Canadian Rockies: The Ultimate M
7 day Roadigo trip with 25 stops: Calgary → Banff → Lake Louise → Icefields Parkway → Jasper → Canmore → Calgary
Calgary → Banff → Lake Louise → Icefields Parkway → Jasper → Canmore → Calgary
Arrival & Banff Intro
Pick up your SUV (highly recommend AWD for mountain roads) and grab some supplies. It’s a straight shot west on the Trans-Canada Highway.
Calgary International Airport (YYC)
Pick up your SUV (highly recommend AWD for mountain roads) and grab some supplies. It’s a straight shot west on the Trans-Canada Highway.
Banff Town
Stretch your legs and grab a bison burger for lunch. This is your base for the next two nights.
Sulphur Mountain
Take the Banff Gondola up for a 360-degree view of the Bow Valley. If you're feeling energetic, you can hike up and take the gondola down for half price.
Bow Falls
Bow Falls is a major waterfall on the Bow River, Alberta just before the junction of it and the Spray River. They are located near the Banff Springs Hotel and golf course on the left-hand side of River Road.
The Icons of Banff
You have to take a shuttle now (no private cars), but seeing the Valley of the Ten Peaks reflected in that blue water is non-negotiable. Book your shuttle seats weeks in advance!
Moraine Lake
Moraine Lake is a snow and glacially fed alpine lake in Banff National Park, 14 kilometres (8.7 mi) outside the village of Lake Louise, Alberta, Canada. It is situated in the Valley of the Ten Peaks, at an elevation of approximately 1,884 metres (6,181 ft). The lake has a surface area of 50 hectares.
Lake Louise
Lake Louise is a beautiful mountain lake in the middle of Banff National Park in the Alberta Rockies region of Alberta. The lake is surrounded by snow-capped peaks, and at the far end is a large glacier. The lake is quite isolated, but provides a magnificent setting for a luxury resort, the Château Lake Louise, and a conference wing on the 'inland' side of the hotel.
Johnston Canyon
Johnston Creek is a tributary of the Bow River in Canada's Rocky Mountains. The creek is located in Banff National Park.
Icefields Parkway: South Half
This marks the start of one of the world's most beautiful drives. The reflection of Crowfoot Glacier on the water is a photographer's dream.
Bow Lake
This marks the start of one of the world's most beautiful drives. The reflection of Crowfoot Glacier on the water is a photographer's dream.
Peyto Lake
Banff National Park is in the Alberta Rockies region of Alberta. Together with six other national parks it makes up the UNESCO World Heritage site "Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks". Established in 1885, it is the world's third oldest national park, after Yellowstone National Park in the United States, and Royal National Park in Australia.
Mistaya Canyon
Mistaya Canyon in the western part of the Canadian province of Alberta is formed by the Mistaya River. Tourists visiting Banff National Park often visit the canyon because of its distinctive curvy walls and because it is easy to access, being just off the Icefields Parkway. The 0.
Saskatchewan River Crossing
Saskatchewan River Crossing is a locality in western Alberta, Canada. It is located within Banff National Park at the junction of Highway 93 and Highway 11. It is administered by Improvement District No. 9.
Glaciers & Waterfalls to Jasper
09:30 Columbia Icefield: Board an "Ice Explorer" (giant bus) to walk on the Athabasca Glacier. It’s a rare chance to stand on ice that's thousands of years old.
Columbia Icefield
The Columbia Icefield is roughly midway down the Icefields Parkway on Highway 93 in Jasper National Park within the Alberta Rockies. Jasper National Park is adjacent to the north of Banff National Park. The Columbia Icefield has several named glaciers, but the Athabasca Glacier is the main one that is accessible and most visible from the highway and visitor centre.
Sunwapta Falls
Sunwapta Falls is a pair of waterfalls of the Sunwapta River in Jasper National Park, Alberta, Canada.
Athabasca Falls
Athabasca Falls is a waterfall in Jasper National Park on the upper Athabasca River, approximately 30 kilometres (19 mi) south of the townsite of Jasper, Alberta, Canada, and just west of the Icefields Parkway.
Jasper Town
A bit more "rugged" and laid back than Banff. Check into your lodge and keep an eye out for elk wandering the streets.
Jasper’s Wild Side
The deepest canyon in the park. Cross the first and second bridges for the best views of the waterfalls plunging below your feet.
Maligne Canyon
Maligne Canyon is a slot canyon located in the Jasper National Park near Jasper, Alberta, Canada. Eroded out of the Palliser Formation, the canyon measures over 50 metres (160 ft) deep. Popular for sightseeing and exploration, the area contains waterfalls, underground stream outlets, birds and plant life.
Maligne Lake
Maligne Lake is a lake in Jasper National Park, Alberta, Canada. The lake is famed for the colour of its azure water, the surrounding peaks, the three glaciers visible from the lake, and Spirit Island, a frequently and very famously photographed islet. The lake is located 44 km (27 mi) south of Jasper town, and is accessible by motor vehicle, including shuttle buses from Jasper.
Miette Hot Springs
Miette Hot Springs are commercially developed hot springs in Jasper National Park in Alberta, Canada, between the towns of Hinton and Jasper. The pool is outdoors and offers visitors a view of the surrounding Fiddle River Valley.
Southbound to the High Peaks
You’re driving the same road back, but the views looking south toward the jagged peaks of the Waputik Range feel completely different.
Icefields Parkway Southbound
You’re driving the same road back, but the views looking south toward the jagged peaks of the Waputik Range feel completely different.
Waterfowl Lakes
A great spot for a picnic lunch right on the lakeside. It’s often much quieter than the big-name lakes.
Castle Mountain Lookout
Stop for a photo of this fortress-like mountain that dominates the skyline between Lake Louise and Banff.
Canmore
Your final base. It’s a "locals" mountain town just outside the park gates with incredible food and a stunning view of the Three Sisters peaks.
Canmore & Calgary Return
A gentle hike in Canmore to two brilliant turquoise ponds. Look up at the rock climbers on the cliffs above you.
Grassi Lakes
The Upper and Lower Grassi Lakes lie at an elevation of about 1,525 m (5,003 ft) in the southern Canadian Rockies overlooking the town of Canmore, Alberta. They receive their water from the Spray Lakes Reservoir on the Spray River. The land is part of the Canmore Nordic Centre Provincial Park, which is part of the Kananaskis Country park system.
Three Sisters Viewpoint
A quick stop by the Bow River for the classic "Canmore" photo op before heading east.
Calgary International Airport (YYC)
Head back to the airport for your flight home. Give yourself extra time for car return—the rental lots can be busy.
- Buy a Parks Canada Discovery Pass online before you go to skip the lines at the park gates.