The Best of Banff in 3 Days
Banff National Park is located in the Canadian Rockies, less than two hours north of Calgary. The park has grown in popularity immensely over the last five years, making it one of the most recognizable parks in North America. The lakes were the bluest I’ve ever seen, surrounded by snow-capped mountains and dense forests. Banff National Park is an absolute must-do in this lifetime and a long summer weekend is the perfect time to see the highlights.
Accommodations: Hotels in Banff tend to be overpriced and often sell out quickly in the summer months. Standard hotels near town can run upwards of $250 per night. Be sure to reserve accommodations well in advance to avoid higher rates and sell outs. There are also a number of frontcountry camping sites in both Banff and Jasper National Parks. These campsites cost about $10 per night but often sell out quickly after online reservations are released, particularly on weekends and holidays.
🛏️Camping: Lake Louise Campground or Mosquito Creek Campground (Parks Canada)
🛏️Boutique: Lake Louise Inn
🛏️Luxury: Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise
Transportation: Renting a car is the most convenient and likely only way to complete this itinerary. To access Banff, you will need to fly into Calgary Airport and drive 1.5 hours to reach the park. There are a number of car rental companies at the airport. You will need to reserve a rental well in advance to ensure availability. Parking lots can be found at all the major sights.
Day 1: Lake Minnewanka & Johnston Canyon
Depending on your flight, you will arrive one night earlier and stay in Calgary or head straight to Banff the morning of your arrival. Either way, you’re in good shape to complete a day of boating and hiking, particularly with daylight ending between 9 PM and 10 PM. Pick up lunch from Wild Flour Bakery in Banff town and begin the day with a boat cruise on Lake Minnewanka. Motor boat rentals are available for $40. Enjoy a picturesque lunch on the boat before heading to Johnston Canyon. The trail to the Lower and Upper Falls is fairly easy, but if you have time, continue on the more moderate trail to the Ink Pots, where the hike opens up to a valley with several iridescent pools. The entire hike should take about 4 hours roundtrip. Dine and sleep overnight near Lake Louise for the most convenient accessibility to the lake in the morning.
📍Lunch: Wild Flour Banff's Artisan Bakery Café (To-Go)
📍Lake Minnewanka
📍Johnston Canyon
📍Dinner: Lakeview Lounge or Baker Creek Bistro
📍Overnight: Lake Louise Village
Day 2: Lake Louise & Morraine Lake
Pick-up breakfast to-go at Laggan’s near Lake Louise and begin the hike up Little Bee Trail. Once you’ve reached Agnes Tea House, continue hiking 15 minutes uphill to be rewarded with the most spectacular panoramic views of Lake Louise, Lake Agnes, and the surrounding Canadian Rockies. Head back down the trailhead to grab lunch at the tea house. After the hike, drive 20 minutes or take the local shuttle to Moraine Lake. After a leisurely stroll around the lake, head to dinner at Park Distillery in Banff Town for the locally distilled vodka and trout.
📍Breakfast: Laggan’s (To-Go)
📍Lake Louise
📍Hike to the end of Little Bee Hive Trail
📍Lunch: Lake Agnes Tea House
📍Moraine Lake
📍Dinner: Park Distillery
📍Overnight: Lake Louise Village
Day 3: Peyto Lake & Columbian Icefields
Begin the morning with another quick breakfast in town. Drive 40 km on the Icefield Parkway northwest of Lake Louise to reach the majestic Peyto Lake, best viewed at Bow Summit. The lake is oftentimes not viewable in cloudy weather, so if the weather isn't clear, it might be best to continue driving towards Abathasca Glacier and view the lake on the way back to Banff. Continue another 1.5 hours on the Parkway to reach the Columbian Icefields. Abathasca Glacier can be viewed from the parkway or you can opt to take a glacier trek or stroll the glacier skywalk. In my opinion, the glacier trek isn’t noteworthy if you’ve already walked glaciers in places like South America or Iceland and the skywalk is pricey ($40/ticket) for views that you see while driving anyway. Head back to Banff just in time to catch a sunset gondola ride to the top of the funicular where you’ll have dinner at Sky Bistro. Advance reservations are required.
📍Breakfast: To-Go
📍Peyto Lake
📍Columbian Ice Fields
📍Banff Gondola
📍Dinner: Sky Bistro
📍Overnight: Lake Louise Village
