Banff National Park is one of the most beautiful parks in Canada. This stretch of the Canadian Rockies from Banff to Jasper National Park is a magical part of the world. It produces some of the most gem-toned waters that will have you questioning whether that color is real (yes, it is!).
There is so much to see and do in this area. From the Banff to Jasper drive along the Icefields Parkway, to Emerald Lake in Yoho National Park and the Kananaskis range.
This 7-day itinerary will have you seeing the highlights: Lake Louise, Moraine Lake, Emerald Lake, Banff springs, Banff gondola, Peyto Lake, Athabasca glacier, and so much more!
Getting to Banff National Park
The closest airport to Banff is Calgary International Airport (YYC). Many cities in the US offer direct flights including: Denver, Dallas, Chicago, LA, Seattle and Orlando.
Once you have arrived in Calgary, you will need to rent a car to drive to Banff and the other National Parks near Banff.
Hotels in Banff and Lake Louise do offer shuttle services from the airport to the hotel and can be booked through the hotels.
This website has great information on getting to Banff, public transport within the National Park and flight and drives times between Banff and the other scenic spots: https://www.skibig3.com/getting-here/
Where to stay in Banff
Banff National Park is a very hot tourist destination. The charm of the Canadian Rockies draws in 4 million visitors each year. This means, you need to plan way ahead to be able to book a hotel or cabin for your desired month to visit.
VRBO and AirBnB are great options to find cabins and apartments in Banff downtown, but I recommend booking 8 months to 1 year in advance to get the best option.
You will also pay more for a prime cabin in Banff downtown. Most options you will pay upwards of $300+ a night in the summer. If you would like to stay near Banff, and don’t mind driving in each day, a cheaper nearby option is the town of Canmore- a quick 15 minute drive from Banff downtown.
If you want splurge on a high end hotel in Banff or at Lake Louise then the Fairmont Banff Springs and the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise are your best options. Even if you can afford to spend 1 night at one of these hotels, it would be worth it to get your Harry Potter fix!
Best time to visit Banff
Banff is beautiful year-round. It is breathtaking in the summer and magical in the winter. The best time to visit Banff in summer is June-September.
Temperatures range between a high of 20℃ (68℉) in June to 24℃ (75℉) in August with lows of 5-8℃ (40-50℉) in June-August.
Because of the wide range of temperatures experienced it is recommended to bring layers, especially on your hikes, and a good jacket at night.
Hiking in Banff National Park
When setting out on the trail, please be prepared. Wear appropriate footwear and clothing and dress in layers as it is common to experience all types of weather and temperature ranges.
Do your research on the trail before setting out to understand the elevation, trail conditions and length. Consult AllTrails for this information, as well as the National Park website.
Bears are common in the Canadian Rockies. It is recommended to carry bear spray with you- you can pick this up at stores in Banff downtown. This website offers great advice on bears:
Here are a few ways to avoid an encounter while out hiking or biking in the mountains, as suggested by Parks Canada: https://www.banffjaspercollection.com/canadian-rockies/stories/bears-in-banff/
- Carry bear spray in an accessible location on your body, and read the instructions before you go. Know how to use it properly!
- Look for signs of bears in your vicinity (poop, tracks, turned-over rocks or logs). Leave the area immediately if the signs are fresh.
- Make noise (call, sing, talk loudly) especially near dense vegetation or streams. We like to yell “Hey there bear!” as we go along the trail a couple of times every minute.
- Travel on marked trails and in large, tight groups of at least four. Stay together at all times.
- Do not let children wander alone.
Day 1: Explore Banff
For your first day in Banff, take the time to explore this incredibly beautiful mountain town.
Morning
Start out your morning with coffee and breakfast at either Evelyn’s Coffee Bar (https://g.page/EvelynsCoffee?share) or the Whitebark Cafe (https://goo.gl/maps/44c7PP8zR5VwTdp59).
There is so much to see and do in Banff, below are different options you can choose for your morning and afternoon activities.
Option 1: Banff Horseback Riding
You can book a 1-hour Banff horseback riding activity to see the beautiful Bow River- a fun opportunity rather than walking.You can book your Banff horseback riding activity herehttps://www.getyourguide.com/banff-l284/banff-national-park-1-hour-bow-river-horseback-ride-t227587/.
If you book early enough you can get the 10 am slot and be back in Banff downtown for lunch!
Option 2: Bow River and Cave and Basin
Walk along the Bow River and view the Bow Falls. Dip your feet in the cold glacial water and take in the beauty of the Canadian Rockies!
After viewing the Bow River head to the Cave and Basin National Historic Site (https://www.pc.gc.ca/en/lhn-nhs/ab/caveandbasin). Discover the hot water that seeps from the rocks, smell the minerals and explore the trails. Enjoy it on your own or take one of the many guided tours.
Option 3: Tunnel Mountain Trail
This is a 2.3-km hike up a modest peak, with panoramic valley & mountain views.
