4 Night Banff, Lake Louise, Jasper Itinerary Help Request
 

I am interested in a 4 night say in the Canadian Rockies. Fly into Calgary, then spend 4 nights in the mountains. However, I am uncertain on how to spread out my 4 nights. I am interested in visiting Banff, Lake Louise, Banff, and all the attractions inbetween. With 4 nights, where should we stay? i.e. one night Banff, one night Jasper, one night Lake Lousie, one night back at one of the previous locations? Basically just doing a sighteseeing roadtrip, but want to be sure to see all the sights. What's the best itinerary to place ourselves each night in order to maximize our short visit and see as much as possible? Thanks for your itinerary suggestions.

When are you going to the area? That could help determine advice. Check also several recent posts on this forum regarding the same area.

Looking to go around July 3rd?

I would spend all 4 nts in either Lake Louise or Banff. You need another 3 nts to add Jasper.

Perhaps you could do something like this:

Day 1: You don't say when you fly into Calgary. Drive to Banff, walk around town, have lunch or dinner. Drive to Lake Louise and overnight

Day 2: Walk around Lake Louise, possibly hike to Lake Agnes Tea House or hike The Plain of Six Glacier Trail. Drive to Moraine Lake, walk to the top of the rockpile. Walk around. Drive out to Emerald Lake Lodge for lunch. Drive back stopping at Takkakaw Falls, Spiral Tunnels. Overnight Lake Louise

Day 3: Head up the Icefields Parkway, stopping at Peyto Lake and Columbia Icefields Center, picnic along the way, stop for beautiful views. Overnight Lake Louise

Day 4: Stop in Banff and see the Banff Springs Hotel. See the sites around Banff. Lots and lots of ways to fill your day.

As LindainOhio advises, you do not have time for Jasper in 4 days. It's a full day to drive from Banff to Jasper, another day back.

Linda advises does advise driving up partway, along the Icefields Parkway; and I would also suggest that.

Banff and Lake Louise are not so far apart, maybe an hour depending on traffic and routing. Given that, your choice of base location could be either one depending on your interests. Not knowing that, I might suggest Banff with day trips, just due to restaurants and shops. For more hiking, stay over at Lake Louise to save a little drive time from your more likely visits.

If you are really wanting to go to Jasper - one night is pretty useless. But if you want to spend the day driving up, have dinner in Jasper, than drive back the next day without spending time actually in Jasper, it could work. I am thinking here that you might just want to do a nice driving trip without any need to actually spend time in Jasper activities specifically.

Thanks for the replies, what am I missing by not visiting Jasper area? Thanks.

To add, will be driving from Calgary on July 4th. Flying in the night before. I have four certificates for free nights at Fairmont hotels and thought I'd use all four in the Canadian Rockies for this four night trip. So it's one night in Calgary upon arrival, 4 days in the Rockies, and one last night in Calgary before flying home. As asked above, by not staying in Jasper, am I missing anything? Thanks.

To use your certificates, you could stay 2 nts at the Chateau Lake Louise and 2 nights at the Banff Springs Hotel. I do love the Banff Springs Hotel and the Chateau has a fabulous location.

Jasper is beautiful but so is the Banff/ Lake Louise area. You will love it. The drive to Jasper is spectacular but you can drive part of the Icefields Parkway. There is so much to do in Banff/Lake Louise, you will have plenty of activities to fill your days.

For the short duration of this trip, don't worry about missing Jasper. But.... it's a marvel in itself, so you will want to include it in a future visit.

For the time you have, Linda's suggestion will work out the best for you. Enjoy!

What am I missing by not visiting Jasper?

I’ll be the lone dissenter here as it sounds like this may be your only visit. It is about 250 miles Calgary to Jasper on good roads. We’ve done this twice, once actually all the way from Drumheller. If you leave early you could make a few stops along the way and get to the Fairmont in Jasper late afternoon. Next day go to Maligne Lake, Medicine Lake, and walk at least some of Maligne Canyon. You may have time to then go to Mt. Edith Cavell or Jasper Tram. Stops to make on the way to Jasper or back to Lake Louise/Banff would include at a minimum Bow Lake, Peyto Lake, Sunwapta Falls, Athabasca Falls, Columbia Icefield, and for a short hike Parker Ridge for view of Saskatchewan Icefield. Stay at either the Fairmont in Lake Louise or Banff the next two nights. We loved the Chateau at Lake Louise with hiking right out the door or very nearby and beautiful setting. Evening and morning walks along the lake before/after the crowds are magical. Make sure you visit Moraine Lake. Stay in Banff if you prefer more variety of Restaurants, shops and/or nightlife. Lake Louise and Banff are so close there is no reason to stay in both though in my opinion Lake Louise area has more spectacular scenery.

If you plan to stay @ the Fairmonts you'd best get you resv. quickly. Summer is short up here and these hotels fill up fast. You are coming in just after our July long weekend and the start of our Stampede 10 days..to obfuscate the issue further for you. You are crowding alot into your 4 days. Banff is just over an hour from Calgary, Lake Louise is about another hour from Banff and Jasper is about 3-31/2 north. the trip will be broken up because you will be forced to stop and look, stop and look. What time do you get to Calgary? You might find it better to go straight to Banff and save some time that way. There's lots to see all around outside the townsites..I am not a huge fan of Jasper as it is in a broad valley and IMO doesn't have the mountain charm of Banff. Lake Louise doesn't have a town site but is awesome. Speed limits within the park areas will hinder your driving time so factor that in. Can be done but only a nibble not a taste of Canadian Rockies.

How was your holiday in Banff? Did you take the advice and skip Jasper? If you had it to do all over again, what would you do?
I'm headed up that same way next week and am curious. I'm staying in Banff, but would love to see icefields and Jasper.
Thanks!

This is a 3 1/2 year old thread, so the OP may not see it. Lots of other more recent threads about the Canadian Rocky Mountain parks, though. Check them out.