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Banff National Park is one of the most popular destinations in the world and for a good reason. The stunning Canadian Rockies offer endless options for outdoor lovers and road-trippers of all ages. Therefore, visiting Banff for the first time can feel overwhelming. You may be wondering what to add to your Banff itinerary for 7 days.
I’ve lived close to Banff for over a decade and after countless visits, I still can’t get enough of the beauty.
This travel guide brings you the best of Banff National Park, including summit hikes, waterfalls, glacial lakes, wildlife and more. I’m sharing all my tips about the most popular places, how to avoid crowds and have the best time of your life.
The beauty of the Canadian Rockies will blow you away.
I recommend visiting for at least a week, ideally ten days to two weeks, so you can also explore the neighbouring Yoho and Jasper National Parks.
The ideal Banff itinerary for 7 days for first-time visitors
Day 1: Calgary to Banff National Park
Calgary is the closest international airport to Banff National Park. I recommend getting a campervan or a car so you can get the most out of your visit. While shuttle buses exist in some places, having your own transportation is more cost-effective and comfortable.
Once you’re on the Trans-Canada Highway, it should take you around 1.5 hours to reach Banff. To enter any national park in Canada, you need to purchase a Park Pass. You can either get it at the park’s gates or online in advance. I recommend buying your Park Pass in advance to avoid long lineups, especially in summer.
In Banff, you can either stay in a hotel or a campground. If you’d like to stay in a hotel during the summer, book the place several months in advance. Hotels, and even some campgrounds, are fully booked for the summer in winter or spring.
Alternatively, you can go camping in a campervan. Camping in Banff is very popular since it gives you lots of freedom. It’s the best option if you enjoy waking up to the sound of the birds. Another camping option is glamping in oTentiks; they’re pre-built wooden tents with beds, electricity, heating, and showers. You can book your campground here.
Depending on how much time you have left on your first day, you can stroll the main Banff Avenue, with the iconic Cascade Mountain in the background, and then continue along Bow River towards Bow Falls or hike the Tunnel Mountain for sunset views.
Day 2: The town of Banff
The small mountain town of Banff offers many activities. You can go biking along Bow River to Vermilion Lakes, hike to Hoodoos, visit Cave and Basin National Historic Site – the original birthplace of Banff National Park, enjoy the view of Banff from above from the Mount Norquay Lookout, or visit Cascade of Time Garden.
I highly recommend these activities:
1. Canoeing on Bow River
Visit Banff Canoe Club along the Bow River, offering canoe, kayak, and stand-up paddleboard rentals. Starting on Bow River, you can then paddle to Vermilion Lakes. Another option is one of their guided tours – River Explorer or evening Wildlife on the Bow.
2. Picnicking at Vermilion Lakes
The best place for sunrise or sunset picnics is Vermilion Lakes. They’re walking distance from Banff, and you also pass the famous Banff sign where you can take a picture. There are three Vermilion Lakes; one has a pier, the perfect spot for a picnic.
Day 3: Two Jack Lake & Lake Minnewanka
Two Jack Lake and Lake Minnewanka are about a 15-minute drive from Banff. Two Jack Lake is popular for kayaking and stand-up paddleboarding, but you need to rent watercraft in Banff. Two Jack Lake usually has calm waters and a stunning backdrop of Rundle Mountain.
Lake Minnewanka, on the other hand, is huge, with frequent strong winds. Lake Minnewanka is a great place to rent a kayak (in the morning), hike to Stewart Canyon or take a boat cruise.
For an adventurous day, try hiking up to Aylmer Lookout. The trailhead starts along the lake’s shore and climbs steeply to the lookout. You see Lake Minnewanka from above and both sides of the lake, which very few visitors do.
Bear in mind that Lake Minnewanka is a grizzly bear territory, and trail restrictions are in place. There’s no camping or biking allowed from July 10 to September 15, and you can only hike in a group of four or more.
Always check trail conditions before hiking if the trail is open, and carry bear spray when you hike anywhere in the Canadian Rockies. Parks Canada recommends having it within arm’s reach (you can buy it in any outdoor store in Banff or rent it from your hotel) and learning how to behave around wildlife in advance.
Even though Aylmer Lookout Hike is not a difficult hike, it’s long at 25 km round trip with 880 meters of elevation. The easy trail follows the shoreline for about 8.5 km and then goes uphill to Aylmer Lookout for about 4 km. You get the most stunning view of the huge 28 km long Lake Minnewanka.
Day 4: Sulphur Mountain Hike or Banff Gondola
Banff Gondola going up the Sulphur Mountain is the most popular attraction in Banff. The little-known secret is that you can hike to the top and avoid the crowds.
Banff Gondola takes about eight minutes and costs 50-70 CAD/adult (depending on the season). If you choose to hike, you can always purchase a ticket just for the way down if you get tired.
The Sulphur Mountain trailhead is located at the Banff Hot Springs parking lot. It’s 5.5 km long one-way and takes 1.5-2 hours with breaks. The trail has a steady incline and a lot of switchbacks, making it easier to hike for all ages.
The best thing is that Sulphur Mountain is accessible year-round, whether you choose the gondola or the hiking trail. If you hike in winter, bring microspikes, as some sections might be icy.
Once on top of Sulphur Mountain, you can enjoy the views from the observation deck, learn about Banff National Park in the interactive indoor centre, grab lunch at one of the restaurants, or walk 1 km on the boardwalk to Sanson’s Peak for more gorgeous views.
