Alberta – Edmonton & Jasper

There is nothing better than a road trip and this was my first winter time road trip in Alberta. We went from Edmonton to Jasper and back over a 5 day period and it was a great way to spend an extended Family Day long weekend in February.

Travel blogger, Bella Bucchiotti of xoxoBella shares about her trip to Alberta with stops in Edmonton and Jasper in the winter.

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For this wintertime road trip in Alberta, we flew from Vancouver to Edmonton where we rented a car. Make sure you get one with snow tires!

Our first stop was a visit to Elk Island National Park which is just a half hour drive outside of Edmonton. It is one of the flattest national parks and if you are lucky you can see bison. We parked and walked around but only saw a few bison off in the distance. Then, as we were leaving the park, a whole herd of them walked along the road right beside us. It was incredible!

Travel blogger, Bella Bucchiotti of xoxoBella shares about her trip to Alberta with stops in Edmonton and Jasper in the winter.

Edmonton – Vegan & Gluten Free Eats

While in Edmonton, these are some great food spots to check out if you are looking for vegan and gluten free options.

At Moth Café I ate the gluten free chai pancakes which were amazing.

Travel blogger, Bella Bucchiotti of xoxoBella shares about her trip to Alberta with stops in Edmonton and Jasper in the winter.

Kanu Café has delicious raw vegan food. We had the kimchee dumplings, nacho’s and the burger.  We loved all of it!

Travel blogger, Bella Bucchiotti of xoxoBella shares about her trip to Alberta with stops in Edmonton and Jasper in the winter.

Ice Castles

For activities, I would recommend the Ice Castles.  Each winter, professional ice artists use hundreds of thousands of farmed icicles and assemble them by hand into breathtaking ice sculptures, fountains, frozen thrones, ice-carved tunnels, slides, cascading towers, and much more. During the night hours, the frozen sculptures are lit with color-changing LED lights, and they look simply breathtaking.

You can check out my blog post about my visit to the Ice Castles in Edmonton HERE. I loved the Ice Castles! If you come to Alberta in the winter, make sure you plan a visit.

Travel blogger, Bella Bucchiotti of xoxoBella shares about her trip to Alberta with stops in Edmonton and Jasper in the winter.
Travel blogger, Bella Bucchiotti of xoxoBella shares about her trip to Alberta with stops in Edmonton and Jasper in the winter.

A special thanks to Josh for joining me on this trip and taking my photos.

Fairmont Hotel Macdonald

Fairmont Hotel Macdonald, located in Edmonton is a fabulous place to stay right downtown. You can’t go wrong with a Fairmont hotel! It is charming and elegant at the same time, plus they have the sweetest staff. You know I always check out the gym when I stay at a hotel and I am happy to report that it has one of the best gyms. The central location makes it easy to walk around and enjoy the downtown area…if you can bear the minus 30 degree weather that we had.

Travel blogger, Bella Bucchiotti of xoxoBella shares about her trip to Alberta with stops in Edmonton and Jasper in the winter.
Travel blogger, Bella Bucchiotti of xoxoBella shares about her trip to Alberta with stops in Edmonton and Jasper in the winter.

Alberta Road Trip – Edmonton to Jasper

From Edmonton it is a 4-hour drive to Jasper, but it goes really fast. About 2 hours into the drive you start to see mountains and it’s the most breathtaking drive! It was a clear, sunny day when we drove, but if it was snowing, I expect you will take a bit longer to arrive at your destination.

I have a good driving playlist and you can check it out below. 🙂

Jasper Food Tour

Once you get to Jasper, I suggest going on one of the Jasper Food Tours. I went on the Downtown Foodie Tour where they take you to 4 restaurants in downtown Jasper. At each place you get one menu item and it is paired with a beverage. It was a great way to spend the afternoon.

Travel blogger, Bella Bucchiotti of xoxoBella shares about her trip to Alberta with stops in Edmonton and Jasper in the winter.

Sleigh Ride at Pyramid Lake

Travel blogger, Bella Bucchiotti of xoxoBella shares about her trip to Alberta with stops in Edmonton and Jasper in the winter.

A real popular wintertime activity in Jasper is to go on a sleigh ride at Pyramid Lake. We went out with the Jasper Riding Stables. The bells and the winter wonderland make it all sorts of fun. Dress warm because it can get cold on the ride.

Travel blogger, Bella Bucchiotti of xoxoBella shares about her trip to Alberta with stops in Edmonton and Jasper in the winter.

Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge

When visiting Jasper you must stay at the Fairmount Jasper Park Lodge. It is located about 15 minutes from town and it is an iconic lodge right in the Canadian Rockies. The hotel has charming cabins you can stay in which are so cozy. The fireplace was perfect to relax beside after a long day playing in the snow.  The lodge has a pool and gym which are super nice overlooking the water.

