The Best 7-Day Canadian Rockies Road Trip: Canadian Rockies Itinerary
Welcome to your guide to the ultimate 7-day Canadian Rockies road trip! This guide will help you plan the best week-long Canadian Rockies itinerary to Banff National Park, Jasper National Park, and Yoho National Park.
I built an awesome itinerary for Alex and me when we visited Alberta, Canada. We allocated a few days in our Canadian Rockies itinerary to each park to see just about everything! Even though we weren’t able to see everything we wanted due to the smoke from wildfires, we still loved our time there.
I’m excited to share with you the best of the best to help you build an amazing itinerary for your trip! This guide will review everything you need to know to plan the best Canadian Rockies road trip, including must-see sights, things to know for each national park, and what to pack.
Tip 1: When you enter the first park, make sure to buy passes for the total number of days you will be in the parks. Those passes will be good for all three national parks!
Tip 2: If you have or can rent camping gear or a campervan, I highly recommend it. There are campgrounds everywhere in the Canadian Rockies that are close to the national parks. If you are interested in renting a campervan, I highly recommend renting from Escape Campervans!
Tip 3: Always remember to leave no trace. It’s crucial to pack out what you pack in and leave no trash. Some of these spots have trash bins, so you can easily throw your trash away. If they don’t have trash bins, you can throw your trash away at a nearby gas station or convenience store.
Tip 4: Don’t forget travel insurance! Travel Insurance Master researches insurance options for you and finds a perfect match based on your needs! You don’t need to worry about anything other than planning your vacation!
Tip 5: Always remember to leave no trace. It is crucial to pack out what you pack in and leave no trash. Some of these spots have trash bins, so you can easily throw your trash away. If they do not have trash bins, you can throw your trash away at a nearby gas station or convenience store.
NOTE: Jasper was impacted by wildfires in July 2024. To stay updated, please visit here.
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Day 1 - 2 on the Canadian Rockies Road Trip
It is time to fly into Calgary International Airport or Edmonton International Airport , rent a car and begin your drive to Jasper National Park! We flew into Calgary because there were better flight options, so it took us 5 hours to drive to Jasper National Park.
If you fly into Edmonton, the drive to Jasper is only 3.5 hours. Either way, you will be spending a good amount of time driving on the first day of your Canadian Rockies itinerary. If you drive from Calgary, you can stop on the Icefields Parkway on the way to take in the insanely beautiful views.
Travel Tips:
Where to stay : I recommend staying in Jasper. It provides easy access to sights in Jasper National Park and has plenty of hotels, an endless amount of restaurants and a good grocery stores with decent prices, so you are golden if you stay here! We loved our stay at the Jasper House Bungalows.
Things to know before you go : Be mindful of wildfires when you plan your visit to the Canadian Rockies. This isn’t something you have to watch out for every year, but Alex and I visited in August when the wildfires were SO BAD. The visibility and air quality were very poor most days.
Tips and Tricks : Jasper National Park can become very busy mid-day, so I suggest starting your explorations earlier in the day. When you wait until later in the day, there will be busloads of people coming in.
Things to Do:
Once you arrive in Jasper, you can check into your accommodation, buy some food, and get settled since you will be here for a few days. You will have plenty of time to explore everything Jasper National Park has to offer!
Pyramid Lake and Patricia Lake will be your go-to spots for sunrise or sunset. Pyramid Lake was the most beautiful sunrise location. There is a small island in the middle of the lake that is the perfect location to watch the sunrise. Don’t worry, you don’t have to swim to get to the island. There is a small bridge a short distance from the parking lot.
Medicine Lake and Maligne Lake are some of the most iconic lakes in Jasper National Park. Besides offering picture-perfect photography spots, Maligne Lake is a great spot to canoe, kayak, or rowboat. There is also a cruise that brings you into the 14-mile long glacier lake and near Spirit Island which is one of the most photographed spots in the Canadian Rockies! If you would rather view the lake from land, there is an easy 1.7-mile roundtrip hike that brings you along the shores of Maligne Lake and Moose Lake.
