Banff 
Make a Valentine’s weekend getaway in Alberta about the romance, about time with friends, or about family.
Heritage Ranch
This year, Valentine’s Day falls between the weekend of the 9th, and family day weekend. So, these getaway ideas are not just intended for couples, but those wanting to celebrate Family Day, or those wanting more of a “Galentine’s Day.”
But when needed, all of these locations offer the romance and couple’s experiences, too! No matter the type of Valentine’s Day getaway you’re after, Alberta has options for recreation, romance, road trips, and more.
A Weekend in Banff or Lake Louise
There is a lot to see and do in Alberta’s most popular National Park. So, your Valentine’s weekend spent in Banff together could be spent a number of different ways depending on your interests.
- For those who’d prefer an active or weekend spent outside, take to the hills! Banff is home to three large ski hills. Otherwise, the park’s many trails are open to cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, or fat tire biking.
- Soak up and enjoy the luxury which Banff has to offer: the premier hotels and hotel spas between Lake Louise and Banff, gourmet dining on Banff Ave., or gourmet dining and cocktails at those premier hotels.
- Take on a bucket list item in Banff: soak in a natural hot spring, skate on Lake Louise, ice skate on other lakes, find the frozen waterfall views, or watch for wildlife on the trails.
A Weekend in Jasper
Jasper and Banff are similar, indeed; but a trip to Jasper is usually a bit quieter than one to Banff, especially in the winter. So, while the mountain parks offer similar experiences and scenery, Jasper is known for more rustic experiences, the more remote wilderness areas, and its own set of bucket list activities.
- While quieter, Jasper still offers ways for couples to enjoy a weekend of luxury or pampering, especially if staying with the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge. If you visit the weekend before Valentine’s Day, check out the Jasper Beer & Spirits Festival.
- Take to the many trails in the park on a self-guided tour, or a guided tour with professional wildlife experts. These trails are open to all sorts of winter fun like cross-country skiing, fat biking, or snowshoeing.
- Visit the JPL or the Pyramid Lake Lodge for a romantic outing of natural lake skating, a sleigh ridge, or a lake side dinner.
Romantic Getaway at Mount Engadine Lodge
The location of the Mount Engadine Lodge alone is enough to give your weekend getaway a romantic vibe and backdrop. Plus, the Kananaskis mountain lodge offers Romantic Getaway Packages for all of their accommodation options.
Whether you stay in a lodge room, a cabin, or a yurt, you can add on dining, and chocolate covered strawberries with champagne or prosecco. Take the time during your stay to explore the Smith-Dorrien Highway and the natural beauty of Kananaskis.
Where: 1 Mount Shark Rd, Canmore
Romance Package at the Heartwood Inn in Drumheller
There are two packages available at Drumheller’s Heartwood Inn that offer memorable experiences for your Valentine’s weekend getaway in Alberta.
Choose between their Dinner Theatre Package, which includes tickets to a show at the historic and iconic Rosebud Theatre; or take the Romance Package to get a room fully staged for Valentine’s celebrations.
Where: 320 Railway Ave E, Drumheller
Visit a New Town or City
The weekend after Valentine’s Day is also Family Day Long weekend, and the time in which many towns in Alberta host their winter celebrations or outdoor festivals. This all combines to make for a perfect reason to visit, explore, and experience somewhere new in Alberta. Beyond the weekend festivals, these places offer museums, unique local attractions, and surrounding natural areas for winter recreation.
- Explore the town of Sundre and all the surrounding natural areas. They’ll have the annual Sundre Winterfest on this weekend with entertainment, winter sports workshops, and a Survivalist Competition.
- Explore Lac St. Anne, Alberta Beach, and Parkland County for the annual SnoMo Days. Watch the ice sculpting, fireworks, or snowmobile parade, or partake in a number of winter activities.
- Cold Lake’s Snow Fever takes place across a few venues in the area, giving you plenty of opportunity to sightsee and explore around Cold Lake. Feature events will be at the Kinosoo Ridge Resort, and the Cold Lake Energy Centre.
Winter Festivals in Calgary & Edmonton
Book a stay in either major Alberta city this Valentine’s Day or weekend and find the festivals in the heart of either city. Both Edmonton and Calgary will be in the midst of their annual winter festivals- both of which celebrate and embrace various parts of winter like recreation, food and drink, art, culture, and history. Both festivals are long enough that you can book for the weekend before or after Valentine’s Day.
- Chinook Blast is Calgary’s annual winter festival Get a hotel in downtown Calgary to get close to most of the festival’s events.
