Banff and Jasper Itinerary 7 Days: Lake Louise, Moraine Lake and the Icefields Parkway

Two hours, ticket priced by date and bought online, 7 km from downtown Jasper. Edmonton airport is a four hour drive from Jasper; land early. After check in, the tramway climbs in seven minutes to 2,263 metres, with views of the Athabasca valley and six mountain ranges. If you have the legs, walk another 1.4 km of trail to the summit at 2,464 metres.

An hour, free, 7 km from downtown on the other side of town. Cross the wooden bridge to Pyramid Island and walk around it, with Pyramid Mountain reflected in the water in the late afternoon. On the drive back, look for elk and deer: they are often seen near Patricia Lake.

Twenty minutes, free, 30 minutes from Jasper on Maligne Lake Road. The water drains through sinkholes in the lakebed, and in autumn the lake turns into a bed of mud and gravel. Stop at the roadside viewpoint; Maligne Canyon, on the same road, has been closed since the 2024 wildfire.

Two and a half hours, priced by date, from 27 May to 11 October 2026. Spirit Island can only be reached by boat: the cruise leaves the Maligne Lake dock, an hour from Jasper, and stops for 15 minutes at the little island of pines facing the mountains. Book online and arrive half an hour early. Afterwards, walk the flat 2.6 km trail along the east shore to Moose Lake.

Two and a half hours, free, 9 km south of Jasper on the Icefields Parkway. The 4.5 km loop passes five lakes ranging from green to deep blue, and the fourth lake has a dock to dip your feet. It was closed after the 2024 wildfire and reopened in May 2026, with part of the forest still burned: this is what regrowth looks like.

Thirty minutes, free, 30 minutes from Jasper. Leave at 7 am: the Icefields Parkway is 230 km long and the day is full. The Athabasca River drops 23 metres into a narrow quartzite canyon; follow the walkways down to the dry canyon where the river used to run. Fill up in Jasper: there is no fuel until Saskatchewan Crossing.

Twenty minutes, free, 25 minutes from Athabasca Falls. The Sunwapta River splits around a small island of pines and plunges into a canyon; the viewpoint is five minutes from the car park.

An hour and 15 minutes, free, an hour from Sunwapta. The Toe of the Athabasca Glacier trail climbs about 2 km return across the moraine to the fence in front of the ice, with markers showing where the glacier stood each decade. Do not cross the fence: there are hidden crevasses. To stand on the ice, take the paid snow coach tour from the Columbia Icefield centre.

Twenty minutes, free, an hour from the Athabasca Glacier, past Saskatchewan Crossing. A 500 metre walk down leads to the bridge over the curving canyon the Mistaya River carved into the limestone. Few people stop here, and it is one of the best stops on the road.

Forty minutes, free, 30 minutes from Mistaya Canyon. From the Bow Summit car park, a 10 minute paved trail climbs to the platform facing the turquoise lake shaped like a wolf’s head. The colour comes from rock flour carried by meltwater and peaks in July and August.

Twenty five minutes, free, 10 minutes from Peyto Lake. The lake sits right by the road, with the Crowfoot Glacier behind and the red roofed Num-Ti-Jah Lodge on the shore. Lake Louise is 35 minutes away for check in.

Two hours, Parks Canada shuttle at CAD 12.75 plus a CAD 3.50 booking fee, from 1 June to 12 October. Private cars cannot enter. Book the earliest departure you can from the Lake Louise Park and Ride, 5 minutes from the village. At the lake, climb the short Rockpile trail for the view of the blue water below the ten summits of the Valley of the Ten Peaks.

Forty five minutes, free, by the Lake Connector shuttle from Moraine Lake, included in the same booking. The emerald lake lies below the Victoria Glacier, with the Château Lake Louise on the shore. Canoe rental at the hotel dock is expensive and has a queue; if you want to paddle, do it at Emerald Lake in the afternoon.

Three hours return, 7 km and 400 metres of climb from the Lake Louise shore. The 1905 tea house beside Lake Agnes serves tea, soup and biscuits in a log cabin with no electricity. If you still have energy, climb another 1 km to the Little Beehive viewpoint over Lake Louise.

Twenty minutes, free, 30 minutes from Lake Louise, already in British Columbia and Yoho National Park. The Kicking Horse River has carved through the rock and runs under a natural bridge; the viewpoint is next to the car park on the Emerald Lake road.

An hour and a half, free, 10 minutes from the Natural Bridge. Yoho’s largest lake has a flat 5 km trail around it and canoes for rent at Emerald Lake Lodge. Late afternoon is much quieter than the morning. Drive back to Lake Louise in 35 minutes.

Fifteen minutes, free, 10 minutes from Lake Louise on the Bow Valley Parkway. The viewpoint looks over the Canadian Pacific railway curve beside the river, with mountains behind. Freight trains have no fixed schedule; if you hear a whistle, wait.

An hour and 15 minutes to the Upper Falls, free, 25 minutes from Morant’s Curve. Catwalks bolted to the canyon wall lead to the Lower Falls in 1.2 km, where you peer at the cascade through a rock tunnel, and to the Upper Falls in 2.6 km. Arrive before 9.30 am: the car park fills in summer.

Two hours and 15 minutes for the extra stretch, free. At the Upper Falls most people turn back; carry on 3.2 km to the Ink Pots meadow, seven mineral springs of blue green water bubbling out of the ground. It is the quietest part of the day. Return the same way and drive 30 minutes to Banff.

Two hours, ticket priced by date and bought online; in season a free shuttle runs from downtown Banff. The gondola climbs to 2,281 metres in eight minutes, and a wooden boardwalk leads to Sanson’s Peak, with the old weather station and views over Banff, the Bow Valley and Mount Rundle.

Two hours, free, 15 minutes from Banff. The park’s largest lake is 21 km long; from the picnic area the shoreline trail runs flat for 1.5 km to the Stewart Canyon bridge. On the loop road back, look for bighorn sheep near Two Jack Lake.

An hour and a half, CAD 10 or included in the Discovery Pass, at the end of Cave Avenue, 20 minutes on foot from downtown. The hot springs found by three railway workers in 1883 led to the creation of Banff National Park in 1885. Walk the tunnel into the sulphur water cave and follow the boardwalks over the warm water marsh.

Thirty minutes, free, a 10 minute drive from Cave and Basin across the river. The wide rapids of the Bow sit just below the Fairmont Banff Springs. Walk back to town on the 1.5 km riverside trail to Banff Avenue.

Thirty minutes, free, 5 minutes from downtown. At sunrise, with no wind, Mount Rundle is mirrored in the shallow lakes. The docks on Vermilion Lakes Road are the best spot, and beavers and waterbirds are common.

An hour and a half, CAD 19.75, on the slope of Sulphur Mountain, 5 minutes from downtown. The outdoor pool stays between 37 and 40 degrees Celsius, facing Mount Rundle, and the changing rooms rent towels and vintage swimsuits. Go at opening, before the tour groups.

Forty five minutes, free, 20 minutes from Banff, just outside the national park. The 1891 railway bridge, now a footbridge, crosses the Bow River with a view of the Three Sisters. Have lunch on Main Street and drive an hour to Calgary airport.