Lake Annette and Edith Lake are more beautiful lakes than Jasper National Park offers. These two lakes offer some of the best and most beautiful swimming spots! If you aren’t willing to jump into glacier waters (I feel you, I didn’t want to either), you can view Lake Annette from a 1.7-mile paved trail. Kayaking and paddleboarding are also big activities here.
Valley of Five Lakes is one of the most iconic hikes in Jasper National Park. There are two hikes- 6 miles and 3 miles roundtrip- that bring you around five beautiful, blue/green lakes. The third and fourth are the most beautiful, in my opinion, and make perfect picnic locations! Because this is a very popular hike, I recommend arriving at the trailhead early. The parking lot can be full by 9:00 AM!
Are you looking for a perfect, bright blue swimming hole to jump into? Well, you are in luck! Horseshoe Lake is the perfect cliff jumping lake in Jasper National Park. An easy 1-mile hike leads you to 25-foot cliffs that are perfect for cliff jumping! Another awesome feature of this lake is the clarity of the water! Even though it is a very deep lake, you can see very far into the water. It is almost crystal clear! If cliff jumping isn’t something you want to partake in, don’t fret! It is still a great lake to view from the cliffs.
*If you want to read more in-depth about the park, check out my Jasper National Park blog post.
Day 3 on the Canadian Rockies Road Trip
It is time to pack up and start the drive on one of the most beautiful roads on the planet. The Icefields Parkway is an incredible road that connects Jasper National Park and Banff National Park, and most of your Canadian Rockies itinerary on this day will be spent on it!
Travel Tips:
Where to stay: After you finish your Icefields Parkway drive, I recommend staying in Banff or Canmore. Canmore tends to be cheaper than Banff and is only 20 minutes south of Banff. Both have plenty of hotels, an endless amount of restaurants, and great grocery stores. This will be your home base for the remainder of your trip! We stayed at the Blackstone Mountain Lodge and loved our time there.
Things to know before you go: The Icefields Parkway can be a great place to see wildlife, so keep an eye out when you are driving because they can run out of nowhere!
Tips and Tricks: The Icefields Parkway is a very popular road, so sights here can be very crowded. As always, I recommend starting the drive early to allow for more time exploring and fewer crowds.
Things to Do:
There is SO much to see on the Icefields Parkway, so I recommend stopping at every possible overlook area. It is well worth it, I promise!
Craving a waterfall? Don’t fret! Athabasca Falls aren’t huge falls, but it has a beautiful backdrop of Mt. Kerkeslin. There is a short hike that brings into the canyon the falls flow into and offers beautiful views of the blue waters. This is a very popular area, so parking can be very limited
Now it is time to see the most-visited glacier in North America! Athabasca Glacier is part of the Columbia Icefield, which is the only remaining part of what used to be a huge ice mass covering most of Western Canada. Many of the tallest mountains in the Canadian Rockies are situated here, so the views are AMAZING! There is a 1-mile hike called Toe of the Athabasca Glacier that brings you near the glacier. If you want to get up close and personal with Athabasca Glacier, there are tours that bring you to the beauty! There is also a glass-floored Skywalk that offers beautiful views!
I know this next lake is what you have all been waiting for. Peyto Lake is one of the most beautiful lakes in the WORLD. It is unworldly. And yes, the waters are THAT blue. A 2-mile paved trail leads you to the iconic spot where you will be one of a million people taking in the view. If you are looking to get away from the crowds, you can follow the trail to Bow Valley Summit which offers more beautiful views of the lake from the south looking north. Even with crowds, you will enjoy your time here!
Another beautiful but less-known lake is Bow Lake. You don’t hear much about this lake, but it is well worth a visit! It is one of the largest lakes in Banff National Park sitting at an elevation over 6,000 feet. If you are looking for a reflection shot, this is the lake for you! Clear skies and calm waters allow for a beautiful reflection of its neighbor Bow Summit. This is also a great place for sunrise or sunset!
Once you arrive in Banff National Park, it is time to check into your accommodation, grab some food, and rest up for more adventures to come on your Canadian Rockies road trip.
Day 4 on the Canadian Rockies Road Trip
I hope you are not over beautiful lakes because you have so many more to see on your Canadian Rockies itinerary! It is time to drive 1.5 hours from Banff and visit Yoho National Park!
