part of Wells Grey Provincial Park in Clearwater. Dawson Falls looked amazing from afar and close up (especially with the rainbow) and reminded me of a mini Niagara. Moul Falls were epic too as you could get right next to it at the bottom and walk behind it too. Both very cool.

Best lake

There were so many amazing lakes but I’ll pick Lake Louise. There is a buzz around this place when you arrive and you can certainly see why this is the top tourist attraction when you are in Banff. You can walk right next to it and also climb up high and get a panoramic view of it too. There is also a lot to do once you are there such as hiking or boating. The tea room half way up the mountain was a real novelty too.

Best beer

Tutti Fruiti Hazy from Silverstar Brewing Co in Vernon. As the name suggests this was a very fruity hazy beer so right up my street. To be honest there have been so many nice ones I didn’t really have a fave, this is just one I remember the name of.

Best bar

Stanley Park Brewing Co. This was actually the first brewery we went to on our very first day of the trip in Vancouver. The beer selection was excellent and it was a glorious day for sitting out on the patio. It even overlooked some tennis courts so you could take in the action as you supped.

Best food

Another easy choice for me…Lee’s donuts. Again we had these very early on in the trip. They were located on Granville Island in the food market. They are hands down some of the best doughnuts I’ve had. It’s hard to describe what they are like, imagine a cold version of the hot fried doughnut. Very crisp and sugary.

Best accommodation 

We have been really lucky with all our accommodation choices so far but I choose the cabin in Valemount. It was literally a cabin in the woods with a great view of the mountains from the porch. It was big and very rustic and all the decor was very well themed – lots of wood and beams. Great place to unwind after a hard days hiking.

Wow moment

The view of lake Louise from the Beehive. It was a challenging and tough slog to walk the steep trail to get to the top but the views were incredible once you made it.