Icefields Parkway (Summer and Warmer Months)

The Icefields Parkway running from Banff to Jasper is one of the great drives in the world. Block out a full day for it. Stop at Peyto Lake — yes, it looks fake, it is real, go. Stop at Mistaya Canyon, which is genuinely underrated and gets far less traffic than it deserves. Walk down into the canyon carved by the river over thousands of years. It is stunning and takes about 30 minutes round trip.

Stop at the Columbia Icefield for the Athabasca Glacier and the Skywalk if it fits your itinerary. The Explorer Tour to walk on the glacier itself is the recommended experience.

The tip we swear by: Use the Guide Along audio driving tour app on the Icefields Parkway. Download it before you go and it narrates as you drive, covering the history, geology, and stories of everything you pass. We learned more about the Canadian Rockies in that one drive than from any amount of pre-trip reading. It completely changes the experience. Worth every penny of the paid version.