Banff

Spending late August in Canada's Rocky Mountains, the emerald alpine lakes remain unforgettable— one of my top favorite small trips! 🥰 First, flew to Calgary, Canada, picked up a rental car at the airport and drove to Banff Town. I chose to stay in Banff Town instead of nearby Canmore because parking in Banff is tricky. To avoid wasting time searching for spots, we parked the car at the hotel, letting us savor the town at a slower pace. 1️⃣ Day 1: Strolled around Banff Town: Bow River Cascade Garden Banff Town is small—most spots are walkable. The town brims with cute shops, restaurants, cafes, and bars. Highly recommend Canada Icecream! Their banana-flavored ice cream is delicious 🤤 2️⃣ Day 2: Banff Gondola to Sulphur Mountain Board Walk Continued exploring the town 3️⃣ Day 3: Lake Louise (super popular, so we arrived early to grab parking) Watched a stunning sunrise: Mountain peaks glowed golden, and the lake wasn’t turquoise—under the sun, it turned transparent, clear enough to see stones beneath the surface. Kayaked on Lake Louise Hiked the famous Big Beehive Trail for panoramic views of Lake Louise Highly recommended! 4️⃣ Day 4: Iconic Moraine Lake Again, we arrived before dawn (parking here is even smaller and fills up faster). By 5 AM, the lot was already 80% full. Witnessed a beautiful sunrise: red light bathing the mountains, and saw a cute cat playing by Moraine Lake. Moraine Lake’s color is a vivid, saturated blue— so breathtaking it left me speechless. I still can’t forget it… 5️⃣ Day 5: Drove via Bow Lake to Jasper National Park Visited Abraham Lake + Athabasca Falls 6️⃣ Day 6: Patricia & Pyramid Lakes (skip—nothing special) Maligne Canyon Spirit Island (Recommend taking a boat to see the lake from a different perspective) 7️⃣ Day 7: Yoho National Park: Emerald Lake Takakkaw Falls & Yoho Valley Drove back to Calgary, flew home the next day. #banff #banffguide #banffnationalpark #Canada #TravelEnglish