There are two popular methods to save money when travelling. First, and perhaps most obvious: take a shorter trip! So whether you have used up most of your vacation days at work, or just want to save a little extra money, Discover Canada Tours has some great, short-term holiday packages to explore Western Canada while saving you money.
The second option, that will stretch those hard-earned dollars even further, is to travel during the shoulder season. The shoulder season is the time of year before or after the peak season. In Western Canada, the peak travel season is during the summer months, from June to September. Those who have the chance to travel off peak season can benefit from great travel offers.
Top reasons to TRAVEL IN the shoulder season:
Fewer people – when traveling in the shoulder season travelers don’t have to deal with large crowds while visiting key attraction. Fall colors enhance the majestic scenery while increasing wildlife viewing opportunities. There are also plenty of opportunities for Instagram-worthy shots.
Lower prices – with fewer people visiting, demand for hotels and activities is lower, meaning businesses lower prices to attract more travelers.
Goldilocks weather – Canada is known for its cold winters, but our summers are getting hot too. The shoulder season offers visitors very comfortable weather to travel.
Now that we have hooked you on the idea of travelling to Western Canada in the shoulder season, let’s take a look at some budget-friendly, shorter tour ideas that you can quickly enjoy in the fall or spring all across Western Canada.
- Wine Country Explorer (5 days, 4 nights)
- Pacific Rim (3 days, 2 nights)
- Summer Rockies Classic Tour (4 days, 3 nights)
- Western Highlights (4 days, 3 nights)
Our Wine Country Explorer is the perfect shoulder season tour. The Okanagan is Canada’s finest wine region and a lone desert region that gets very hot in the summer. Mid September and October being the harvest season is a fantastic time to explore the region. The area is perfect for cycling tours, hiking and winery touring and sample award winning wines all around the region when harvesting is in full swing at this time of year. This itinerary also brings you to great Indigenous-owned wineries and accommodations. Here you can learn about the rich culture of the Nk’Mip peoples as you sample their locally-grown exquisite wines.
Another fantastic shoulder season tour is the Summer Rockies Classic. While summer may be in the name, this fantastic 4-day tour to the Rockies is available before and after the peak season! For those short on time, the tour brings you from Vancouver to the Rockies and back over 4 action-packed days of fun and excitement. Another amazing benefit of shoulder season travel to the Rockies is seeing the local wildlife. In the fall mating season begins and in the spring the babies are born so a lot of wildlife activity is happening at this time of year in the Rockies!
Be sure to visit Discover Canada Tours for all your short-trip, shoulder season ideas.
Written by Lucas Coldwell. Photos courtesy of ©Lisanne Smeele, ©Indigenouts Tourism BC Brendin Kelly, ©Destination BC Hubert Kang.