- Edmonton’s Silver Skate Festival is at the city’s Sir Wilfred Laurier Park. The hotels near West Edmonton Mall and downtown both get you close to the festivities.
Silver Skate Festival
Explore the Cypress Hills
The winter camping and comfort camping in Cypress Hills may not be available to book for Valentine’s Day weekend, but there are many nearby accommodations which make exploring this Provincial Park a breeze in the winter. This park is well worth a winter visit as it offers almost all outdoor recreation options imaginable. Here, you and your partner can enjoy downhill skiing, cross-country skiing, ice skating, wildlife viewing, fat biking, stargazing, snowshoeing, or a combination of any of these.
- Medicine Hat is a short drive north of Cypress Hills Provincial Park. Here you’ll find many hotel options, and a couple of options with romance packages: Comfort Inn & Suites, Medicine Hat Lodge Hotel.
Explore the Dark Sky Preserves
Winter stargazing weekends are an easy way to add romance to your Valentine’s celebrations. This is thanks, in part, to the many dark sky preserves around Alberta.
- Take in the starry sky under the Beaver Hills Dark Sky Preserve east of Edmonton. There are many hotel options between Sherwood Park and Edmonton, and a few places to go to get under the preserved skies. Parks include Elk Island National Park, Cooking Lake-Blackfoot PRA, or Miquelon Lake PP.
- The Lakeland Dark Sky Preserve is the newest in Alberta and these protected skies are in the province’s northeast over Lakeland Provincial Park. There is backcountry winter camping open in the park, and nearby hotels in Lac La Biche.
- Jasper and Banff National Parks are both dark sky preserves with several areas, especially the lake shores, perfect for an evening under the stars. And besides the National Park hotels, you have options like hotels in Hinton near Jasper, or hotels in Canmore near Banff.
Book a Unique Winter Experience or Tour
No matter where you go in Alberta, there are unique winter vacation experiences that easily create romance for several couples and their different interests.
- Book an overnight trip together in an ice-fishing shack! These rentals use the term “shack” loosely, as these are more like cabins with features like televisions or Wi-Fi in some. Plus, the cabin will be fully equipped with ice-fishing gear!
- Head to the Boundary Ranch in Kananaskis for one of two unique and romantic winter experiences: a dog sled tour, or a cozy sleigh ride.
- Find Abraham Lake, the small town of Nordegg, accommodations, and fun winter tours, all in Alberta’s central Rockies. This is the best time of the year and the winter to see the ice bubbles, unique to a lake like Abraham. The folks at Nordegg Adventures safely guide you across or around the lake the get the best views of the ice or the wildlife.
Experience Alberta’s Smaller Cities
These may be the smaller cities in the province, but they do not lack things to do over the winter. Overall, we are a winter province. So, with that is recreation, events, dining, art, and culture to explore everywhere you go. These locations, given their smaller sizes, have closer access to natural areas like Provincial Parks, for things like snowshoeing, birding, stargazing, or cross-country skiing.
Instead of a getaway in Edmonton, opt for St. Albert. And rather than Calgary, opt for Airdrie or Okotoks. Other small cities in Alverta worth exploring any time of year include Lethbridge, Medicine Hat, Red Deer, or Grande Prairie. Each includes vacation rental options, hotels and motels, or nearby winter campgrounds.
Charmed Resorts & Crowsnest Pass
The Charmed Resorts in southwestern Alberta are an adorable set of fairy-tale themed cottages placed among the beauty of the Crowsnest Pass. Hurry now to book for your Valentine’s Day weekend, as these year-round cottages go fast. During your visit to the Blairmore area, you can book guided winter tours of the resort, take a self-guided adventure on skis or snowshoes, or stay on the resort to enjoy something like a private wood-fired hot tub! In for a mid-week visit on Valentine’s Day? Charmed Resorts have wide open availability for the holiday!
Iconic Love Affair at Calgary’s Fairmont Palliser
The Fairmont Palliser hotel in downtown Calgary has a luxurious weekend planned for you and your partner, whether it is before Valentine’s Day, or the weekend after Valentine’s Day. The experience includes sparkling wine and a sweet treat on arrival, an intimate dinner at Hawthorn Dining Room, an overnight stay, and a relaxed morning with late check-out, ideal for proposals or a special night away.
Where: 133 9th Avenue SW
Stay Romantic at the Grand Rockies Resort in Canmore
Canmore is at the doorstep to Kananaskis and Banff National Park. So, your weekend will be easy to fill with activities and sightseeing outside of the Grand Rockies Resort. They are offering a Stay Romantic Package which gets you and your partner welcome treats like scented soaps or a bottle of bubbly at check-in.
Where: 901 Mountain St, Canmore