Afternoon
After your horseback ride head up to the Banff Gondola (100 Mountain Ave, Banff, AB T1L 1B2, Canada) to hitch a ride up to the top of Sulphur Mountain. From here you can see the entire mountain town, Banff.
There is a restaurant up top, The Sky Bistro, if you would like to enjoy lunch at the top of the mountain!
After the gondola, you have a couple different options to fill out the remainder of your day:
Option 1: Hot Springs
Head to the Banff Upper Hot Springs to relax in the natural hot springs of the area (https://www.hotsprings.ca/banff). If you are visiting Banff in the heat of summer, this might not be a fun activity as the water temperature range is between 37 and 40 degrees Celsius or 98 and 104 Fahrenheit.
Option 2: Fairmont Banff Springs
If you are not staying at the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel (https://www.banff-springs-hotel.com/), I would recommend exploring the historic and charming 1880 Castle. Cue all the Harry Potter feels! Enjoy an afternoon cocktail at the Rundle Bar, or out on Lookout Patio.
Or, take a walk out back to the Waldhaus Restaurant for a Bavarian haven and yummy German food! https://www.banff-springs-hotel.com/dine/waldhaus-restaurant/.
Into tea time? Enjoy afternoon tea at the Fairmont Banff Springs- https://www.banff-springs-hotel.com/dine/afternoon-tea/.
Option 3: Shopping!
Walk around the mountain town and explore all the souvenir shops!
Day 2: Banff to Jasper Drive
The Icefields Parkway (Highway 93 North) joins the hamlet of Lake Louise in Banff National Park with the Town of Jasper in Jasper National Park. Give yourself a full day to travel one-way. It is one of the most scenic highways in the world.
This site can provide some of the highlights of the Icefields Parkway: https://icefieldsparkway.com/.
There are multiple hikes and sites to see as you drive the Icefields Parkway. Some musts on our list to see are:
Bow Lake and Bow Falls
Bow Lake is the headwaters of the Bow River that runs south through the city of Calgary and onto the Oldman River ultimately to Hudson Bay. This was an easy hike with not much elevation gain- fun for the whole family!
Peyto Lake
The most popular glacier-fed lake, Peyto Lake is also the most visited and photographed lake in the Canadian Rockies. During the summer, significant amounts of glacial rock flour flow into the lake, and these suspended rock particles give the lake a bright, turquoise color.
Bow Summit (2,088 meters (6,800 feet) above sea level) is the highest point from Banff to Jasper drive.
Columbia Icefield
The Columbia Icefield is the largest icefield in North America’s Rocky Mountains. You can book tickets for the Ultimate Glacier Experience where you’ll explore the ancient Athabasca Glacier on a giant Ice Explorer! These are the explorers that scientists use in Antarctica!
This is only open in the summer from June-October. And tours leave daily between 10:30am and 5pm.
Book tickets and view pricing here: https://www.banffjaspercollection.com/attractions/columbia-icefield/experience/
Glacier Sky Walk
After the glacier tour, check out the Glacier Sky Walk. This is a glass-floored observation platform 280 meters (918 feet) over the Sunwapta Valley. There is a package you can purchase that will take you to the glacier and shuttle you to the sky walk afterwards.
Day 3: Banff to Lake Louise- Hike, Eat, Repeat
Morning
Today, you need to head out EARLY! Lake Louise is a very popular spot for hiking and visiting the tea houses in the area. I would recommend arriving around 7am to ensure being one of the first 100 visitors for the day.
Grab some coffee and baked good to go to eat in the car on your drive to the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise. If you get there early enough you can park in the closest parking lot to the hotel and trailheads!
If you arrive at Lake Louise later in the day, you will be parking in a lot down the road from the Fairmont. There are shuttle buses the hotel runs to transport visitors from the parking lots to the hotel.
The trailhead to the Lake Agnes Tea House (http://www.lakeagnesteahouse.com/index.php) is in the back of the property and is clearly marked. The hotel also has maps available at the hotel visitor center. You will take steep switchbacks that are relatively smooth all the way up to the tea house.
The tea house has been around since 1909 and still runs off the grid with no electricity! They have over 100 types of loose leaf tea and provide other warm and cold beverages. They even have a menu of other sandwiches and soups if you prefer something more hearty to the delicious biscuits.
Afternoon
Once you’ve had your fill of tea and biscuits at the Lake Agnes Tea House, you can continue on the trail towards the Plain of Six Glaciers Tea House (https://p6teahouse.com/). Another off the grid tea house that offers beverages and light lunch items.
Both tea houses prefer cash to credit cards since they both run off the grid- so remember to bring cash with you (American or Canadaian dollars, they take both).
At the Plain of Six Glaciers Tea House you have an amazing view of the valley all the way down to Lake Louise.
After returning back to the hotel, depending upon your tiredness level, you can sit on the deck overlooking the lake or choose to rent one of the iconic lake canoes!
