3 Days in Banff National Park (+ A Half Day in Yoho You Can't Skip)
Banff is one of those places that looks like a screensaver and somehow still exceeds expectations in person. Three days isn't a lot of time, but with the right itinerary, it's enough to hit the highlights, stumble into a few moments you didn't plan for, and leave already thinking about when you're coming back.
This itinerary is built for people who actually want to do Banff, not just photograph it from the parking lot. We're talking early morning starts before the crowds show up, a half day across in Yoho National Park that most visitors completely skip, and enough flexibility to eat well, recover, and still feel like you squeezed every last drop out of the Canadian Rockies.
We packed in Lake Louise, Moraine Lake, Johnston Canyon, the Icefields Parkway, and Emerald Lake in Yoho, without it ever feeling like a checklist. A few things helped: knowing which spots require a shuttle (and booking ahead), knowing when to arrive before the parking lots hit capacity, and being willing to set an alarm for 5am when it's worth it.
If you've got three days and a car, this is exactly how we'd spend them.
