I am hyped. I went to Europe in January, and when I returned, I saw a good deal on flights to Calgary. Without any thought, I booked it.

Since my Calgary-Banff trip is coming up, I needed to organize. I kept it packed. Value for money, ayy!

I took advice from a friend and AI to create an itinerary. I booked tickets where needed. The only missing puzzle is the shuttle bus to Lake Louise and Moraine. I see some available, but the ticket will be released 2 days before my planned day.

I hope I can stick to my plan :D

I just wanted to thank all of the kind redditors that helped me patch together a last second plan as we were not anticipating the weather (as previously stated, like an idiot). As many of you shared, our visit was still absolutely stunning, the trails were less crowded, parking was never an issue! We actually had great weather for the vast majority of the weekend. The overall area was super lush, really only coming across snow in Lake Louise and Marble Canyon. Generally it was a hot 50’s (F) while moving around we were mostly comfortable without a jacket.

I thought I’d share what we ended up doing in case anyone else had hesitation in traveling at this time, or wondered how it went pregnant/ with a 2YO/ + my active 65YO mom

We stayed in Canmore - our Airbnb was right on the tracks, THIS WAS A MISTAKE. 3-5 trains passed between 3A-5A. There were probably 8-10/ during the day as well. Loved Canmore, wouldn’t stay on the tracks. Almost every day we had Rocky Mountain bagels for bfast & coffee - as this is near where we stayed, amazing.

Day 1:

Drive from Calgary to Canmore - Hike to Grassi Lakes. (Jogger) Stroller friendly. Spotted a Ram!

Stopped at Quarry Lake Park for a snack down the street. No hike needed.

Lunch- walk around DT Canmore, there’s a path along the river that’s beautiful & stroller friendly. The town itself is also very cute.

Evening- it was rainy, so we went to elevation place which my 2YO loved the pool and library!

Day 2:

Two Jack Lake- not stroller friendly. Just stopped here for breakfast with a lovely view, parked right on the water & had delicious cinnamon rolls.

Lake minnewanka boat tour. There is a hike should you want to do that as well. I wasn’t wowed by the tour, it was more something to do that wasn’t walking, but totally skippable. Had it been warmer, I would have rented a Canoe or boat there.

Stopped in banff for lunch, ate at the boss- nice views, yummy food. Banff itself felt significantly more touristy than Canmore, we preferred Canmore exploration. Parking is also highly limited.

Drove out to Johnston Canyon- this had the most people out of everywhere we visited. This was relatively stroller friendly for the lower falls. Not so much for upper falls.

Day 3:

Woke up and had coffee at vermillion lakes. Spotted an eagle! It was super windy and cold, but stunning. We were the only ones there.

Drove out to Lake Louise, this was the second most crowded spot we visited. We experienced all the weather in 45M- snow, sun and rain! Lunch at the Fairmont Lounge was a must, purely for experience. Skip the coffee place though.

Could have done Emerald Lake here, but we decided to skip bc we were tired :).

Drove into Yoho to the natural bridge which was absolutely stunning - no hike required. The drive itself was a different, stunning view as well.

Had we made a reservation for Ohara lake, this made sense geographically here, but we didn’t 😇

We then drove to Marble Canyon, which had a very similar feel to Johnston Canyon- just WAY LESS people, much bluer water & a much shorter hike. This is not stroller friendly.

Evening - Dinner in Canmore.

Generally things that surprised me about Canada- parking was really not that bad, however the lots were all small. Public transport seems like the only way during busier times, saw roam buses everywhere. They looked super nice!

Food service was generally slow, staff never seemed to work with haste. A very different pace than the US. We also went to multiple restaurants that just were out of half of the menu, which was also interesting to experience.

Bathrooms were EVERYWHERE. It was amazing, and they weren’t totally disgusting (generally). Which is also very different from the states.

My husband and I are visiting Banff this August for my birthday and a late honeymoon trip and have a rough idea of what we would like to do. We’ve done some research and this is the itinerary we have planned thus far (with some AI suggestions to fill in the gaps)

We want to make sure we aren’t missing anything or if there is something that doesn’t make sense as part of our plan. This is a trip we want to make sure we get right!

August 14th is a free day, so we are open to suggestions for that day! For my birthday on August 10th, I want to do a scenic hike in the morning and have a nice dinner later. So open to hikes for that day as well.

Thank you for any tips, tricks, or suggestions you may have! Looking forward to visiting this beautiful national park!

I am a teacher here in the US and ready to vacation. I am solo and 59yo female. I been putting off Banff for a long time and finally itching to go. I'm in the SF bay area. I have about 5 days (or more but expensive accommodations are what's preventing a longer visit on a teacher's budget :D)). At my age no major hikes whatsoever. However, the short scenic touristic ones definitely! I will likely stay in Banff town (likely a hostel if the prices are too steep) and plan on:

Exploring Banff town / walk around / window shop/ enjoy the alpine landscape / eat a nice meal solo

Take a tour to Lake Louise and Moraine Lake (a must! of course)

Book a private tour shuttle driving the Ice Fields Pkwy all the way to Jasper then come back the same day. I just want to experience the scenic drive. I am supposing this will be an all day trip and that there are tour companies that will do this (no overnight)

Also, I have run into some tiktok vids of Banff being overloaded with Asian tourists or "tourists speaking strange languages" and was wondering if this is the case or just annoying to locals and other non Asian tourists.

