Tentatively, I am planning on spending 3 nights in Banff and 2 nights in Jasper.

Does this make sense. We are looking to do day hikes and take in the scenery...possibly rafting too.

We get into Banff late on eafternoon. plan on two full days in Banff and takig the third to leasurly drive to JAsper. Then 2 nights in Jasper and leaving late in the day.

Any thoughts? Thanks

That sounds perfect to me! That should give you enough time to see and do plenty of things in both locations and have a relaxing drive in between. I wouldn't change a thing. Of course I could easily spend a week in either place just because I love being in the mountains so much, but most of our Jasper trips are 2-3 days and that is plenty of time.

Could you be a little more detailed about "in Banff". I presume you are going to visit other locations in the area. If so, Lake Louise and Moraine Lake about 25 miles up the road are the two most scenic objectives I can think of within easy driving range.

Two nights is fine for Jasper. The place you will want more time is the Icefields Parkway, which is the highway between Lake Louise Village and Jasper.
I find myself lingering along that stretch of road for hours.

We were thinkning about visiting Lake Louise while based in Banff.

We expect to take all day( leaving early in the am) for the drive to Jasper. We want to have plenty of time along the parkway and stil be able to do the Snocoach.

Early am starts ae good for photos.

sounds great

Sounds like a good plan.

When in Jasper, be sure to:

- take the Jasper Tramway up to the top (nearly) of The Whistlers (Mtn - not to be confused with Whistler in BC but named for the same small marmot and the sound it makes, I think)

- drive to Mt Edith Cavell and "walk" (not really a hike but a little more rugged than a walk) to the toe (and icy lake) at the base of Angel glacier.

- drive to Maligne Lake; if you are a photographer, do this in the morning, there are usually some nice views in the early morning light around Medicine Lake (along the road to Maligne), plus you are likely to see a lot of wildlife (moose, mountain sheep, even bears).

Maligne Lake is a great suggestion, lots to see on the way.
I would also stop at Maligne Canyon on your way to the lake. It is a very nice walk through a wooded area and a spectacular gorge.

At Lake Louise there is a gorgeous hike that you can basically make it very short or all day. From the Chateau head up to the Lake Agnes Tea House, then onto the Big Beehive, then around tot he Plain of Six Glaciers (there is a teahouse there as well) and then down along the lake back to the chateau. The full curcuit will take most of the day, but many people do either of the tea houses if they just want to get out for a little bit.

At Johnston Canyon, which is close to Banff, there is a very short walk to the lower as well as upper waterfalls. You can continue on (and the crowds diminish drastically) up to the inkpots...very pretty area. This way you can see the touristy area of the canyon as well as getting away from the crowds a bit.

In Banff at Sulphur Mountain you can either ride the gondola up or hike. We had done a lot of hiking the few days before we went to the hotsprings, so just walked up there from town then took the gondola to the top. But it looked like it would be fun to walk up!

Not sure how high a priority taking day hikes is. However I thought there was more options for day hikes in Lake Louise area and in Jasper. We ended up spending less time in Banff townsite area and more time in Jasper & LL which turned out right for hiking. For additional hiking ideas you may want to get a copy of "The Canadian Rockies Trail Guide" by Brian Patton & Bart Robinson. It was a great help to us in deciding how to space things out.

katrinasl has an excellent suggestion - the Trail Guide is a dayhiker's bible, and unfailingly helpful.

I agree with katrina; there are many more hiking options in the LL area than in Banff townsite, though fewer options for lodging, dining and shopping.

The Icefield Parkway also offers some magnificent hiking options.

The walk/hike to Angel Glacier that Borealis describes was our favorite in the Jasper area. We saw quite a bit of wildlife enroute, including a bear with her cub. Go early or late to avoid crowds and maximizing wildlife viewing potential. Remember, it stays late very late in the summer.

Molly - I think you meant that it stays light very late (June and July) up here in Alberta !!

Other books with lots of information about hikes etc (and written/published locally, available in Banff, Jasper and Lake Louise in many shops) are those published by Super Altitude and Lone Pine.
For driving, my favourite is "Parkways of the Canadian Rockies" by Brian Patton (same author that katrinasl mentioned). The nice thing about this road guide is that it is coil-bound which makes it easy to use while sitting in a car.
Oh - and while in Banff, you can walk from Banff avenue (the main street) across the Bow River Bridge, and then to Bow Falls and Banff Springs Hotel on a nice and easy forest path (good for an after dinner stroll).
Vermillion Lakes just on the outskirts of Banff townsite are a good place for photographs of Mt. Rundle in the evening (when the sun is low on the western horizon). There is a little paved road that leads to a dead end - drive all the way there, then slowly drive back and stop along the side of the road whenever you see a good photo opportunity.

Thanks, Borealis, I did indeed mean "light". It seemed strange to be hiking at 9-10 p.m.!

There is a hike up the mountain on Tunnel Mountain road (I think it's called Tunnel Mountain Summit) that we took in Banff that gives you beautiful views (and pictures)-- while you are walking to the top-- of the whole area around Banff as well as the town itself. Another good book is Canadian Rockies Access Guide (Dodd and Helgason) which was recommended on this forum. We also got the Trail Guide and agree it is a great book--we live in the States and were unable to find it anywhere (tried Amazon, etc. and even hard to find book sites). They all had it listed, but answered back that they couldn't get it any more from the publisher. When we got to Banff, it was in all the stores. (maybe they had a new edition coming out and it wouldn't be a problem getting it now). Just wanted to let you know that if you can't find it--you can probably get in in Banff.