How to Visit Banff, Yoho, and Jasper National Parks in 6 Days

This post will show you how in 6 days you can visit 13 lakes, 6 waterfalls, 4 glaciers, 3 canyons, and 2 towns in Banff, Jasper, and Yoho National parks.

You can use this guide will be great to calculate how much time or days you need to visit the places you want. 

Bear in mind that we went in July when the sun sets around 10:00 pm and there’s still light at 11:00 pm.

*Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning, that at no additional cost to you, I will earn a small commission if you click through and make a booking.*

Let’s start the post by showing you a few tips to maximize your time and freedom. The tips on the list below will be key to see and do everything we did and perhaps even more.

• Rent a car – If you want to see more (which you should) than the Banff town, Moraine Lake, Lake Louise, and Peyto Lake, then, renting a car is the way to go. The money you spend on the car you will save it later by staying in hostels. Which by the way, are WAY cheaper than hotels. If you don’t book with at least 6 months in advance the cheapest hotel could start at $200 p/n.
• Stay in key location hostels – whether you will follow our schedule of make you own, booking hostels well located, and according to your itinerary is important. Book them as soon as you buy the airplane tickets since they get sold out months in advance. If you don’t have much experience with hostels, check out my Hostel Essentials Packing List post.

• Buy your food from a supermarket – get plenty of food so you can save $$. And don’t forget to buy a foam cooler to store cold things. Eating out will cost from $10 – $20.
• Wake up early – this important to maximize your time when visiting places like Moraine Lake, Lake Louise, and Johnston Canyon. This way you won’t be wasting time driving around or making long lines. Some of these places are some of the most beautiful in the world, beating the crowds will make your experience more enjoyable and magical.

Let me tell you something real quick – I have never been more in awe than in the 6 days we spent there. I assure you will be holding your jaw from hitting the ground the whole trip.

Day 1 “Get all your supplies for the week and have a sneak peek for what is to come”

We arrived in Calgary at 11:00 pm the day before and stayed near the airport. Therefore I’m not gonna count that day.

On the first day head to Banff and stop at Safeway in Canmore to buy the groceries for the week. Don’t forget to buy plenty of healthy snacks (to get energy for the hikes) and a foam cooler to store the cold things. This way you’ll save money on food, plus in the Trans-Canada Hwy and Icefields Parkway, food options are very limited.

After stocking up continue the drive to Banff town whilst enjoying the first glimpse of the Canadian Rockies.

10:30 AM – Vermilion Lakes

The first stop is Vermilion Lakes, a series of 3 lakes right at the entrance of Banff town. If there is no wind this will be a good opportunity to practice to capture reflections.

11:30 AM – Mt Norquay

Next head to Mt. Norquay Overlook, this great overlook is the perfect place to peacefully have some snacks, relax, and soak in the views of the town, Mt. Rundle, and Sulphur Mountain. It’s also one of the places with the famous red chairs.

01:30 PM – Sulphur Mountain / Banff Gondola

Now is time to witness some serious views! To get to the summit you have two options: take the 8 minutes gondola for $50 (I know is a bit expensive but if you aren’t an avid hiker or are short of time, this is a great opportunity to be on top of an alpine and enjoy the incredible views that look like paintings), or do the 2hr hike to the summit. Once on the summit, there is a walkway providing amazing views and a restaurant to treat yourself.

03:15 PM – Bow Falls

Just a few minutes from the gondola are the Bow River Falls. They are not the most impressive waterfalls you’ve seen but the scenery is beautiful and is worth a quick stop.

05:10 PM – Two Jack Lake

Two Jack Lake – is a 15 min drive from the town. The views are nice, canoe rental is available, and it has a little island that you can get to jump over a few rocks in the water.

07:30 PM – HI Banff Alpine Centre

Next on the itinerary is HI Banff Alpine Centre because at some point you have to rest and sleep, don’t you?

We decided to stay for the first two nights in Banff town because we didn’t want to waste a lot of time driving long distances the first day and also wanted to explore the town.

Hotels in Banff are super expensive and sell out well in advance, therefore we stayed in hostels the whole trip to save money.

HI Banff has nice views of a couple of mountains, two big kitchens, a cool common area, a pub with a free pool table, free huge lockers, and power plugs on each bed. I will advise you to go to bed as early as you can because the next day you have to wake up very early.

