The Best 3 Days Banff Itinerary

Travel to Banff and immerse yourself in one of the most beautiful places in the world! Canoe on turquoise lakes, hike through snow-capped mountains, and admire the bustling wildlife. If this sounds ideal to you, then you need to add the Canadian Rockies to your bucket list! Explore the best 3 Days Banff Itinerary below for a magical vacation.

I visited this park with my friends a few years ago and I still dream of going back! The three of us decided to fit in as much as we could in three days and visit Yoho National Park, Lake Louise, and Jasper National Park. If you are looking for an unforgettable weekend than look no further.

I have recreated the best three day Banff itinerary below with a Google Map to help you navigate it all! This guide has it all including when to go, how to get there, and Banff sights that you can’t miss in three days! Let me know what you end up doing on your trip to this incredible area of the world.

Planning a Banff Trip

Best Time to Go to Banff

You can visit Banff throughout the year. Each season brings magic ✨✨, so timing your visit depends on what you want to do in the parks. That said, this itinerary is mostly written for summer road trips. You can still use this as a base for your plans but many of the roads do not open until late Spring and they close in late Fall.

Summer

There’s no better time to visit the Canadian Rockies than in the summer. The bright blue lakes have thawed, so their colors really shine, roads have opened, and wildlife is out and about. You’ll be able to experience the true magic of Banff!

The only drawback with visiting during summer is the crowds and the prices are high. You’ll find that a lot of the trails are packed full with people, you’ll need to book shuttles to get to the lakes in advance, and you will probably pay a pretty penny 💸💸 to stay in a hotel in the area. But, if you truly want to see it all, then summer is still the best time for a visit!

Fall

Have you ever seen larches? Well, these vibrant trees 🍂🍂 start to dot the mountain skyline in the Fall, which create incredible landscapes. Seeing the autumn scene in the Canadian Rockies is unparalleled.

If you visit in the early Fall, most of the trails are still open because snow has yet to cling to the ground. Temperatures may be a bit lower, so you’ll want to layer up 🧥 and prepare for the crisp weather. Later in the fall, crowds have dwindled, so it’s very quiet, but you may see more snowfall.

Larch Valley is a must do hike in the Fall!

Winter

Skiers ⛷ get excited, because the Canadian Rockies are a fantastic destination. There are multiple ski resorts in the Banff area. Many skiers flock to these destinations for the winter time when the mountains are covered in snow and the lakes are frozen over.

Visitors that don’t ski or snowboard can still enjoy the winter scenes ☃️ in the parks. These areas are some of the prettiest winter scenery that you’ll ever see. It’s a quiet but lovely time to visit.

Spring

Spring is a season of transformation 🌸🌸. In the early spring, snow still covers most of the mountains and the trails. The lakes are just beginning to thaw and will most likely still be frozen over. But, it’s a nice quiet time to visit.

Later in the spring, the lakes thaw out and some of the trails open up to visitors. You may even get lucky for some nice warm and sunny weather. Wildlife 🦌 starts to peak their heads out and it’s a great time for some sightings!

How to Get to Banff

Traveling to Banff can take a bit of time, but with the proper planning it can go very smoothly. The best way to get to these areas is to fly into either Calgary or Edmonton and either do a round trip flight ✈️ or fly into one and leave from the other. Calgary is closer to Banff, but Edmonton & Calgary are equidistant to Jasper.

Once you fly into Calgary or Edmonton then you will need to drive to your destinations. You can either get a rental car 🚗, which I highly recommend so you can freely drive around or you can take a Brewster Express shuttle. Then, you can book sightseeing tours on their site as well.

Driving Directions:

From Calgary: Calgary is just 90 minutes from Banff. You’ll take the Trans-Canada Highway to the West for about 115 kilometers until arriving in Banff.

Where to Stay in Banff

For three days, I recommend staying around the Banff area in one place. You can choose from staying in Banff itself, in Canmore, or in Lake Louise. There are plenty of campsites, hotels, and lodging options in the area, however, the area is a bit pricey 💰. If you want to save money consider camping or staying in a hostel!

Banff and Canmore has plenty of restaurants 🍔 and shops. So, these towns are both fantastic options for lodging.

Best Hotels in the Area:

• Fairmont Banff Springs (Banff, $$$$)
• Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise (Lake Louise, $$$$)
• Rimrock Hotel (Banff, $$$$)
• The Dorothy Motel (Banff, $$)
• Banff Boutique Inn (Banff $$)

Things to Know about Banff & Jasper

What to Pack for Banff

No matter what time of year you go, the most important thing to do is to bring layers! Like most mountainous areas, the mornings and nights are a lot colder than the day time. Especially in the spring and fall, temperatures 🌡 can very by 20 degrees Fahrenheit.

