My husband and I first visited the Canadian Rockies on our honeymoon 3 years ago but we only got to stay for about 3 days. I typically don’t like to travel to the same place twice, but the beauty of this area left me wanting more. On this trip we were able to spend a whole week in Banff, Jasper and Yoho National Parks and were able to do it with my parents.

I spent a significant amount of time planning our trip and believe the following itinerary went smoothly. I will caution you; however, that during this trip we hiked about 55 miles with fairly significant elevation gain. I will try to mention some alternate hikes throughout the post that would be easier but still beautiful.

Saturday

• After leaving Columbus, OH at 10 am, we arrived in Banff around 6:30 pm following a 1 1/2 hour drive from the Calgary airport.
• We chose to eat dinner at Bear Street Tavern. My husband and I ate here on our first trip to Banff and had been wanting to come back every since. They have unique pizzas but we also found their huge chicken wings to be delicious.

• We stayed at Charlton’s Hotel on Banff Avenue. Our room had two separate bedrooms with a shared bathroom which was perfect for us. The free breakfast also came in handy as we were planning to wake up early the next morning. I would encourage you to stay on Banff Avenue or near downtown since many restaurants and shops are within easy walking distance.

Sunday

• Our first full day in the Rockies was a a busy one. After breakfast we headed north on the Trans-Canadian Highway (Highway 1) toward Lake Louise. Once you take the exit for Lake Louise Village, there will be a road on the left for Moraine Lake. The drive took about 45 minutes and we arrived just before 9 am. Luckily were one of the last cars allowed on Moraine Lake Road as the parking lot frequently fills up very early in the morning. We later heard that this sometimes happens as early as 7-8 am.
• There are several hikes that leave from Moraine Lake, but we chose the Rock Pile because of the views from the top. It is a 1/2 mile loop that is mostly paved. I would also suggest the Lakeshore hike, an easy 1.8 mile out and back that takes you along the edge of the lake.

• We then headed back toward Lake Louise and were able to park at our hotel for the night, Deer Lodge. At about 11:30 am we began our long afternoon of hiking around Lake Louise.
• From the shore of Lake Louise, we chose to start with the 2.2 mile trail up to the Lake Agnes Tea house. There is about 1300 feet of elevation gain on this section of the trail but you are rewarded with delicious tea,  sandwiches and baked goods on the shore of Lake Agnes. This tea house was built in 1901 and has no running water or electricity. Some supplies are flown in by helicopter twice a year but the rest are hiked up by the staff!
  

  

  

• After feeling refreshed, we continued on the Highline Trail toward the Plain of Six Glaciers Trail. Not only does this trail provide excellent views of Lake Louise below, it also lets you get an up close view of the Victoria Glacier. After looking at pictures of Lake Louise taken from the Fairmont, I was so surprised at how far away the glaciers and mountain tops are from the end of the lake.

• Known as the “Tea House Challenge,” we were able to visit the second tea house of the area in the same day. We hiked the Plain of Six Glaciers trail that ultimately leads to the Plain of Six Glaciers Tea house. We of course indulged in more tea and tea biscuits before making our way back to Lake Louise. The “Tea House Challenge” is about a 9 mile loop that takes a minimum of 5 hours to complete.

• Our total distance hiked this day was 13 miles! By the time we returned to our hotel, we were definitely ready for dinner. There are several dining options in Lake Louise Village but based on the trusty reviews from Yelp, we had dinner at Bill Peyto’s Cafe. They had a variety of options including burgers, pasta and salads and the food did not disappoint.
• If you aren’t interested in paying the hefty price tag for the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise, I highly recommend staying at Deer Lodge (5 minute walk from Lake Louise). Although it is a very old hotel, its location and charm made up for the small rooms and leaky sinks.

