We Drove from Kelowna to Calgary - Here’s Everything We Did (and which province is my favourite)
Written by Taylor Devoe
Ever thought about renting a mini-van and driving from British Columbia to Alberta? My family (with 2 kids under 2) did it last summer. Here’s where we went and what we did. Spoiler: it was awesome!
Last summer, we flew into Kelowna, British Columbia, picked up a sweet mini-van (no seriously, I love mini-vans) and spent two weeks road-tripping around with our 2 kids under 2.
We visited:
Osoyoos, BC
Kelowna, BC
Revelstoke, BC
Canmore, AB
Banff, AB
Calgary, AB
Osoyoos, BC
Here’s what you’ll find online if you search Osoyoos:
Welcome to Osoyoos - a treasure in the sun. Osoyoos is Desert Wine Country's Sweet Spot with the charm of a beach town surrounded by the only living desert in Canada. Taste award winning wine bottled where it is grown, savour sun-warmed fruit straight off the tree, visit centres devoted to preservation of our ecology, native culture and local history and then refresh yourself in the warmest fresh water lake in Canada.
I am here to confirm, it’s the perfect description; it’s exactly what it is. Warm beach town, fruit stands at every corner, all in a desert. Small town, chill vibes. Stay in a local AirBnB, sit back, and relax.
We opted to stay in nearby town Oliver at a local vineyard: Infinity Acres. My son still asks to go back to the blue house. They have chickens on property which meant fresh eggs for breakfast. We even got to try some grapes.
When you’re ready to leave the desert, drive on over to Kelowna (about 2 hours away).
Kelowna, BC
Kelowna is truly wine-country. Driving around, you’ll see a ton of vineyards all around you, mountains, lakes- everything is a picture. Kelowna has an amazing food scene (see 10 restaurant recommendations from a local), wineries, several sprawling lakeside parks, tons of outdoor activities (hikes!!!) and the Okanagan Lake has a bunch of water activities. It’s a totally under-rated city with great food, great wine, and great adventure.
We loved visiting Off The Grid Organic Winery. Delicious wine options, milkshakes for the kids, and there are farm animals to visit and feed. It feels like it’s made for parents and kids to visit, and that’s exactly who was there.
Our other favourite activity? Kangaroo Creek Farm. Yes… go visit the kangaroos. Feed them treats and pet them. Your kids will love it, but you’ll love it more.
Ready for your next stop? Revelstoke is only 3 hours away, but before you get there, make sure you stop at The Enchanted Forest. Walk through an old growth forest, see its 350 handcrafted fairy tale figures (you read that right) and climb BC’s tallest treehouse. It was the strangest place I’ve ever been.
Revelstoke, BC
Revelstoke Mountain Resort is a great place to visit - ride the gondola up the hill, ride down on the pipe mountain roller coaster and grab a bite to eat. If you’re into mountain biking in the summer or skiing/snowboarding in the winter, this is the spot to visit.
We didn’t make it there but if you’re looking for lakes or hiking, visit Mount Revelstoke National Park. Revelstoke is also close to several hot springs, perfect after a day of outdoor adventure.
We didn’t end up doing it but I would add taking a float plane ride with Silvertip Aviation. Looks like a lot of fun.
Ready for Alberta? Enjoy the super scenic route for about 3.5 hours and soon you’ll be in Canmore.
Canmore, AB
Canmore is a bustling little tourist town that’s very walk-able. We ate a lot of ice cream. All around the town though it’s filled with outdoor activities from hiking to paddleboarding to cave tours. It was smoky the day we were there due to the wildfires so we visited Crock A Doodle to paint some ceramics indoors. My son’s ceramic race car is still intact by some miracle.
Of course, visiting Canmore means you’ll be visiting Banff, as it’s just 20 minutes away.
Banff, AB
Banff is a bucket list destination for most people and it won’t disappoint. We took a private tour with Banff Mountain Chauffeur(5 star review to Andrew - highly recommend) to see Lake Moraine and Lake Louise. There’s a reason why 2.6 million people visit there each year. The mountains and lakes are BEAUTIFUL. Make sure your camera is charged.
The road trip continues and Calgary is only 1.5 hours away.
Calgary, AB
There’s something for everyone in Calgary. It’s one of those cities I know I’ll keep coming back to (Stampede is on my list!). This time around, it was kiddo-focused, and it did not disappoint.
You must visit:
The Calgary Zoo - it’s a full day of fun, from penguins to giraffes to even a dinosaur section.
The Royal Tyrell Museum in Drumheller (all things dinosaurs!!!) - this will be fun for adults and kids. There’s tons to learn, tons to see. I had no idea Alberta had such amazing dinosaur history. Highly recommend. This was a highlight of the trip.
For two weeks, leisurely driving for about 10 hours total, and getting to see SIX awesome Canadian cities in two provinces - it’s very do-able and very kid-friendly. HIGHLY RECOMMEND. We can’t wait to do it again!
Oh and if you read to the bottom to find out which province ended up being our favourite… it’s hard to pick but I really loved Alberta ;)
