Saskatchewan & Manitoba: The Ultimate Prairie Provinces Travel Review
Canada’s prairie provinces are often overlooked in favour of the Rockies or the coasts, but those who venture here find an entirely different kind of magic. With wide-open skies, rich Indigenous heritage, vibrant cities, and vast wilderness, Saskatchewan and Manitoba reveal the beating heart of the country.
In the following travel review, Canada expert Joanne Moores takes us on a journey through Saskatoon, Moose Jaw, Regina, Riding Mountain National Park, and Winnipeg, sharing the landscapes, flavours, and cultural treasures that make this region unforgettable.
- Saskatoon – Riverside Trails, Indigenous Heritage & Prairie Flavours
- Moose Jaw: Prohibition Tales & Prairie Charm
- Regina: Prairie Charm in Saskatchewan’s Capital
- Riding Mountain National Park: From Wildlife to Forest Feasts
- More Than a Few Surprises in Winnipeg
- Why the Prairies Should Be Your Next Canadian Adventure
Saskatoon – Riverside Trails, Indigenous Heritage & Prairie Flavours
Saskatoon in late May feels like a place that’s just waking up and stretching under the wide prairie skies, its banks alive with cottonwood trees and the hum of spring. The city’s compact size makes it easy to explore, with most spots a five to 15-minute walk or short drive from downtown. My trip appeared to have been timed to perfection and I was lucky with the weather, which, though windy, was ideal for making the most of the outdoors.
A Scenic Start: The Meewasin Trail by E-Bike
The Meewasin Trail became my first love in what is known as “The Bridge City”. This network of around 50 miles of protected paths hugs the South Saskatchewan River, the waterway carving through the urban sprawl and beyond. I started with a guided e-bike ride. We pedalled along smooth, paved trails, the wind tugging at my jacket as the river glinted beside us.
Starting on the west bank, we made our way south through Victoria Park’s open green spaces, a flock of American white pelicans soaring in graceful arcs overhead—a surprise for a prairie city. Continuing south along the Meewasin’s west-side path, we reached Berry Barn, a bustling farm, nursery, and café that’s pure Saskatchewan. Though berry-picking season was still weeks off, there was still ample time to try a cinnamon bun, soft at the centre with a sweet, yeasty depth that tasted comfortingly homemade.
Later in the day, I joined a 90-minute walking tour along another stretch of the trail, where our guide pointed out the river’s weir, a picturesque spot renowned for its beautiful views of pelicans and ducks. We ended at a covered farmers’ market and the Lucky Bastard Distillery’s stall, where I sipped a green tea margarita and sat soaking in the grassroots vibe.
Saskatoon’s Culinary Surprises
It’s fair to say the city’s food scene surprised me with its depth. St Tropez Bistro, a five-minute walk from the Alt Hotel, was a highlight. This French-inspired spot leans into Saskatchewan’s farm-to-fork ethos, and my three-course meal was delicious: a crisp apple and pecan salad, tender bison short rib with creamy mashed potatoes, and panna cotta crowned with the quintessential tart Saskatoon berries. Living Sky Café, a 10-minute walk from downtown, served a hearty bacon-and-egg sandwich, while Sparrow Coffee, a bit farther out, served up a memorable egg-and-sausage biscuit that I grabbed on the go.
Dancing to the Indigenous beat of Saskatoon
Of course, no visit to Saskatoon is complete without diving into its Indigenous heritage, and Wanuskewin Heritage Park, a 30-minute drive north, is a must-visit. Spanning 240 hectares of prairie, this UNESCO World Heritage candidate (it’s on Canada’s tentative list for UNESCO designation) is home to 6,000 years of history.
I wandered the Opimihāw Valley on a guided walk, learning how First Nations peoples hunted bison and used the land. Tipi rings and a medicine wheel stood silent in the wind-whipped grass, the story behind them brought to life by our host. Inside, a tipi-raising demonstration revealed the skill behind hides and poles, while exhibits in the visitor centre added another layer to the experience.
Lying closer to the city is Dakota Dunes, the resort situated on Whitecap Dakota First Nation land. There’s plenty of adventure on offer here, from canoeing to e-biking, and in the spirit of cross-cultural understanding, there is even the opportunity to learn about Indigenous games played on the northern plains. Also on the site, that same evening, I returned for dinner at the Moose Woods Home Fire Grill restaurant. The night’s highlight was a hoop dance performance, with the sprightly dancer effortlessly spinning 30 hoops in mesmerising patterns to the steady beat of a drum.
