Here you'll find everything you need to know to plan a weekend getaway to Banff National Park & the surrounding area.
Background:
Our weekend getaway trip spanned from Friday (8/29/2024) to Tuesday (9/03/2024). While this amount of time might not be ideal for most, we felt like given the circumstances and the opportunity to travel to Banff, we could not pass it up so we took what we could. In the future, we would prefer to stay longer and suggest to those seeking a more laid-back vacation to space out their activities (unlike our trip planning). However, if you are looking for a budget-friendly itinerary that uses time efficiently, you are in the right place!
Note, this itinerary was designed with a strong emphasis on maximizing efficiency and filling it with as many activities within a limited timeframe as possible. While there are different ways to plan a trip to Banff, these were our main priorities that we focused on for our group of five travelers. We experienced consecutive early mornings and late nights with minimal time for rest. Was it worthwhile? Definitely!
About:
Banff is a resort town in Alberta, Canada located approximately 1 hour & 30 min from Calgary. With its mountainous surroundings and natural hot springs, Banff National Park has quickly become one of Canada's top tourist destinations (as such, the town of Banff has also gained in popularity). Banff National Park is Canada's oldest national park and encompasses over 2,500 square miles of mountainous terrain that contains glaciers, ice fields, dense forests, some of the most beautiful pristine blue lakes, and various wildlife.
Getting to Banff:
Our friends, Delany and Nirmal mentioned they were planning a trip to Banff over Labor Day weekend. With Moraine Lake being on Ethan's bucket list since he was 10, we jumped at the opportunity to join them when we heard it was an open invite! In addition to us joining them, our other friend, Maggie, decided she would tag along too. Thankfully, flights were abnormally cheap for his time of year ($227 compared to $380 roundtrip). We noticed that the best bang for our buck was to book 2 one way flights. We ended up taking WestJet to get to Calgary but Air Canada to return home. We departed at 5;55 pm on Friday for Calgary and after about 4 hours, we were in Canada!
One thing to note, anyone planning a visit to Banff National Park including Banff town and the Lake Louise area are required to have a National Park Pass printed and displayed on the dash of your vehicle. Luckily, you can buy a family pass that covers everyone in your vehicle (up to 7). There are 2 pass options:
Day Pass - perfect for day visits to popular national parks like Banff, Jasper, Yoho, etc. These passes expire at 4:00 pm on the day of departure. The system automatically calculates the days you will be charged for.
Discovery Pass - provides access to over 80 Parks Canada destinations for 12 months. A physical park pass will be delivered to your address.
Our Stay and Car Rental:
We booked our stay at a lodge-style resort (The Hidden Ridge Resort) in Banff through Booking.com. Due to our group size, we needed to accommodate enough space for 5 people to sleep comfortably (private queen bed, loft with 2 queen beds, and a sofa queen bed). Our lodge also offered free parking, a pool & hot tub, and a free shuttle bus to downtown Banff. We never utilized this shuttle but could see it being beneficial to those who have more flexibility with time.
Coming from Calgary, we also had to book a 3-day rental car, which was done through Expedia (approx. 86 USD each). Be sure to book in advance for both your accommodation and mode of transportation as the summer season is their busiest time of year. Luckily for us, we traveled towards the end of the peak season/start of larch season. This meant we could expect a little bit less people (but not much) than had we gone in mid-July or August.
Day 1: Road Trip to Golden, British Columbia
Our first full day in Canada started with an alarm going off at 5:45 am. We had to be on the road by 6:15 am to see the sunrise at Two Jack Lake, which was set to begin at 6:45 am. We weren't the only ones with this idea but thankfully, it wasn't too crowded (only approximately 5 vehicle groups). During our initial planning process for the trip, we were debating between a sunrise vs sunset trip to Two Jack Lake. To save you time, you should definitely go for sunrise! Since Mount Rundle is west of Two Jack Lake and the sun rises from the east, we witnessed the mountain go from grayscale to vibrant orange. The lake also acted as a mirror, perfectly reflecting the natural landscape in the distance.
Sunrise @ Two Jacks Lake + breakfast
Sunrise @ Two Jacks Lake - can you tell which image is flipped upside down? **
Which image is upside down?
0%Left Image
0%Right Image
After Mount Rundle was all lit up and the vibrant orange faded, we jumped in the car to head back to Banff for a quick bite and coffee before we needed to hit the road again for our trip to Golden, British Columbia.
Before the trip, we booked a bundled deal that featured entry to the Golden Skybridge and an afternoon white river rafting tour. There are plenty of packages out there for those who want to do multiple things. We found this to be the most budget-friendly option compared to some of the more popular Pursuit packages.
