The Canadian Rockies pack a castle hotel, two of the most photographed lakes on earth, and a 230km glacier-lined drive into a single week. This loop starts in Banff’s original hot-springs townsite, threads through Lake Louise and Moraine Lake, then follows the Icefields Parkway north to the Columbia Icefield and Jasper before looping back — with real hotels, tour operators, and 2026 prices to book before you go.
Day 1Arrive in Calgary, Transfer to Banff
Land at Calgary International Airport and head straight into the mountains — a direct shuttle covers the roughly two hours to Banff, with the evening free to walk the townsite before the trip properly begins.
🚐 Banff Airporter — Calgary Airport (YYC) to Banff
~1h45min–2 hours · CAD $88.90 / ~$64 USD per person, one-way
Direct scheduled shuttles meet major flight arrivals at Calgary International Airport and drop at Banff hotels — no rental car needed for the mountain-town legs of this trip.
Banff Airporter · 1 (888) 449-2901 · banffairporter.com
📸 Banff Avenue & Bow Falls at Sunset
~1.5 hours · Free
Banff’s main strip runs straight at Cascade Mountain, and a short walk south leads to Bow Falls and the Surprise Corner viewpoint over the Fairmont Banff Springs — an easy first look at the townsite before the busier days ahead.
🛎️ Overnight — Fairmont Banff Springs
From $420–620 USD / night, for 2 people
A castle-like 1888 railway hotel set against Sulphur Mountain and the Bow River, with stone turrets, wood-paneled corridors, and a golf course built into the valley floor below.
Fairmont Banff Springs · +1 403 762 2211 · www.fairmont.com/banff-springs
Day 2Banff Gondola & Upper Hot Springs
A full day inside Banff’s original townsite attractions — a ridge-line gondola above the treeline, then a soak in the same mineral springs that got the national park established in 1885.
🚡 Banff Gondola — Sulphur Mountain
~8 min ascent · CAD $67 / ~$48 USD per person, round trip
A glass-enclosed gondola climbs 698m to Sulphur Mountain’s summit ridge, where a boardwalk leads past the historic Sanson’s Peak weather station to 360-degree views over six mountain ranges.
Pursuit Banff Jasper Collection · 1 (866) 506-0515 · www.banffjaspercollection.com
♨️ Banff Upper Hot Springs
~1–2 hours · Est. CAD $21 / ~$15 USD per person
Mineral hot springs piped straight from the mountain into a restored 1930s bathhouse at the base of Sulphur Mountain — the reason the whole national park exists, and still open-air with Mount Rundle views from the water.
🍽️ Dinner in Banff
Est. $35–55 USD / person
On your own — Banff Avenue and the side streets around it are dense with options, from elk burgers to upscale Canadian tasting menus.
🛎️ Overnight — Fairmont Banff Springs
From $420–620 USD / night, for 2 people
Second night at the same hotel.
Fairmont Banff Springs · +1 403 762 2211 · www.fairmont.com/banff-springs
Day 3Lake Louise & Moraine Lake
The two lakes that put the Canadian Rockies on every postcard — a glacier-fed turquoise basin below the Victoria Glacier, then a second lake ringed by the Valley of the Ten Peaks a short shuttle ride away.
🚌 Parks Canada Lake Louise & Moraine Lake Shuttle
Return trip · CAD $12.75 + $3.50 booking fee / ~$12 USD per person
Private vehicles are banned on both lake roads in summer — this Parks Canada shuttle from the Lake Louise Park & Ride is the main way in, with a connector included to reach Moraine Lake the same day. Reserve online in advance; peak-season departures sell out.
Parks Canada Reservation Service · 1-877-737-3783 · reservation.pc.gc.ca
🥾 Lake Agnes Tea House Trail
~7km round trip, 2.5–3 hours · Tea house cash-only
A switchback trail climbs from the Chateau’s lakeshore to a hidden alpine tarn, where a log tea house built in 1901 serves tea and baked goods with no road access — everything is packed in on foot.
🛎️ Overnight — Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise
From $380–560 USD / night, for 2 people
Built directly on Lake Louise’s northeast shore, with the Victoria Glacier framed in nearly every lake-facing room.
Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise · +1 403 522 3511 · www.fairmont.com/lake-louise
Day 4Icefields Parkway to Jasper
One of the world’s great scenic drives, done without a rental car — a full day north past glaciers and waterfalls to the Columbia Icefield, ending in Jasper National Park.
🚌 SunDog Tours — Lake Louise to Jasper Sightseeing Glacier Adventure
~11–12 hours · CAD $329 / ~$237 USD per person (includes Columbia Icefield Adventure & Glacier Skywalk)
A guided coach runs the full Icefields Parkway with photo stops at Bow Lake, Peyto Lake, and Athabasca Falls, plus a built-in stop at the Columbia Icefield for the Ice Explorer ride onto the Athabasca Glacier and the glass-floored Glacier Skywalk.
SunDog Transportation and Tour Co. · 1-780-852-4056 · www.sundogtours.com
🛎️ Overnight — Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge
From $280–420 USD / night, for 2 people
A lakeside cabin resort on Lac Beauvert just outside Jasper townsite — the most laid-back of the trip’s three Fairmont stops, spread across the property rather than stacked in one tower.
Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge · +1 780 852 3301 · www.fairmont.com/jasper
Day 5Maligne Lake & Spirit Island
Jasper’s signature lake day — the longest lake in the Canadian Rockies, a boat ride out to its famous island, and a limestone canyon walk back in town.
🚤 Maligne Lake Cruise to Spirit Island
~90 minutes round trip · CAD $115 / ~$83 USD per person
A narrated cruise runs the length of Maligne Lake to Spirit Island, the glacier-fed sandbar peninsula that’s one of the most photographed spots in the Rockies, with a short shore stop before the return.
Pursuit Banff Jasper Collection · 1 (866) 506-0515 · www.banffjaspercollection.com
🏞️ Maligne Canyon Walk
~1.5 hours · Free
A network of footbridges crosses one of the deepest canyons in the Canadian Rockies, where the Maligne River has carved 50-meter limestone walls a short drive from town.
🍽️ Dinner in Jasper
Est. $30–50 USD / person
On your own — Jasper’s compact townsite has a good run of casual and elk-or-bison-forward spots along Connaught Drive and Patricia Street.
🛎️ Overnight — Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge
From $280–420 USD / night, for 2 people
Second night at the same lodge.
Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge · +1 780 852 3301 · www.fairmont.com/jasper
Day 6Jasper SkyTram & Return to Banff
A last Jasper summit before the long, scenic run back south — the Icefields Parkway again, this time with a detour into Johnston Canyon.
🚡 Jasper SkyTram — Whistlers Mountain
~7 min ascent · CAD $80 / ~$58 USD per person, round trip
Western Canada’s highest and longest aerial tramway climbs to the sub-alpine station on Whistlers Mountain, with a trail continuing to the true summit at 2,464m for a last look over the Athabasca Valley.
Pursuit Banff Jasper Collection · 1 (866) 506-0515 · www.banffjaspercollection.com
🚌 SunDog Tours — Jasper to Banff via Icefields Parkway
~10–11 hours · CAD $339 / ~$244 USD per person
The return run south stops at Johnston Canyon for the catwalk trail to its Lower Falls, along with photo stops at Peyto Lake and Bow Lake before dropping into Banff townsite by early evening.
SunDog Transportation and Tour Co. · 1-780-852-4056 · www.sundogtours.com
🛎️ Overnight — Rimrock Banff, Emblems Collection
From $300–420 USD / night, for 2 people
A modern cliffside hotel just above the Banff Gondola base, with valley and Bow Range views from most rooms — a change of scenery for the trip’s last Banff night.
Rimrock Banff, Emblems Collection · 1-888-746-7625 · www.rimrockresort.com
Day 7Depart from Banff
A slow final morning in the townsite before the transfer back to Calgary for the flight home.
📸 Cascade of Time Garden & Bow River Trail
~1 hour · Free
A short walk from downtown, the terraced fountains of the Cascade Gardens frame Cascade Mountain — a quiet last stop before heading to the airport.
🚐 Banff Airporter — Banff to Calgary Airport (YYC)
~1h45min–2 hours · CAD $88.90 / ~$64 USD per person, one-way
The same scheduled shuttle service, timed to major flight departure windows — build in the full two hours plus airport buffer time.
Banff Airporter · 1 (888) 449-2901 · banffairporter.com
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