We loved visiting Banff, Canada, its literality is one of the most beautiful places on earth in my opinion. With that, wanted to put together a quick Banff, Yoho, and Jasper travel guide based on our experiences and recommendations on places to visit. We spent about 7 days in the Banff area, so this guide and recommendation list will be based on what we did. There is not a particular order to visit the following places, so feel free to make your own itinerary.
Banff: Lake Louise
Lake Louise is one of the most iconic and breathtaking destinations within Banff National Park, located in the heart of the Canadian Rockies. Lake Louise has limited parking and being such a popular tourist destination, the parking lots fill up quickly so plan accordingly.
Lake Louise offers some of the most breathtaking views and I like to joke that you can take a photo almost anywhere and make a post card out of it. In addition to take beautiful photos there is some amazing hiking at Lake Louise as well. Check out my post about our full day trip at Lake Louise.
Banff: Moraine Lake
Moraine Lake is also one of the most breathtaking destinations in the Banff National Park. The backdrop is made up of 10 different peaks and snow covered with a lush green forests. Like other lakes in the region, Moraine Lake also has vibrant green hue to it as well.
The obvious activity at Moraine Lake is just sit back and take photos all day long, however there is canoe rentals and hiking as well. If you want to learn more about Moraine Lake check out this post.
Banff: City of Banff
While the national parks catch most of the attention, I would recommend spending a day in the city of Banff. Here you can do lots of shopping, pick up some souvenirs, and enjoy delicious food. For restaurants, I recommend LUPO Italian Ristorante, Saffron Indian Bistro, Three Bears Brewery & Restaurant. For dessert you must stop at a BeaverTails! Then you can take a photo at the famous Banff sign.
Banff and Jasper: Bow Lake, Athabasca Glacier, and Peyto Lake
If you are staying near Banff, it’s about a two hour drive, but plan 3 to stop and admire the beauty.. You can round trip from Banff to Athabasca Glacier and back if you start early. The road is called Trans-Canada Highway and on there is a lookout point from the highway for Bow Lake Viewpoint. Then after taking in the view recommend heading all the way to Athabasca getting lunch then do the glacier tour. Plan to spend 3-5 hours at the glacier and visitor center.
On the way back we stopped at Peyto and took the short hike to the view point. Which you can read more about our Peyto visit here. Depending on your schedule you could stop before or after, but I recommend after.
Yoho: Emerald Lake, Wapta Falls, and Takakkaw Falls
Yoho seems is one of hidden gems that is technically a different national park but very close to Banff yet. On the way in we stopped at the Natural Bridge, however the cornerstone being Emerald Lake and some beautiful waterfalls located within the park as well. Wapta falls was our favorite side quest vacation destination. Doing all of these will be a full day. We went to them in this order: Natural Bridge, Emerald Lake, Wapta Falls, then Takakkaw Falls. With these places being so beautiful and each having its own story, I have three separete post, feel free to check them out here: Emerald Lake, Wapta Falls, and Takakkaw Falls.
Banff: Johnston Canyon
Looking for some great views of waterfalls that are accessible on well maintained trails-then this is spot is for you! There is the famous lower and upper falls that both have unique photograph opportunities. Check out my post on Johnston Canyon here.
Wildcard day
As I was putting together this itinerary, I think it’s important for a little personal tailoring so I am leaving this day open. I recommend you make this your own itinerary, but some recommendations if you are unsure would be Grassi Lakes in Canmore, Two Jacks Lake in Banff, or riding the Banff Gondola. Funny story, we rode a Gondola while in Banff, but rode the less visited one and missed out on a few good views.
Conclusion
With this itinerary some of the days are longer than others, recommend splitting those out (Lake Louise, Moraine Lake, Yoho, and Jasper) and balancing those with the easier days (City of Banff, Johnston Canyon and the Wildcard day). Don’t forget to factor in the weekends as well, since those days seem to be busier than the weekdays.
A seven-day vacation is a significant commitment from the planning side, but also the financial side as well. Between booking flights, finding the right accommodations, and trying to fit in everything you want to see and do, it can definitely feel overwhelming. Hopefully, this guide helps take some of the stress out of the process and makes it easier to get the most out of your time away. After all, if you’re going to invest in a full week off, it should be something unforgettable.