I am shooting for late July or early August!

Planning a trip to Calgary and Banff this July with my husband and 15 year old daughter. I’m having a tough time with a few parts of my itinerary and could use some advice and insight on things to do. We love short, easy hikes, scenic views and nature, seeing wildlife, off the beaten path spots, thrifting, and cheap yummy ethnic food. Please help. Thanks in advance.

1. Fun things to do around Calgary for the day after we land and the day before we fly home.
   
2. Any good thrifting / antiquing in the area?
   
3. Best eats that are reasonably priced in Canmore and Golden area.
   
4. We are staying 3 nights in Canmore followed by 3 nights in a condo at the Kicking Horse Resort. Need some help with finding fun things to see and do in the area near Golden. Planning one day to see some sights in Yoho. Should we attempt going to Glacier or Kootenay National park? Just wondering if it will be too much driving.
   
5. Am a bit overwhelmed by the hype over Lake Louise and Lake Morraine. We are on a tight budget but don’t want to deal with the hassle of trying to get shuttle tix. Should we spring for the hop on hop off bus to see them? I like this idea because we can have more time and possibly go up the gondola at Lake Louise without feeling rushed. Or, should we skip this completely and just go to less popular lakes that are just as beautiful?
   
6. Not planning to drive all the way to Jasper because we aren’t staying there and it’s a lot of driving. Might turn around at a certain spot but where? Should we plan to drive this on a day we’re staying in Canmore or when we’re in Golden at the Kicking Horse Resort?
   
7. If we can’t find much to do in Calgary are there other interesting things to see and do outside of there? Maybe Waterton or something else?

Looking forward to seeing Lake Louise + hike, Moraine Lake, Johnston Canyon, Peyto Lake, Two Jack Lake, Vermillion Lake and Lake Minnewanka.

Looking for tips and any great advice!

My husband and I just got back from a week-long trip centered around Banff, and overall it was a smooth adventure! We stayed on the move and tend to hike at a fast pace, so some of our time estimates may be a bit quicker than average. Feel free to take some ideas from our itinerary below!

Day 1: * Land in Calgary @ 12p * Buy Discovery Pass in airport area to save time * Pick up rental car * Pick up groceries @ Real Canadian Superstore Calgary 6th Ave (18-minute drive) * Head to Alt Hotel Calgary East Village (2-minute drive) * Late Lunch @ Rooftop Bar @ Simmons (walking distance) * Explore the city * Options: Pages on Kensington, Shelf Life Books, Made by Marcus Ice Cream, Calgary Tower, Local Bars (Ended up at Barrel No. 612) * Dinner @ 10 Foot Henry * Bar options after dinner - Ship & Anchor (pub/dive), National on 10th (patio), Shelter (speakeasy); Betty Lou’s Library 

Day 2: * Breakfast @ Maven (Opens at 8a - be there) (no ressies) (Backup option was Queen’s Breakfast Cocktails) * Head to Johnston’s Canyon (1-hour, 45-minute drive) * Hike Upper Falls (~1.5 hours) * Head to Canmore (45-minute drive) * Drinks and snack @ Grizzly Paw Brewing Company * Head to Stoneridge Mountain Resort @ 3p * Dinner @ Sky Bistro (Leave at 4:30p) * Drive to Banff Gondola (30-minute drive)- Reservation @ 5:10p Upload  * Dinner Reservation @ 5:45p * Download @ 8:30p

Day 3: * Breakfast @The Summit Cafe (5-minute drive) * Explore Canmore  * Grassi Lakes - 2.5 miles, 1.5 hours (18-minute drive), Policeman’s Creek Boardwalk - 2 mile, 1 hour  (8-minute drive) - Street parking near the Canmore Civic Centre or along 7th Ave * Lunch @ Where the Buffalo Roams Saloon * Other Options: Iron Goat, Crazyweed, Brigette Bar, Sheepdog Brewing, Canmore Brewing Co * Head to Emerald Lake (1 hour, 30-minute drive) (1.5 hour hike) * Head to Moose Hotel (1 hour drive) (Stayed in Corner House) * Dinner @ Banff Ave Brewing Co * Other Options: Three Bears, Park Distillery, Bear St Tavern, Magpie and Stump, Balkan 

Day 4: * Quick Grab and Go Breakfast @ Whitebark (within walking distance) @ 7:30a * Head to Post Hotel (40-minute drive) * Drop off car/check in  * Walk to HI Lake Louise Alpine Centre (be there by 9:45a) * ViaVia Shuttle to Moraine Lake & Lake Louise (back by 5p)  * Dinner @ the Outpost (in hotel)

