Banff National Park:
5-Day Icefields Parkway Itinerary
Banff to Jasper along the Icefields Parkway, Moraine Lake, Lake Louise, the Columbia Icefield, and the Maligne Lake Cruise to Spirit Island.
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One park, two mountain towns, the best drive on Earth.
Banff National Park is a 2,500-square-mile wilderness of glaciated peaks, impossibly turquoise lakes, and elk wandering the streets of a mountain town. It is Canada's oldest national park, yet it still feels genuinely wild once you leave the town of Banff behind.
This 5-day route runs one-way from Banff to Jasper along the Icefields Parkway (Hwy 93), widely considered one of the most scenic drives on Earth: 144 miles past glaciers, waterfalls, and peaks over 11,000 feet. You'll hit Moraine Lake and Lake Louise, the Columbia Icefield, and finish with the Maligne Lake Cruise to Spirit Island.
July and August are peak season with the best weather and all facilities open. Late September is exceptional, larch trees turn gold, crowds thin, and the light is softer.
The Moraine Lake shuttle and the Maligne Lake Cruise both sell out months ahead at reservation.pc.gc.ca, book them before you book lodging. 2026 free admission (Jun 19–Sep 7) covers park entry only; hot springs, the shuttle, and cruises still charge their normal fees.
Calgary → Banff · Tunnel Mountain & the Hot Springs
Pick up the rental at Calgary International Airport and head west on the Trans-Canada Highway. In about 90 minutes the prairie gives way to the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies and you roll into the town of Banff, a real mountain town with a main street of restaurants, gear shops, and a gondola up Sulphur Mountain.
In the afternoon, hike Tunnel Mountain (about 2.8 miles round trip, easy) for classic views over the Bow Valley and the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel, the trailhead is a short walk from downtown. In the evening, soak in the Banff Upper Hot Springs, natural thermal pools kept at 37–40°C. (Note: the hot springs still charge admission during the 2026 free-park-entry window.)
- ~2.8 mi RT · easy · Bow Valley views · walk from downtown
- Thermal pools 37–40°C · open year-round · still paid in 2026
- Mountain-town main street · gondola to a panoramic ridge walk
- Walk to restaurants, the gondola, and the hot springs · book early
- Tunnel Mountain trailhead is a short walk from downtown Banff, no car needed.
- Banff Upper Hot Springs still charges admission during the 2026 free-park-entry window. Buy tickets ahead in summer.
- Elk wander Banff townsite, especially in fall. Keep 30 m away and never get between a cow and her calf.
Moraine Lake & Lake Louise · Plain of Six Glaciers
Reserve your Parks Canada shuttle for Moraine Lake weeks in advance, private vehicles have been banned since 2023, and sunrise slots vanish in minutes. Arrive at the Rockpile viewpoint early to beat the tour groups: the Valley of the Ten Peaks rising behind that impossibly blue water is the view that appeared on the Canadian twenty-dollar bill.
After an hour at the lake, take the shuttle to Lake Louise and hike the lakeshore to the Plain of Six Glaciers teahouse, about 8.4 miles round trip, moderate, for panoramic views of Victoria Glacier. The teahouse serves hot drinks and food, well worth the climb.
- Shuttle or bike access only · book the Parks Canada shuttle ahead
- ~8.4 mi RT · moderate · teahouse · Victoria Glacier views
- Lake Louise village · start the Icefields Parkway fresh · book a year out
- Private vehicles are banned at Moraine Lake, book the Parks Canada shuttle months ahead at reservation.pc.gc.ca.
- Sunrise shuttle slots vanish in minutes. If you miss them, bike the 14 km road from Lake Louise village.
- Plain of Six Glaciers is 8.4 mi round trip; the teahouse serves hot drinks and food, worth the climb.
Icefields Parkway South · Bow Lake & Peyto Lake
Begin the Icefields Parkway (Hwy 93) north from Lake Louise, widely considered one of the most scenic drives on Earth. Stop at Bow Lake for mirror reflections of Crowfoot Glacier, then continue to Peyto Lake, a wolf-shaped turquoise lake viewed from an overlook that is far quieter before 8 am or after 5 pm.
Where to sleep tonight: there are no towns and almost no cell service for the 144 miles between Lake Louise and Jasper. The only lodging on the route is The Crossing Resort at Saskatchewan River Crossing (roughly halfway) and Glacier View Lodge at the Columbia Icefield, both book out months ahead. Fill your tank at Saskatchewan River Crossing; it is the only gas on the Parkway. Download offline maps before you leave.
