One Week in the Canadian Rockies - Itinerary and Guide
From majestic mountain ranges to turquoise blue glacial lakes, rushing rivers to deep gorges, the Canadian Rockies is an outdoor lovers paradise. With one week, you can visit two of Canada’s most stunning lakes, hike on a glacier, traverse canyons, take gondola rides to mountain tops, and hike trails in some of the most spectacular places. In this guide, we share our full one week itinerary, including a two day train trip on the Rocky Mountaineer.
About the Canadian Rockies
The Canadian Rockies are a mountainous region in western Canada, spanning the provinces of Alberta and British Columbia. There are four national parks within the Canadian Rockies: Banff, Jasper, Yoho, and Kootenay.
Situated west of Calgary, Alberta, these parks are fairly easy to access. The town of Banff is a great base when exploring this area with a bevy of restaurants, lodging, and retail shops, and is a jumping off point for many tours in the area. On this trip, we visited Banff and Jasper National Parks.
When we went
Early September. It was the perfect time of year to go with great temperatures and sunny skies. This time period is also in between two very busy travel times to the area: peak summer and peak fall season, when crowds arrive to see the changing fall colors on the larch trees. While some areas were crowded, we were mostly able to dodge the crowds by booking our shuttles ahead of time and getting out the door early.
Where we stayed
Banff: The Moose Hotel & Suites
Vancouver: Fairmont Vancouver Airport
WHAT THIS ITINERARY INCLUDES:
- Banff, Alberta
- Lake Louise
- Moraine Lake
- Icefields Parkway
- Mistaya Canyon
- Johnston Canyon
- Peyto Lake
- Columbia Icefields
- Rocky Mountaineer Train Trip
- Vancouver, British Columbia
- Two National Parks: Banff and Jasper
This is a “what we did” itinerary, which makes it easy for you to follow along or tweak and adjust based on number of days you have or your specific interests. For more in-depth information on each place, see the linked article below each day. These individual guides share lots of info, planning tips, and photos!
DAY 1
On Today’s Agenda:
- Arrive in Calgary, pick up rental car, drive 80 miles west to Banff
- Check in to hotel
- Walk to nearby grocery store to get some provisions
- Dinner: Farm & Fire at the Elk + Avenue Hotel
Calgary is the closest major airport to Banff so it logistically makes sense to fly in here. After arrival, we retrieved our rental car and drove 80 miles west to the town of Banff.
After checking into our hotel, we headed out to get a few grocery items from the nearby IGA, stocking up on picnic and breakfst items.
In the early evening we enjoyed live music along with a nice meal at Farm & Fire, located at the Elk + Avenue hotel, just a couple doors down from our hotel.
We still had a little bit of daylight left, so we walked further down Banff Avenue after dinner. Straight ahead is the Banff National Park Building which also hosts the beautiful Cascade Gardens.
Sunset at Cascade Gardens, looking down Banff Avenue | Banff
Looking back down Banff Avenue, the views are beautiful with the looming Cascade Mountain in the distance.
DAY 2
On Today’s Agenda:
- Visit Lake Louise
- Ride the Banff Gondola
- Dinner at Larkspur Lounge at the Rimrock Hotel
On our first full day in Banff, we visited Lake Louise, one of the most famous of Canada’s alpine lakes. To visit Lake Louise, you can self-drive, however note that parking will be extremely hard to come by. In fact, as you drive down the highway, signs consistently state that parking is full and to find an alternative. It is best to pre-plan alternative transportation by booking a Parks Canada Shuttle ahead of time. Because of the planning involved in visiting Lake Louise and Moraine lake, we created a full guide: How To Visit Lake Louise & Moraine Lake.
Our shuttle bus time was for 7:00 a.m. at the Lake Louise Summer Gondola. There are restrooms and restaurants on site, although the restaurants were still closed this early in the morning. At 7:00 a.m., we boarded the shuttle bus and arrived at Lake Louise about 30 minutes later.
The sun was just rising, creating a beautiful, peaceful scene over Lake Louise. The lake was like glass, reflecting the distant mountains and trees.
Lake Louise | Banff National Park
We began our hike on the Lake Agnes Trail. On the hike we stopped at the stunning Mirror Lake (which lives up to its name, especially in the morning).
Mirror Lake on the Lake Anges Trail | Lake Louise, Banff National Park
We continued on and arrived at the Lake Agnes Tea House, our final destination. While here, we had a table inside the Lake Agnes Tea house where we enjoyed wildberry tea and rested our legs after this uphill hike!
Break time at the Lake Agnes Tea House | Lake Louise, Banff National Park
After our time in the tea house, we walked around beautiful Lake Agnes and checked out the waterfall just below the lake.
Lake Agnes | Lake Louise, Banff National Park
We also hiked about a quarter of a mile on the Little Beehive Trail, where we got great views of Chateau Lake Louise and Lake Louise down below before heading back down to the trailhead.
Chateau Lake Louise and Lake Louise, the Little Beehive Trail | Lake Louise, Banff National Park
When we arrived back at Lake Louise, the sun was now much higher in the sky, allowing the turquoise blue to really shine. Canoes were dotting the lake as people rowed about in this beautiful scene.