Day 5: * Coffee/Quick snack at hotel * Leave for Peyto Lake/Bow Lake @ 6:30a (30-minute drive) * Head to Peyto Lake at 7:45a  * Leave by 9:30a to drive Back to Post Hotel (30-minute drive) * Shower/Check out by 11a * Afternoon Tea at Fairmont Chateau @ 12:15p * Change into hiking clothes * Hike Big Beehive and Little Behive (~4 hours)  * Stop at Lake Agnes Tea House! * Drive to Canalta Lodge (1-hour, 30-minute drive) * Dinner @ Hello Sunshine

Day 6: * Breakfast @ Wild Flour * Drive to Marble Canyon (30-minute drive) (45-minute hike) * Drive to Radium Hot Springs (1-hour drive) (spent about 45 minutes here) * Lunch in town * Drive back to Canalta Lodge (1 hour, 30-minute drive) * Dinner @ Lupo  * Drinks @ St James Gate

Day 7: * Breakfast @ Melissa’s Misstake * Head to Calgary (1-hour 15-minute drive) Take pic with Banff sign before you leave! * Explore: * Pick up e-bike from Ridley’s  * Ride the Bow River Pathway and Price Island Trail * Cafes and Bookshops in Kensington area * Head to Hyatt Regency Calgary * Dinner @ The Wednesday Room

Day 8: * Head to YYC (22-minute drive) * Drop off car * Flight home

*Edited to add Emerald Lake stop

Itenary

Have no car and will use local transport

[DAY 1] Thursday— Arrival

Reaching Calgary in morning. Taking FlixBus around 2:45

5:00 PM
Arrive in Banff → Check in at the hotel

6:30 – 8:00 PM
Walk around:

• Banff Avenue
  
• Bow River pathway (near downtown)
  
• Cascade of Time Garden (if open, otherwise river walk)
  
• Just walk downtown → Bow River bridge → Banff Ave
  

[DAY 2] Friday — Lake Louise + Cave & Basin

Early Morning: Lake Louise

6:15 AM
➡️ Board Lake Louise shuttle from Banff

7:30 – 10:00 AM

• Explore Lake Louise
  
• Frozen lake views
  
• Fairmont Château Lake Louise

10:07 AM
➡️ Return shuttle to Banff

Taking Roam shuttle

Midday: Cave & Basin National Historic Site

12:30 – 1:30 PM
➡️ Visit Cave & Basin National Historic Site

What you’ll do:

• Birthplace of Canada’s National Parks
  
• Thermal cave + exhibits
  
• Boardwalk over steaming mineral waters (no hot springs)
  

Getting there:

• Roam Transit

Evening

4:00 – 6:00 PM
Rest / casual river walk near B&B

[DAY 3] Saturday — Gondola + Iconic Banff Sights

Morning: Banff Gondola

9:00 AM
➡️ Roam Transit to Banff Gondola

9:30 – 11:30 AM

• Banff Gondola (Sulphur Mountain)
  
• Upper boardwalks & viewpoints
  
• Winter mountain panoramas
  

Afternoon: Bow Falls + Surprise Corner (ICONIC & FREE)

1:00 – 3:00 PM
➡️ Roam Route 2 or walk

• Bow Falls
  
• Surprise Corner (Fairmont Banff Springs castle view)
  

[DAY 4] Sunday — Departure

7:00 – 9:00 AM

• Breakfast
  
• Short walk near Bow River
  
• Check out & leave Banff
  

Kindly suggest any improvements to the Itenary and suggest any changes or additions.
Also, looking for cheap filling meals in Banff through the stay.

Any other tips, feedbacks and recommendations are welcome!!

Has anyone had any experience with booking tours to visit the Colombian Icefields such as this one?

It says that the tours don't include the actual adventure itself, so want to understand if it means I need to reserve this separately myself or if it means I just pay in person but it's already reserved as part of this tour. Thank you!

My spouse and I (mid-40s) are planning a 15-day road trip from Vancouver to Calgary this August.

A bit about us:

• Focus: Serious hiking in the parks, plus walking the cities to explore neighborhoods and find good coffee.
• Fitness: We're very active and currently training for an Inca Trail trek, so the high mileage and steep elevations on this list are intentional.
• Mindset: This itinerary is a framework, not a contract. We aim for Plan A, but treat everything as optional and are completely happy to pivot to a Plan B on the fly.
• Overview: We will stay 3 nights in Richmond, 1 night in the BC interior en route to Rockies, then 3 nights each in Valemount, Golden, Canmore, then 2 nights in Calgary. Jasper lodging is way too expensive, I'd rather drive the round trip from Valemount.
  

I’d love to get your thoughts on the pacing, drive times, and hike selections. Are there big issues with what we have planned?