Saskatoon’s Modern-Day Vibe
Situated in the River Landing district, which forms part of Saskatoon’s downtown, the sleek, glass-walled Remai Modern Art Gallery houses bold Canadian and Indigenous art. Broadway Avenue, a further 10-minute walk away, has a different kind of energy. This wide, tree-lined street is Saskatoon’s hub for shopping and sipping, with quirky boutiques selling hand-beaded moccasins and microbreweries spilling onto patios. It’s the kind of place where you linger longer than planned, drink in hand, watching the prairie light stretch into evening.
Moose Jaw: Prohibition Tales & Prairie Charm
As I drove south from Saskatoon along Highway 11, Moose Jaw came into view, with grain elevators and church steeples punctuating the modest skyline. Winding through the centre of the city, its namesake river is lined with cottonwoods, the Cree naming this place ‘môso-tâpiskan’, ‘a warm spot by the water’.”
Main Street is where Moose Jaw’s walkable core unfolds. Everything is close and within a 10-minute stroll. Historic brick buildings mix with modern shop fronts, and Crescent Park’s green expanse, just a block away, cradles the river, its 28-acres a peaceful escape filled with walking trails, shady trees, a duck pond, sculptures, and even a public library and art gallery nearby. I wandered past sidewalks and murals, like one of a steam locomotive, part of 47 outdoor artworks celebrating the city’s railway roots. The park’s paths, shaded by trees, invited a slower saunter, this the crown jewel of downtown.
Tales from the Prohibition-era
The city’s notoriety stems from its Prohibition-era ties to Al Capone. Rumours say the Chicago mobster used Moose Jaw as a smuggling hub, leveraging the Soo Line railway to ship liquor south. Hard proof is scarce. No photos or documents confirm Capone’s presence, and historians even question the infamous connection, but locals, like Lawrence “Moon” Mullin, who ran messages as a boy, swear by it. True or not, the tales add a thrilling edge to this quiet prairie town.
Right off Main Street, the Tunnels of Moose Jaw were at the heart of my trip. I chose the Chicago Connection tour, a $20, hour-long, actor-led dive into the city’s bootlegging days. As we made our way through this historic underground, the narrow brick passages and low ceilings felt secretive, like I’d slipped into a hidden world.
Moose Jaw’s direct rail link to Chicago made it a smuggling hotspot. Whisky, brewed in hidden stills and labelled as “maple syrup,” flowed south while corrupt police, like Chief Walter Johnson, allegedly took bribes to look away. As part of the tour, we navigated a recreated speakeasy with amber bottles, a storage room with crates, and a secret manhole exit. Loud bangs, mimicking raids, and artefacts like old whisky bottles transported us back to a bygone era.
Another five-minute walk takes you to the Yvette Moore Gallery, housed in the Land Titles Building, its walls filled with vibrant watercolours, many by prairie landscapes Moore herself. After you’ve had your fill of art, you can always drop by The Gallery Café for lunch watch Main Street go by through its large windows.
Regina: Prairie Charm in Saskatchewan’s Capital
My first stop was the RCMP Heritage Centre, a short drive from downtown Regina and about 10 minutes from my base at Hotel Saskatchewan. The centre sits near the RCMP’s training depot, with open grounds that feel like they belong to the wider prairies. The museum itself is a deep dive into the history of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and it’s more engaging than you might expect.
Exhibits trace the RCMP’s evolution from its 19th-century roots to today’s modern police force, with artefacts like old uniforms, badges, and even a vintage patrol car. The interactive “crime scenes” were an unexpected highlight. Think puzzles where you piece together evidence to solve a case. I spent a good 20 minutes here playing detective, and the kids around me were just as hooked.
One corner lets you try on RCMP uniforms, and I couldn’t resist slipping into a red jacket for a quick selfie. On a darker note, the museum doesn’t shy away from the complex parts of the RCMP’s past, either, with some exhibits touching on their role in Indigenous relations and western expansion. Worthy of a visit, it’s highly informative, and I left with a better grasp of how the force shaped Canada. A useful tip: check the opening hours before you go, as they are subject to change. And, if you’re hoping to see real Mounties in action, visit in summer (Tuesday to Friday) when they do ceremonial drills.
