Banff Road Trip

The continuous driving time for the entire Road Trip won’t be too long—there’s a worthwhile stop roughly every two hours. However, it’s still recommended to have at least two drivers in the car for rotation. During 80-90% of the Road Trip, there will be no signal. You need to download maps offline in advance or plot the navigation while still in a connected area before setting out. 🌟Lake names are marked for reference. Day 0 ✈️Fly to Calgary and check in at an airport hotel. Day 1 Get up early to secure shuttle bus tickets to Moraine Lake (two types available: Parks Canada tickets (open for advance booking or Last Minute). Advance tickets are mostly sold out; Last Minute tickets must be reserved at 8 AM Calgary time, two days before entering Lake Louise. Roam tickets (cover a wider range but are relatively pricier). 🚗Drive from Calgary to Banff Town. 🍽️Have lunch in Banff Town. 🚗After lunch, drive from Banff Town to Jasper, passing through 🌟Bow Lake and 🌟Peyto Lake (wildlife like bears and deer spotted en route). Personally, Peyto Lake is the most stunning—hike a 10+ minute mountain trail (slightly steep slope, but absolutely worth it for its vivid blue color (Figs. 1, 3)). Bow Lake’s turquoise hue is also breathtaking, right by the roadside—perfect for stopping to sightsee and take photos (Fig. 2). 🍽️Dine in Jasper Town. 🚗After dinner, drive to a homestay in Hinton Town. Day 2 🍽️Have breakfast in Jasper Town. 🚗Pass by 🌟Athabasca Falls. The waterfall isn’t enormous, but the water flow from the drop is spectacular. Many nearby trees are charred, yet vast greenery remains—worth a visit. 🚗Head to Columbia Glacier for a glacier adventure. Allocate ~2 hours for the experience: ~30 minutes walking on the glacier, plus over an hour for driving and the skywalk combined. The vast glacier is impressive, but only a small area is accessible for safety. Recommend thick-soled or waterproof boots and a windbreaker. 🍽️Dine in Hinton Town. Day 3 🚗Depart from Hinton Town for 🌟Moraine Lake and 🌟Lake Louise. Go rowing on Lake Louise (fees: CAD 160 for 30 minutes; CAD 170 for 1 hour—1 hour is needed for a round trip to the lake’s depths). 🚗Drive to Banff Town. 🍽️Have dinner in Banff Town. 🚗After dinner, check in at a homestay in Canmore. Day 4 🚗Drive from Canmore to 🌟Grassi Lake. 🍽️Lunch in Canmore. 🚗Drive to Calgary. 🍽️Dinner in Calgary. #Canada #Banff #TravelEnglish