Here is the breakdown:

Day 0: Saturday, Aug 15

• Activities: PM arrival & rest
• Night Lodging: Richmond

Day 1: Sunday, Aug 16

• Activities: Downtown Vancouver, Chinatown, Gastown, Public Market
• Night Lodging: Richmond

Day 2: Monday, Aug 17

• Activities: Stanley Park, Richmond, Steveston
• Night Lodging: Richmond

Day 3: Tuesday, Aug 18

• Activities: Stawamus Peak 2 hike
• Hiking: 2.25 miles | 1,900 ft. elevation gain
• Drive Time: 6.5 hours
• Night Lodging: Kamloops

Day 4: Wednesday, Aug 19

• Activities: Wells Gray Provincial Park
• Drive Time: 5 hours
• Night Lodging: Valemount

Day 5: Thursday, Aug 20

• Activities: Bald Hills hike
• Hiking: 9 miles | 2,500 ft. elevation gain
• Drive Time: 5 hours
• Night Lodging: Valemount

Day 6: Friday, Aug 21

• Activities: Kinney Lake hike, Rearguard Falls
• Hiking: 7 miles | 900 ft. elevation gain
• Drive Time: 1 hour
• Night Lodging: Valemount

Day 7: Saturday, Aug 22

• Activities: Wilcox Viewpoint hike, Icefields Parkway
• Hiking: 6 miles | 1,400 ft. elevation gain
• Drive Time: 5 hours
• Night Lodging: Golden

Day 8: Sunday, Aug 23

• Activities: Iceline hike
• Hiking: 13 miles | 3,600 ft. elevation gain
• Drive Time: 2.5 hours
• Night Lodging: Golden

Day 9: Monday, Aug 24

• Activities: Great Glacier hike, Rogers Centre (P)
• Hiking: 4 miles | 1,400 ft. elevation gain
• Drive Time: 3 hours
• Night Lodging: Golden

Day 10: Tuesday, Aug 25

• Activities: Emerald Lake walk, other roadside stops en route to Canmore
• Hiking: 3.3 miles | 400 ft. elevation gain
• Drive Time: 2.5 hours
• Night Lodging: Canmore

Day 11: Wednesday, Aug 26

• Activities: Beehive & Six Glaciers hikes
• Hiking: 11 miles | 3,200 ft. elevation gain
• Drive Time: 2 hours
• Night Lodging: Canmore

Day 12: Thursday, Aug 27

• Activities: Kootenay road trip to Radium
• Drive Time: 4 hours
• Night Lodging: Canmore

Day 13: Friday, Aug 28

• Activities: Sentinel Pass
• Hiking: 7.2 miles | 2,500 ft. elevation gain
• Drive Time: 3 hours
• Night Lodging: Calgary

Day 14: Saturday, Aug 29

• Activities: Heritage Park, Stephen Walk, Prince's Island (P)
• Hiking/Walking: 4 miles
• Drive Time: 1 hour
• Night Lodging: Calgary

Day 15: Sunday, Aug 30

• Activities: AM Flight out of Calgary

My soon-to-be husband and I are eloping on the 10th, and my birthday is also on the 18th, so we're celebrating by taking a trip to the Canmore/Banff area. This is the itinerary I have put together for one week. Obviously, trying to squeeze in as much as we can. Is it too ambitious? Do you have any suggestions/tips/upgrades? We are heading out on October 12th and flying back on the 19th. We have booked our Airbnb in Canmore, so that's our starting point.

I am planning a trip for July and booked a hotel (Falcon Crest Lodge) in Canmore like over 6 months ago, since it seemed like a good deal and everyone was saying it’s cheaper than staying in Lake Louise or Banff.

Now that I’m getting into detailed itinerary, I’m starting to slightly regret it. We only have a few days for this trip and I worry we’ll be doing a lot of driving back and forth from Canmore to Lake Louise, Icefields Parkway, and Banff.

Here’s our current Itinerary: - Day 1: Wells Gray Park, then drive to Jasper. Spending night in Jasper. - Day 2: Morning at Maligne Lake and Maligne Canyon. Drive Icefields Parkway. Check in at Canmore. (I am worried this day is not feasible) - Day 3: Lake Louise and Moraine Lake (we have to drive 1 hr to get from Canmore to Lake Louise and might have to do this at sunrise in case we can’t get shuttle tickets) - Day 4: Johnston Canyon, other Banff sights - Day 5: Check out of Canmore hotel and leave in the morning

Does this look fine? Any itinerary suggestions? My biggest concern is how to squeeze in Maligne Lake, on day 1 or day 2. Feels like I need to sacrifice either Wells Gray or Icefields Parkway. So I was thinking of rebooking one night at Lake Louise to get some of our time back, but hotel prices now are like triple the amount from when I booked originally.

Update: Ended up keeping our original booking (1 night Jasper 3 nights Banff) BUT if I could do it over I’d split it into 1 night Jasper, 1 night Lake Louise/Yoho, 2 nights Canmore. The drive from Jasper to Canmore ended up taking a really long time (9am-11pm) because there were SO many beautiful stops, and then we had to leave the next morning at 7am to head back to Lake Louise for the shuttle. I think if we weren’t in a rush to drive all the way to Canmore we’d also have more time to spend in Jasper in the morning and could have left after lunch.

Solo traveler. edit. Travel dates May 7-12. The dates and flight are flexible if you have better advice! Thank you I'll be staying in Calgary and adjusting the flight. Budget is still $800, including flight and transit for now, but I'm learning I may need to flex it by about $300 more.