Travel Tips:
Where to stay: Since this is a day trip in this itinerary, you will not have to worry about accommodations. If you want to spend the night near Yoho National Park, there are beautiful lodges you can stay in, but they can be expensive. I recommend spending the night in Banff or Canmore and making a day trip instead.
Things to know before you go: Again, be mindful of wildfires when you plan your visit to the Canadian Rockies. When Alex and I visited in August, the wildfires were worse near Yoho National Park.
Tips and Tricks: I suggest packing food for your day trip to Yoho National Park. Eating at the lodges can be expensive, and there aren’t many other food options!
Things to Do:
Yoho National Park is the neighbor of Banff National Park and Jasper National Park but it lesser-known. It is a perfect day trip to get beautiful views with fewer crowds!
Yoho National Park is home to the second tallest waterfall in Canada! A 30-minute drive off of the Trans-Canada Hwy will lead you to Takakkaw Falls. A short walk from the parking lot will bring you up close and personal to this beauty of a waterfall. I LOVED this spot. We had the entire place to ourselves, and the views were beyond beautiful If you are looking to hike, this is a great area for it! One of the best hikes is a moderate 6-mile roundtrip hike that leads to Yoho Lake!
Now it is time to visit an iconic lake. Emerald Lake is the largest lake in Yoho National Park and is one of the most iconic in the area. There is so much to do at Emerald Lake, so make sure to allocate some time to be here! There is an easy 3.5-mile hike that brings you around the shores of the lake. You can also rent rowboats and canoes to explore this beautiful lake which I highly recommend doing! If you are looking to catch the sunset in Yoho National Park, this is the spot for it!
In the western parts of Yoho National Park lies Wapta Falls. Although not tall like Takakkaw Falls, Wapta Falls will impress you with its power. In terms of water volume, it is the largest waterfall in Yoho National Park coming in at 59 feet tall and 330 feet wide. An easy 3-mile roundtrip hike will allow you to get up close and personal with Wapta Falls.
Now, it is time to talk about the mystical land of Lake O’Hara. If you want to visit this beautiful place, you will have to book your bus spot for 3 months in advance. These tickets sell out as soon as they go on sale, so I highly recommend being on your A-game if you want to be one of the lucky individuals who get a reservation. Lake O’Hara is home to some of the most beautiful photography spots and awesome hikes. The Lake Oesa Trail is one of the easier hikes in the area that brings you to AMAZING views of the area. The 4-mile roundtrip trail is well worth it.
Crazy fact: About 17,000 people enter the park each year and only 1,000 of them get to venture to Lake O’Hara.
After exploring Yoho National Park, it is time to head back to your accommodation to eat and rest up for a fun-filled next few days in your Canadian Rockies itinerary!
*If you want to read more in-depth about the park, check out my Yoho National Park blog post.
Day 5-6 on the Canadian Rockies Road Trip
It is the moment you have all been waiting for on your Canadian Rockies itinerary… It is finally time to explore the magical land of Banff National Park. The 4,000 square miles of Banff National Park hold some of the most beautiful sights from majestic mountains to amazing wildlife. You can do just about anything your heart desires! If you have extra time, I highly recommend spending at least 4 days exploring everything Banff has to offer!
Fun Fact: Banff National Park is Canada’s first national park.
Travel Tips:
Where to stay: I recommend continuing to stay in the same accommodation you have been in either Banff or Canmore.
Things to know before you go: Again, be mindful of wildfires when you plan your visit to the Canadian Rockies. This isn’t something you have to watch out for every year, but Alex and I visited in August when the wildfires were SO BAD. The visibility and air quality were very poor most days.
Tips and Tricks: Banff National Park can be very busy at any point in the day. Some parking lots were closed at 6 AM because they were already full! If you are looking to catch the sunrise at some of the iconic places, you will need to arrive super early to be able to park. (I’ll talk about this more below.)
Things to Do:
There are SO MANY spots to visit in Banff, and I will only touch on a few I found the most beautiful, but make sure to pull over everywhere you can because every spot is worth the time! You can also add many easy hikes in Banff to your bucket list!
Lake Louise and Moraine Lake will be your go-to spots for sunrise! There are easy trails that bring you around each shoreline, but I think the best views are at the first viewpoint area. It will be packed, but you will be able to find a great spot to take pictures or just watch the sunrise.