Canoers dotting Lake Louise | Banff National Park
Once back in Banff, we headed to the Banff Gondola, a slow ride rising up above Banff to Sulfur Mountain. We spent about an hour and half exploring the various lookouts.
The Observation Deck and views from the top of Sulphur Mountain | Banff Gondola, Banff
We had planned to dine up here at the restaurant, Sky Bistro, but it was closed for a private event. Instead, we walked the short distance down the hill to the Rimrock Hotel. Here, we had a fabulous dining experience! We compiled a meal out of a variety of apps complete with Aperol Spritzes. The view couldn’t be beat as we were seated on the back patio with great views of the mountains.
DAY 3
On Today’s Agenda:
- Visit Moraine Lake
- Dinner at Brazen
Similar to yesterday, our visit to Moraine Lake was via shuttle bus, however I reserved this one on the Moraine Lake Bus Company. We had a 10:00 a.m. slot, giving us a little more time this morning. By visiting this lake mid-morning we saw Moraine Lake in its aquamarine glory. Visiting these glacial lakes with the sun higher in the sky allows their bright blue color to really pop.
Like yesterday, we drove back out to the Lake Louise Summer Gondola, where we parked our vehicle and jumped on the shuttle bus, this time to Moraine Lake. Once we arrived, we started on the Rockpile Trail, a short, steep climb to three levels of viewpoints of Moraine Lake below. We were blown away by its beauty!
Gorgeous Moraine Lake | Banff National Park
Next, we hiked the Consolation Lakes Trail. The beginning of this trail is through a massive boulder field, which you traverse first to get to the woodsy trail.
The beginning of the Consolation Lakes Trail | Moraine Lake, Banff National Park
The woodsy trail | Moraine Lake, Banff National Park
Keep your bear spray handy as this is an area known to be frequented by grizzlies, although we did not see any on our hike. The trail ends as it opens up to a large meadow with the lakes ahead. We sat on one of the large boulders within the lake, enjoying a picnic lunch while taking in the incredible view!
Consolation Lakes | Moraine Lake, Banff National Park
Once back in Banff, we went to dinner at Brazen, enjoying a lovely meal of steak and wine. Today was another great day in Banff National Park!
NOTE: Visiting both Moraine Lake and Lake Louise takes planning. For one, you cannot self-drive to Moraine Lake and it’s really difficult to do so to Lake Louise. Parks Canada makes visiting them a breeze with their shuttle services. Because of the pre-planning needed, we wrote an in-depth guide on how to visit these lakes. You can find our guide here: Guide to Visiting Lake Louise and Moraine Lake.
DAY 4
On Today’s Agenda:
- Drive the Icefields Parkway
- Visit the Columbia Icefield
- Dinner at Rundle Bar at the Fairmont Banff Springs
- Return rental car at Fairmont Banff Springs
The Icefields Parkway is one of the world’s most spectacular drives, taking you through some of Canada’s most stunning scenery.
The Icefields Parkway
Our tour of the Athabasca Glacier at the Columbia Icefields was booked for 1:30 p.m. so we built our itinerary backwards from that.
Leaving Banff at 7:00 a.m., we grabbed a quick breakfast at Starbucks and then began the drive. The first stop of the day was Johnston Canyon, about 30 miles outside of Banff. This one mile hike is on a paved path, so it is accessible. By arriving early, at about 7:30 a.m., it wasn’t crowded yet and we could easily take in the views at the falls. We heard it gets very crowded as the day goes on, so we wanted to arrive here first thing in the morning.
Johnston Canyon | Banff National Park
Our next stop was Peyto Lake, another of Banff’s turquoise glacial lakes. This one looks to be in the shape of a wolf’s head!
Peyto Lake | Banff National Park
The path was short and mostly uphill, although there is a spur off the main trail labeled “easy” for those who are looking for a gentler slope.
Next up is Mistaya Canyon, not to be missed. The rugged trail takes you on a one mile hike to a bridge with stunning views. From here, you can access hiking trails or simply park yourself on the rocks above the rushing water. We had a picnic snack here while relishing the views.
Mistaya Canyon | Banff National Park
The final destination on our drive on the Icefields Parkway was the Columbia Icefields, at the southern end of Jasper National Park. We had a reserved time slot for a tour on the Athabasca Glacier, where we boarded a large Ice Explorer bus and were brought onto the glacier. It is a bucket list experience for sure!
Athabasca Glacier at Columbia Icefields | Jasper National Park
Included in the glacier experience is a stop at the Skywalk, located about a five minute drive from the Athabasca Glacier.
Skywalk overlooking the Columbia Icefields | Jasper National Park
While on the walkway, you get fantastic views over the vast canyon with the glaciers in the distance, all while walking on a glass-floored walkway.
The Skywalk | Jasper National Park
The Skywalk is 918 feet above the valley and features a glass floor. If heights are not your thing, you can stay on the non-glass parts near the edge.
On our way back to Banff, we dropped our rental car at the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel and enjoyed a great meal on-site on the patio of the Rundle Bar.