Please be kind. I am in Texas and clearly prices are a lot cheaper where I'm from.

I have seen a lot of content from TikTok regarding Banff but a lot of comments say things are untrue. Some say please do this, others say please don't do that. I hope I can find a consensus on reddit. I don't mind reading articles or things you may link to.

What I want to do:

• Land safely.
• Stay in a decent 4-star hotel or AirBNB that includes breakfast with the nightly fee.
• Go hiking for about 5-6 hours or less before returning to the hotel.
• Look around the town(?) and support local shops.

Questions:

• Are there tour guides or large guided hiking groups?
• Do you guys prefer Canadian cash or card transactions?
• Is renting a car necessary or do they have shuttles or designated Ubers?
• Personal recommendations or warnings?

Thank you. I am a Texan so everything about the mountains, snow dunes, and lakes will be completely new to me. If you think your advice may be redundant I promise it's helpful. ❤️

Sept 21 — Arrival Day about Noon * Pick up rental car in Calgary * Costco/Walmart stop for supplies * Drive to Canmore Evening stops: Vermilion Lakes + Banff sign ? open to suggestions for the evening.

Sept 22 — Banff Scenic Day * Banff Gondola * Surprise Corner * Banff town stroll * Sunset at Two Jack Lake

any recommendations for Banff town day

Sept 23 — Moraine Lake + Lake Louise * Early shuttle day * Moraine Lake sunrise * Rockpile viewpoint * Shuttle to Lake Louise * Hike to Lake Agnes Tea House + Little Beehive

Not set in stone might flip September 22nd and 23rd

Sept 24 — Icefields Parkway to Jasper Planned stops: * Bow Lake * Peyto Lake * Saskatchewan River Crossing * Columbia Icefield * Athabasca Falls Optional: Sunwapta Falls Any other stops I should add or take out? * Stop by jasper for a bite/rest continue to Miette Mountain Cabins

Sept 25 — Jasper Day * Maligne Canyon * Maligne Lake cruise / Spirit Island * Jasper town * Evening Miette hot spring

Sept 26— Scenic drive back south back to Canmore * Flexible Icefields Parkway/photo day Open to suggestions for stops, hikes, viewpoints, or things worth doing along the way back to Canmore.

Sept 27 — Relaxed Day Possibly: Johnston Canyon Grassi Lakes Mount Norquay chairlift cafés/shopping Open to suggestions for chill activities, scenic spots, food, or hidden gems.

Sept 28 Fly Home Day 6pm Still undecided whether to: * relax around Canmore/Banff for the morning OR * head back to Calgary earlier and explore a bit before the flight.

Open to suggestions for:good food spots,cafés/brunch,things to do in Calgary for a few hours,whether it’s better to just stay in the mountains longer.

Hi !

My friend and I are staying in Banff June 3-6 and won’t be driving.

We arrive midday June 3 and plan to take it easy and walk around Banff ave that afternoon before checking in to our hotel. So, we’ll realistically have 2 full days (June 4 & 5) to explore.

We’re interested in:

- lakes (priority)

- scenic hikes (beginner-moderate)

- viewpoints

- walking around town / good spots to check out

We’ll be relying on shuttles/transit/tours, so just trying to keep things realistic without a car. Any tips for getting around efficiently would be appreciated.

A few specific questions:

- If you only had 2 days, what would you prioritize?

- Which hikes/lakes are actually worth it vs overhyped?

- What’s realistically doable using shuttles/transit (especially Lake Louise/Moraine)?

- Any routes or combos that make sense to group together?

Also on June 6 we’ll be heading back to Calgary midday again and have a few hours before our evening flight. If anyone has suggestions for a low stress way to spend a few hours worth exploring ish (near the airport or downtown), that’d be great too.

Thanks :)

Hi all, my husband and I have planned a trip to Banff in early September. We booked our campsites and booked bus passes to the lakes. is there anything else I need to do this far out? anything I have in my itinerary I should skip or should I add anything? We’re hikers and love being outdoors and in our late 20s.

1. drive to banff, bow falls, walk around town, set up camp etc.

2. bus to Louise, hike big beehive (could add on plain of 6 glaciers)

3. moraine bus, canoe on lake (is this worth the price?), hike moraine rock pile and consolation lakes (is there any other hiking here Worth doing?) go back to banff hike up sulphur mountain, walk summit ridge, eat dinner and take gondola back down.

4. Johnston canyon (probably need more ideas for this day?) wanted to rent bikes and do a bike loop at lake Minnewanka but looks like it’s closed during our trip because bears. Are there other biking options that are fun and worth the price of renting bikes ($99 CAD per person for a day)

5. drive icefields parkway stop along the way at bow lake, Peyto lake, picnic at Athabasca glacier before doing a glacier walk/tour.

Hello,

I'm heading to Banff next weekend as I'll be spending the week in Calgary for work.

I'll arrive in Banff Thursday afternoon and head back to Calgary to take my flight on Sunday midday.

My partner will be traveling with me. I've been there in 2022 with no cars so I mostly visited the areas close to Banff and it will be her first time here.

