Travel northwest along the Great Divide and backbone of the Rockies on the internationally renowned Icefield’s Parkway, to experience one of the world’s most spectacular drives. Alpine forestry, glaciers and more mirror image lakes are the order of the day. A mandatory stop is to be made at Columbia Icefield, where you can travel on an ‘ice explorer’, or ‘Snocoach’ as locals refer to them, which takes you onto the surface of the mammoth Athabasca Glacier.  Follow the Athabasca and Sunwapta Rivers, which will lead you to the tranquil surroundings of Jasper.

Jasper National Park is simply unavoidable and a ‘must do’. Take a narrated walk along the Maligne Canyon with its formidable rock formations, dramatic waterfalls and underground river systems that make this one of the most beautiful gorges in North America. Also visit Miette Hot Springs for more relaxation time, or perhaps go rafting in the Athabasca River. If the outdoor type in you is willing - ride horseback around Pyramid Lake’s designated trail system. During the summer months, should time permit, Jasper Lodge Park is also home to one of Canada’s best golf courses. But if it’s snow you’re after; Jasper National Park has its own ski area in Marmot Basin to give you one last opportunity to ride the slopes before heading home.

Before heading back to Calgary, pay a visit to Alberta’s capital Edmonton. Although not as strikingly modern as Calgary, Edmonton’s stylish Strathcona neighborhood, which is populated by many attractive diners and shopping arcades is definitely worth an afternoon. If by any chance you still have a little more time left to play with, an hour east of the city is the fascinating Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village, which sees an exact replica of a Ukrainian emigrant community native to these parts in the early 20th century.