Canadian Rockies Classic Loop
4 day Roadigo trip with 13 stops: Calgary → Banff → Lake Louise → Icefields Parkway → Jasper → Canmore → Calgary
Calgary → Banff → Lake Louise → Icefields Parkway → Jasper → Canmore → Calgary
Arrival & Banff Vibes
Pick up your SUV (trust me, you'll want the clearance and AWD) and head straight west. The transition from prairies to jagged peaks happens fast.
Calgary International Airport (YYC)
Pick up your SUV (trust me, you'll want the clearance and AWD) and head straight west. The transition from prairies to jagged peaks happens fast.
Banff Town
Grab a quick bison burger downtown before taking the Banff Gondola up Sulphur Mountain. It’s the best way to get your bearings and see the entire Bow Valley from above.
Bow Falls & Fairmont Banff Springs
Walk the woods behind the "Castle in the Rockies." The falls aren't huge, but the power of the blue water against the hotel backdrop is iconic.
The Blue Lake Icons
You have to take a shuttle now (private cars aren't allowed), but seeing that Valley of the Ten Peaks reflected in the water is a spiritual experience. Scramble up the Rockpile for the "twenty-dollar view."
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.
Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise
Even if you aren't staying here, grab a drink at the Fairview Bar and look out the massive arched windows at the Victoria Glacier.
The Icefields Parkway North
This is the start of the most beautiful drive in the world. Stop here to see the Crowfoot Glacier hanging over the water.
Bow Lake
This is the start of the most beautiful drive in the world. Stop here to see the Crowfoot Glacier hanging over the water.
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.
Glaciers & Giants
09:30 Columbia Icefield: Park at the Discovery Centre. You can walk up to the toe of the Athabasca Glacier for free, or book the "Ice Explorer" bus to actually drive onto the 300-meter-thick ice.
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
Settle into the laid-back, "real mountain town" vibe of Jasper. It’s way quieter than Banff.
- Buy a Parks Canada Discovery Pass online before you go to skip the lines at the park gates.
- Fill your gas tank in Banff or Jasper—fuel on the Icefields Parkway is way more expensive!