We arrived at the park entrance at 9:45 and proceeded to walk through the course. The Golden Skybridge is Canada's highest suspension bridge, at over 426 feet above the canyon below. Don't worry, the suspension bridges aren't the only things here! There are also other outdoor activities like ziplines, axe throwing, ropes courses, a mountain coaster, and a giant canyon swing. Nirmal was the only brave one to take this swing - or should we say drop! We initially only planned to do the suspension bridge; however, once we were there, we decided to buy a ticket to the mountain coaster. Our tickets actually covered two trips on it but due to time, we only went once. Sadly, the line for this was longgggg.
The next thing we knew, it was lunchtime. We drove into Golden for more food options outside of what was available within the park. Reposados caught our eye and we knew we would be cutting it close on time since they opened at 12 pm and we needed to be on the road by 12:30 pm for our 1 pm white river rafting tour. Now, was this restaurant worth the hype? Yes and no... The staff felt a little stressed at the line that was forming outside their restaurant at 11:55 am. Maybe it's an American thing, but for a place serving lunch, it should have been open by 11 or 11:30 am - not at the peak lunchtime! Regardless, the food was great and one thing we all agreed on was that we would have enjoyed being able to spend a leisurely lunch there.
There are two rivers, the Kicking Horse River and the Kananaskis River, that are known to have rapids. We ultimately chose to look for a tour on the Kicking Horse River because of our package deal in Golden and the more challenging rapids it offers (class IV+ compared to II-III). Hydra River Guides took us on a thrilling 22 km rafting trip down the river, with some exhilarating moments along the way. By the end of the excursion, we were drenched. Despite the scorching 85-90-degree F weather, the water was surprisingly icy cold. This makes sense because the river is sourced from melting glaciers. Fortunately, we were equipped with warmish wetsuits provided by the company. Our guide, despite the intimidating class IV+ rapids, effectively shared techniques to help us stay in the raft and conducted a safety briefing before we set off. From pre-departure to hanging up our wetsuits once returned, the total time commitment was about 3 hours and 30 min. The entire process, from pre-departure safety lessons to hanging up our wetsuits to dry, took approximately 3 hours and 30 minutes.
Exhausted from the lack of sleep the night before and our full day of adventures, we still had to drive back to Banff for our dinner reservation that evening at The Bison Banff. Thankfully, we had time to rinse off the stench from the day before we sat down for a family meal. We initially reserved this spot (along with 2 others) a month in advance. Going into this trip, we read that booking things in advance is a must. While doing so will be beneficial and get you into some of the nicer restaurants, it's not 100% needed. There are instances where you could walk up to a restaurant and put your name down; however, be prepared to wait in long lines if it's a popular spot. This place, in our opinion, was the best option in town. Ethan ordered the bison short rib and to his surprise, didn't taste too gamey. By the end of dinner, everyone was about to pass out from exhaustion. We could barely keep our eyes open as we shoveled the remaining food into our mouths.
Adventures in Golden, British Columbia.
White River Rafting on the Kicking Horse River.
Day 2: Lakes, Hiking, & More Hiking
Continuing with the theme, day 2 began with an even earlier wake-up call compared to day 1: 5:00 am. To make it to Lake Louise in time for the sunrise, we needed to catch our pre-booked one-hour bus ride at 6:00 am.
Getting to Lake Louise & Moraine Lake
With an uptick in tourism, getting to Lake Louise and Moraine Lake has become more difficult. Although this presents challenges for tourists, it has a positive impact on the local community and wildlife by helping to control the issue of over-tourism in the area. With that being said, travel and parking options are extremely limited at Lake Louise and operate on a first-come first-serve mentality.
There are a few options on how to get to Lake Louise. The most common ways are:
Parks Canada Bus - this option is perfect for people who are planning well in advance or who have the most free time to spare. 40% of the tickets are released in April for the season. The remaining 60% of tickets are released at 8 am MST two days before your planned departure. Popular dates and times sell out early, so booking in advance is highly recommended. This can be a little stressful to if you're trying to get a solid plan. This option is also great for those driving a car and parking at the Lake Louise Ski Resort. You're able to board the shuttle bus at your selected time slot to either Moraine Lake or Lake Louise as your first destination. You're also able to use the Parks Canada Lake Connector Bus to visit both lakes on the same day. Note, there are NO walk-ups allowed.