Hotel Saskatchewan
Back at Hotel Saskatchewan, I settled into the heart of Regina. Not to be missed, every day at 5pm there is the “salute to prohibition”. A staff member, dressed in 1920s costume, reads a short speech about Saskatchewan’s bootlegging days, then hands out shot glasses of whisky to everyone, but the real treat comes when you order a cocktail. Mine arrived hidden inside a stack of hollowed-out books—a playful gimmick that made me grin.
Playing in Regina’s Backyard
Spanning 930 hectares of landscaped green space, Wascana Park is one of Canada’s largest urban retreats. Larger than Vancouver’s Stanley Park and New York’s Central Park combined, it still feels like Regina’s backyard. Wascana Lake sits at its heart, with paths winding through gardens, open fields, and stands of shady trees.
I rented a canoe for $25 an hour from a small dock near the park’s centre, the excursion a favourite highlight.
Set within the park, Bar Willow Eatery is the only restaurant with views over Wascana Lake. It’s a relaxed spot for lunch or dinner, popular with families, couples, and groups of friends. Atmospheric, the patio is strung with lights and, on some evenings, they feature live music.
Face-to-Face With Dinosaurs
Only a 10-minute drive from downtown lies the Royal Saskatchewan Museum. A mix of natural history and cultural exhibits, its star highlight is the T. Rex Discovery Centre. In 1991, a nearly complete T. rex skeleton—nicknamed “Scotty”—was found in the province, and the museum has built an entire experience around it. Walking in, you come face-to-face with Scotty’s massive skeleton, its jagged teeth and towering frame a reminder of how wild this planet once was.
Beyond the dinosaurs, the museum covers Saskatchewan’s ecosystems, with dioramas showing animals like bison and moose in different seasons. Also painting a vivid picture of the prairie’s wildlife, the taxidermy is extensive—almost overwhelming. I spent a couple of hours wandering through, drawn to the stories of how life here has changed over the millennia.
Riding Mountain National Park: From Wildlife to Forest Feasts
As we made our way from Regina to Riding Mountain National Park in Manitoba, the open road stretched out ahead of us, a ribbon of asphalt cutting through Saskatchewan’s golden prairies. The flatness soon gave way to rolling hills, and the dense forests of Riding Mountain appeared on the horizon. A 3,000-square-kilometre oasis of boreal forest, lakes, and grasslands, the park sits atop an escarpment, a green island rising from the prairie sea, Wasagaming, the hamlet at its heart.
Full of character, visiting the village feels like stepping into a picture postcard from the 1950s. There’s a coffee shop, an ice-cream parlour, scooping generous cones, and a handful of bars and restaurants where locals and visitors mingle. I spent my first evening strolling along Clear Lake’s shoreline, just a five-minute walk from the Stowaway Inn, the water reflecting the evergreens that fringe the shore.
Feast in the Forest – Dining by Candlelight on the Lake’s Edge
One of the standout moments of my visit has to be the Feast in the Forest, a private dining experience that takes place in a secluded spot on the edge of the very same lake. The presentation is stunning: a long table draped in white linen, glowing with candles, set against the backdrop of the lake’s shimmering waters. Our delicious menu featured everything local from tender bison, through to roasted vegetables, and fresh Manitoba berries for dessert. Not just an exquisite meal, this is a celebration of place, where the food and setting are in perfect harmony.
Dawn Wildlife Viewing
It was a dawn adventure to see Riding Mountain National Park, as this is when the wildlife are at their most active. At 5:45 am we set off on our bison-viewing trip to the Lake Audy Bison Enclosure, about a 40-minute drive from Wasagaming. Our driver handed out warm cinnamon buns—Manitoba’s signature treat, massive and sticky with glaze, while Pat, a retired park warden, shared his wealth of knowledge from the park’s ecosystems to its residents.
The drive took us through dense forests of spruce and aspen and past meadows, with the dew glistening on the grass. First on the scene a moose on the road right in front of us. A short time later, we watched a black bear briefly ambling across a clearing, before disappearing into the trees. However, the stars of the show, on this 500-hectare grassland, are undoubtedly the bison. About 40 of them roam here, descendants of the vast herds that once thundered across the prairies. They are huge, with shaggy heads and curved horns, their mere presence a glimpse into the Great Plains before they were settled.
