My friends and I did a road trip from Vancouver to Banff earlier this month, and we had an absolutely amazing time spending 4 days in Banff.
This trip was my first time leaving Ontario, and it was so cool to see other parts of Canada!
We spent around a day and a half in Vancouver and 4 days in Banff.
A lot of hours were spent traveling and driving, but at least we had the boys driving the entire time đ
We visited at the end of May and got to enjoy the spring weather, which was mostly cool weather.
Hereâs how we spent an epic 4 days in Jasper and Banff National Parks, Alberta during the spring!
And if youâre visiting Banff without a car, you can get a hop-on and hop-off bus ticket, which takes you to some of Banffâs hotspots!
Be sure to also follow me on Instagram and TikTok â I share a lot more content on those platforms that donât make it to the blog!
Plan your Banff trip
If youâre looking for more fun things to do in Banff, you might enjoy these posts:
- Searching for places to eat? Stop by the best restaurants or cafés in Banff.
- Visiting during winter? Here are the best winter activities in Banff or the perfect Banff winter itinerary.
- Doing a road trip? Check out my or visit the best stops from Banff to Jasper.
Tours & activities in Banff
Looking for actual tours and activities to add to your Banff itinerary? You might enjoy these ones:
- Horseback riding adventure: Explore the Rocky Mountains by horseback on this 2-hour guided tour.
- Banff Gondola: Head up to Sulphur Mountain and enjoy the stunning mountain views.
- Athabasca Glacier day trip: Spend the day gazing at glaciers in all their wonder.
- Full-day Banff tour: Experience the best of Banff with travel from Calgary or Banff.
Where to stay in Banff
Hotels in Banff, AB
Hotels are a bit pricier in Banff and Lake Louise and can set you back $200-$400 CAD a night, especially during the summer months.
If itâs within your budget, the ease of getting around without having to drive too far is worth it!
- Lake Louise Inn is a cozy 3-star hotel located right around the corner from the incredible Lake Louise.
- The Moose Hotel and Suites is a beautiful 3-star hotel right in the heart of Banff that serves up all of the cottage feels.
- Fairmont Banff Springs is a historic and luxury 4-star hotel located right in Banff, and itâs perfect for honeymoons.
Hotels in Canmore, AB
Hotels in Canmore are slightly cheaper, and itâs less than a 30 minute drive to Banff.
- Basecamp Resorts Canmore is an amazing and modern 2-star condo building right in the heart of Canmore. Itâs got a rooftop spa tub and laundry facilities, and thereâs even free parking.
- Basecamp Lodge Canmore is another nice property by Basecamp Resorts that serves up all the lodge feels.
Hotels in Golden, BC
If youâre on a tight budget, you can opt to stay in a hotel or Airbnb in Golden, which is about a 1.5-2 hour drive from Banff one-way.
Weâve done so ourselves twice, and honestly would not recommend it because of all the driving time.
Of course, we were trying to keep it as budget-friendly as possible back then, but now we prefer to spend a little more to drive a little less.
Day 1: Jasper, Athabasca Falls, Columbia Icefield, & Lake Louise
After spending 48 hours in Vancouver, we stayed overnight in Blue River, British Columbia.
Our first day in Alberta was dedicated to exploring sights in both Jasper and Banff National Parks.
We visited the village of Jasper, Athabasca Falls, Columbia Icefield, and Lake Louise.
Village of Jasper
In the morning, we took the short drive over to the village of Jasper for a little exploring and breakfast.
It was really cute, and I wish we had more time to explore the village!
We then headed over to Athabasca Falls.
Athabasca Falls
Athabasca Falls was a nice area to walk around.
There were so many tourists here â I guess thatâs what happens when you visit Banff during the busy spring and summer seasons!
You can do river rafting here as well, which is definitely a unique way to experience Athabasca Valley!
LOCATION: Jasper National Park, Jasper, AB | Website
Jerry and Henry hopped over the fence to take photos by the waterfall, thus ruining all the other touristsâ photos.
We thought it was hilarious (although Iâm sure we annoyed many people trying to get nice photos).
Afterwards, we went to the lake area at the falls.
The photos below are nothing compared to how the scenery looked like in real life.
It was really beautiful here.
Columbia Icefield
We wanted to go on the Glacier Skywalk, but it was closed by the time we decided to finally purchase tickets.
The next time I visit Banff, I definitely want to check out the Glacier Skywalk!
Instead, we visited the Columbia Icefield glaciers.
The Icefield was a little difficult to hike up, especially because I twisted my ankle earlier that day.
Nevertheless, the scenery was beautiful and the hike was fun.
If youâd rather go with a guide, you can do a full day tour with roundtrip travel from Banff to Columbia Icefield, which also includes the Glacier Skywalk!
LOCATION: Jasper National Park, Jasper, AB | Website
Lake Louise
We stayed at the Lake Louise Inn that night.
We stopped by Lake Louise, and although it was gloomy outside, it was still a gorgeous sight.
The Fairmont Lake Louise was right by the lake, so we ate there for dinner.
The food was pretty good, especially considering it was a hotel restaurant!
If youâre looking for places to eat in the area, Iâve got a post all about the best restaurants in Banff!
