Hi...
I was wondering if anyone could recommend places my mum and I can visit within 5 days in the Rockies? So far we have planned to stay in Banff after hearing good comments on it, but have yet to book our hotel yet. I'm currently studying in Vancouver and my mum will be coming over from Singapore to visit me. So this will be our first trip up to the Rockies.
We have booked a flight to Calgary and will be arriving around 12 plus noon and will be renting a car to drive up. One of the reasons we chose to stay in Banff is due to the fact it's my mum's first time driving on the right side. So I figured it won't be good for her to drive for 5 hrs non-stop up to Jasper.
Our interests are more of touring and sightseeing. We are not the hiking/adventurous type. Just want to enjoy the Rockies as it is. We want this trip to be more of a relaxing one than a rushed one.
Really appreciate the advice!!! Thanks!

Hello jacqdidi,

When will you be coming to the Rockies? Also, are your travel days included in the 5 days, that is, is Day #1 arrival day and is Day #5 departure day? Also, at what time will you take off on your departure day? Knowing these things would make a difference to my thoughts on what you could / should see.

Banff to me is a collection of hotels and motels. To see the mountains, you must get out into the park.

I would definitely plan on an excursion up the Icefields Parkway which is the most scenic road you will drive in Canada.

Lake Louise, despite the crowds, and Moraine Lake are world class views, which is why they draw the tourist crowds all summer long.

Other places along the parkway, such as Peyto Lake, Bow Lake, and the Icefields Center are other attractions along this stretch of road.

You might consider overnighting in Jasper and returning to Calgary along the Icefields Parkway. I know, that means driving it twice, but believe me, it does look the same going north to south on the return trip. The angle changes, the light changes,and the scenes change to reflect the different perspectives.

Lots to see and do out there.

Hate to say it, but Banff is one place I try to avoid. I am there to see the mountains, not stores, crowds, and heavy traffic. I can find those in any city.

give us more details on what type of hotel/motel you want. how much do you want to spend per night? separate rooms? pool/hot tub important?

Thanks for the quick replies!
We will be taking the 10am flight from Vancouver to Calgary, reaching around 12.30pm on May 18. Returning May 22 on 2pm flight back to Vancouver. So yes, the 5 days do include travelling too.
One of the reasons why I was thinking of staying in Banff but driving around to visit the attractions is because we are not the country type, totally city people, so convenience for food and stuff will be necessary.
We have looked up some websites and reviews on hotels/inns. A 3 star accomodation will do fine but not something SOOOO basic (there must at leat be a level of comfort). We were looking at the Banff Voyager Inn or Spruce Grove Inn. But it would be nice if you have some other recommendations. We only need 1 room - 2 beds, no need hot tub, pool.
Thanks for the comments!

Thanks for the clarification, jacqdidi. That helps. I can't respond now, but I'll come back tomorrow night, see what other responses you may have received by then, and add my opinions to the mix.

Hi There,
Have you considere train travel as an option for your trip? At www.vacationsbyrail.com, you will find a variety of rail vacation packages that go to the places you mentioned. If your heart is set on Western Canada, try this link and see if you find something you like.
http://www.vacationsbyrail.com/canada/index.html
Feel free to contact us if you have any questions.
Regards,
Lars Belmans
Vacations By Rail

Hello jacqdidi,

Okay, here goes. I'll suggest an itinerary for you.

May 18 – Land in Calgary and drive to Banff.

May 19 – Drive to Lake Louise. See the lake of Lake Louise (5 km from the village of Lake Louise). Don’t know if the road to Moraine Lake (14 km from Lake Louise) will be open yet. If it is, you should go there so that you can see the Valley of the Ten Peaks. Moraine Lake itself will not yet be at its turquoise best.

After Lake Louise drive up the Icefields Parkway as if you’re going to Jasper. I don’t know if you will be able to get into the Peyto Lake parking lot. It may still be covered in snow. If you can get into it, stop there and look at Peyto Lake. Although it likely will have a sheet of ice on it, you may be able to see its green colour. (We have found that to be the case when the lake was close to being thawed, but was still covered by a sheet of ice.)