Day 4: Moraine Lake
This is going to be another EARLY day for you! Moraine Lake in Banff is another heavily tourist populated area to visit. Plan to arrive early again around 7am to find the closest parking possible and to beat the hordes of crowds.
Morning
There are plenty of trailheads from Moraine Lake to experience. I would recommend the Sentinel Pass Hike. It offers incredible views of Larch Valley, Paradise Valley and Moraine Lake. This is a 5.8km long hike and is rated as difficult on all trails (https://www.alltrails.com/trail/canada/alberta/sentinel-pass-trail).
Afternoon
After heading back down from Sentinel Pass you can catch the trail to Eiffel Lake (https://www.alltrails.com/trail/canada/alberta/eiffel-lake-trail). A moderate trail that continues to provide amazing views of the ten peak valley.
After this long day of hiking reward yourself with a cold beverage at the Moraine Lake Cafe (https://morainelake.com/day-visits/) or take another canoe ride.
Day 5: Kananaskis Range
When visiting Banff in the summer and you want to avoid the crowds of people that flock to the mountain town and national park on the weekends, I would recommend making a trip 30 minutes south from Banff to the Kananaskis Range in Peter Lougheed Provincial Park.
There are many beautiful hikes in this area and you can view this website for 10 incredible hikes to do in the Kananaskis Range: https://www.globeguide.ca/best-hikes-in-kananaskis/
Some of the hikes we recommend are:
Rawson Lake and Upper Kananaskis Lake trail
(https://www.alltrails.com/trail/canada/alberta/rawson-lake-and-upper-kananaskis-lake-trail)
This is a BEAUTIFUL trail. The hike up is rather arduous but Rawson lake is the most idyllic place I’ve ever seen. I bathed in the sun while Marty fished and I enjoyed this little secluded slice of heaven for the afternoon.
Ptarmigan Cirque
https://www.alltrails.com/trail/canada/alberta/ptarmigan-cirque
This is a 3.5km loop and is rather easy. It get a little rocky in the back of the loop and you view a small waterfall.
Pickle Jar Lakes
https://www.alltrails.com/trail/canada/alberta/pickle-jar-lakes
This trail is rated as difficult, but one that we thoroughly enjoyed. This is seen as a hidden gem in the are. Part of the reason it has remained hidden is because of the level of difficulty on the trail.
At the top you reach the namesake “Pickle Jar Lakes” to explore for the afternoon. This is a great way to relax, fish and swim!
Day 6: Yoho National Park
Once you pass Lake Louise, instead of continuing north onto the Icefields Parkway, you can turn West onto the Trans Canada Highway (HWY 1) towards YoHo National Park in British Columbia.
If you love waterfalls than I would recommend viewingTakakkaw Falls and then heading out onto the Twin Falls trailhead.
The Yoho Valley Trail and Twin Falls is one of the most pristine backcountry experiences that hikers can experience in the short outdoor excursion season of this part of Canada’s Rocky Mountains.
The trail is 15km long and is rated as difficult (due to the length of the trail). The effort is rewarded with the spectacular Twin Falls; and there are many other waterfalls and rapids to view and enjoy along the way!
Day 7: Grizzly Bear Refuge and Emerald Lake
Morning
Set out to view the emerald-colored waters of Emerald Lake in Yoho National Park. It is the largest of Yoho’s 61 lakes and ponds, as well as one of the park’s premier tourist attractions.
A 5.2 km (3.2 mi) hiking trail circuits the lake, the first half of which is accessible to wheelchairs and strollers. During the summer months, canoe rentals are available.
Emerald Basin (https://www.alltrails.com/trail/canada/british-columbia/emerald-lake-trail) is a moderate hike, taking you on a tour of Yoho’s fantastically varied terrain. You’ll hike along Emerald Lake and then up an avalanche-scoured glacial bowl ringed by waterfalls, towering peaks, and glaciers.
Afternoon
Bears are common in the Canadian Rockies. And while one never hopes to meet one out on the trail, you can experience a Grizzly Bear in his natural habitat at the Kicking Horse Grizzly Bear Refuge, just outside of Golden, British Columbia (https://kickinghorseresort.com/purchase/boo-grizzly-bear/).
The 20-acre area is the home of our resident grizzly bear, Boo. Within this natural mountainside habitat, Boo hunts, plays, forages, and explores just like his wild cousins.
The interpretive center is open daily during the summer and provides guests the opportunity to observe an adult grizzly bear going about his daily routine.
Whitetooth Brewing Company
After another long day, reward yourself with a beer tasting at Whitetooth Brewing Company (https://www.whitetoothbrewing.com/) in Golden, BC. Established in December of 2016, Whitetooth Brewing Company crafts small batch Belgian-inspired and West Coast influenced beers.
They don’t serve food, but after you have sampled the beer you can make your way to Whitetooth Mountain Bistro (https://whitetoothbistro.com/) or the Rockwater Grill & Bar for dinner (https://rockwatergrill.com/).