If you want to check out the hostel click here

Day 2 “View the most vibrant and inviting water and  probably the most beautiful place you’ve ever seen”

First I’m gonna give you a quick rundown on how I recommend you plan the day.

Wake up early in the morning and be at Moraine’s car park no later than 6:30 (otherwise it’ll get full, the road will be close, and it will be a lottery to pass), then go to Emerald Lake (though if you follow this guide you can leave it to day 5, and instead do a long hike in Lake Louise today) then come back to Lake Louise when the crowds start to go away and will be able to find a parking spot close to the lake.

If the car park is full you can park at the visitor center and take the free shuttle to Lake Louise. The issue is on the way back, where you may have to wait for 1 hr to 1:30 hr in line to get the shuttle.

06:30 AM – Moraine Lake

Ok, let’s start the day with my new most beautiful place on earth, Moraine Lake!  With its vibrant shades of turquoise changing with the sunlight and the 10 peaks on the background, it can easily your new favorite place too.

Because I know you are asking it. I’m gonna tell you right now – YES, that is the true color of the water. Just be careful to not stare at it for too long or it will hypnotize you and will make you jump in.

The explanation behind the beautiful turquoise of the water is thanks to the silt that gets carry to the lake when the ice from the glacier melts. This silt is very light and stays suspended in the water, and when the sunlight hits it, it reflects back the amazing turquoise color.

To capture different moods take photos as soon as you get there and then do a hike (I recommend the Consolation Lakes trail) to let the sun rise over the mountains, and the water becomes the hypnotizing turquoise it’s known for.

Consolation Lakes Trail is a good hike to do because, despite the climbing of a few stairs and going over a rocky patch at the beginning, the trail is flat, easy, and offers great views at the end.

After Consolation Lakes do the short Rockpile trail to get the traditional view/photo of the lake and the 10 peaks.

Then, go canoeing to have an experience you will never forget.

 I highly recommend doing it here. At $100 per canoe is more expensive than in other lakes, but there is no better place to do it. Is well worth the extra dollars. It’s something magical. 

Natural Bridge

Next head to Emerald Lake but no without stopping at Natural Bridge. With mint green waters, pine trees, and water flowing between the rocks, Natural Bridge is a cool stop you can do that won’t divert you. See the “natural bridge” safely from the footbridge, or if you dare, walk to the actual natural bridge for an up-close look. 

You can stop before or after visiting Emerald Lake. We stopped after.

01:40 PM – Emerald Lake

Emerald Lake is located in Yoho National Park, about 40 min from Lake Louise. The color of the water here is a vibrant turquoise too but a bit more greenish compared to Moraine Lake and Lake Louise.

There is an easy trail around the lake, canoeing rentals, outdoorsy lodge, and a restaurant right by the water. For passionate hikers, there are also longer hikes to the summit of Emerald Peak, Mt Burgess, Walcott Peak, and others.

Here is where I first jumped in the water and instantly fell in love with dips in freezing water.

We found a couple of butterflies that stuck all over me until I went into the water.

04:30 PM – Lake Louise

Arguably the most popular lake in the Canadian Rockies. Tourists, hikers, and climbers all flocking to this amazing lake to enjoy all of its features. Because of this, it gets extremely crowded. 

You can do several hikes from here, the busiest and most popular is the Lake Agnes Tea House trail, starting from the shores of Lake Louise. At 2.2 miles long and an altitude gain of 1,312 ft (you’re going uphill all the way to the tea house) the trail is considered moderate. Our plan was to hike it to the tea house but by the time we arrived at Mirror Lake the tea house was already closed, so we turned back there. 

I assure you that by now you will be pretty tired and will want to head back to town, but that doesn’t mean you can’t take in a couple more views. So on the way back to Banff, town instead of taking the highway opt for a more scenic drive and take the Bow Valley Pkwy.

Day 3 “Brace yourself to witness the beauty of the Icefields Parkway stop after stop”

Ready for a jam-packed day?

08:39 AM – Bow Lake & Crowfoot Glacier

The first stop of the day is none other than Bow Lake and Crowfoot Mountain. Naturally, you will first stop on the rest area right off the Icefields Pwky, which is cool because you can see the glacier closer. For a better point of view and photos head to Simpson’s Num-Ti-Jah Lodge. From there you get an incredible view of the lake, Crowfoot Mountain, Portal Peak, and Bow Glacier Falls.

