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Welcome to this article about 12 things to do and see in the town of Golden, Canada. In this post, based on our own 21-day trip through the Canadian Rockies , we'll tell you all about Golden, an idyllic town nestled within six of Canada's seven Rocky Mountain National Parks.

Located in the province of British Columbia, Canada, is the town of Golden , one of the most important settlements in the Canadian Rockies and an ideal base for exploring this region of Canada. It is adjacent to Yoho National Park , Glacier National Park , and Kootenay National Park , and is just an hour from Banff National Park.

Besides being an ideal town for visiting the Canadian Rockies , with plenty of accommodation and practically the best price in the whole area, Golden also offers many attractions and activities to enjoy a spectacular vacation.

AN IMPORTANT TIP: Don't travel to Canada without a good travel insurance, avoid big problems. It is one of the first requirements that they tell you on the Canadian government website along with the processing of the And so.
We recommend you the Iati Star We hired this insurance after a good comparison and study of the different ones on the market. It is the only one that exceeds one million euros of coverage. Without a doubt, it is the best for North America, where breaking a leg costs you €150.000, as happened to a friend of ours in the USA. Another positive thing is that Iati has an app for virtual visits.
I leave you here a link where you have a 5% off for any Iati travel insurance.

About us

How to get to Golden Canada, British Columbia

On our trip, we arrived in Canada at Calgary Airport. From Calgary, it's a 3,5-hour drive along the Trans-Canada Highway, which runs right through the town of Golden, Canada.

Calgary is definitely the best airport to enter Canada if you're going to visit the Canadian Rockies , and the closest one by far.

Furthermore, the best way to get from Calgary to Golden is by private rental vehicle , due to the flexibility it will give you to move around afterwards, since in most Rocky Mountain national parks there is no shuttle bus system or public transport, except in Banff National Park.

Time in Golden Canada BC

Golden is in the province of British Columbia , so if you're coming from Yoho or Banff National Park you'll be on Alberta time , 8 hours behind Spain , and you'll have some questions.

The truth is that although British Columbia is one hour behind Spain (nine hours behind) , Golden and the entire Rocky Mountain region of British Columbia observe Alberta time , so you won't need to change your watch. It's called Mountain Time here, and it's the same time as Alberta.

TIP FOR GETTING INTERNET IN CANADA: Internet is essential in Canada, although coverage outside of towns leaves much to be desired—I'll tell you that right now! We used a Holafly SIM card with unlimited data and it worked great. You can buy it with a 5% DISCOUNT through this link.

Where to stay in the village of Golden Canada

The best way to plan a trip through the Canadian Rockies is to establish a base camp with easy access to virtually all the National Parks. The ideal place to do this is Golden. Staying in one of Golden's 66 accommodations puts you within 30-40 minutes of Mount Revelstoke National Park, Yoho National Park, and Glacier National Park, and an hour from Banff National Park. It's undoubtedly the perfect base camp in the Canadian Rockies if you don't want to pack and unpack.

Golden Canada camping

Finally, I wanted to mention that if you're looking to camp in a motorhome, campervan, or tent, there's one municipal public campsite in Golden with laundry facilities and a shop. It's right on the riverbank and is perfect, although there are also two or three other private campsites in Golden, Canada.

Read our post about traveling by campervan in Canada if you want to know more about renting and traveling by campervan like we did in Canada.

What to see in Golden Canada

Having completed the tasks of obtaining the eTA visa on the official Canadian government website, purchasing the required travel insurance, checking the validity of our passport , buying the necessary plug adapter , purchasing a SIM card for mobile internet in Canada , booking tours and activities , and packing our bags with the essentials, leaving the unnecessary items at home, we can now depart for Canada and its breathtaking landscapes!

Next, through our own experience spent over two days in Golden and its surroundings, we will try to show you everything this spectacular town has to offer.

Additionally, if you want to see everything you can do in the surrounding area, you can check out the posts about what to see in Yoho National Park , what to see in Kootenay National Park , and what to see in Glacier National Park , which are the three National Parks in the Canadian Rockies that completely surround Golden.

On the other hand, besides showing you what you can do and see in Golden, we provide you with parking coordinates and other locations to make your route easier, as well as Wikiloc tracks for hiking trails.

 We hope to help you, then in comments or on our Instagram we await your opinion, remember.

Visit the Downtown full of restaurants and artisan shops

Downtown Golden is a bustling area with restaurants, souvenir shops, art galleries, gas stations, a supermarket, a laundromat, and all the amenities you could need. It's the perfect place to grab a bite, have lunch, go shopping, or even do your laundry.