Monday

• We again woke up early this morning to walk to Lake Louise because the sunrise and morning calmness of the lake usually provide some great photo opportunities. We purchased breakfast from the cafe in the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise and ate it on the shore. Word of advice though, protect your food as you are eating it because there are birds ready to snatch it out of your hand ( we know this from personal experience). 🙂

• I had the rest of the day set aside for the 3 hour drive north toward Jasper along the Icefields Parkway (Highway 93). It is consistently named one of the most scenic drives in the world and I would have to agree. We made several stops along the way and here are some of our favorites:
  • Bow Lake- Located 37 km north of the junction of the Trans-Canadian Highway, there is a small lodge at this stop along with the picturesque lake you see below. We were lucky enough to see the beautiful reflection of the mountains as the lake was extremely calm when we arrived. There is the option to hike to Bow Glacier Falls around the back of the lake. It is 9 km and would take about 3 hours.
    

    

    
  • Panther Falls- This is one of the hidden gems along the Icefields Parkway and very few people even know it exists. From the Bridal Veil Falls lookout (117 km from Highway 1), there is a marked trail all the way on the right hand side of the parking lot. It is only a 1 mile hike but leads you to an up close view of the falls. The trail is a little wet toward the end so be prepared to feel the spray!
    
  • One of the only spots to stop for lunch along the Icefields Parkway is at the Icefield Center (127 km from Highway 1). This is also where you could take the Glacier Explorer onto the Athabasca Glacier. My husband and I did this on our first trip so we did not feel the need to do it again. The tour lets you walk on a designated area of the glacier and allows you to taste fresh glacial water.
  • Athabasca Falls- 200 km into the drive you will find the parking area for this waterfall on the left hand side of the road. The waterfall is only 80 feet tall but is very powerful and has beautiful mountain views behind it. There are numerous viewing platforms all around the waterfall that let you see it from various angles.
    

    
  • Our only real hike of the day was just south of Jasper and was the Valley of the Five Lakes. We chose the shorter loop which allows you to see all five lakes, while the longer loop simply takes you around the first lake. This hike was about 4.5 km and took about 2 hours. Don’t be fooled by all the hiking guides that state there is only 60 meters of elevation gain, we found it to be quite hilly. It was definitely one of the most photogenic hikes on our trip and turned out to be one of our favorites.

• We chose to have dinner at the Jasper Brewing Company. It was located in the center of town and had a variety of options. After dinner we spent some time exploring downtown Jasper which I found to be quite charming.
• When I booked our trip about 4 months in advance, there was very limited hotel availability. We stayed at the Best Western Jasper Inn and Suites which turned out to be recently renovated and had huge rooms!
• Jasper is recognized as an International Dark Sky Preserve so my husband and I attempted to go stargazing on Pyramid Lake about 10 minutes outside of Jasper. Unfortunately, a bright full moon prevented us from getting the full experience.

Tuesday

• In an effort to save some time and money, we had breakfast at Tim Horton’s in Jasper, which happens to be very busy and popular among tourists.
• We arrived at the Maligne Canyon trailhead (near bridge #5) off of Maligne Road around 9 am. We chose to hike the loop from Bridge #5 all the way to Bridge #1 and back. Because it is a loop, we were able to see different scenery along the way that included the canyon and waterfalls on the lower trail as well as views of Pyramid Mountain and the surrounding peaks on the upper trail. If you are looking for a shorter hike, it is possible to park near Bridge #1 and do a much shorter loop that still provides a great overview of Maligne Canyon.

• We finished our hike around 11:30 am and continued along Maligne Lake Road toward Medicine Lake for a quick stop. There was a wildfire in 2015 that burnt much of the area surrounding Medicine Lake and caused the evacuation of the Maligne Valley.

• Before reaching Maligne Lake, we were lucky enough to see a moose along the side of the road and captured some great photos. It was a large bull moose that happened to be shedding his velvet on his antlers (I found it kind of gross).

• I was extremely excited to take the Maligne Lake Cruise and we happened to have a perfectly sunny day for our 2 pm cruise. The cruise lasts 90 minutes and takes you to Spirit Island, the second most photographed spot in the Canadian Rockies (only after Lake Louise). There is a dock near Spirit Island and you are allowed to disembark for about 10-15 minutes for some photo opportunities. The drive from Jasper to Maligne Lake is about 1 hour so make sure you leave time to park and reach the boathouse if you are planning to take the Maligne Lake Cruise.