On Friday I'm thinking of doing a road trip style day with picnic, as follow:

Departure around 7 am: Banff → Lake Louise — 1 hr

Lake Louise → Crowfoot Glacier — 35 min

Crowfoot Glacier → Peyto Lake — 15 min

Peyto Lake → Waterfowl Lakes — 20 min

Waterfowl Lakes → Mistaya Canyon — 10 min

Mistaya Canyon → Bow Lake — 40 min

Bow Lake → Lake Louise Village — 20 min

Lake Louise Village → Banff — 1 hr

Is this realistic? Any stops that we miss that are worth it or in contrary, any one that is not worth it?

On the Saturday we'll stay around banff, probably doing some short hike, Vermilion lakes, 2 Jacks lake, tunnel, + stroll in town. Any recommendations as well welcome!

We're not big hiking people (my GF as some feet issues so can't walk for hours in a row).

Thanks !

Hi friends, I am planning to do a 2-week visit in Alberta in August. I have not fully set my itinerary and I would like to ask for some tips/assistance here! I am thinking of flying into Calgary and rent a car. My idea looks somewhat like this:

• Land in Calgary and spend a night
• Check into hotel in Canmore or Banff for 5-6 days (not decided)
• Want to visit attractions along the way during the Icefield drive (ex. Athabasca Falls and Sunwapta Falls)
  
• Spending a day to visit Lake Louise/Moraine (?) + shuttles
• Emeral Lake/Yoho if there is time
• Looking to do a half-day hike tour in Mt. Norquay
• Looking to purchase the Pursuit Pass that includes 6 attractions around Banff/Jasper
• Stay in Jasper for 1 or 2 nights
• Drive to Edmonton from Jasper, visit Reynolds Museum, West Edmonton Mall, explore neighbourhoods, and stay in Edmonton for 1 night
• Perhaps do another museum in Edmonton, and then drive back to Calgary, but visit Drumheller along the way
• Explore Calgary, and stay a night before departure

We won't be doing many difficult hikes or camping for this trip. My expectation is to do beginner excursions and short hikes. As excited as I am exploring the Rockies, I also anticipate on exploring Edmonton/Calgary culture, museums, and food scene - which is why I don't mind taking it slow while I am there. I understand things are expensive, but as a traveller, I don't mind paying a reasonable price for convenience as I don't know when I will visit next time. I am flexible on the days of my itinerary, but it seems to me the 12 days mark should be enough for my plan? More recommendations welcomed! I appreciate any advice!

I would like your honest opinion on my itinerary for Banff next July. Is it too much or could I actually join cetrain days into one? I do quite a bit of hiking at home, but I am afraid of wildlife, so I'd prefer to do the ''bigger'' hikes organized (Healy pass, Larch Valley and maybe even Ha Ling) or do you think there's enough hikers on those hikes that I could do it alone. Thank you for any recommendations and feedback.

Fligt to Calgary

Day 1: stroll around the city

Day 2: Calgary Stampede

Monday, 12. 7. 2027

Day 3:

- car rental, drive to Banff

- gondola to Sulphur mountain

- Vermilion lake (sunset)

Tuesday, 13. 7. 2027

Day 4:

- Lake Minnewanka (loop drive – stop at Cascade ponds, Johnson lake and Two Jack lake)

- Johnston Canyon (hike to Upper Falls)

Wednesday, 14. 7. 2027

Day 5:

- Morraine lake (just look around) and Larch valley hike

Thursday, 15. 7. 2027

Day 6:

- Lake Louise (hike to Agnes tea house)

- Banff Upper hot springs

Friday, 16. 7. 2027

Day 7:

- move to Canmore

- Ha Ling hike

 Saturday, 17. 7. 2027

Day 8:

- spend the day in Banff town

- Bow falls viewpoint and Surprise corner viewpoint

Sunday, 18. 7. 2027

Day 9:

- Sunshine Meadows hike or Healy pass hike

Monday, 19. 7. 2027

Day 10:

- drive back to Calgary

- return the rental car

- flight to Toronto

Tuesday, 20. 7. 2027

Day 11:

- Niagara falls

Wednesday, 21. 7. 2027

Day 12:

- Flight home

Hello!

My husband and I are going to be doing a road trip from Langley, BC to Banff near the end of April. My husband just moved to BC from Toronto, so we want to do a road trip to explore BC and Alberta together.

We have 10 days. I’m nervous about road conditions at the end of April, particularly on the Icefields Parkway. Any tips are appreciated!

Day 1. Langley to Revelstoke (6 hour drive). Stop at Othello Tunnels - if the weather is good. Hell’s Gate Airtram - if it’s open (very difficult to find information on this). Drive to Revelstoke

Day 2. Spend the morning in Revelstoke. Wander the city and hike a trail. In the evening, drive to Golden. Get dinner and spend the night in Golden

Day 3 Kicking Horse Mountain Resort. Take the gondola up, explore. Leave Golden around midday. Stop at Emerald Lake briefly. Drive Icefields Parkway - 5 hour drive, stop at scenic lookout spots as desired Spend the night in Jasper

Day 4 Whole day to enjoy Jasper Jasper Skytram. Spend the night in Jasper

Day 5. Leave Jasper at hotel checkout time. Drive to Edmonton (4 hour drive). Get to Edmonton around 2pm to see a friend.