Trails & Tranquil Beaches
Not all about the wildlife, Riding Mountain National Park houses over 400 kilometres of trails. The Clear Lake Trail is a 3-kilometre loop just steps from Wasagaming. It winds along the lake’s shoreline, shaded by towering pines and spruce. Flat and easy, the path passes small docks where families fish or launch canoes.
Alternatively, the Grey Owl Trail is a 10-kilometre round trip about 20 minutes from the village. Named after the naturalist who lived in the park in the 1930s (a pseudonym for Archibald Stansfeld Belaney), it leads to his preserved cabin through mixed forests and open meadows. The trail crosses small streams, and in spring, lupines and Indian paintbrush add splashes of purple and red.
For those looking to cool off, Moon Lake, a 15-minute drive from Wasagaming, is a quieter alternative to Clear Lake. Its small sandy beach and shallow waters are ideal for swimming, with gentle waves lapping against the shore and deer often spied drinking at the water’s edge.
More Than a Few Surprises in Winnipeg
Warm and welcoming, Winnipeg, Manitoba’s capital is built along the meeting point of two rivers that have shaped its history for centuries. Downtown is easy to navigate on foot, in fact the Winnipeg Art Gallery was only a ten-minute walk from my hotel, the Alt. A striking, sculptural design the building resembles a ship’s prow, all clad in pale Manitoba Tyndall stone. Inside the WAG-Qaumajuq you will find the world’s largest public collection of contemporary Inuit art.
Botanical Beauty & Bears
A 15-minute drive from downtown will take you to Assiniboine Park. Home to a warm nature conservatory, The Leaf is a spectacular indoor horticultural attraction featuring four biomes. Think RHS Wisley or Kew Gardens. Alive with banana trees, orchids, and cherry blossoms, the paths wind through lush plantings, and glass walls bring in the prairie light. It’s easy to spend a few quiet hours here, whether walking among the greenery or pausing with a coffee under the canopy of leaves.
Nearby, the Winnipeg Zoo’s highlight is its Churchill exhibit. Polar bears swim in spacious enclosures, seen through large viewing windows. It’s a rare chance to see these animals close up while reflecting on their wild home further north.
Back in the city, The Forks became a favourite stop. Historically, this was a gathering place for Indigenous peoples and later fur traders, who travelled down the Assiniboine River from what is now Saskatchewan to trade furs and goods with Hudson’s Bay Company posts.
Historic Trading Roots at The Forks
Today, the Forks is a bright, lively market space filled with local shops, craft stalls, and some of the trendiest eateries in the city. There are indoor communal tables surrounded by food counters serving everything from local pastries to curries (be sure to stop at Neon Cone, one of Winnipeg’s oldest and most beloved ice cream destinations), and outside, wide wooden decks overlook the rivers.
Reliving history, I took a 35-minute river tour, our small boat moving steadily past the Canadian Museum for Human Rights and its striking glass spire and the remains of trading posts that once lined the riverbanks. Canadian geese are a constant presence and if you are visiting in the autumn, I recommend heading to FortWhyte Alive for their mesmerising Sunset Goose Flight experience to watch thousands of them descend over the lake.
A much underrated city, what stood out during my visit was how Winnipeg blends history and a sense of place with more modern spaces. The rivers remain at its heart, those same waters now lined with locals and tourists gathering to walk, cycle, or simply watch life drift by.
Why the Prairies Should Be Your Next Canadian Adventure
From the winding Meewasin Trail in Saskatoon to the bison-filled plains of Riding Mountain National Park, this journey through Saskatchewan and Manitoba is proof that Canada’s heartland is as captivating as any mountain or coastline.
Whether you’re sipping cocktails in Regina, tracing Prohibition-era secrets in Moose Jaw, or watching the sun go down over Clear Lake, the prairies promise a Canadian adventure you’ll never forget.
Talk to our dedicated team of travel experts on 020 8776 8709 or email Frontier Canada at Canada@frontier-travel.co.uk and start planning your tailor-made Canada holiday today. ATOL PROTECTED No. 5405 ABTA W3207.