Also, if you plan on hiking, then you should always pack bear spray! Bears live throughout the Rockies, so make sure you know how to use it before you hit the trails!

Banff Packing List

• Comfortable Hiking Boots
• Small Pack
• Hiking Poles
• First Aid Kit
• Bear Spray
• Sunscreen
• Bug Spray
• Sunglasses
• Hat to block sun
• Shelter
• Quality Layers!
• Rain jacket or light winter jacket
• Satellite phone
• Canada Parks Pass

How to Get a Shuttle to Lake Louise & Moraine Lake

Beginning in 2023 there is no longer any private parking at Moraine Lake. This means that the only way to get there is to take one of the Parks Canada Shuttles or a private shuttle 🚌. There are also shuttles offered to Lake Louise, because there is limited parking.

You can book shuttle reservations in advance on the Parks Canada website. You’ll simply state how many people are in your group, the time that you want the shuttle and then pay on the site. The time slot is good for an hour ⏰ and is only needed if you leave from the Park & Ride. Otherwise, you just wait in line for the shuttle. Then, take a screenshot or download your reservation for when you get there.

If shuttles are sold out, don’t worry they still release more reservations two days in advance at 8 am Mountain Time. So, you have another chance to get seats.

The Best 3 Day Banff Itinerary

Day 1: Banff Town and Yoho National Park

Yoho National Park

On your first day in the area, travel 20 minutes outside of Banff to the magical Yoho National Park. Yoho National Park is famous for incredible mountain landscapes, hundreds of hiking trails, cascading waterfalls, and gorgeous alpine lakes. It is an outdoor lovers paradise and there are so many ways to spend a day!

Emerald Lake

One of the best things to do in this park is explore all around the mesmerizing Emerald Lake. This turquoise lake has cabins that sit around the perimeter and is a perfect place to stay if you reserve it early.

You can hike the perimeter of Emerald Lake (3 miles). This is an easy trail that follows along the lake and goes through some of the camping areas. 

After you hike the loop, you can rent a kayak to explore the lake on the water. The stunning contrast of the red kayak on the emerald green waters is reason enough to do just that. You can take your time to explore and relax amongst the beauty of the setting.

Best Things to Do in Yoho National Park:

• Canoe on Emerald Lake
• Hike at Lake O’Hara
• View the Natural Bridge
• Admire Takkakaw Falls

Vermillion Lakes & Banff Town

If you are staying in Banff Town, then you can head back there for a night of exploring. You should try to book a reservation early if you want to go somewhere nice for dinner, especially in the peak seasons. Depending on the time of year, you may want to eat dinner before watching sunset.

The days in Banff are very long in May, so sunsets are late and sunrises are very early. Drive to the incredible Vermilion Lakes to watch a beautiful sunset. 🌅 When we went there we even saw moose along the way, which was very exciting! After sunset, you should go home and rest to prepare for the long day ahead.

Day Two: Lake Louise and Moraine Lake

Lake Agnes Trail to Little Beehive

You should get an early start to the day to beat the crowds and see as much as possible! We wanted to do Big Beehive, but ended up doing Little Beehive instead, because the trail was still covered in snow. However, this ended up being one of the best trails in the area! Drive to the Lake Louise Trail parking lot, which is below the Fairmont Chateau.

The trail starts with a walk around the stunning Lake Louise. You may be tempted to take some pictures here, which you can, but you are going to get a better view later on! In order to do the Little Beehive hike, you have to take the Lake Agnes Trail past the teahouse. There is a trail sign for both by the Lake.

The beginning of the hike is steep, so take plenty of breaks. As you continue up the mountain, you will continue to see the majestic waters of the lake through the treeline.

There will be a couple other stops that you may want to stop and take pictures, but the top has the very best views. Eventually you will get to a waterfall down the side of the mountain. Just above this waterfall is the Tea House. 

I highly recommend that you stop for a short break at the Tea House. The tea house is cash only, so make sure you bring some if you want to enjoy a treat! Everything that they have at the tea house, they carry up the mountain from down below. They have fresh teas to order along with small treats. We sat on the porch and sipped on tea, while enjoying the view below.

After the stop, you follow the signs for the Little Beehive trail or you can turn off to Big Beehive in better weather. The view from the overlook of Little Beehive is unreal! When you get to the peak, you can see the Fairmont and the Lake below, while the Mountains surround you. The hike took us about four hours from start to finish.

Moraine Lake

After a beautiful hike, you can take the shuttle from Lake Louise to Moraine Lake for the next part of your day. Walking up to this lake will take your breath away, as you see the turquoise waters and the granite peaks behind it.