10:20 AM – Bow Summit / Peyto Lake

Hit the road again but don’t get too comfortable because just 4 minutes away is the wolf shaped lake. Peyto Lake is another astonishing lake that you won’t believe the color of the water. To see this beautiful place you have to do an easy 15 minutes hike to the viewpoint.

The platform on the viewpoint is small and gets crazy packed. So I recommend you to find a more tranquil view. Right before the viewing platform, you will see several paths that divert to the right, take any of them to find a more secluded area where you can take photos without the hassle of the platform.

Next time I’m definitely hiking down to the lake!

11:35 AM – Waterfowl Lake

Just another 15 minutes you will find Waterfowl Lakes. Stop, take your photos, admire the views (never forget to always set sometime take contemplate the views), and keep going because you have a long day ahead.

01:54 PM – Athabasca Glacier

This was the most impressive glacier we saw and with good reason since it’s one biggest non-polar glaciers in the world. Here you have two options: 1) Take the Bus Tour to the glacier where you’ll have the opportunity to walk on it and even drink water from it. 2) Do the short hike to the feet of the glacier. Put on a jacket because it gets cold as you get close to it.

Also, in front of the glacier is the Columbia Icefield Discovery Centre. I was told by a fellow traveler that they have wildlife photography exhibitions and information about the glaciers, very educative for children and adults alike.

Glaciers look more awesome than I expected. Some of them look like if they had been a giant wave rolling over the mountain and got frozen in a second.

For more info about the tour visit BanffJasperCollection

03:51 PM – Sunwapta Falls

I think it’s time to see some waterfalls on this trip. Don’t you think? Although you will pass by Tangle Creek Falls first (we left them for day 5 to have them all to ourselves), you will be heading to Sunwapta Falls. The car park is a short walk to see the falls. You see how the river is divided in two by a little island (that just adds the beauty of this place) and then comes together again to fall to the canyon.

If you are up for a walk you can hike to the lower falls.

06:35 PM – Jasper Town

You probably haven’t eaten anything good today so head to Jasper to treat yourself with something delicious. In the town, there are souvenir shops, restaurants, and grocery stores. A good place to fill up the tank and restock on food.

08:11 PM – Horseshoe Lake

Stop by Horseshoe Lake to have an ice-cold dip and feel 5 years younger.

You don’t know it yet but the hostel we were gonna stay that night didn’t have running water. So I thought it would make for the perfect bath. Thank god I spotted it on the way to the town of Jasper.

After a short walk, we discovered a cliff jumpers paradise with clear turquoise water. There are tons of spots from where you can jump off including a 70ft jump. Because we went around late in the day I told Gabriela that we had to come the next day.

08:45 PM – HI Athabasca Falls Wilderness Hostel

As the name implies this is a wilderness hostel so there is no running water. For me, this wasn’t an issue since I don’t mind spending a day without bathing. Although to my luck, we found Horseshoe Lake.

In the main cabin, there is a kitchen, living room area, and tons of books and guides with information about the Rockies.

If you would like to verify the availability click here

Day 4 “Let’s Get to Know Jasper National Park well”

08:53 AM – Maligne Canyon

Maligne Canyon is a beautiful gorge featuring waterfalls, 150 ft steep walls, fossils from millions of years ago, and great vistas from the bridges. You can choose between a short, medium, or a long hike. If you plan to do the short or medium hike, I recommend you park by the Maligne Canyon Tea House since it is very close to the more scenic area, bridges 1, 2, 3, and 4.

The short hike would be bridge 1 and 2, and will take about 20 minutes. The Medium one, which is the one I did, takes 1 hr and is from bridge 1 to bridge 4.

10:30 AM – Pyramid Island

Pyramid Island is a small island in Pyramid Lake connected by a foot bridge. To be honest there is not much to see or do. I would recommend to visit another lake like Medicine Lake.

12:50 PM – Valley of the Five Lakes

The trial will take you to 5 lakes with all sorts of green and turquoise shades. It’s considered moderate due to several steep but short hills. In general is easy and very enjoyable.

I wasn’t expecting much about this trail but let me tell you that the colors are insane. My photos don’t make justice to lakes since the lightning was pretty bad for photos.

Ohh, and before I forget, there’s a pair of red chairs too.

