Full Itinerary
Where To Stay In Banff
Banff has some incredible accommodation you should definitely take advantage of on your visit. We chose the Banff Buffalo Mountain Lodge and could not have been happier. It was beautiful with wood beams and a magical chalet style feel. The hot tub also had incredible views and was a must in -15C. We spent a lot of time in there! The Fairmont Banff is a great luxury choice and there are also hostels in Banff that I have linked and some other midrange options with great hot tubs.
Day 1 Banff at a glance
Start your day off with one of our favourite attractions in the park, Johnston Canyon. This goes to an incredible frozen waterfall through a gorge, it is insane. After your hike grab lunch in town and then drive to Two jack Lake and Lake Minnewanka. You can walk on the frozen lakes here or go skating, and it is a very Canadian experience. Take some picture of the iconic red Adirondack chairs and the famous Mt Rundle. After your explorations head back to your lodge for a soak in the hot tub and drinks and dinner at Prow.
Two Jack Lake / Lake Minnewanka
Head to Two jack Lake to walk on the frozen lake and take picture of the iconic red Adirondack chairs and the famous Mt Rundle. This famous view is a 5 minute walk from the parking lot and a great spot to hangout. Minnewanka is only 10 minutes up the road. This whole area is crazy pretty and there is a high likelihood of seeing wildlife, so keep your eyes out.
Drinks & Dinner At Prow
The restaurant Prow is at Buffalo Mountain Lodge and is sooo good.
Day 2 Banff at a glance
Wake up and have breakfast at the hotel, then walk around Banff town. There are a little of cute shops, pretty streets and nice cafes. Grab a coffee and have lunch, then go Dog Sledding. Dog Sledding starts in Lake Louise village so meet the company there. After sledding, go explore Lake Louise to end the day! Go back into Banff for dinner.
Dog Sledding
We went Dog Sledding with Kingmik and it was a magical experience. The tours have different timings, we did a 2pm and it was perfect. Book this in advance! The dogs were super cute and friendly and loved to run with the sleds. I can’t believe we waited this long to do this. We sledded up Lake O’hara forestry road and it was beautiful. It is a bit expensive, $325-$525 for two people depending on duration, so if it is too much go to Yamnuska Wolf dog centre. You can see the wolf dogs here and learn all about them.
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Johnston Canyon
Johnston Canyon is an incredible natural canyon with ice blue water that completely freezes over in winter. It is 2.5 km to the upper falls each way and worth every step. The boardwalk and frozen waterfall views are incredible. Bring your micro spikes it can get slippery!
Visit Lake Louise
If you are in the are you have to check out Lake Louise. Louise is one of the most famous lakes in the entire world for good reason, It is absolutely stunning. The Fairmont hotel on the lake was built in 1893 and is a luxury experience in itself.
NOTE:In summer the parking is wildly expensive at $36.75 and very difficult to get. In winter its free and there are lots of spots 🙂
Banff Town
Stop in Banff town before dog sledding and go back into town for dinner. There are so many good outdoor stores and even an annual Christmas store. There is a brewery and some cafe and restaurant choices that I have linked depending on your budget. For an ultimate Canadian experience, get a beaver tail!
Day 3 In Banff
Make sure to go skiing or snowboarding. The Rockies have some of the best in the world, so you do not want to miss this. This is a full day activity as it is $100 plus for a ticket. I recommend Lake Louise Resort as the views are the most impressive. After skiing head back to your place to hot tub or go to Banff Upper Hot Springs. These are really affordable at under $20 and have good views of the mountain. Maybe go to a Brewery or a dinner after! If skiing is not your thing there are a lot of areas to go cross country skiing or snow shoeing too! Canmore Nordic Centre is a great spot for this.
Day 4 head to Jasper
Icefields Parkway
This highway goes from Lake Louise to Jasper. If you want to do the glacier tour and you book in advance it is about 2 hours. You need to book this in advance. The skywalk is closed in winter. When we were there we just drove 40 minutes to Peyto Lake and the drive was perfect for us. See my tips on Peyto Lake to find the best spot. This drive takes about 3-5 hours depending how many stops your take. Make sure you have good tires in winter. Bow Lake, Sunwapta Falls and Athabasca Falls are also must sees on this drive. There is also a good coffee shop and rest area near the Columbia Glacier.
When in Jasper, I recommend staying at the Fairmont, as it is the most iconic stay. However, if that is above your budget or if it is booked out, check out booking.com and read the reviews. You can't go wrong in Jasper.
Day 5 Jasper
Spend this day skiing, snowboarding or even cross country skiing at Marmot Basin. This is a gorgeous ski hill and a must. If skiing is not your thing, stroll Jasper town, enjoy the hotel amenities, and go on a snow shoe adventure.
Day 6 Jasper
On this day, make sure to explore the trails and nature in Jasper. Head to Maligne Lake where you can rent snow shoes or even walk the shores of the lake. In the afternoon, head to Miette Hot Springs, which is a gorgeous man made hot spring at the base of Sulphur Mountain. There are some great breweries and restaurants in Jasper and little cute shops to stroll around too. Since Jasper is so up north, you can also see the northern lights if you are lucky, so always check the forecast!
Day 7 Icefields Parkway
Drive back from Jasper and stop at any spots on the Icefield's Parkway that you want to redo or stop again! Either go to the airport for your flight home, or stay in Canmore, which is a bit closer to Calgary than Banff. Canmore is a really cute mountain town that is way less busy than Banff and has a lot of cute stores and restaurants