Continue to the Columbia Icefields and ride a Snocoach onto the Athabasca Glacier.

Carry on to Sunwapta Falls. That may be as much as you can do in a day, so this may be the spot where you will need to turn around and drive back to Banff.

May 20 – Walk into Johnston Canyon at least as far as the Lower Falls. Look at Lake Minnewanka. Go up Sulphur Mountain gondola. Stroll around the town of Banff and do some window shopping and/or some real shopping.

May 21 – Drive past Lake Louise and continue driving west into Yoho National Park. A favourite detour just before the hamlet of Field, British Columbia is the one that goes to Takakkaw Falls. However, the road to it won’t be open yet. I mention that in case someone else who will be visiting the area in the summer reads this post. A summer visitor should go to Tak Falls, but you will not be able to do so.

Just past Field, turn off to see the natural bridge over the Kicking Horse River and Emerald Lake.

Continue through the rest of Yoho National Park to the town of Golden.

At Golden turn south and follow the Columbia River Valley to Radium Hot Springs.

At Radium turn north east and drive through Kootenay National Park.

When you reach the TransCanada Highway (Hwy #1) at Castle Junction, turn southeast and return to Banff.

May 22 – Drive to Calgary Airport and fly back to Vancouver. You should leave Banff by 10.00 a.m. You’ll reach Calgary Airport around noon. There is a gasoline (petrol) station at which you can fill your rental car just as you approach the airport. Suggest you have lunch at the airport before you check in at 1.00 p.m. for your 2.00 p.m. domestic flight to Vancouver. (Travellers catching international flights, including flights to the USA, need to check in 2 hours before departure.) The airport has quite a respectable food court. If you want a nicer class of restaurant, there is one in the Delta Calgary Airport Hotel, which is part of the airport complex.

If you had another night or two to spend on this trip, I would suggest you include Jasper. With the time you have available, I think it might make more sense to stick with one base closer to Calgary, namely, Banff.

Although there will be an increase in the number of visitors to Banff because it’ll be the Victoria Day long weekend, there will not be anything like the number of visitors that there are in July and August. At the height of the summer season I can only stand to be in Banff townsite for about 3 hours, and then I have a strong urge to get out of there. Since you’ve described yourself as a very urban person, you probably would not be offended by Banff townsite’s summer crowds. But, as I said, that point is somewhat academic, since the crowds in any case will not yet be at their summer levels.

I’ve never been inside Spruce Grove / Voyager Inn. I imagine the accommodation is fine. It’s not my favourite location, though. It’s at the far end of Banff’s main street, Banff Avenue, quite some distance from the central shopping / restaurant district. Yet it’s still on the main street, so does not have the secluded feeling that some other properties on the outskirts of town have. If you want to be just round the corner from lots of restaurants, etc., close to the downtown core of Banff, you might consider Brewster Mountain Lodge.

There is more information on my website. I particularly recommend the What To Pack page in the TIPS section. The GST Refund page, also in the TIPS section, may be of interest to your mother.

http://groups.msn.com/CalgaryandCana...iesTravelTips/

Hope that helps.

Hey Judy,
Thanks a million for the itinerary! It consists of majority of the places I've thought of going to visit so far. One other place a friend recommend I go see for a while is Canmore, just to see even though it's a small village. Oh! There's another activity I thought of doing - a grizzly bear or wildlife viewing? Will these be possible anyhow?

Thanks to all for the quick replies!

>>>>>>One other place a friend recommend I go see for a while is Canmore, just to see even though it's a small village.<<<<<<

Canmore is a town of about 10,000 people just east of Banff National Park's east gates (that is, it is outside of the national park). It's situated in attractive mountain scenery. It's okay, but I'm really not sure why your friend suggested you go out of your way to see it. You in any case pass it as you're driving from Calgary to Banff.

>>>>>>There's another activity I thought of doing - a grizzly bear or wildlife viewing? Will these be possible anyhow?<<<<<<

You could visit the Northern Lights Wildlife Wolf Centre in Golden, BC.