How does one even begin to describe the pure wilderness that is the Canadian Rockies… This trip stemmed from just one photo on the internet. After our friendcation in Europe and seeing Lake Eibsee on our last day in Germany, I was compelled to search “clear blue lakes” the day we returned to North Carolina. With just one photo of Peyto Lake, I was hooked. Little did I know at the time, but Peyto Lake would be just one tiny piece of the masterpiece that is Banff.

Planning a trip to Banff and Jasper does require extensive research and forethought. It is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Canada and accomodations are limited in the busy summer months. With a little extra effort, you can easily skirt the crowds for pristine Alpine wilderness and find some solitude amongst the trees.

So let's get started! To start, this is our “master” Banff post. I'll include links as they go live to other posts with even more details on our days in Jasper, how to find the best hikes, see the most wildlife, catch the perfect sunrise, etc. Buckle in!

Getting to Canada

We are fortunate to have family in the DC metro region so flying anywhere is pretty easy for us (plus it includes built-in dog sitting!). I set a Google alert for flights from BWI to Calgary and waited it out for as long as I felt comfortable doing so. We traveled over Canada Day and July Fourth, so time and savings were not on my side. I finally bit the bullet in January before our trip for an Air Canada flight through Toronto to get to Calgary and a return Delta flight through Toronto to get back to BWI. Don't be afraid to switch up your airlines! I am currently not loyal to anyone and try to find the best flights based on my budget and timeline. Expect to pay around $800 round trip during the busy season. I probably could have waited a bit longer for a better deal, but I was set on very specific flights.

Getting to Banff

The only way to truly to see these national parks is by car. Sure, there are tour group operators and buses galore, but you will want to meander at your own pace and beat the crowds to the best spots. You can (and should) buy your Parks Canada Pass for your car ahead of time to skip the lines that form at the entry. Renting a car at Calgary International Airport is incredibly easy and the drive to Banff is only an hour and a half. You also get a view of the mountains throughout the entire drive, so the excitement builds every minute! We arrived in Calgary around noon and the roads were clear all the way to Canmore. Once in Canmore, stock up on groceries at the Save-On-Foods. It will be less crowded and maybe a smidge less expensive. The drive from Canmore to Banff is less than 30 minutes!

Note: If you are traveling during the summer months, any car will do. The roads are well paved and we had no issues on any of the parkways. If you are traveling in the winter or on the cusp of cooler seasons, check road conditions with Parks Canada before you leave Calgary and select an appropriate vehicle.

Staying in Banff

Here comes the fun part! Finding a hotel in Banff can be daunting because there is a wide range of quality and pricing. We opted to stay just a few minutes outside of the downtown area at the Juniper Hotel. This was perfect for us because we didn't have to fight any traffic to get in and out of our hotel and the price was more reasonable. When we wanted to head into town, free parking was never a problem on the neighborhood streets and it was nice to have a quieter home base for a few days. We would absolutely recommend this hotel for folks who want to get on the highway early for exploring and who are not needing the immediacy of the downtown attractions.

Where to Eat in Banff

So let's get one thing straight. This is not a foodie trip. Yes, we had some great meals, but don't expect something new and exciting every night. We enjoyed our meals that we did have downtown very much, but we also ate a lot of DIY meat and cheese plates in our room and in the car and on the trails.

Park Distillery - this was my only “must eat” location of the trip and I may have been a bit overzealous and made a reservation online three months in advance… It was worth it! This is a very popular spot downtown and lives up to the hype. We had some incredible cocktails here with their special spirits and the steaks were heavenly. We did this during our first night in town and it was nice to walk along the streets, shop for souvenirs, buy bear spray (more on that later) and ease into the trip.
Whitebark Cafe - we drove into town on our first morning for some espresso and pastries on recommendation from a friend and then proceeded to eat here just about every single morning before starting our day. The drinks were well crafted and we enjoyed sitting on the patio in the cool early mornings before most of the town woke up. If your hotel coffee isn't cutting it, make a quick pit stop here.
Banff Ave Brewing - if you know anything about us already, it's that we will always hunt out good beer. We had three breweries on our list for the trip, and this first stop was pretty good. We skipped the food, but enjoyed the atmosphere for a quick drink.
Magpie and Stump - I was craving Mexican food and a margarita after an exhausting day of hiking, and this hit the spot. We wish we had gone to the rooftop taco patio, but enjoyed a nice meal out on their sidewalk patio with a minimal wait.

Itinerary in Banff

We stayed in Banff for three nights before heading north to Jasper. While there was plenty left on the cutting room floor, we were very pleased with all of the activities we completed while in Banff National Park. I've highlighted them below and will link to individual posts (as they go live) that include details if you want to know more!