Travel blogger, Bella Bucchiotti of xoxoBella shares about her trip to Alberta with stops in Edmonton and Jasper in the winter.
Travel blogger, Bella Bucchiotti of xoxoBella shares about her trip to Alberta with stops in Edmonton and Jasper in the winter.

Outdoor Ice Skating

While at the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge, go to the outdoor skating rink on Lake Mildred. This was the winter activity that I was most looking forward to. They have to areas for hockey and also figure skate – plus they have a cleared path to skate around the whole lake.

Travel blogger, Bella Bucchiotti of xoxoBella shares about her trip to Alberta with stops in Edmonton and Jasper in the winter.

Check out my Alberta Trip Vlog!

Make sure you check out my blog post “7 Things to do in Jasper – Winter Fun” here.

Dog Sledding

Travel blogger, Bella Bucchiotti of xoxoBella shares about her trip to Alberta with stops in Edmonton and Jasper in the winter.

We went out dog sledding (or mushing) with Cold Fire Creek Dog Sledding. They can pick you up at your hotel but on the day we went, they were at Pyramid Lake which was really convenient.

Travel blogger, Bella Bucchiotti of xoxoBella shares about her trip to Alberta with stops in Edmonton and Jasper in the winter.

Maligne Canyon Ice Walk

Travel blogger, Bella Bucchiotti of xoxoBella shares about her trip to Alberta with stops in Edmonton and Jasper in the winter.

If you are up for an adventure, the Maligne Canyon Ice Walk is for you. Get on those layers and get in those boots because it is cold…even on a sunny day. In the canyon you will find amazing ice formations and frozen water falls!

Travel blogger, Bella Bucchiotti of xoxoBella shares about her trip to Alberta with stops in Edmonton and Jasper in the winter.

If you are lucky if there is clear sky you might be able to see the northern lights. I wasn’t lucky enough but I hope I get to go back soon and try and see them.

Travel blogger, Bella Bucchiotti of xoxoBella shares about her trip to Alberta with stops in Edmonton and Jasper in the winter.

You can also ski and snowboard in Jasper at Marmot Basin. It is actually one of the highest elevation ski resorts in Canada!!! We didn’t have enough time to go this trip but everyone we met and all the locals said it is a must!

Jasper – Vegan & Gluten Free Eats

Here are some places that I suggest you check out while in Jasper. So many options for those of us that are gluten free!

Travel blogger, Bella Bucchiotti of xoxoBella shares about her trip to Alberta with stops in Edmonton and Jasper in the winter.

This post has been sponsored by Tourism Jasper and Travel Alberta. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that support me.

Bella Bucchiotti

Bella Bucchiotti is a storyteller, food lover, dog mom and adventure seeker living on the Pacific coast. She shares her passion for food, dogs, fitness, adventures, travel and philanthropy, in hopes of encouraging followers to run the extra mile, try new recipes, visit unfamiliar places and stand for a cause. Bella lives with Type 1 Diabetes and Celiac Disease.

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Leave a Comment

  1. Wow, what an awesome trip! The ice castles look SO neat and the dog sleeding looks so fun. Glad you had an amazing time!

    Posted 3.19.19 Reply
  2. Marta A Rivera Diaz wrote:

    That ice castle is insanely cool, but let’s talk about how I would’ve face-planted had I tried to lift one leg up whilst on skates!

    Posted 3.19.19 Reply
  3. Krizzia Navarroza wrote:

    Always love going to Banff especially in winter!

    Posted 3.20.19 Reply
  4. mary_makeup@hotmail.it wrote:

    What a stunning place! As a vegan I’m so happy to see it isn’t that difficult to find a place to eat. Beautiful pics x

    Posted 3.20.19 Reply
  5. Holly Lasha wrote:

    Gorgeous photos. This looks like such a great place to visit. I am adding it to my list!!

    Posted 3.20.19 Reply
  6. Makaela Premont wrote:

    This trip looks super fun! I’m definitely saving for this guide for a rainy day because I would love to visit Alberta.

    -xo, Makaela @ Uniquely Mickie

    Posted 3.20.19 Reply
  7. Deborah wrote:

    I’ve only been to Canada once (Vancouver) but there are so many places I’d love to visit! I’ll definitely have to look into a trip to Alberta!

    Posted 3.21.19 Reply
  8. Alix Maza wrote:

    Omg those ice castles are awesome! Great photos as always.

    Posted 3.21.19 Reply
  9. My dream is to see the northern lights!! I might have to make a trip to Alberta!

    Posted 3.31.19 Reply
  10. Wow, this looks so stunning! Living in Florida, I’m always looking for vacations totally opposite my weather norm, so winter wonderlands are right up my alley!

    Posted 4.1.19 Reply
  11. I live in Edmonton and it’s SO cool seeing my city from your perspective!! I agree, Cafe Mosaics is AMAZING!

    Posted 4.1.19 Reply