Below is a detailed itinerary for 7 days in Banff and Jasper, with a stop in Yoho National Park. This itinerary is best if you enjoy hiking and have a rental car.
Know before you go: Tips for your 7 days in Banff and Jasper
- This itinerary is better suited if you rent a car (or bring your own). We rented our car from the Calgary Airport from the Alamo Car Rental company and had good experiences!
- Download the Guide Along App (formerly known as “GPSpy Guide) It is worth every penny! It can be used without cell service since it uses GPS. Anytime you drive past a specific location, the guide will start to tell interesting stories and tips. He also tells you how to get to each location. We used this for our entire trip and saw things that we would have otherwise missed!
- Download the AllTrails App for hiking. It provides a map of the trail and your location while you are hiking. It also shows approximately how long it takes to complete a trail, and you can read reviews too.
- Buy snacks and to-go meals from local grocery stores. On your arrival day, head to a local grocery story to keep you going while out and about!
- Learn about bear safety before you hike. Know what to do if you encounter a bear, hike with bear spray, and make lots of noise while hiking. Bear spray can be purchased anywhere – at the tourist office, sports stores, and in the groceries stores. Sometimes your hotel may give it to you for free (just ask the front desk)!
Summary for 7 days in Banff and Jasper
- Day 1: Banff. Lake Minnewaka and Tunnel Mountain hike. Overnight in Banff
- Day 2: Banff. Via Ferrata, Banff Gondola, and Banff Hot Springs. Overnight in Banff
- Day 3: Johnston Canyon, Bow Valley Parkway, Moraine Lake in the evening. Overnight in Lake Louise
- Day 4: Hike to Devil’s Thumb and Big Beehive, Yoho National park. Overnight in Lake Louise
- Day 5: Drive the Icefields Parkway to Jasper. Overnight in Jasper
- Day 6: Jasper. Overnight in Jasper
- Day 7: Drive back to Banff along the Icefields Parkway. Overnight in Canmore
- Day 8: Airport to fly home!
Day 1 in Banff: Lake Minnewaka and hike up Tunnel Mountain
8:00am: Lake Minnewanka
For your first day in Banff, wake up early and make your way to Lake Minnewaka. It can get busy in the afternoon, and it is absolutely magical in the early morning light.
The plus side to waking up early is that you have a better chance of seeing wildlife on your way there!
At Lake Minnewanka there are lots of things to do:
- Go on a Lake Cruise, or rent a canoe or kayak.
- Hike the Stewart Canyon Trail. During certain times of the year (like in August when we went), it is restricted to 4 people minimum for bear safety. If you are in a group of less than 4, you are only allowed to hike about 1.2km to the Stewart Canyon bridge.
We chose to walk to the bridge on the Stewart Canyon trail and didn’t go on the boat cruise. If you choose to go on a boat cruise then this will take more of your time.
10:30am: Two-Jack and Johnson Lakes
After Lake Minnewaka, feel free to follow the GyPSy app’s directions and listen to the stories about the area. We stopped at Two-Jack Lake and Johnson Lake and wandered around at each location.
11:00am: Bankhead Trail
A short 1km long trail that is essentially like a (free) outdoor museum highlighting the mining history of the area. It is surrounded my mountains and has old ruins and a mining train on display.
1:00pm: Vermillion Lakes
Follow the guide of the GyPSy app to Vermillion Lakes. If it wasn’t for the guide, we wouldn’t have known where to find the hot spring enters the lake! This is a good place to stop and eat lunch.
1:30pm: Bow River
Make your way towards Bow River and walk along the pathway next to the river! You can make this walk as long or as short as you want, since it goes for quite awhile. There are beautiful views of the Fairmont, and water is so blue.
3:00pm: Hike up Tunnel Mountain
Tunnel Mountain is 1 4.5km hike located a short walk away from downtown Banff. If you can get parking at the trailhead, then lucky you! Otherwise it’s a short walk up the hill.
Depending on your fitness level, the hike is on the easier side, but it is all uphill. The views of Banff and the Fairmont from up high are so beautiful. If you have the time it’s worthwhile to do it.
