Common questions

How many days do you need to see Banff and Jasper?

How many days do you need to see Banff and Jasper?

If your schedule permits, I would recommend a bare minimum of 3 days in Banff National Park (including Lake Louise) and 2-3 days in Jasper National Park, with an additional day to be spend driving the extremely scenic Icefields Parkway between Lake Louise and Jasper.

How far is Calgary from Banff and Jasper?

If you drive this entire route from Calgary to Jasper at once your time in the car will total around 7 hours (665 kms). Important: Note that a Parks Canada pass is required for driving the Icefields Parkway and visiting Banff and Jasper National Parks.

Which drive is better Banff to Jasper or Jasper to Banff?

Doing both is best, if you can. That way, if there is poor weather on your first trip, you have a second chance of seeing the scenery on the return trip. And most people agree that the views are different, but equally spectacular, both northbound and southbound.

Is Jasper or Banff closer to Calgary?

Go to Jasper if you’re looking for: While Banff is closer to the city of Calgary, you can access Jasper via rail. If you’re heading down from Edmonton, you can get a train ticket for less than $100.

How can I spend 4 days in Banff?

4 Days in Banff: Itinerary Overview

  1. DAY 1: Explore Banff Avenue and hit the local trails.
  2. DAY 2: Hike Sulphur Mountain and enjoy a picnic at Vermillion Lakes.
  3. DAY 3: Take a day trip to Johnston Canyon.
  4. DAY 4: Discover the beauty of Lake Louise and Moraine Lake.

How do I spend a day in Banff?

Banff Itinerary – Day 1

  1. Visit Moraine Lake (summer only)
  2. Explore Lake Louise.
  3. Relax or Join a tour.
  4. Bow Falls, Banff Gondola, and Banff Upper Hot Springs.
  5. Relax in Banff town.
  6. Minnewanka Lake Cruise (summer only)
  7. Johnston Canyon and the Bow Valley Parkway drive.
  8. Take the Chairlift up Mt Norquay.

Is it easy to drive from Calgary to Banff?

Calgary is the closest major city and the closest international airport to Banff. Banff is only 150 kilometers from Calgary, and the drive time is less than two hours by car on a divided highway. If you have your own vehicle, this is an easy trip, with no real mountain driving involved.

How many days do you need in Banff?

Time required to visit It is good, if you can allocate, at least two days to spend in Banff & Lake Louise. You need to spend 5 days, to SEE & DO the real Banff : like hiking and canoeing in summer & Skiing and Snowboarding in winter.

How far apart are Banff and Jasper?

288km
Taking the AB-93 North, the total distance from Banff to Jasper is 288km. Breaking that up – the distance from Banff to Lake Louise (a MUST stop along the way) is 57km and the distance from Lake Louise to Jasper is 233km. Overall, the trip should take close to 4 hours if driving with minimal stops.

How many days do you need in Jasper?

Three days
Three days will give you enough time to see the main tourist sights in Jasper National Park, but you could spend three weeks hiking and not run out of options. I would suggest maybe a minimum of four days to sightsee in the Banff/Lake Louise/Yoho area, and again, there are dozens of hikes available.

How far is Banff from Jasper?

Where to start a road trip to Banff and Jasper?

The most logical place to start a road trip to Banff and Jasper is Calgary. It’s well connected domestically and internationally and is only a short 2 hour drive from the fairytale town of Banff. We picked up our rental car at Calgary airport.

Are there Bears in Banff and Jasper?

We spotted plenty of bears on the day we drove the Icefields Parkway. The most logical place to start a road trip to Banff and Jasper is Calgary. It’s well connected domestically and internationally and is only a short 2 hour drive from the fairytale town of Banff. We picked up our rental car at Calgary airport.

How long does it take to drive from Calgary to Jasper?

Driving times from Calgary to Jasper: The entire drive from Calgary → Canmore → Banff → Lake Louise → Jasper is roughly 5 hours. Just remember you’ll need to drive back to Calgary if you’re flying home outta there (another ~5 hours), or to Edmonton if you choose two, one way flights (~3 hours, 45 minutes).

How to get from Calgary to Banff and Canmore?

You can easily hop on a flight to Calgary (YYC), then make the short drive to your first stop of either Canmore or Banff in roughly an hour and a bit. For reference, from my home airport of San Francisco (SFO), the flight takes roughly 3 hours, while flights from other parts of the country will obviously be longer due to longer distances traveled.