Tourism Winnipeg

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Half Day

Start out heading north towards Lower Fort Garry National Historic Site where you can begin the day with a hearty breakfast of eggs, bacon and pancakes at the Riverview Café. Don’t miss the potato and wild rice version for a real taste of Manitoba.

Once you’ve filled up, it’s time to explore this collection of 19th century buildings that make up the oldest stone fur trading fort still intact in North America. Costumed interpreters bring the Red River Valley in the 1850s to life as you meet the Governor of the Hudson’s Bay Company, barter with the company clerk, sit in a tipi and listen to the whispers of ancient legends and touch the coarse fur of a bison hide.

Full Day

When you’re done, head to the southern point of Red River Road and head north along one of the most scenic drives in the province, bordered by the Red River on one side and majestic homes on the other. This eleven kilometre stretch also offers a variety of historic spots not to be missed.

Along the way stop at Scott House, named for William Scott, its first owner, who was one of the many Orkney labourers and boatmen who came to work for the Hudson’s Bay Company. Then continue past Twin Oaks, a private finishing school built in 1858, notable for its typical Red River architecture and status as the first girls’ school in western Canada.

Then make a stop at St. Andrews Rectory National Historic Site, featuring displays and information about life during early settlement. At lunch, stop in at the Captain Kennedy House where the Maple Grove Tea Room resides. Enjoy the lush gardens that surround the building and then tuck in for flaky scones, creative sandwiches and refreshing salads.

As you head to Lockport, be sure to hop out of the car and get a look at the St. Andrews lock and dam. In Lockport, stop in at Skinners for one of their city-famous hotdogs--a drive out here on a beautiful fall afternoon is a Winnipeg tradition.

Continue north to the town of Selkirk where you can take in a visit to the Marine Museum of Manitoba, where the story of marine life and its development on the Red River and Lake Winnipeg are told.

Finish off your day with dinner at the Maple Tree Restaurant. Run by Colombian-born Chef Dario, this quaint spot serves up local fare infused with Latin-inspired flavour. The prix fixe, five-course menu is a steal at just $35.

Full Day 2

Head south to FortWhyte Alive, an urban nature preserve located right in the city. Get your fill at the Buffalo Stone Café where local ingredients like bison and farm fresh eggs are the special of the day. Then head out and explore the wilderness where you can roam the boardwalks, watch wildlife, visit a herd of bison and watch the leaves change colour. In the winter, strap on your skis and swoosh through the snow.

Then get on the Perimeter and make your way to St. Norbert, home to the city’s most popular farmers’ market in the summer. Head out for a Routes on the Red tour, a do-it-yourself nature walk. Traipse through St. Norbert and discover how this tiny settlement blossomed into a full-scale Catholic parish and then into the bustling suburb it is today. Be sure to stop in at the Trappist Monastery and St. Norbert Arts Centre and discover how Trappist monks lived past and present.

After that, make your way north to Oak Hammock Marsh, one of North America’s birding hotspots.It features a restored prairie marsh, aspen-oak bluff, waterfowl lure crops, artesian springs, some of Manitoba's last remaining patches of tall-grass prairie and 30 kilometres of trails for you to explore. Oak Hammock Marsh is home to 25 species of mammals, 300 species of birds, numerous amphibians, reptiles, fish and countless invertebrates.

Finish the day at Bird’s Hill Provincial Park, where you can explore an old homestead, wander through wild flowers, or climb to the top of a viewing tower where you can see for miles. Walk, cycle, ski, snowshoe or horseback ride through an extensive network of trails.