Banff & Jasper Vacation Planning Guide

I wrote a lot about my trip to Banff and Jasper - but maybe you don't really care so much about how the mountains made me feel in awe of nature and the hours talking with my best friends made me feel giddy and grateful. 

Maybe you just want the basics - so you can easily plan your OWN trip and have your own feels about this wonderful place. I'll shut up and give you the deets. 

DAY ONE - BANFF

HIKES

SULPHUR MOUNTAIN TO COSMIC RAY STATION

Park at the Banff Upper Hot Springs 6.5 Miles

TUNNEL MOUNTAIN

Great for a sunset and views of Banff 1.5 Miles

ACTIVITIES

BANFF UPPER HOT SPRINGS

Great after a hike! Lockers and bathing suits available to rent.

DRIVE UP TO LAKE MINNEWANKA

Make stops at Johnson Lake, Two Jack Lake, Lake Minnewanka and Cascade Ponds

BOW FALLS

Drive by for a photo opp.

FOOD

COUGAR PETES

Classic breakfast foods at HI Banff Alpine Center Hostel- order the egg sandwich.

WILD FLOUR

Pick up fresh sandwiches, baked goods, soups and salads for a picnic lunch.

NESTER'S MARKET

Good for picking up snacks and staples.

SUSHI HOUSE

Conveyor belt sushi for cheap! There might be a wait, but it moves quickly and it's worth it. Don't fill up before the eel.

LODGING

FAIRMONT SPRINGS BANFF

If you can afford it, this is the place to stay.

RIMROCK RESORT

Another high-end option, high above town on Sulphur Mountain.

HI BANFF ALPINE CENTER HOSTEL

On-site restaurant and bar with karaoke - clean, but a bit off the main downtown streets. Affordable.

DAY TWO - BANFF --> LAKE LOUISE

HIKES / RUNS

VERMILLION LAKES

This is a great place for a long run - mix of trails, paved road, pretty scenery and fairly flat. Park at the Fenland Trailhead.

JOHNSTON CANYON TO INK POTS HIKE

Crowded and filled with tourists for the first half, but if you go later in the day you can have the beautiful Ink Pots almost to yourself! 6.3 Miles

FOOD

TOOLOULOU'S

Incredible brunch worth the wait! I recommend the Sufferin' Succotash.

LODGING

STORM MOUNTAIN LODGE

Adorable cabins in the woods with an incredible restaurant on-site. If you're staying here, you need to make a dinner reservation!

DAY THREE - LAKE LOUISE

HIKES

LAKE AGNES TEA HOUSE HIKE

You should 100% arrive to Lake Louise for the sunrise before hiking your way up to the Lake Agnes Tea House - you will not regret ordering the Chai tea latte and peanut butter sandwich.

BIG BEEHIVE HIKE

This is certainly steep in parts, but the view from high above Lake Louise was the most breathtaking of the trip. If you go to Big Beehive after the Lake Agnes Tea House it's a 6.4 mile hike.

ACTIVITIES

LAKE MORAINE

Many options to hike at Lake Moraine as well - or do what we did and just stop by for a picture!

LAKE LOUISE TOWN

We shopped around a bit in the few souvenir stores and picked up postcards to send home.

FOOD

TRAILHEAD CAFE

Part of a little strip mall in Lake Louise's main town area, Trailhead Cafe serves your standard pastries, sandwiches, soup, etc.

LAKE AGNES TEA HOUSE

Again - Chai tea latte and peanut butter sandwich. Keep in mind this spot is CASH ONLY.

STORM MOUNTAIN LODGE

Really, really great food. Creative, Canadian dishes - costly, but you'll be OK with it once you're enjoying your meal. (The French 75 cocktail is heavenly).

DAY FOUR - ICEFIELDS PARKWAY TO JASPER

RUNS / HIKES

BOW LAKE & BOW GLACIER FALLS HIKE

Flat, but lots of rocky terrain as you hike the 4.6 miles round-trip to the Bow Glacier Falls.

PEYTO LAKE OVERLOOK

Make sure you don't stop at the wooden overlook packed with throngs of tourists. Keep hiking to the more secluded overlook - I promise the stunning blue Peyto Lake will take your breath away. 1.2 Miles

TRAIL RUN - JASPER

There are tons of trail run options in Jasper - we went out on trail #12 to Red Squirrel Trail Run to Old Fort Point Road and the Athabasca River Loop before turning around and retracing our steps back to the hostel. 5 Miles

OTHER ACTIVITIES

SUNSET AT PATRICIA LAKE

I pretty little lake to watch the sunset - wear bug spray.

FOOD

NUM-TI-JAH LODGE

There's a sit down restaurant option as well as a gift shop/cafe with grab and go soups, salads and sandwiches. The bison chili was ridiculous.

JASPER BREWING COMPANY

While a lot of restaurants in Jasper aren't open too late - Jasper Brewing Company was hoppin' and their nachos were bangin'.

LODGING

JASPER DOWNTOWN HOSTEL

We loved that these dorms had their own bathrooms. A massive kitchen free for guests to use and very friendly staff. Clean, and right in the heart of town. We loved our stay here!

DAY FIVE - JASPER

HIKES / RUNS

TRAIN RUN

We parked at the Valley of the Five Lakes trail head but our trail run took us off the beaten path - 7 miles of absolute heaven!

MOOSE LAKE

This was a nice short walk after our cruise around Lake Maligne. 2.1 Miles

OTHER ACTIVITIES

LAKE MALIGNE LAKE CRUISE

I would highly recommend this activity - especially to folks who may not be able to do a ton of hiking during their trip. The sights are beautiful, you learn some interesting information, and you get the idyllic photo opportunity of Spirit Island.

SHOPPING IN JASPER

It's definitely worth the time to stop into some of the cute shops lining Connaught Dr. and Patricia St.

FOOD

LOULOU'S PIZZERIA

Nothing to write home about - but decent breakfast food for hungry runners.

SNOWDOME COFFEE BAR

A pretty cool cafe/laundromat combo situation with good iced Americanos.

OLIVE BISTRO

Pretty tasty Mediterranean Food.

DAY 6 - JASPER TO CALGARY

HIKES

STONEY SQUAW HIKE

We stopped back in Banff for one final hike on our drive from Jasper to Calgary. 2.7 Miles

OTHER ACTIVITIES

GLACIER ADVENTURE

Take a ride in a bad-ass ice exploring machine and step food on a glacier! Bonus points if you fill up your water bottle and drink the glacier water!

GLACIER SKYWALK

We stopped by because it was included in our ticket - but we didn't really enjoy it very much.

SWIM IN HERBERT LAKE

A cold but refreshing lake to stop for a roadside swim.

FOOD

BEAR'S PAW BAKERY

Oh my word did this place have a glorious selected of baked goods. We got a cinnamon bun that was bigger than my head.

NATIVE TONGUES

Mexican food in Calgary in a hip setting with great cocktails and HOMEMADE DONUTS.

LODGING

WYNDHAM GARDEN AIRPORT

A typical airport hotel.

OTHER SUGGESTIONS

BIKE RENTAL IN BANFF

$3 Hours for $35 (Including bike, lock, helmet)

ULTIMATE SKI & RIDE

$3 Hours for $35 (Including bike, lock, helmet)

BANFF LEGACY TRAIL

22 km + from Banff town to the town of Canmore

DINNER WITH A VIEW

JUNIPER BISTRO

What makes this hotel/restaurant a worthy stop on your trip? It's a three-way tie between the view, the vibe and the food. *You might want to pack bug spray if you plan on eating outside or enjoying a drink around the outdoor fire pit.