Note: Moraine Lake is closed to personal vehicles to help alleviate traffic and congestion at the spot. Instead, you have to use the public shuttle bus system.
Johnston Canyon is one of my favorite spots in Banff National Park. The 3-mile roundtrip hike will bring you through a beautiful canyon along Johnston Creek. Oh, and there are multiple waterfalls along the way! If you want to hike more once you are at Upper Falls (the last waterfall), don’t fret! An additional 2-mile hike leads to the Ink Pots. These are green-colored mineral springs that sit in a beautiful meadow.
Two Jack Lake and Lake Minnewanka are more beautiful lakes that Banff National Park offers! Lake Minnewanka has a 1-mile hike along the lakeshore called Steward Canyon Trail that offers beautiful views of the lake. There is also a cruise that brings you into the beautiful lake waters.
Norquay Lookout is a beautiful spot at the top of a winding road on the side of the Norquay Ski Area. There is an open field at the top offering breathtaking views of Bow Valley and the town of Banff. This is a perfect spot to have a picnic!
Bow Valley Parkway is a must-see scenic drive that runs parallel to the Trans-Canada Highway for 30 miles. It is a great alternative drive between Banff and Lake Louise once you have already explored the Icefields Parkway. This is an awesome spot to see wildlife, especially if you drive on it in the morning. We saw moose, deer, and bears on this road! There are many beautiful pull-off areas on the road, too!
Although there are a lot of mountains in Alberta, Castle Mountain stood out to Alex and me. There is a pull-off area offering an awesome view of the mountain, or you can hike 4.5 miles on the Castle Mountain Lookout Trail to get a better view!
Rockbound Lake and Tower Lake are blue lakes on top of mountains. The difficult 10-mile roundtrip hike is well worth the effort once you arrive at the alpine lakes in the middle of the mountains. It is an insane sight to see!
Storm Mountain Lookout and Morant’s Curve are two pull-off spots that do not require hiking to enjoy the views. Morant’s Curve is one of the most photographed spots in Banff National Park! If you plan it right, you will be able to capture the classic picture of a train driving along the blue river.
PHEW! What an action-packed two days exploring Banff National Park! It is time to relax and prepare for the journey home.
*If you want to read more in-depth about the park, check out my Banff National Park blog post.
Day 7 on the Canadian Rockies Road Trip
If you are feeling up to it, I highly recommend adding a sunrise at Bow Lake, Peyto Lake, Moraine Lake, Lake Louise, Two Jack Lake, or Lake Minnewanka to your Canadian Rockies itinerary on your last day. No matter which lake you choose, the morning golden light will create breathtaking views! Then it is time to start the 1.5-hour drive to Calgary Airport to head home.
What to Pack for a Canadian Rockies Road Trip
Hiking Boots: If you want comfort and support on your trip, hiking boots are the go to.
Hiking Socks: Having moisture-wicking and comfortable hiking socks are just as important for exploring.
Hiking Backpack: You need something to carry all your food, clothes, and anything else you need while adventuring, so having a supportive hiking backpack is crucial.
Hydration Reservoir/Water Bottles: While hiking or just exploring, it is important to have enough water! I always pack a hydration reservoir.
Jackets: The weather is unpredictable, so I always pack a rain jacket and insulated jacket.
Ten Essentials: The Ten Essentials are crucial for hiking!
Microspikes: If you plan on winter hiking, you will need to bring microspikes.
Snowshoes: Also if you hike in the winter, you may need snowshoes.
WOW! What an incredible 7-day Canadian Rockies road trip! This Canadian Rockies itinerary offers the flexibility to change any of the days if you feel the need to. It is a great starting point to create the perfect Canadian Rockies road trip!
Hey, I’m Nichole!
I am the creator behind Nichole the Nomad, the home of my explorations around the world, mountain hikes, and beautiful pictures taken along the way. I have a deep passion for capturing the world in a beautiful light and sharing my experiences.
I created this blog to share my travels, show how beautiful the world is, provide tips and tricks for traveling, and encourage you to explore. Whether you want to travel across the world or explore what’s in your backyard, I hope this blog inspires you to get outside and find your adventure!
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