02:05 PM – Horseshoe Lake

After that hike, there is no better way to cool down than with a dive in Horseshoe Lake. I said the day before we would come again and so we did. The water was so inviting that even Gabriela jumped to the cold water.

The place has something that encourages people to jump in, so much that little kids were jumping from 20 ft cliffs, and plenty of people jumped on their underwear.

I loved this place. It was the discovery of the trip!

05:42 PM – Athabasca Falls and Canyon

Probably the most powerful waterfalls in the Icefields Pkwy. The whole area has stunning views of the falls and the canyon, so make sure you explore all the way down to the river.

07:30 PM – HI Beauty Creek Wilderness Hostel

Another a wilderness hostel with no running water and no electric power, heater and lights are gas-powered. But it trades common amenities for nature amenities. There are picnic tables, hammocks, bonfire area, a trail, and even a ping pong table. And since its right by the Sunwapta River, it also has incredible views to Mt Engelhard and Suttfield NE2. 

This hostel is one of the simplest hostels you can stay in, but you can still have an amazing time. We were 10 people staying that night, and Jen (the manager) put the wood to light up a bonfire and all the ingredients to make s’mores while sharing stories with fellow travelers.

Interested in booking in HI Beauty Creek?  GO here

Day 5

07:54 AM – Tangle Creek Falls

Wake up, have something to eat, and get ready for the first stop of the day just 10 minutes away. You can see them from the road, do a little bit of climbing to get a close look and feel or do the longer hike all the way to the top.

09:25 AM – Mistaya Canyon

We took a quick look because the car park was under construction and we had parked by the road and didn’t want to get a ticket. The hike to the canyon is downhill and takes about 5-10 minutes. From the footbridge you can see how the water flows from the mountains and falls to the canyon right below your feet. Another incredibly beautiful spot in the Canadian Rockies.

01:40 PM – Takakkaw Falls

From Mistaya Canyon to Takakkaw Falls is a bit a drive since they are located in Yoho National Park. With a height of 380 meters, they are the second tallest waterfalls in Canada.

04:04 PM – Lake Louise, again

Because after visiting the falls we still had a lot of time to spare and I was committed to swim in every lake possible hahaha, we decided to go to Lake Louise and Moraine Lake again. This time we walked along the shore until the end of the lake and watched climbers having fun on the mountain walls.

07:26 PM – Moraine Lake

You know I couldn’t leave Banff without visiting my favorite place again. After a few tries and some driving around, we finally got access. Took more photos, had a nice dip and took in the views before heading to our hostel for the night.

08:10 PM – HI-Castle Mountain Wilderness Hostel

End the day at HI-Castle Mountain Wilderness Hostel The main reason we booked this hostel is because is super close to Johnston Canyon. But it turned out to be a nice hostel with a cozy living area to have a glass of wine. And contrary to the previous wilderness hostels this one has running water and electricity. One thing to note is that they don’t have mixed rooms, in case your as a couple.

Day 6

07:05 AM – Johnston Canyon

With easy accessibility and low difficulty, Johnston Canyon is one of the most popular trails in Banff. The trail is 3.1 miles roundtrip and has an elevation gain of 744 ft, despite the elevation, the ascending is gently making it suitable for the whole family.

It features a “hidden” cave, catwalk, and two waterfalls, Lower Falls and Upper Falls. The lower falls can be viewed from a footbridge and if you want to get a closer look you go through a really cool tunnel.

Another spot for the top of your list is the cave. The giant rock that seems to be balancing in conjunction with the waterfall and the cave makes an extraordinary scene. It’s not in plain sight, therefore I will be writing a little blog post with directions on how to find it.

I can’t recommend you enough to wake up early and be there no later than 0800. Otherwise, your visit won’t be as pleasant. It can get extremely crowded and the catwalk part is narrow. We arrived at 07:10 am and there were only 5 other cars so it worked out perfectly.

What you need to know

• Even in the summer, it can get cold during the mornings, close to the glaciers, and at high altitudes. Dress in layers.
• Mosquitos are huge and are everywhere in the parks. A bug spray will come very useful.
• From Lake Louise to the town of Jasper there’s only one gas station and a store to buy food and other needs, and one restaurant, maybe two. So make sure you have food and a full tank before you go to the Icefields Pkwy.

Thanks for reading 

And keep exploring

j ⋀⋁ i e r ✧ ☽