5:30pm: Hoodoos
Finish your day by taking a short drive to see the hoodoos! It can either be a 10 or 30 minute walk, depending how far you want to walk. Since we had just finished hiking Tunnel Mountain, we opted for the shorter walk.
Day 2 in Banff: Via Ferrata and Banff Hot Springs
9:30am-2pm: Via Ferrata at Mount Norquay
On our second day in Banff we opted to do a Via Ferrata! If you haven’t heard of these, it means “Iron Road” and it offers a safe and very fun climbing experience up Mount Norquay.
There are 4 routes to choose from that range in difficulty and length. We opted to do the “Ridgewalker” route which was 4 hours long. I will admit, I was nervous to do this! I thought I would be too slow, or be too afraid of climbing. If you are, then stay closer to the front of the line near the guide. Our guide was incredible, and helped everyone climb. And since you are focusing on the task infront of you, it doesn’t seem so scary to be so high up!
If you choose not to do a Via Feratta there are LOTS of things you can do during your 7 days in Banff and Jasper instead! Check out the Cave and Basin National Historic Site, or go for another hike.
4pm: Cascade Garden
This is free to enter, and it’s worthwhile to walk around the gardens. I mean, look at this photo!
5pm: Banff Hot Springs & Banff Gondola
So I will admit, I did neither of these activities because both locations were VERY busy. During our trip, Covid cases were starting to go up and no one was mandated to wear masks. We didn’t feel comfortable NOT wearing masks, so we tried to avoid crowds during our 7 days in Banff and Jasper. However, if you are visiting Banff and feel comfortable doing this, or if life is back to normal, then this is your time to visit!
There is a short trail that goes from bottom of the Banff Gondola to the entrance of the Hot Springs, so we walked along this instead. We were pleasantly surprised to find a very small hot spring along the trail that you can put your feet in. (and it’s free!).
Day 3: Drive to Lake Louise via the Bow Valley Parkway
8:00am: Johnston Canyon
Johnston Canyon gets VERY busy, and can get crowded due to the narrow pathways. We arrived at 8am, and it was quiet, but there were still groups of people around.
To hike to the upper and lower falls is 3.5km, but if you want to hike up to the Ink Pots is 11km. We only chose to hike to the falls, but it is up to you and how much time you have in the day!
11:00am: Castle Lookout Hike (7.2km)
This hike is optional (you can either hike to Inkpots at Johnston Canyon, or hike another trail, or visit Lake Moraine or Lake Louise).
There are no minimum group hiking requirements for this hike.
The Castle Lookout Hike is 7.2km and it is all uphill! It starts by going through the forest, and then opens up to have views of the valley below.
4:00pm: After checking into your accommodation, head towards Lake Louise and walk to the Fairmont Viewpoint. It is approximately 2km and can be done as an out-and-back, or a loop. The out-and-back is more popular because the pathway is groomed up to the look-off point. We did the looped trail which isn’t maintained and steep. It goes along the lake, but a few spots are a bit overgrown and it can get muddy.
6:00pm: Moraine Lake
UPDATED 2023: As of 2023, visitors are no longer allowed to drive down the road to Moraine Lake, or park there. You must use the shuttle and book it in advance.
Check out the Parks Canada website for details on how and when to book a shuttle to the lake since reservations are required.
For this itinerary, I arrived at 6pm (by car, when it was allowed. *sigh*). If you want to canoe at Lake Moraine, I would recommend going before 6pm so that you will have time. The canoe rental was closed when we arrived. This wasn’t on our agenda due to the cost (over $100!), but if you want to do this then either go again the next morning, or go earlier in the day.
Day 4: Hiking around Lake Louise
Today is the day for hiking around Lake Louise! The trails that are mentioned below do not have minimum group restrictions. We went as a group of 2 and were fine.
8am: Hike to Devil’s Thumb and Big Beehive (14km)
A very popular hike at Lake Louise is to the Lake Agnes Teahouse. It gets very busy, so try and get to the teahouse by 9am. Bring cash with you! (Credit cards are not accepted). There are no minimum group hiking restrictions, so less than 4 people is ok!
