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Back to Gimli

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Voykit pocket guide · Canada

Gimli

Go for one night in summer or a day trip from Winnipeg: 1 h by car, walkable harbour, beach and Icelandic museum. Skip if you have no car.

Gimli is a small Lake Winnipeg beach town about an hour north of Winnipeg, with 68 km of shoreline, a walkable harbour and a New Iceland story: Icelandic settlers landed here from 1875. There is no intercity bus, so a car decides the trip. One night covers the museum, the seawall murals, the Viking statue and a pickerel dinner; two nights if you add the beach and the film or Icelandic festival.

Toronto100 Mile HouseAbbotsfordAddington HighlandsAguanishAinsworth Hot Springs…AirdrieAjaxAlexandriaAmherstAmherstburgAmquiAnnapolis RoyalAnticostiGimli1,000 kmdots: other places in this guide
Sketch, not to navigate by: shapes follow this guide’s areas and places, not official boundaries. North is up.
Country
Canada
Best months
Jun–Sep for the beach and harbour; early Aug for the Icelandic Festival; early Mar for the Ice Festival
Avoid
Nov–Apr unless you come for ice fishing or the Ice Festival
Stay
1–2 nights

Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.

Essentials

Currency
CAD
Money
Currency is the Canadian dollar (CAD, $). Cards and tap-to-pay are accepted almost everywhere.
Daily spend
Budget C$90–140 excl. bed · Mid C$140–220 excl. bed · High C$220+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
SIM and data
Rogers, Bell and Telus plus cheaper brands (Fido, Koodo, Public Mobile); prepaid SIMs in malls and stores. Canadian data is expensive — an eSIM is often cheaper.
Emergency
Police, fire, ambulance 911 · Health advice (Manitoba) 811
Plugs
Types A, B · 120 V · 60 Hz · Same as the US.
Tipping
Restaurant: 15–20% of the pre-tax bill.; Bar: CAD 1–2 per drink.; Taxi: 10–15%.; Housekeeping: CAD 3–5 a night.; Guide: 10–20% of the tour price.
Water
Tap water is drinkable; treat water from lakes and streams (giardia).
Toilets
Free in malls, Tim Hortons, stations and park visitor centres.

What things cost

ItemPrice
CoffeeC$3–6
Pickerel (walleye) dinnerC$22–32
Burger or sandwichC$14–22
Draught beer in a pubC$7–10
Museum entry, adultC$7 (check)
Fuel, Winnipeg return, about 200 km (124 mi)C$25–35

Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.

Get in

By air

YWG · Winnipeg Richardson International
About 1 h 15 min by car to Gimli; no bus link, so rent a car or book a transfer

Typical fares

Winnipeg airport → Gimli, taxi or transfer
about C$130–180, 1 h 15 min (check)
Car hire, Winnipeg, one day
from about C$60 plus fuel (check)
Museum entry, adult
C$7 (check)
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card

Get around

The town is small enough to walk end to end in about 20 minutes; parking near the beach is tight on hot weekends. A car is needed for the Gimli Glider site at the industrial park airport, about 2 km (1.2 mi) west, and for the wider Interlake.

See and do

Known for

  • New Iceland Heritage Museum
  • Gimli Viking Statue
  • Harbour wall murals
  • Pickerel (walleye) dinners
  • Icelandic Festival in early August

Day trips

WhereHowTime
Winnipeg BeachDrive south on Highway 9, about 20 minAbout 25 min
SelkirkDrive south on Highway 9 then Highway 204, about 40 minAbout 45 min
St. LaurentDrive south on Highway 9 then Highway 6, about 1 hAbout 1 h
WinnipegDrive Highway 8 or 9 to the Perimeter, about 1 hAbout 1 h 15 min

Sleep

Harbour and 1st Avenue
Walk to the beach, museum, murals and most restaurants; the Lakeview resort sits on the water here.
Main Street and 7th Street
Cheaper motels and the Viking Inn, 10–15 min walk from the harbour.
Cottages along the south shore
Weekly rentals fill fast in Jul–Aug; book months ahead.

Phrase card

EnglishSay or show
Thank youThank you
How much is it?How much is it?
Can I pay by card?Can I pay by card?
Where is the beach?Where is the beach?

Etiquette, safety and scams

Etiquette

  • Greeting: Handshake; 'Bonjour' first in Québec; avoid: Assuming everyone speaks English
  • Queues: Line up and wait your turn; avoid: Pushing in
  • Apologising: 'Sorry' is politeness, not admission of fault; avoid: Loud confrontation
  • Canada vs US: Treat Canada as its own country; avoid: Calling Canadians American
  • Indigenous culture: Buy from Indigenous-owned businesses and ask before photos at ceremonies; avoid: Wearing headdresses as costume

Scams and watch-outs

  • No intercity bus serves Gimli: without a car you are dependent on a taxi, transfer or tour from Winnipeg.
  • Beach parking fills on hot summer weekends; arrive before midday.
  • Lake Winnipeg is shallow and cold even in August, and there are no lifeguards on most stretches: check locally before swimming.
  • Winter lake ice is used by locals but is never guaranteed safe: go with an operator, not on your own judgement.

A quiet, low-crime small town; the real risks are the cold lake, winter ice and wildlife on Highway 9 at dusk. 911 works everywhere.

One and two days

No timed day plan for Gimli yet. Suggested stay: 1–2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.

  • New Iceland Heritage Museum
  • Gimli Viking Statue
  • Harbour wall murals
  • Pickerel (walleye) dinners
  • Icelandic Festival in early August

Sources

Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.

Pocket card

Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.

Gimli

To this address, please

To this address, please

My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)

  • Police, fire, ambulance911
  • Health advice (Manitoba)811

No consulates in Gimli; the US consulate and most embassies are in Winnipeg or Ottawa.

Tipping: 15–20% at restaurants and bars, 10–15% for taxis. Prices are shown before sales tax.

Voykit · checked 2026-09

Printed from Voykit (/gimli). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.