Day 5: Moraine Lake & Lake Louise
Your Banff itinerary won’t be complete without seeing the most iconic lakes in the Canadian Rockies – Moraine Lake and Lake Louise. About 45 minutes from Banff are both Moraine Lake and Lake Louise.
Luckily, they’re located close to each other, but visiting them requires some advanced planning due to their popularity.
Moraine Lake is a stunning glacial-fed turquoise lake with Ten Peaks in the background, and Lake Louise has a light turquoise colour with Victoria Glacier in the background and several hikes in the area.
Moraine Lake is only accessible from mid-May to mid-October due to the road passing an avalanche zone. Since 2023, it’s not accessible by a private vehicle. You can only visit by biking the Moraine Lake Road or a shuttle bus.
You can book a Parks Canada shuttle bus or from one of the private companies. The most popular options are open double-decker bus or hop on Banff, which lets you explore the most popular places in Banff.
The Parks Canada shuttle drives to both lakes, where you can spend as much time as you’d like and transfer between them with the Connector bus. The shuttles from private companies usually go to Lake Louise first, and then you hop on the next shuttle to Moraine Lake.
The Lake Louise offers canoe rentals on shore, an easy walking path along the lake, the Fairmont Hotel with several restaurants, and many hikes in the area. I highly recommend hiking, where you leave the crowds behind and enjoy the stunning nature. There are several popular hikes:
- Plain of Six Glaciers Tea House
- Lake Agnes Tea House
- Little Beehive or Big Beehive
- Devil’s Thumb
- Mount St. Piran
My favourite hike is Mount St Piran because it’s little known and offers beautiful solitude. The trail is 13 km roundtrip, passes Lake Agnes Tea House, and continues up the mountain to the summit.
You see Lake Louise from above, the Bow Valley, and surrounding mountain peaks and lakes along the Icefields Parkway (which you will drive on the last day of your Banff trip).
Day 6: Johnston Canyon Hike to Ink Pots
One of the greatest hikes in Banff National Park is Johnston Canyon. It’s located along Bow Valley Parkway, about 25 km west of Banff.
It’s one of my favourite hikes because it’s accessible year-round. You can cool off from the waterfalls’ mist in summer and see beautiful frozen waterfalls in winter. Due to its popularity, the trail is usually very busy, so arrive early to catch a parking spot.
Johnston Canyon Hike has an easy trail, catwalks through the canyon, several cascading waterfalls, and ends on the meadow with colourful mineral pools. The best thing is that you can make the hike as short or long as you like.
The Lower Falls are only 1.2 km from the parking lot, and the trail is flat and paved, so it’s suitable for all levels and even for strollers. After passing small cascading waterfalls, you arrive at the Lower Falls. You can see them up close and cool off in summer when going through a rock tunnel.
Then, continue 1.5 km on an uphill trail until you arrive at two viewpoints for Upper Falls. Most hikers turn around at Upper Falls, but I recommend hiking about 3 km further to Ink Pots. Ink Pots are five blue-green bubbling pools that are cold mineral pools. The meadows around they’re set in are the perfect spot for a picnic.
Day 7: Icefields Parkway
Icefields Parkway is one of the most stunning drives in the world, as National Geographic called it. The scenic road from Lake Louise to Jasper, covering two national parks, is 230km long with countless natural wonders – glacial lakes, waterfalls, glaciers, wildlife, hiking trails, and constant mountain views.
The road can be unpredictable since the Icefields Parkway is at a high elevation and passes many glaciers. It’s not uncommon to see snow, even during summer. Make sure your packing list for Banff includes long pants and a down jacket. It’s recommended to check the road conditions before you start the drive from Lake Louise, as there’s no cell signal or Wi-Fi on Iceflieds Parkway.
I’ve driven it several times, but new places remain to discover. Prepare for a long day with so much beauty. I recommend at least one full day, ideally two days, to drive the Icefields Parkway and continue your itinerary in Jasper.
For a one-day trip on Icefields Parkway, I recommend making these stops:
- Bow Lake
- Peyto Lake
- Waterfowl Lakes
- Mistaya Canyon
- Panther Falls
- Columbia Icefield
- Wilcox Pass
- Sunwapta Falls
- Athabasca Falls
- Valley of the Five Lakes
Wilcox Pass and Valley of the Five Lakes are hiking trails in Jasper National Park. Wilcox Pass is right across the Columbia Icefield.
If you don’t have time for the tour where the giant Ice Explorer bus takes you onto the Athabasca Glacier, you can see it from above when you hike the beginning of the Wilcox Pass Hike. About two kilometres into the hike are iconic red chairs for the perfect photo, and there’s a high chance of seeing bighorn sheep who like to hang out there.
Valley of the Five Lakes is an easy, family-friendly hike around gorgeous emerald lakes close to Jasper town. Remember to make noise and carry your bear spray when hiking in the Rockies, and I hope you have the most pleasant wildlife encounters.
When driving on the Icefields Parkway, stop often and enjoy the views; they’re on every corner. You can continue to Jasper or return to Calgary if you’re visiting for a week.
I wish you an amazing trip to the Rockies and hope this Banff itinerary for 7 days makes your planning easier!
About the Author:
Maya is an adventure athlete and world traveller; she loves travelling to places beyond the beaten path that are not often visited. She shares her travel stories and comprehensive adventure travel guides on her blog Travel with the Smile.
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Raised as a third culture kid living in South America and Europe, Annick caught the travel bug early. As an empty-nester, Annick enjoys sharing her tips for traveling for those with champagne taste and beer budgets.