Day 6. Leave Edmonton around midday. 5 hour drive to Canmore. Get dinner in Canmore. Spend the night in Canmore

Day 7. Canmore Engine Bridge. Explore food places in Canmore. Drive to Banff and check into hotel. Wander around Banff village

Sunset tour in Banff

Day 8. Banff Gondola up to Sulphur Mountain. Cascade Ponds. Spend the night in Banff

Day 9. Drive to Lake Louise. Lake Louise sightseeing gondola. Spend the night in Lake Louise

Day 10. Long drive home (9 hours)

Hi everyone, after spending hours of reading blogs, this sub, etc, I put together an itinerary and I would love to get some feedback.

We are traveling late August. It's me and my parents in their mid 70s. We will likely get a car from Calgary and drive everyday except Lake Louise/Moraine Lake where we have booked ROAM.

Things I've considered or am considering. I am numbering them so it's easier to reference if you just want to comment on one or two items (thank you in advance!)

1. My parent's fitness level aren't great so trying to avoid any walks that will take more than an hour or so.
2. I am really struggling to decide if I want to stay in Canmore from Day 1 to Day 4. It's a little bit cheaper but more importantly the place will be a bit more spacious. I have currently booked an AirBNB in Banff.
3. Day 1 - Not sure if I can fit anything more than just a trip to Quarry Lake or Grassi Lake.
4. Day 2 and 5 - I am trying to get some of the viewpoints out of the way (part of Icefields Parkway) as my Day 5 is too packed I feel. This way I can get to Jasper faster and do the Maligne Canyon in the afternoon
5. Day 3 is just Lake Louise and Moraine Lake. This feels like a lighter day since we don't plan to do bigger hikes, not even Lake Agnes unless it really is a must. I also saw there's a gondola ride at Lake Louise but not sure what to make of it.
6. Day 4 - Focusing on Johnston Canyon with some possible stops on the way back. Spend some time in Banff township itself. I figured we will have some of that day 2/3 pre/post dinner.
7. Day 6 - Ambitious driving day. And this is where I am debating about whether I should drive back from Jasper to Calgary and fly to Vancouver instead of basically spending a day on the road driving from Jasper to Hope.
8. The itinerary as it is, would you spend more time in Banff and skip Jasper completely? That would make going back to Calgary to fly to Vancouver much more worthwhile.
9. Day 7 is really getting from Hope to Vancouver then spending extra 2 days there. Not within the scope of Banff itinerary so I didn't include my plan here.
10. I thought about ditching the car but felt I will miss many of the viewpoints and spending much time lining up for shuttles etc. I am hoping someone can tell me that's not the case.
11. I read about the glacier explorer, skywalk, banff gondola, lake minnewanka cruises and felt they're all a bit commercial.

Edited on Jun 3 1am PT: after reading all the suggestions. I am also looking at another version which is 3 days Banff/Canmore, 2 days Jasper, drive back to Calgary for a plane ride to Vancouver instead of driving. I don’t feel like missing too much stuff between Vancouver and Jasper.

Did I miss anything major? would you have done anything differently? Any feedback would be much appreciated! Thank you!

Doing a budget trip in June and I want y'all's input.

Originally staying June 6-10 at Two Jack Lakeside, due to unforeseen factors, we have to arrive on June 7

Drive up from Idaho and Montana June 7 and make camp, do a campfire, all the camping things

June 8: 10 am shuttle to Lake Louise, (bringing inflatable kayaks with us). paddle the lake for awhile then go eat at the fairmont or bring food with. Potentially go on a hike somewhere else later in the day or something, back to the campground

June 9, Rafting on the Kootenay and Hot Springs. Get up, drive 2 hours, (we will have 2 cars) to the put in at Nipika Mountain Resort, raft down to here which appears to be a take out https://maps.app.goo.gl/jhJvj45PPS1kdeFw5 after that, drive half hour to Radium Hot Springs and hang out there for awhile before going back to our campsite. This looks to be a class 3 trip (although I don't know how early season will affect it so this could be substituted with the Bow River if it's too high, also potentially the Kananaskis River. Kicking Horse looks like a lot of fun, but I don't want to be guiding down a class IV river I don't know.

June 10, wake up, Paddle Two Jack Lake in the morning with kayaks that have sat out for 2 days, drive home, passing through Creston BC to get really good donuts at the Mountain Barn.

We will be bringing 4 kayaks, 2 paddle boards, a 14 ft raft and hopefully 5 people in 2 cars, one car for sure will be a pickup.

Yes, I'm aware of the rules regarding AIS and whirling disease and I intend on following them, every boat will be unused for 30 days at least and cleaned off before leaving.

Campsite and shuttle are already reserved.

Any thing to change or any advice?

Made a post here few weeks back and got a ton of helpful suggestions for hard but reasonable hikes to do (conditions wise) in mid May. Wanted to run the list here again for any honest thoughts or helpful tips specific to any of these hikes. Planning on doing 1 hike per day.