Day 1: Arrival in Banff

First thing - get some Canadian currency at an ATM in the airport or around town. You'll need it for tipping at hotels and making small purchases throughout the trip. If you take any guided tours like the one we did at Maligne Lake in Jasper, be sure to tip your guides!
We got into town around 4pm after stopping in Canmore for groceries. We loaded up on meats, cheeses, pickles, crackers, protein bars, and Gatorades for the car. We brought a small packable cooler and ice pack from home - game changer. See our packing list for everything else we brought! We were so grateful for a cold beverage after a long hike.
Get your gift shopping done early. We were so tired the rest of the nights after full days outside, so we were glad to have picked up our ornaments and small trinkets on the first night. There are lots of souvenir shops with varying levels of quality, so check them out before committing. We also made sure to buy bear spray at a sporting goods store. Bear spray is an essential item and we quickly learned why. We spotted many bears on the side of the road or just near the trail heads, so while we fortunately did not see any on our hikes, I know they were nearby!
We were in bed early after our dinner at Park Distillery and packed up our hiking gear ahead of time. Each of us brought a backpack and lots of layers as our days started out very brisk. We even got some snow on the last morning in Banff.

Day 2: Johnston Canyon and Mt. Norquay

Johnston Canyon and the Ink Pots is one of the most popular hikes in the area, but well worth your time if you get an early start. We arrived at the parking lot around 8:30am via the Bow Valley Parkway and just missed the last spot. Parks Canada staff are there to direct you to the next available parking on the road, so listen to their instructions. We only had to drive a few feet down from the parking lot, which is a luxury considering that at the peak of the day the roadside parking could add an extra 20min walk before you even reach the trail head. Get there EARLY. Do not delay this hike for late afternoon either, the tour groups arrive then and really clog up the bottom section of the trail. I've added lots of trail details on my hiking post, but I want to emphasize here that the Ink Pots are what make this hike worth it. As our first landscape view of the mountains, I was speechless when we broke out of the trees. I even had a little eye liquid spillage (aka tears) at the total beauty of the valley. This is a great lunch spot and unlike any other wide open space we visited during our trip.
We finished up this hike by early afternoon and headed back into town to check out Mt. Norquay. I selected this chairlift over the Banff Gondola because it was less crowded and less expensive. I reserved our lift tickets in advance and we had no wait when we arrived. The ride to the top is quite exhilarating and we spotted many mountain goats on the way. Once up top, we were rewarded with a fantastic view of town and a family of goats. We stayed long enough to grab a drink at the bistro up top as our reward for a successful first hike and felt that this was the perfect activity for a quiet afternoon. If you want to escape some of the crowds, this is a good place to swap out a popular attraction like the Banff Gondola for something a little more local.
We ended the day with dinner at Magpie and Stump and went to bed far before the sun was ready to go down!

Day 3: Canada Day! And Lakes!

Alright y'all. When I say you need to be up early for this next locale, I mean 3am early. It was very important to us to be at Moraine Lake for sunrise this day and we wouldn't settle for sunrise anywhere else. Luke is working on a guide all about catching the perfect sunrise photo if that’s your thing. Check back soon for that! The parking is extremely limited and they do close the road once it fills up. We arrived no later than 5:15am and there were only five spots left. It was tense! Bring your layers and bring your snacks. We decided to catch sunrise and then wait it out for the canoeing to open up. Canoeing on any of the major glacial lakes is expensive. We chose Moraine Lake over Lake Louise and it was one of our best decisions of the trip. Moraine Lake is secluded and much more “wild” than Lake Louise. Most casual tourists and tour groups don't make it up there due to the lack of parking and this keeps the crowd more manageable. After you catch sunrise, take a walk around the perimeter of the lake, post up at your spot for canoes, and grab a coffee at 8am when the cafe opens. You'll need it for that last hour before the canoes open at 9am. We were afforded a special treat during our wait as the employees had an early morning race and plunge into the icy lake to celebrate Canada Day. It certainly kept us entertained!
We broke up our day with a hike a little out of the way to avoid Canada Day crowds. We headed to Yoho National Park and hiked to Yoho Lake and Takakkaw Falls. On our hike to Yoho Lake we saw not a soul. It was a bit eerie to have the trail to ourselves, but we were rewarded with stunning views and total silence. The switchbacks and killer hills were worth it for some solitude. If you aren't up for this strenuous hike, still make the trip to see Takakkaw Falls. The main trail is paved and winds along an icy blue river at the base of the falls. We were caught in a rainstorm here and that only made the falls more impressive and thunderous!
Our final stop for the day was Lake Louise and we found that early evening was a great time to get a decent parking spot. We were lucky to avoid any shuttles during the visit and attribute it to our off-peak timing. The lake was a bit of a let down compared to Moraine Lake personally, and much more built up with the hotel on site. We did not stay long, however have heard very positive things about the Beehive Hikes and the Lake Agnes Teahouse accessible from here. Maybe next time!
By the time we wrapped up at Lake Louise, we were starving. We ended up at Bill Peyto’s Cafe inside a hostel and had truly incredible elk burgers with ice cold beer. It was the perfect food after too many hours awake and we were left with happy bellies. If you are sweaty, dirt covered, and rocking your socks and sandals combo like us, this is the perfect no-frills place to wind down and maybe chat with some like-minded friends.

Day 4: North to Jasper

Our final day in Banff brought a cool morning with snow covered mountains and lots of packing of clothing strewn all over the place. We got a later-than-normal start after some much needed sleep and waited for the fog to clear as we readied to start our journey up the Icefields Parkway. This drive is straight out of the picture books. Driving this stretch of road was a must-do activity for us and we sorta planned our entire trip around making the most of the stops along the way. Here is our complete guide to all the best stops on the Icefields Parkway.
Continue reading about our journey north to Jasper here!