While you are hiking to the teahouse, you will mostly be hiking through the forest. But Mirror Lake and Lake Agnes are viewpoints along the way and very beautiful!
At Lake Agnes, you can hike an additional 40 minutes roundtrip to the Little Beehive OR continue to the Big Beehive. I cannot compare the two beehives, because I only went to the Big Beehive.
To get to the Big Beehive, you will continue past the Lake Agnes Teahouse and walk to the back of lake Agnes and up the switchbacks. And then you’re there! The views of the Fairmont from the top of the Big Beehive are spectacular.
If you are feeling up to it, and like a challenging hike, then continue to the Devil’s Thumb. This is a VERY steep trail, and a little scary in a couple of sections, but the views are amazing!
Suggested Reading: Hiking Devil’s Thumb
3pm: Yoho National Park
After a very long, exhausting and rewarding hike continue your journey to Yoho National Park in BC! This is a 40 minute drive away from Lake Louise. Don’t forget to use the GyPSy app so that you can hear the stories about the area along the way! Check out the Spiral Tunnels, Takakkow Falls (the 2nd highest waterfall in Canada!), and Emerald Lake.
Overnight accommodation: Bear Lodge is only a 5 minute walk away from Lake Louise! The rooms are very simple, but clean. The restaurant is SO good. It has a very unique atmosphere and feels like you’re in an old schoolhouse or lodge.
If you have more room in your budget, then the Fairmont Lake Louise would definitely be the preferred choice since you are on the Lake.
Day 5: Icefields Parkway
Today is another opportunity to visit Moraine Lake during your 7 days in Banff and Jasper. Try again this morning if you haven’t had any luck getting parking. But if you have already visited, then continue your journey to Jasper along the Icefields Parkway.
Today is the day where you will drive and make lots of stops to enjoy the scenery. I would highly recommend the GyPSy guide for your 7 days in Banff and Jasper (I swear I’m not sponsored!). We saw all sorts of animals with the guide’s help, and it made the drive more enjoyable.
What to do along the Icefields Parkway:
- Bow Lake
- Peyto Lake (now open as of 2022!))
- Panther Falls
- Athabasca Glacier (you can either walk up to the edge of the glacier for free, or pay to do the tour).
- Skywalk
- Tangle Creek Falls
- Sunwapta Falls
- Athabasca Falls
Day 6: Jasper
I would HIGHLY recommend driving up to Jasper and spending some time here! This is such a cute town, surrounded by mountains (of course!), and isn’t as busy as Banff. There was SO much wildlife too!
In the morning, drive to Maligne Canyon and then about an hour to Moraine Lake. If you are able to, then take the Moraine Lake Cruise to Spirit Island. The photos look incredible! We didn’t go unfortunately because we were trying to avoid crowded areas due to Covid. Another spot to visit is the Hot Springs in Jasper (these were closed for the season because of Covid, so check their website before you visit to see when they reopen).
After Maligne lake, follow the GyPSy guide to get a tour of Jasper, and end your day by going up the Jasper Gondola! It wasn’t too crowded here, so we felt comfortable going up.
Day 7: Jasper & Drive back to Banff
On your final day of your 7 days in Banff and Jasper itinerary, drive to Pyramid Lake in the morning. Spend the rest of the morning hiking up the Edith Cavell Trail. You are allowed to hike with less than 4 people here.
This was my favourite hike, the scenery was so varied. Glaciers, meadows with wild flowers, snowy mountain tops, and so many little animals!
Then, continue to drive back to Banff to your overnight accommodation before your flight home.
Are you planning a trip to Banff or Jasper? If you have any questions let me know in the comments below! If you have been to Banff or Jasper, what was your favourite activity or place you visited?
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Oh my goodness. I feel like we just found a gold mine in your youtube video and especially your blog. We have never been west or to Canada, and we are going Sept. 7 for a week to celebrate our 52nd wedding anniversary. All of your information is extremely helpful and full of ideas of things we love to do. Can’t wait!! Thank you!!
Did you use hiking poles at all and if so, did you take your own or rent them?
I did not use hiking poles, but I would highly recommend them! It would have saved my knees going down the steeper trails.