Banff Itinerary: 3, 5 and 7 Days
Three days: Lake Louise and the Lake Agnes tea house, Moraine Lake by shuttle, Johnston Canyon and the town, Bow Valley Parkway and the gondola. Five days: add the Icefields Parkway to Peyto Lake and the Athabasca Glacier, and a day at Sunshine Meadows or Healy Pass. Seven days: add Yoho across the border in British Columbia, or push north to Jasper. The single most important booking is transport to Moraine Lake, where private vehicles are no longer permitted. Our Banff National Park itinerary has the full version.
The three day core
- Day 1, Lake Louise. Walk the lakeshore, then climb to the Lake Agnes tea house, 7 km round trip, and continue to the Big Beehive if you have the legs. The alternative from the same trailhead is the Plain of Six Glaciers tea house, 11 km, which is the better hike of the two. The car park fills before 6am in summer, so take the shuttle or the Roam bus.
- Day 2, Moraine Lake and the Valley of the Ten Peaks. Private cars are banned on the Moraine Lake road, so you arrive by Parks Canada shuttle, Roam transit or a commercial operator, all of which need booking. Walk the Rockpile for the postcard view, then Consolation Lakes at 6 km or Larch Valley and Sentinel Pass at 12 km and 725 metres for the best day hike in the park.
- Day 3, the town side. Johnston Canyon catwalks to the Lower and Upper Falls, the Bow Valley Parkway for wildlife at dawn, Lake Minnewanka, and the Banff gondola or the Sulphur Mountain trail up to the same summit. Finish in the Banff Upper Hot Springs.
Days 4 and 5
- The Icefields Parkway. Two hundred and thirty km from Lake Louise to Jasper, and one of the great drives anywhere. Bow Lake, Peyto Lake from the Bow Summit viewpoint, Mistaya Canyon, the Big Bend, and the Athabasca Glacier at the Columbia Icefield. As a day return from Banff, go as far as the Icefield and come back, which is about 8 hours with stops. There is no fuel between Lake Louise and Saskatchewan River Crossing.
- Sunshine Meadows or Healy Pass. A gondola in summer takes you to alpine meadows on the Continental Divide, with easy loops around Rock Isle Lake. Healy Pass is the unassisted version, 18 km, and in late July it is the best wildflower walk in the Rockies.
- Alternatives for either day: canoe on Lake Louise or Moraine, the Ink Pots beyond Johnston Canyon, or Cascade Amphitheatre from Mount Norquay.
Days 6 and 7
- Yoho National Park, 40 minutes west of Lake Louise in British Columbia. Emerald Lake, Takakkaw Falls at 254 metres, and the Iceline Trail. Also a different time zone, which catches people out.
- Jasper, three and a half hours north up the Parkway. Maligne Canyon, Maligne Lake and the Spirit Island boat, and far fewer people than Banff. Our Banff and Jasper guide covers doing both.
- Kananaskis, an hour east and outside the national park, where the trails are as good and the car parks are not full.
The shuttle and parking rules
These have changed repeatedly and they are the main reason Banff trips go wrong.
- Moraine Lake: no private vehicles. Options are the Parks Canada shuttle, which releases seats in batches ahead of the season plus a rolling window closer to the date, Roam public transit from Banff and Lake Louise, or a commercial bus or taxi. Book as soon as your dates are fixed.
- Lake Louise: private vehicles are allowed and the car park charges a daily fee and fills by 5:30 or 6am in July and August. The Park and Ride at the Lake Louise ski area feeds shuttles to both lakes.
- A park pass is required for every vehicle in the national parks, sold daily or as an annual Discovery Pass, which pays off in about a week.
- Larch season, the last ten days of September, is the busiest window of the year for Moraine Lake and shuttle seats go fastest then.
When to go
- Late June to early July: the high trails clear, waterfalls are at full melt, and the lakes are only just thawing. Lake Louise can still have ice in early June.
- July and August: everything open, warmest, and busiest. Book beds and shuttles months ahead.
- September: the best month. Cool days, quiet trails until the larches turn in the last ten days, and the elk rut in the valley. See our Banff in October guide for the shoulder.
- November to April: a ski and ice trip. Frozen Lake Louise, the Johnston Canyon ice walk, and ice bubbles at Abraham Lake outside the park.
Bears, and the rule that matters
Both black and grizzly bears live throughout the park and trail closures or group access restrictions are common in berry season, often requiring parties of four or more on specific trails. Carry bear spray on your belt rather than in the pack, make noise on blind corners, and read the trail reports page each morning. This is not a formality in the Bow Valley.
Have us plan the trip
Tell us your dates and we will get the shuttle bookings in the right order and lay out the days around them. Planning is free, and we earn only if you book through us.
Banff Itinerary: 3, 5 and 7 Days FAQs
Three for Lake Louise, Moraine Lake and the town area. Five to add the Icefields Parkway and a full alpine day at Sunshine Meadows. Seven to add Yoho or Jasper.
No. Private vehicles are not permitted on the Moraine Lake road. You reach it by Parks Canada shuttle, Roam public transit, or a commercial bus or taxi, and all of those need booking ahead, especially in larch season.
Larch Valley and Sentinel Pass from Moraine Lake, at 12 km and 725 metres of climbing. The Plain of Six Glaciers tea house from Lake Louise at 11 km is the best of the Lake Louise options.
The last ten days of September in most years. It is the busiest window at Moraine Lake, so shuttle seats and hotel rooms both need booking well in advance.
Yes, for every vehicle. Passes are sold daily at the gates or as an annual Discovery Pass, which pays for itself in roughly a week and also covers Jasper, Yoho and Kootenay.
About 130 km and an hour and a half west on the Trans Canada Highway. Calgary is the usual arrival airport, and Lake Louise is another 45 minutes beyond the town of Banff.