LOCATION: Lake Louise, AB | Website
Day 2: Bow Summit
We also ate at the Fairmont the next day for lunch before heading out for the rest of our adventure.
It was more of a chill and relaxed day, so the only thing we had on our plan was visiting Bow Summit.
Bow Summit
We hiked up the Bow Summit to get a view of Peyto Lake, but it began snowing pretty hard within minutes of us arriving at the top.
Once the snow and fog hit, we could barely see anything.
So yep, it snows in Banff even in May.
We ended up leaving soon after, but it was fun while it lasted!
LOCATION: Hwy 93 North, Improvement District No. 9, AB
Old Tyme Candy Shoppe
We visited the Old Tyme Candy Shoppe earlier in the day after visiting the Fairmont for lunch.
Itâs a cute little candy shop located in Lake Louise, with all kinds of candy, snacks, and even ice cream.
We picked up a package of Bean Boozled jelly beans to play with in the evening.
Trust me, you never want to taste the barf flavoured jelly bean.
But itâs still a fun game to play with your friends!
LOCATION: 5c Samson mall, Lake Louise, AB | Website
Day 3: Cave & Basin, Johnston Canyon, & Banff Gondola
Our third day in Banff was dedicated to exploring Cave & Basin, hiking Johnston Canyon, and going up the Banff Gondola.
Town of Banff
We spent the morning exploring the town of Banff, and it was really cute.
The mountain views from town were absolutely incredible!
We had a quick breakfast at McDonaldâs before heading out for a day of wandering around Banff.
LOCATION:Banff, AB | Website
Cave and Basin National Historic Site
We went to the Cave and Basin Historic Site, not really knowing what to expect (as Henry had added it to the itinerary).
There were some historical artifacts and spacesas well as a small hiking trail.
While we did have fun wandering around, this can definitely be skipped if youâre more interested in seeing the beautiful scenery in Banff.
LOCATION: 311 Cave Ave, Banff, AB | Website
Johnston Canyon
We went to Johnston Canyon afterwards.
The hike one-way was about an hour long, and it was rainy and wet.
I personally think it looks better in photos than it did in real life.
We still had fun exploring though!
LOCATION: Banff National Park, Banff, AB | Website
Banff Gondola
Our last spot of the day was the Banff Gondola, which we took up to Sulphur Mountain.
We got there around 7 PM and were worried we wouldnât make it for the returning gondola at 8:30 PM.
It wouldâve been like the horror movie Frozen (not the happy kids movie).
Fortunately, we did make it back!
LOCATION: 100 Mountain Ave, Banff, AB | Website
Day 4: Lake Louise & Moraine Lake
Our last day in Banff was more like a half day, as we had to drive back to Calgary for our flight the next day.
We stopped by Lake Louise to drop off Irene (who was meeting her family), then headed off to Moraine Lake before leaving for Calgary.
Lake Louise
We revisited Lake Louise and enjoyed the sunny view we werenât able to see a few days before.
It was packed with other tourists, but it was still lovely!
The water was so clear and blue â nothing like the waters here in Ontario.
Moraine Lake
We visited Moraine Lake as a last minute thing.
It was definitely one of the coolest places we visited during our 4 day Banff road trip.
We hiked up using the dangerous method of climbing up rocks, not knowing there was a makeshift âstaircaseâ on the other side of the hill.
It was still well worth it though!
LOCATION: Banff National Park, Banff, AB | Website
Staying overnight in Calgary
We stayed the night in Calgary and flew home the next morning.
The Calgary International Airport is the closest one to Banff, just an hour and a half away by car.
If you have some time to spend in Calgary, Iâve got a blog post all about how to spend 24 hours in Calgary!
Driving along the Icefields Parkway
The Icefields Parkway is one of the most scenic highways in the world, which is why Henry wanted to drive along it from British Columbia to Alberta.
We stopped along the highway many times because the view was so astonishing.
Hereâs a bunch of nice photos of the highway from the entire trip.
So thatâs how we spent 4 days in Banff and Jasper â you can watch myBanff vlogto see more of our trip!
It was such an epic road trip, and Iâd definitely love to do a Banff and Jasper trip again someday â hopefully in more than 4 days.
Iâm extremely glad to be back home in Toronto, but at the same time, I canât wait to travel to Hong Kong next week for the first time.
Have you been to Jasper and Banff National Parks during the spring? How would you spend 4 days doing an Alberta rockies road trip? Let me know on Twitter or Instagram!
Plan your Banff trip
If youâre looking for more fun things to do in Banff, you might enjoy these posts:
- Searching for places to eat? Stop by the best restaurants or cafés in Banff.
- Visiting during winter? Here are the best winter activities in Banff or the perfect Banff winter itinerary.
- Doing a road trip? Check out my or visit the best stops from Banff to Jasper.
Tours & activities in Banff
Looking for actual tours and activities to add to your Banff itinerary? You might enjoy these ones:
- Horseback riding adventure: Explore the Rocky Mountains by horseback on this 2-hour guided tour.
- Banff Gondola: Head up to Sulphur Mountain and enjoy the stunning mountain views.
- Athabasca Glacier day trip: Spend the day gazing at glaciers in all their wonder.
- Full-day Banff tour: Experience the best of Banff with travel from Calgary or Banff.
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