Canada in the winter is a place of stark contrasts and breathtaking beauty. Snow-covered landscapes are blanketed in a thick layer of white. Mountains, majestic and imposing, rise up out of the snow like sentinels guarding the land. The Northern Lights dance across an endless sky, and outdoor activities honor culture, adventure, and this epic season.
With magic, intrigue, and iconic Canadian experiences, it was only natural for our Stories of Canada™ collection to include winter journeys, and we’re thrilled to share them with you.
Alberta
Alberta is a land that serves up tranquility and adventure, and on this six-day journey (with the option to extend an extra two days) travelers experience both in spades. Trek through soft powder on snowshoes, fatbike across snowy alpine vistas, get cozy in a horse-drawn sleigh and soar over Mt. Assiniboine on a private helicopter ride.
If you choose to extend your stay, you’ll head to Métis Crossing, the province’s first major Métis interpretive center and lodge. Learn from Elders, meet a Bison rancher, learn about life on the trapline, and search for signs of wildlife.
Northwest Territories
Despite the sub-zero conditions, the beauty of the winter in the Northwest Territories is truly something to behold. The frozen lakes and rivers provide a perfect canvas for ice fishing and hockey, while the snow-covered trails offer an opportunity for snowmobiling and cross-country skiing.
On this nine-day adventure, you’ll hear myths and legends shared by Elders, stories that have been passed on for countless generations. You’ll journey along an ice highway, traversing countless frozen lakes and wide-open tundra. You’ll sample muktuk (whale blubber), marvel at the aurora borealis, and even meet a local taxidermist. The cold may be harsh, but the memories made during the winter in the Northwest Territories will stay with you forever.
Québec
Québec is a winter wonderland full of old-world charm. Cobblestone streets are aglow with string lights, and flurries of snow dance through lively town squares. Warming foods offer a welcome (and delicious) respite from the cold, from raclette and poutine to hearty stews. This six-day journey through Québec offers you two unique properties to choose from, both bookended with exciting visits to Montreal and Québec City, and include stops at an old-world distillery, a classic cabane a sucre, and Quebec’s famous Ice Hotel.
At Pourvoirie du Lac Blanc you can dogsled through snow-blanketed forest, climb aboard a 1940’s snowmobile, learn to ice-fish, and cook your catch over an open fire. At Le Baluchon you’d enjoy an enchanting horse drawn sleigh ride, the option of electric snowmobiling or dogsledding, and access to the on-site Nordic spa.
Yukon
Winter in the Yukon is like nowhere else on earth. This is a land where moose out-number humans by more than double, and silence is broken by the hoot of an owl or howl of a wolf, echoing across frozen snow-covered tundra.
On your seven-day adventure across this wild landscape, you’ll snowshoe frozen lakes, look to the skies for auroral activity, and receive an introduction to dogsledding. A visit to Dawson City showcases ‘the Paris of the North’ as named by the Gold Rush prospectors in the late 1800s, and a tour of Tombstone Territorial Park will wow with its jagged peaks and permafrost landforms. Evening aurora viewing at a local yurt hopes to reveal the northern lights, free from noise pollution. Throughout your time in the Yukon, you’ll meet local Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in Nation people, learning about their culture and ways of life.
British Columbia
Winter on British Columbia’s coastal Haida Gwaii brings milder temperatures, with gumboots and raincoats replacing parkas and snowshoes. Here, miles of sandy beaches border lush green rainforests, and ancient hand-carved totems stand tall, weathered by nature’s elements and sharing ancestral stories.
On this seven-day journey, (bookended by stays in cosmopolitan Vancouver) you’ll be immersed in Haida culture through art, language, food, and stories. Your journey on Haida Gwaii begins with taking the Haida Visitor Pledge, a declaration to respect the land which Haida people have called home since time immemorial. Your days will be spent meeting local artisans and elders, touring ancient village sites, majestic waterways and old-growth rainforests. From awe-inspiring legends to stories of hardships faced by the Haida, you can’t help but come away from Haida Gwaii feeling changed by the strength and resiliency of its people.
Whether you’re snowshoeing in the shadow of the Rockies, snowmobiling through Quebec’s backcountry, hearing stories from revered Elders, or strolling the sandy beaches of Haida Gwaii, your next winter Stories of Canada trip will be soulful, profound, and unforgettable. Want to learn more? Connect with our travel experts, and start planning your own Stories of Canada™ experience here.
