3. Regina to Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan has the reputation for being a flat, prairie province as many drivers experience it only from the Trans-Canada Highway.
Start in Regina, where you can visit the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Heritage Centre and, on Tuesdays from July to mid-August, view Mounties on parade in the Sunset-Retreat Ceremony.
Then, head to Moose Jaw to learn about bootlegging during the Prohibition era, when mobsters ran booze into the USA from the small town.
Continue west, past colourful barns, to Swift Current then up to Lake Diefenbaker for sport fishing and sailing. Spend a couple of days at La Reata Ranch if you like the idea of horse riding on a working cattle ranch.
Arriving into Saskatoon on a weekend means being able to sample the city’s nightlife at its best.
Best for: mounties and western riding
How long: 5 days
Our favourite accommodation: Delta Hotels by Marriott Bessborough - Built for the CNR in 1931, the Bessborough is an enormous turreted and gabled affair, set in Kiwanis Memorial Park, beside the river. It’s been tastefully refurbished in a French château style, which makes it the city’s most striking building; some claim it’s haunted.
4. Icefields Parkway, Alberta
You can motor along the 232km route of the Icefields Parkway in Alberta in just four hours, but that wouldn’t do justice to the magnificence of the woodland wilderness, waterfalls and jagged mountains either side of the highway.
This route runs between Banff and Jasper, cutting through the Rocky Mountains and skirting through two national treasures, Banff National Park and Jasper National Park. They are the home to the vast Columbia Icefield. Learn about the region’s geology during guided hikes on the Athabasca and Saskatchewan glaciers.
Overnighting at one of Jasper National Park’s campsites means being able to stare at constellations in one of the world’s biggest dark sky reserves.
On sunny days, the sight of snow-capped mountains and blue skies reflecting on the surfaces of the Peyto and Waterfowl will have any keen photographer stopping every five minutes.
Best for: stargazing and glacier walks
How long: 3 days
Not to miss: It's a once in a lifetime experience to see the Canadian Rockies from high up a helicopter. These impressive views will remain with you for a long time.
Our favourite accommodation: The Juniper Hotel & Bistro - Boutique hotel that breaks the predictable mould of most mid-range Banff offerings with its chic, simple and contemporary interiors in a series of chalets (the larger two- and three-bedroom ones offer kitchenettes). The mountain views are among the best from any Banff hotel, but at 2km from the town centre at the foot of Mount Norquay, it’s not central.
