Canada Itinerary – Budget and Places to Visit in Two Weeks
Three years after I’ve gotten my Canada tourist visa, I was finally able to use it and visit Canada. The country has also started easing its travel restrictions so I thought why not go to Canada and spent two weeks to travel around. Good thing when I was searching for flights to Canada, I found a great deal with All Nippon Airways and booked that ticket right away. Canada is known for its natural beauty and full of wonderful sights. The country is also enormous so deciding where to go for two weeks was a bit difficult for me. But after days of research, I was able to finalize my Canada itinerary and plotted my route. For two weeks, here are the cities and destinations that I was able to visit.
Vancouver
Known for its stunning mountain views and diverse cultural scene, Vancouver was my first stop of my two week vacation in Canada. I spent 5 days in the city and visited some of its popular tourist attractions. Though it was gloomy and raining most of the days during my visit, I was still able to enjoy my time in the city. Vancouver is dynamic and diverse with a stunning natural setting. I also love the beautiful scenery that you’ll have everywhere in the city.
One of the most popular destinations that I visited in Vancouver was the Capilano Suspension Bridge. It spans 140 meters over the Capilano River and offers breathtaking views of the surrounding forest.
Banff
The next destination on my Canada itinerary was Banff. From Vancouver, I took a flight to Calgary via Flair Airlines. Then, I took a shuttle bus going to Banff from the airport. Travel time from Calgary Airport to Banff was approximately 2 hours. It is highly recommended to book in advance for the shuttle because it gets fully booked most of the time.
Banff is one of Canada’s great national treasures. It is a resort town in the province of Alberta that is home to beautiful turquoise lakes mirroring the snow-covered mountain peaks, along with glaciers and forests. I must say, Banff was the highlight of my trip to Canada. I spent 5 days in this little picturesque town exploring some of its popular attractions.
Some of the places that I was able to visit during my stay in Banff was Lake Louise, Bow River, and Vermillion Lakes. Getting around the town is also easy. Public buses are available and if you’re up for an adventure, you can go hiking to several viewpoints outside the town.
Calgary
I was supposed to stay for a couple of days in Calgary before flying to Toronto but I learned that a relative of mine lives in Edmonton. She invited me to go to Edmonton and stay there for a couple of days. From Banff, I took a bus to Calgary, then from there, I took another bus going to Edmonton. I had a couple of hours in between these bus trips so I took it as an opportunity to walk around in downtown Calgary and quickly explore what this city has to offer. I was able to see a number of attractions such as the Wonderland Sculpture and Calgary Tower. Too bad, I only had a few hours to get around but definitely, when I get a chance to travel to Canada again, I’ll spend more time in Calgary.
Edmonton
Edmonton is the capital city of the province of Alberta, Canada. The city has got plenty to see and do and known for its vibrant arts and culture scene, with numerous galleries, theaters, and museums. When I met my Aunt in Edmonton, she toured me around the city and was able to Walterdale Bridge, Edmonton Public Library, and West Edmonton Mall. I know I’ve only been to few places during my 3 days stay here but honestly, it felt great because I was able to take a break. I’ve been traveling for more than a week already in Canada, and going to Edmonton felt like I didn’t have to rush my Canada itinerary.
Toronto
My experience in going to Toronto was not easy. I had a misadventure because I missed my flight from Calgary. The queue in the security check was too long that along with other 10 passengers, we missed our flight with Flair Airlines. It was an expensive lesson for me because I had no other choice but to book another flight. I also had a hard time contacting Flair Airlines because they had my luggage. It took me 2 days before I was able to retrieve it from them. I also missed a day of my Canada itinerary for Toronto. It was really tiring so when I arrived at my hostel in Toronto, I just decided to take a rest and maybe explore a bit of the city in the afternoon.
The largest city in Canada, Toronto is known for its iconic landmarks. The city has towering buildings, bustling streets, and famous waterfront skyline. The city is also the most culturally diverse in the world and famous for its delicious food scene. During the short period that I stayed in Toronto and because of mishaps, sadly I was only able to see a few tourist spots such as the Toronto Signage at the Nathan Phillips Square and CN Tower. I also had the chance to walk around and had a glimpse of the happening in downtown.