NOTE: The only way to get to Moraine Lake is to take a shuttle or bike. This road is closed to all private vehicles.

Stop here for a picnic, go up to the Rockpile, or walk around the shoreline. There really is no better view for a picnic lunch, just sit and take it all in.

Consolation Lakes

If you have enough energy after your first hike of the day, then you can do another one! The Consolations Lake Trail starts by the Moraine Lake shoreline. There is a sign about bears right before the trail starts, so don’t forget to pack bear spray.

The trail is fairly flat and it starts out through the woods. The beginning was nice, but as we continued to move on we realized there was a lot of snow! We forged on through the snow, luckily we were wearing layers.

Eventually the woods clear and there is a large valley. I will admit we all got creative while walking in order to avoid getting completely soaked in snow. The end of this hike was worth the wet clothes as the valley opens up and you see the beautiful lake with the cedars all around. We took a while to dry off our socks and enjoy the nature around us, before turning back. The hike took us about 2 hours through the snow to complete.

Drinks at the Fairmont Chateau

Take a quick pit stop to dry off and get ready for a nicer night out. If you’re lucky you may even be able to stay at the Fairmont Chataeu, but if you can’t you can still get drinks in the lounge there.

The Fairmont is a luxury hotel sitting at the base of Lake Louise. While the restaurants in the Chateau are expensive and may require reservations, the bar has plenty of seating. We had a couple rounds of drinks, while watching the sunset through the large windows. After a long day, we decided to retire early.

Day Three Icefields Parkway

The Icefields Parkway is known as one of the most scenic drives in all of North America. It will take you from Lake Louise, through Jasper National Park, and all the way to Jasper. We only had one day, so we drove as far as we could (Athabasca Falls) on the parkway, until turning around and going back home.

Peyto Lake

The first stop from the Lake Louise area is Peyto Lake, which is about a half an hour drive. Get here early, so that you can have this stunning lake to yourselves! I had seen pictures of Peyto Lake on Instagram, a long bright blue lake with green trees that surround it on all sides.

The walk to the viewpoint is about half a mile. So, you do not need to spend a lot of time enjoying this view!

Athabasca Glacier

Continue along the Icefields parkway until you get to the Columbia Icefields Discovery Centre. I recommend going to the Centre for helpful tips from the rangers along with a bite to eat!

After going to the Centre, you should walk up to the toe of the Athabasca Glacier, which is right across the parkway. There is a bit of a steep hill to get up to the Glacier, so where shoes that have a good grip on them.

 It is really cool to see and there are lots of signs along the way that tell you more about the glacier and where it used to sit.

Wilcox Pass Trail to Red Chairs (3 miles)

About a mile south of the Discovery Centre, you’ll find the Wilcox Pass Trailhead. The beginning of the trail is steep and a bit tiring. However, soon after the steep section you will come out and have a great view of the Athabasca Glacier.

If you continue up the mountain a bit more you will find two red chairs that are set up for you to relax in. They also make for a great picture! We turned around at this point, but you can choose to continue depending on your timing.

Beauty Creek Trail

The most surprising part of our adventure on the Icefields Parkway, was the Beauty Creek Trail. The Ranger at the Centre told us that it was a hidden gem, but that it was also pretty secretive. If we had not stopped at the Centre, we never would have known about it! It’s a very easy and walkable trail and highly worth it!! 

The trailhead is very hard to find. You have to look for a pull-off on the east side of the highway, about 10 miles past the Discovery Centre. There is a hiker sign, but no other signs mark it! If you reach the Beauty Creek Hostel then you have passed the trail.

You walk along the little river until you get to the woodier area of the trail. Once you reach the woods, you walk a little further and then Beauty Creek appears. It is awesome! The creek is set between a canyon, where there are smaller little falls.

The trail continues all the way until Stanley Falls. We could have spent the whole day here climbing on the rocks, putting our feet in the water, and exploring all that the creek had to offer. We only saw three or four people on the trail. I highly recommend it!

Athabasca Falls

If you have time and you aren’t too exhausted you can continue your drive to Athabasca Falls, which is about 40 minutes away. We did the trail up to the toe of the falls. The falls are very impressive. They are large and the water gushes from the top. If you like waterfalls, then this is worth the time! 

After a long day, you should turn around and drive back home. The drive back to Lake Louise was about two and a half hours. However, if you have more than three days you should continue to Jasper and explore there. There is so much to see in this area of the Canadian Rockies and I wish we had even more time!

Final Tips for Visiting Banff

I hope that you feel prepared for your trip to the Canadian Rockies! This is the perfect 3 day itinerary for Banff. Just make sure to plan ahead in advance so you can get the best hotels and shuttle reservations. You will have the most incredible time!

Let me know if this itinerary was helpful in the comments!

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