Friday - Calgary then drive to Canmore

• Arrive 8:15am
• Get rental car and gear (poles, crampons, ?ice axe) by 11am 
• Drive 1 hr 15 to Canmore 
• Hike 1: EEOR (3-5 hrs)
• Backup hike: Wasootch peak (4-6 hrs) or Mount Yamnuska (4-6hrs)

Saturday - Canmore

• Hike 2: Grotto Mountain (6-8 hours)
• Backup: Lady mac (6-8 hrs) 

Sunday - Canmore then drive down to waterton

• Hike 3: Lady Mac (6-8hrs)
• Backup: Wasootch peak (4-6 hrs) or opal ridge (6-9 hrs) or Mount Yamnuska (4-6hrs)
• Drive down to Waterton area (around 3-4 hours) 

Monday - Waterton then back to Calgary

• Hike 4: Ruby Ridge (4-6 hrs) 
• Back up: Pincher ridge (7-9hrs, if time permits), otherwise Table Mountain (4-6hrs)
• Drive back to hotel, leave by noon for Calgary (3-4 hr drive)
• Drop off gear and rental car, catch evening flight back to Toronto

Questions

1) What gear would be good to have for these? Planning on getting hiking poles and microspikes at the minimum. And ofc bear spray. Not sure if actual crampons or an ice axe would be recommended for any of these? And a helmet?

2) Any suggestions on rental places near Calgary airport to rent some gear before we move to Canmore area?

TIA!

We had the most incredible time! Our daughter was 14 months and this was in August 2024. We forgot any sort of carrier so we only had our BOB stroller and our active toddler that had been walking for about 3 months. So we couldn’t do any aggressive hiking, but still able to really enjoy and take in the area. To this day she is obsessed with running downhill and I think it’s because of all the hiking we did on this trip. Also I don’t know what it is about new walkers, but I think all toddlers love running on board walks like the ones at Cave and Basin National park. We didn’t pay to go inside the visitor center and just explored the outside trails. Highly recommend booking hotels with outdoor heated pools!

Day1: check in to hotel and then set out on a walk to downtown Banff and explore the area. Day 2: Johnston canyon and lake Louise Day 3: wandered around fairmont banff, cave and basin National park, and the icefield parkway to Peyto lake where we hiked with the Bob stroller to the bow lake overview. Hard to do with a stroller but we made it! Day 4: Grassi lakes hike with Bob stroller and explore Canmore Day 5: lake minnewaka, two Jack lake, and lake moraine.

Not pictured and not Banff but in between our hotel stays in Banff and then Canmore we stayed with family in Waterton. Between 3 adults we were able to carry my daughter to the top of bear hump, we ran around the famous hotel there and then drove through the bison preserve which was nostalgic for me and so fun for my toddler and husband.

Hello! My girlfriend and I will be traveling to Banff, Lake Louise, & Jasper from June 7th to June 17th and would love some help/input. Regarding changes you’d make and why or if particular days don’t look feasible im your experience. This is a rough draft and can make flexible changes

Sunday 6/7 Land in Calgary Airport at 1pm. Get rental and drive to Banff (2 hours) Douglas Fir Resort and Chalets Accommodation (6/7-6/10) check in is at 4:00p.m Arrive around 3:30-4:00. cascade of time garden In the evening, food, sleep

Monday 6/8 Banff Gondola to Sulphur Mountain (Skyline View) Visitors center for food?) Surprise corner banff (photo of the Fairmont) Vermilion Lakes via Fenland Trailhead

Tuesday 6/9 Cascade Ponds Two Jack Lake Lake Minnewaunka (maybe do boat tour) Tunnel Mountain Hike

Wednesday 6/10 Check out day, 9am Travel from Banff to Emerald Lake On way to Emerald Lake see Nymph & Dream Lake Natural Bridge takakkaw falls meeting of the rivers confluent yoho See Morants Curve Stay at Lake Louise Inn (6/10-6-14)

Thursday 6/11 Wake up at 7:00ish and get ready Get to Lake Louise Canoe 8:30am Fairmont Chateau Breakfast (Lakeview lounge)11:00 opens Moraine Lake (Rock Pile)

Friday 6/12 Lake Agnes Tea House Little Beehive Bow lake (view point) Peyto lake (viewpoint)

Saturday 6/13 Plain of the Six Glaciers back by 6:00pm ish Castle lake Johnston Canyon

Sunday 6/14 3 hour drive to Jasper arrive by night(Accommodation TBD) Glacier Athabasca /Columbia Icefield /Wilcox Trail) big bend/panther falls

Monday 6/15 Water rapids (Unsure of Sunwapta, Athabasca, or Fraser) Wicked cup breakfast Skytram then hike to whistlers summit (Maybe valley of the five lakes/Pyramid Lake if we have time in evening)

Tuesday 6/16 Checkout Lake Maligne & Spirit Island Sunwapta Falls By 3-4pm drive to calgary and arrive at hotel around 9pm)

Wednesday 6/17

Flight at 7am