- Bow LakeEasy roadside stop · Crowfoot Glacier reflection · great morning light
- Peyto Lake viewpointShort walk to overlook · turquoise glacial water · quietest before 8 am
- Saskatchewan River CrossingOnly gas on the Parkway · fill up · no cell service beyond here
- Stay at The Crossing ResortHalfway point · one of only two lodges on the route · books months ahead
- There is no gas, no food, and almost no cell service between Lake Louise and Jasper. Fuel up at Saskatchewan River Crossing.
- The only lodging on the Parkway is The Crossing Resort and Glacier View Lodge, both book out months ahead.
- Peyto Lake is far quieter before 8 am or after 5 pm. Download offline maps before you leave Lake Louise.
Columbia Icefield · Wilcox Pass & Athabasca Falls
The Columbia Icefield straddles the Banff–Jasper border and feeds rivers flowing to three different oceans. Stop at the Icefield Centre for views of the Athabasca Glacier; the paid glacier walk on the ice itself is touristy but memorable. For a far better vantage, hike the Wilcox Pass Trail (about 5 miles / 8 km round trip, moderate) above the highway for an elevated view over the entire icefield.
Continue north to Athabasca Falls, a powerful horseshoe waterfall where the river funnels through a narrow quartzite gorge, just south of Jasper. Then roll into Jasper townsite, smaller and less commercial than Banff, and your base for tonight and tomorrow.
- Columbia Icefield / Athabasca GlacierIcefield Centre views · the glacier walk on the ice is a paid add-on
- ~5 mi / 8 km RT · moderate · elevated icefield view · bighorn sheep
- Athabasca FallsQuick paved viewpoints · powerful gorge falls · just south of Jasper
- 3-star hotel · Jasper townsite · Day 4 + 5 base · book ahead
- The Columbia Icefield feeds rivers flowing to three oceans. Stop at the Icefield Centre for Athabasca Glacier views.
- Wilcox Pass (about 5 mi / 8 km) climbs above the highway for an elevated view of the whole icefield.
- Athabasca Falls is a quick, thundering stop just south of Jasper, easy paved viewpoints.
Jasper & Maligne Lake · Spirit Island Cruise
Spend the day at Maligne Lake. Drive the Maligne Lake Road (about 45 minutes from Jasper townsite) to the lake. The famous Spirit Island view is reachable only by the Maligne Lake Cruise, a 90-minute guided boat tour, and the only way to reach the viewpoint (there is no road or trail to it). Book the cruise ahead in summer.
Getting home: this is a one-way route, so don't plan to drive back to Calgary tonight (about 5.5 hours). Overnight in Jasper and fly out of Edmonton (3.5 hours northeast) the next day, or make the return drive down the Parkway its own Day 6.
- Maligne Lake Cruise → Spirit Island90-min guided boat · the ONLY way to see Spirit Island · book ahead
- Getting home: fly Edmonton or return Day 6One-way route · Edmonton 3.5 hrs · or drive the Parkway back as Day 6
- The Spirit Island viewpoint is reachable only by the Maligne Lake Cruise, no road or trail leads to it. Book ahead.
- Drive the Maligne Lake Road (about 45 minutes from Jasper) and arrive early to catch the first cruises and quieter water.
- This is a one-way route. Overnight in Jasper and fly from Edmonton (3.5 hr), or make the drive back to Calgary its own Day 6.
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What we actually learned on the road.
Get the Parks Canada Discovery Pass
The annual Discovery Pass (about CAD $75) covers Banff, Jasper, and every Parks Canada site, and pays off quickly on a multi-day trip. Outside the Jun 19–Sep 7, 2026 free-admission window, you need a pass to enter.
Book the Moraine Lake shuttle months ahead
Private vehicles are banned at Moraine Lake, you must take the Parks Canada shuttle or bike in. Reserve at reservation.pc.gc.ca; sunrise slots vanish in minutes. Same-day tickets are not reliable.
Fuel up at Saskatchewan River Crossing
It is the only gas station on the 144-mile Icefields Parkway, and there is almost no cell service the whole way. Fill your tank and download offline maps before you leave Lake Louise.
Reserve Parkway lodging very early
The only two lodges between Lake Louise and Jasper, The Crossing Resort and Glacier View Lodge, fill up nearly a year ahead in summer. Book early, or plan to drive all the way through to Jasper on Day 3.
Late September is the secret season
July and August have the best weather, but late September brings golden larches, thinner crowds, and softer light. Trails and the Parkway are generally snow-free from late June through September.
Respect the wildlife
Grizzlies, black bears, and elk are common. Carry bear spray, keep 100 m from bears and 30 m from elk, and never get between a cow elk and her calf in spring. Elk often wander Banff townsite itself.
Everything you'll actually want to know.
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Banff & Jasper route.
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