Day 1 Banff
Johnston Canyon, The Lakes & Town
Start your day off with one of our favourite attractions in the park, Johnston Canyon. Johnston Canyon is an incredible natural canyon with crazy blue water and incredible canyon paths with waterfalls. The drive there also offers great chances to spot wildlife!
After your hike grab lunch in town and then drive to Two jack Lake. You can swim and paddleboard with the mountains in the background here and it’s a very Canadian experience. Take some pictures of the iconic red Adirondack chairs and the famous Mt Rundle. Drive up the road another 10 minutes to see Lake Minnewanka. After your explorations head back to Banff town and walk around and have dinner. There are a lot of cute shops here and they are open late.
Day 2 Banff
Lake Louise And The Beehives
Lake Louise is its own municipality but you would be crazy to come all the way to Banff and not see Louise. Get up early and head to Lake Louise to make sure you get a parking spot. It is crazy busy in summer here and parking is $36.75 per day so make the most of it. Hike the Iconic Beehives or at least to Lake Agnes Tea House, then come down and canoe on the lake. The Big Beehive is 10km 700m return and the Little Beehive is 8km 650m. Both trails bring you to the scenic Lake Agnes Teahouse on the way which is a great spot to grab a snack! We did both in one day!
Canoeing here is a magical experience and worth the price tag. All info on all the Lake Louise hikes are listed in the things to do section!
Canoeing is pricey so you can also just bring your own paddleboard or kayak if you have one! You do need to get it inspected at the lakeside hut before putting it in the water or you could get fined.
Day 3 Banff
Moraine Lake, Grassi Lakes and Banff Gondola
Sunrise At Moraine Lake
Moraine lake is without a doubt one of the most magnificent places in the world. I know its an early start but the 4:30 wake up for the Moraine Lake sunrise tour is a magical experience. You need to book this in advance. If you bring a head lamp and walk a little bit past the lookout there are lots of spot to have the view to yourself. Bring a blanket and an extra jacket. After the lake drive to Canmore for lunch. This town is super cute and has a lot of cafes and shops. Hike the Grassi Lakes hike in the afternoon. This is a fairly easy hike, but it brings you to some really unique lakes.
Head to Banff after and walk around and catch the Banff gondola for sunset. You do need to book this in advance.