The Rundle Bar | Fairmont Banff Springs, Banff
With glorious views and delicious food and drinks, we had a lovely meal before walking back to our hotel for the evening.
NOTE: For our full guide and itinerary on driving the Icefields Parkway, check out our article: Driving the Icefields Parkway – Banff to Jasper. We go into depth with our full experience, stops, and timeline, ending with our fabulous visit to the Athabasca Glacier at the Columbia Icefields.
DAY 5
On Today’s Agenda:
- All aboard on the Rocky Mountaineer
- Overnight in Kamloops
Today is the day to board the Rocky Mountaineer and begin the two day train trip to Vancouver!
The Rocky Mountaineer shuttle bus picked us up at our hotel at 7:00 a.m with luggage in hand. We boarded the shuttle bus and stopped at two more hotels to pick up additional people before arriving at the Banff Train Station. We already had our train car and seat numbers in hand which made for a smooth boarding process.
View from our train car | The Rocky Mountaineer
Today was filled with fantastic meals in the dining car, wonderful stories and anecdotes from our crew, and, of course, watching the amazing scenery from both the windows at our seats and the outdoor vestibule in front of our dining car.
Taking in the views from the outdoor vestibule | The Rocky Mountaineer
NOTE: We go into great detail about our train journey, sharing what route we took, class we booked, and lots of information and photos! You can find that article here: The Rocky Mountaineer – Two Day Train Trip from Banff to Vancouver.
DAY 6
On Today’s Agenda:
- Day Two on the Rocky Mountaineer
- Arrive in Vancouver
Today was very similar to yesterday – an early departure from our hotel in Kamloops to bring us back to the train and continue on to Vancouver.
More delicious food, great stories, and commaderie from fellow passengers made this journey a great one.
Dining Car | The Rocky Mountaineer
And again, we saw the beauty of Western Canada as we rolled along the tracks as well as some wildlife!
The Rocky Mountaineer
We were sad to say goodbye as it was an unbelievable trip. In the late evening, we rolled in to the station, grabbed our luggage, and were off to our hotel.
The end of the day | Rocky Mountaineer
DAY 7
On Today’s Agenda:
- See the Gastown Steam Clock
- Steamworks BrewPub
- Dinner at Cordero’s
After many early days, we relished a slow morning. While Mike had some work meetings I took time for a workout, a leisurely lunch at the hotel, and organized our gear until we headed to downtown Vancouver in the late afternoon. Our first stop was Gastown, where we saw the steamclock whistle it’s tune and pump out steam in front of a gathered crowd.
The Gastown Steam Clock | Vancouver
We stopped in to the Steamworks Brewpub, enjoying a local brew.
Steamworks Brewpub | Vancouver
We ended our evening with dinner at Cordero’s, a lovely waterfront restaurant where we were treated to not only excellent food and drinks but the pleasure of watching seaplanes take off and land on the water while we dined!
Cordero’s | Vancouver
Tomorrow was an early start with our flight home so we called it a night after dinner. Our wonderful time in western Canada was over!
This trip to the Canadian Rockies hit it all: unbelievably turquoise blue glacial-fed lakes, majestic mountain ranges, waterfalls and canyons, gondola rides and hiking trails. We bookended the Rocky Mountaineer train trip with four wonderful days in Banff on the front end followed by a day in Vancouver on the back end. It really is a perfect itinerary for first time visitors to the area as it hits all the must sees and dos along with some lesser known gems.
OUR PACKING LIST
Here is our packing list for our trip to the Canadian Rockies:
- Our go-to hiking backpacks are Osprey brand. They are very lightweight and comfortable and carry all our essentials. You can find the backpacks in a variety of colors and capacities.
- Camelback water reservoirs are a must when hiking.
- I really like these Black Diamond trekking poles. These fold up and are lightweight, especially great for packing when traveling and taking along on hikes.
- No hike should be without a mini first aid kit!
Read more!
The Ultimate Guide to Visiting Lake Louise and Moraine Lake
Guide to Visiting Lake Louise and Moraine Lake in Banff National Park Banff National Park in the Canadian Rockies makes for a fabulous outdoor vacation
Ultimate Guide to Visiting Banff National Park
Guide to Visiting Banff National Park Banff National Park, located in the Canadian Rockies, is one of the absolute gems in the Canadian National Parks
Full Guide to Driving the Icefields Parkway: Banff to the Columbia Icefields
Driving the Icefields Parkway from Banff to Jasper Driving among towering mountains and massive pine forests with the high likelihood of seeing wildlife on the
This sounds precisely like the trip my husband and I want to take for my 40th birthday this coming summer. Do you happen to have a cost breakdwon ? I’d love to know how much to save for 2 people.
Hi there! This would make a fantastic birthday trip!
As for cost breakdown, the train trip will be the most expensive part. You can check out up-to-date pricing for next summer on the Rocky Mountaineer website. After booking the train, we built our trip around the dates of the train trip, planning four days in Banff on the front end of the trip and two days in Vancouver on the back end. There are many lodging options in both Vancouver and Banff that work with most budgets. It was not an inexpensive trip by any means but can be tweaked here and there to be less expensive. Hope this helps! ~ Michelle