• From Maligne Lake, we made our way back to Jasper and then back down the Icefields Parkway to the Sunwapta Falls Resort where we stayed for the night. There are limited food options in this area and we were somewhat forced to eat dinner at the resort, but it turned out to be delicious!!
• Right before we reached our hotel, we spotted a bull elk alongside the road. Apparently we came in the middle of rut season (mating season) which makes the bull elks a little crazy 🙂

Wednesday

• We started our morning with a quick hike to Sunwapta Falls, which is about 1/2 mile from the resort. Similar to Athabasca Falls, Sunwapta Falls is a short but powerful waterfall with a beautiful backdrop. There is actually an upper and lower falls, both easily viewed from trails not far from the parking area.

• After a filling breakfast at the resort, we continued south on the Icefields Parkway to the trailhead for Stanley Falls. If you are heading south, the trail head is on the left. It can be found by looking for a large shoulder/parking area where two culverts cross underneath the highway and is about 2 km south of the sign for Beauty Creek Hostel. Finding this hike can be a little tricky, but it turned out to be gorgeous and only took about 1 hour roundtrip. The trail makes its way along an abandoned road bed before taking you along Beauty Creek and past numerous waterfalls. Because there are so many waterfalls, we weren’t quite sure if we would know when we reached Stanley Falls. Luckily there is a sign along the trail indicating which one is Stanley Falls. There is some elevation gain on this hike but nothing too difficult.

• Again, because there are limited dining options on the Icefields Parkway, we had a quick lunch at the Glacier Center before our next hike.
• About 9 km south of the Glacier Center is the trailhead for Parker Ridge. This hike is about 2.4 km each way but has significant elevation gain. The trail consists entirely of switchbacks until you reach the ridge, but the views of the Saskatchewan Glacier from the top are pretty amazing. Unfortunately, the smoke from wildfires in the area prevented us from having clear views during our trip, but we were still able to appreciate the beauty of the area from above the tree line! Don’t forget to bring plenty of water and a snack.

• My husband and I knew from our previous trip to the Canadian Rockies that the view of Peyto Lake along the Icefields Parkway was one of our favorites. Even though the smoke hindered our view, we decided to take the 15 minute hike to the viewpoint anyway. The third picture below was our view of Peyto Lake during our honeymoon 3 years ago.

• If you are looking for a hike in the area with minimal elevation change, I would try the hike to Hector Lake. It is only 5 km roundtrip and is located 16 km north of the Trans-Canada Highway.
• Continuing our trend of seeing animals along the Icefields Parkway, we spotted a black bear in the area around Bow Lake. Oddly enough we also saw a black bear in this same area two days earlier. We will never know if it was the same one…

• After reaching the junction of the Icefields Parkway and the Trans-Canada Highway, we took the latter west toward Yoho National Park in British Columbia. Yoho National Park is the smallest park in the Canadian Rockies but is still quite beautiful.
• We stopped for dinner in the town of Field, which is mostly a collection of guest houses, a few restaurants and a gas station. I had done some research prior to our trip and had read great reviews for the Truffle Pigs Bistro. Despite my husband and Dad making fun of the restaurant name the whole day, we were all pleasantly surprised at the quality of the food we ordered, which included sweet potato canneloni, duck and pork piccata. It was slightly more expensive than the other restaurants we had tried on the trip, but we definitely enjoyed the experience.

• Our final stop for the night was Emerald Lake, which can be reached by taking the Emerald Lake Road off of Highway 1. Luckily there is a beautiful lodge at Emerald Lake and we were fortunate enough to snag a room. I must admit, we were all pretty tired from the day and were more than happy to take advantage of the hot tub at the lodge.