Niagara
On my last day in Toronto, I booked a day tour to Niagara Falls. This one was on my bucket list so I was really glad that I was able to visit this wonderful attraction during my Canada trip. From Toronto, I joined a group tour. The tour includes roundtrip transfer from/to Toronto, 3 hours free time in Niagara Falls, scenic drive across the Niagara Parkway, and some stops and photo opportunities at iconic attractions like the Niagara Whirlpool Rapids, Queenston Heights, the floral clock, a local farmers market and/or other key locations.
It was around 5:30pm when we were able to get back to Toronto. I had a bus trip leaving Toronto and going to New York that night so after the driver dropped me off, I went back to my hostel and picked up my luggage. It was a very hectic time for me that day and thankfully, I didn’t have any misadventure. But despite of the mishaps, I had a great time on my two weeks in Canada and will definitely go back again to explore more destinations in this country.
Canada Itinerary
Below is my two-week itinerary.
Day 0 – Flight from Manila to Vancouver via All Nippon Airways
Day 1 – Vancouver
- Gastown
- Canada Place
Day 2 – Vancouver
- Granville Island
- Kitsilano Beach
- Science World
Day 3 – Vancouver
- Vancouver City Centre
- Robson Square
- Vancouver Public Library
Day 4 – Vancouver
- Capilano Suspension Bridge
- Stanley Park
- Pink Alley
Day 5 – Flight from Vancouver to Calgary | Shuttle bus from Calgary to Banff
Day 6 – Banff
- Lake Louise
Day 7 – Banff
- Banff town
- Banff Pedestrian Bridge
- Bow Falls Viewpoint
Day 8 – Banff
- Banff Town Sign
- Vermilion Lakes Viewpoint
Day 9 – Shuttle bus from Banff to Calgary | Bus from Calgary to Edmonton
- The Bow
- Wonderland Sculpture
- Peace Bridge
- Calgary Tower
Day 10 – Edmonton
- Walterdale Bridge
- Alberta Legislature Building
- Edmonton Public Library
- Royal Alberta Museum
- Edmonton City Hall
Day 11 – Edmonton
- West Edmonton Mall
Day 12 – Bus from Edmonton to Calgary | Flight from Calgary to Toronto
Day 13 – Toronto
- Downtown Toronto
- Toronto Sign at Nathan Phillips Square
- Toronto Old City Hall
- Toronto Eaton Centre
- CN Tower
Day 14 – Niagara | Bus from Toronto to New York
- Niagara Falls
- Journey Behind the Falls
- Skylon Tower
- Niagara-on-the-Lake
Budget for Canada Trip
To help you plan out your trip to Canada, here’s the estimated breakdown of my expenses (per person).
Accommodations:
Vancouver
- Samesun Hostel mixed dorm room (3D/2N) – Php2,800
- GEC Granville Suites premier queen room (3D/2N) – Php14,600
Banff
- Banff International Hostel mixed dorm room (5D/4N) – Php7,094
Toronto
- Samesun Toronto mixed dorm room (3D/2N) – Php3,528
Tours:
- Capilano Suspension Bridge ticket – Php2,646
- Niagara Falls day tour – Php4,745
- Journey Behind the Falls ticket – Php771
- Skylon Tower ticket – Php745
Transportations:
Flight
- Manila to Vancouver via All Nippon Airways – Php21,058
- Vancouver to Calgary via Flair Airlines – Php3,732
- Calgary to Toronto via Flair Airlines – Php5,169
- Calgary to Toronto via Air Canada – Php25,581
Bus
- Calgary Airport to Banff via Banff Airporter – Php3,273
- Banff to Calgary via RTB Tours & Shuttle – Php2,100
- Calgary to Edmonton via Red Arrow – Php3,128
- Edmonton to Calgary via Cold Shot – Php1,508
- Toronto to New York via Greyhound – Php3,270
Other transportation expenses like train, city bus, and Uber – Php3,000
Others:
- Food and drinks (estimated cost for my breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks for two weeks) – Php20,000
- Travel insurance – Php2,692
- Canada tourist visa fee – Php4,090
- International Sim card AIS – Php1,928
Total per person: Php137,458
Canada is a huge and diverse country that offers a wide range of attractions and activities for tourists. From stunning natural beauty to vibrant cities, Canada is indeed has something to offer for visitors of all ages and interests. You can find best activities, attractions and fun things to do in Canada by booking amazing travel experiences through Klook.
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