Rafting on one of the two rivers, Columbia and Kicking Horse, is a must in Golden Canada

One of the great attractions of Golden, and the reason we definitely decided to come here, is rafting. 

In Golden there are many companies that offer rafting trips on the Kicking Horse River, or canoeing and kayaking.

It is open to children aged 5 and over and there are tours for different levels. We did a family rafting trip which was safe, fun and ideal for the whole family. The best thing is that most of the rafting tours you book end with a barbecue. We really enjoyed this activity in Golden and it is definitely one of the must-do activities in Canada and the Rockies.

Walking the Rotary Trail, a must in Golden Canada

The Golden Rotary Trail, a hiking and biking loop within the city, offers a magnificent walking or biking path along the Kicking Horse River. Passing through residential areas and wooded trails, and by Reflection Lake , it's a great way to enjoy a morning or afternoon in Golden.

You can start right at the Kicking Horse footbridge or anywhere along this well-marked trail.

Visit Boo the Bear at his refuge and the grizzly bear interpretation center 

At the base of Mountain Kicking Horse, a winter ski resort, we find a refuge and interpretation center about Grizzly bears.

This place, apart from giving us a lot of educational information about this type of bear, has Boo the bear, a rescued bear located in a large shelter that you may be able to see during your visit. Without a doubt, it is also a safe and responsible way to see a bear on your trip.

Going up to see it is also partly an adventure. You have to go up in a chairlift.

Just a warning: it closes at 16pm, so don't be late like us. We were unable to go up to see Boo the bear, which was a disappointment, but it was all due to a flat tire. What can you do about it... luckily we saw one on the road the next day for real, hahaha. The excitement was huge for the kids. Every cloud has a silver lining!

Climb to the summit or ride down the mountain bike route on the Mountain Kicking Horse 

After visiting Boo the Bear's sanctuary, you can take the gondola to the top of Kicking Horse Mountain. There's a great combined ticket available for the gondola and Boo's sanctuary.

From above the views are incredible and if you feel like it there are various well-marked hiking routes or you can rent a bike and go downhill on a bike, something very popular here and where people come from all over the world expressly to do it.

Walk across one of Canada's largest suspension bridges: the Golden Skybridge

In the north of the city of Golden, we find one of the most popular attractions in this city, the Skybridge.

The entrance fee is not exactly cheap, $43 per adult, about 30 euros, but the place is spectacular.

Do adventure activities

Along with the Golden Skybridge we find an adventure park that can be accessed with combined Skybridge tickets. 

You can ride a roller coaster on rails or go on amazing zip lines.

Walk across Canada's longest wooden pedestrian bridge

From this beautiful wooden bridge , the longest unsupported bridge in Canada, you can see some of the best views of the Kicking Horse River and Golden.

A beautiful bridge and a place to go for a drink or a stroll around it.

Golden Museum and Archives

Within the city of Golden we find its small history museum and where they keep the city's most precious archives and antiquities, the Golden Museum and Archives.

Admission is free, by donation, it has an old school and a train station and lots of interesting information and artifacts. 

If you like culture and history, this is a place to come. It closes at 17 pm.

Take a dip in the pools or soak in Golden Canada's Gushers Spray Park

If you fancy a swim while in Golden, opposite the Golden Municipal Campground you'll find the Golden Municipal Swimming Pools and a typical Canadian free-access water park, Gushers Spray Park.

Spray Parks are very typical in Canada, they are like playgrounds with a water play area. They are free to enter and are always a good plan with children.

Visiting the buffalo on a ranch: Rocky Mountain Buffalo Ranch

Located north of Golden , heading towards Canada's Glacier National Park, we find a ranch with lodging and daily tours at 10:15 to see their buffalo.

If you're traveling with children or would like to see a traditional buffalo ranch, don't miss the Rocky Mountain Buffalo Ranch.

Meet the wolves at the Northern Lights Wildlife Wolf Centre

Very close to the previous buffalo ranch , we found a refuge for 4 wolves that were rescued from various captive circumstances and cannot be released into the wild because they would not survive.

This wolf center, Northern Lights Wildlife Wolf Centre , does not intend to be a tourist place, but to survive it needs the visits of tourists, where it tries to raise awareness about the irresponsible ownership of wild animals.

Conclusions from our visit to Golden Canada

Golden was one of our favourite places to stay overnight. It is in the middle of a town with all the services and a very nice little centre, as well as pleasant walking trails along the Kicking Horse River.

Without a doubt, if you're going to the Canadian Rockies, this can be a great place to base yourself for most of your stay.

Have a nice trip, family! If you have any questions, please let me know in the comments below.