Thursday

• The Emerald Lake Lodge is such a beautiful property that we decided to spend a few hours enjoying the area this morning. We ate a delicious breakfast in the main lodge and then sipped coffee on the deck in our room.
• After checking out of the hotel, we walked part of the way around the lakeshore trail. Emerald Lake is a gorgeous blue-green color but it was less noticeable because of the smoke in the area.

• Right before Emerald Lake Road rejoins Highway 1, don’t miss the stop off for the Natural Bridge. This rock formation spans the Kicking Horse River and used to be a waterfall.

• The other main attraction in Yoho National park is Takakkaw Falls, which can be reached via the Yoho Valley Road (open from June-October). It is about a 9 mile drive to the parking area and there are a few steep switchbacks so I don’t recommend trying these in a large camper. Takakkaw Falls is the second highest waterfall in Canada at 1246 feet and is only a short walk from the parking area.

• From Yoho National park, we started making our way back to Banff, but chose to take the Bow Valley Parkway (Highway 1A) so we could stop at Johnston Canyon. This is one of the most popular hikes in Banff National Park and can be very busy. We hiked to both the Lower and Upper Falls which is about 5.2 km roundtrip and takes about 2 hours. The entire hike is paved and includes metal sections that are bolted into the side of the canyon!

• We chose to stay at the Brewster Mountain Lodge in Banff which is centrally located in downtown and within easy walking distance of numerous shops and restaurants.
• We had dinner at The Elk and Oarsmen Pub, located on the second and third floors of a building on Banff Avenue. On top of great food and reasonable prices, we also had a view of the surrounding mountains (although a little smoky).

Friday

• Our plans for Friday had to change slightly because of the heavy smoke in the area. I was hoping to take the Banff Gondola up Sulphur Mountain but we would not have been able to see the surrounding mountain peaks. We instead chose to do some shopping in downtown Banff and check out the historic Banff Park Museum that was built in 1903.

• Despite the smoke, we were able to get a decent view of the Fairmont Banff Springs hotel from the Suprise Corner viewpoint off of Tunnel Mountain Road. Known as the “Castle in the Rockies”, this UNESCO world heritage site was originally built in 1888 but had to be rebuilt in 1928 following a devastating fire.

• We continued on Tunnel Mountain Road toward the Hoodoos viewpoint. There were only a few hoodoos in the area, nothing compared to those in Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah. I had also planned to do the Tunnel Mountain hike this day but the smoke would have made the 4.3 km roundtrip hike not worth the effort. On a clear day, the top of Tunnel Mountain provides a great view of Banff and the surrounding area.

• After soaking up our last few hours in Banff, we had 20 minute drive to Canmore. Downtown Canmore is becoming increasingly more popular and has quite a few shops and restaurants. We ate a late lunch at a small cafe followed by ice cream from the Scoopin Moose.

• We chose to save a little money on our hotel and stayed at the Canmore Rocky Mountain Inn. Although it was less expensive, they had a free breakfast and wine happy hour every afternoon. It was also conveniently located off of Highway 1.

Saturday

• From our hotel in Canmore, it was about 1 hour, 15 minute drive to the rental car return in Calgary.

Final Thoughts

*I recommend stopping at the visitor center in Banff to pick up a few maps of the area. Although the Canadian Rockies are very easy to navigate, you can’t rely on cell phone or GPS service to help you out. I also used the Lonely Planet guide book for Banff, Jasper and Glacier National Parks to help plan our trip.

*You may have noticed several pictures with red Adirondack chairs throughout this post. This program started about 3 years ago and is meant to give you a place to relax and enjoy unique places in Parks Canada. They are located at strategic spots across Canada and Banff National Park encourages you to share your photo on Facebook and Twitter using #ShareTheChair.

*Anytime you are in Canada and you find a highway with an A after the number, this is an alternate route that is usually more scenic. I would highly encourage you to take these highways. On this trip we took 93A at the northern end of the Icefields Parkway and the 1A between Lake Louise and Banff (known as the Bow Valley Parkway).

*Check out this more detailed post about driving the Icefields Parkway.

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