ROAM Bus - this is the most convenient option and perfect for those who are planning a trip a month or so before departure, like us, especially if you're staying in Banff National Park without a car. This route departs from both Canmore and Banff to Lake Louise. Be sure to reserve the Super Pass ticket (approx. 20 USD), as this allows access to the Parks Canada's Lake Connector Shuttle that goes between Lake Louise & Moraine Lake. When you're ready to go to Moraine Lake, you can join the queue at the connection bus station. It operates on a first-come, first-served basis so plan accordingly! The last connection bus departed at 6:00 pm with the last return being 7:30 pm. Had we known back in April 2024 that we would go to Banff, we would have attempted to join the lottery for the Parks Canada Bus tickets. We knew that we didn't want to risk our chances because of our tight schedule, so the ROAM Bus ended up being the best (and most affordable) option. For those staying in Banff, parking is available for free at the train station and the bus departs from the Banff High School Transit Hub. During the summer season, you'll be riding the 8X route.
Private Tours - there are a ton of options in the event of being stuck in a bind and missing all opportunities to travel to Moraine Lake; however, these are usually the most expensive.
Personal Driving - while there is (extremely limited) parking at Lake Louise, personal vehicles are NOT permitted to access Moraine Lake. If you're hoping to catch a glimpse of this stunning lake, you'll need to take the shuttle, go on a private tour, or have the stamina to hike or bike the uphill trek. Note, parking lots fill up fast usually before sunrise, and remain full until sunset.
Since we opted for the ROAM bus, we parked our rental car in the free lot at the Banff train station and boarded our 6:00 am bus from the Banff High School Transit Hub (arriving at Lake Louise Lakeshore at 6:57 am). Our departing bus time was prescheduled to depart at 7:05 pm and arrive back in Banff at 7:59 pm. We ended up finishing all of our adventures early so we pressed our luck to wait in the walk-up line to catch an earlier bus. There were also some delays in the buses but we managed to catch the earlier bus (ended up being close to our original departing time)!
Sunrise @ Lake Louise
Agenda for the Day
Before the trip, we were aware that one of the days would involve a 10+ mile hike. I mean, shouldn't it be obvious that we would include a magical hike through one of North America's most stunning national parks!? Well, today was the chosen day for this adventure. Following extensive research on various trails and points of interest throughout Banff National Park & the surrounding area we wished to explore, we concluded that tackling our most extensive hike near Lake Louise would be ideal.
On top of our planned hike at Lake Louise, our ROAM bus tickets included the free transfer to Moraine Lake (last departure @ 6:00 pm with last return @ 7:30 pm). Moraine Lake was one of the bucket list items that could not be missed so we knew we needed to allow enough time in the afternoon to at least see it.
The Ultimate Hike - The Beehives + Plain of Six Glaciers Loop
Once sunrise concluded, we began the ultimate hike. Initially, we were only planning on doing the Big Beehive Trail because we thought we would do an extra hike near Moraine Lake. We scrapped that idea because we knew we would be too exhausted to do an extra hike so we ended up adding a quick detour to the Little Beehive Outlook and would take the long way back to base via the Plain of Six Glaciers trail to also stop by the teahouse. Be warned - this loop was no easy task but it can be done!
Following Our Steps:
Lake Agnes Trail - the hike starts along the shore of Lake Louise just in front of the Fairmont Hotel. It's paved in the beginning but quickly turns into your stereotypical mountain/woods trail. The start of the trail is the busiest and will be one of the few times there will be a lot of people you see at the same time (otherwise you won't see groups of people like this again until you reach the lookout points or the teahouses). Along this trail, there will be a series of switchbacks with your occasional opening in the forest to see the progress you've made below. Eventually, you'll come to a fork in the trail at Mirror Lake. From here, you have a few options:
1) Continue on the Lake Agnes Trail with an option to veer off to the Little Beehive Trail (the one we chose & most scenic)
2) Proceed to a "short-cut" trail to the teahouse and the lake via stairs
3) Go the long way via the Lake Louise Highline Trail and connect to the Big Beehive Trail from there (would not recommend this option).
The Little Beehive Trail - since we choose the first option, we proceeded to veer off the Lake Agnes Trail following signs for the Little Beehive Lookout. Even if you were to only do the Big Beehive Trail and come down from there, this small addition only really put on about 45 minutes to an hour roundtrip so in our opinion, worth it! Especially since the hiking to this point didn't really require us to exert ourselves too much. It also offered the best panoramic view (IMO). Once you reach the lookout point, you can retrace your steps back to the same point where you initially got off the Lake Agnes Trail.
Lake Agnes & the Lake Agnes Teahouse - you'll eventually reach Lake Agnes and it's impressive scenery. We were not expecting this lake to stun us in the way it did but my oh my - it was breathtaking! You'll have the opportunity to use the restroom here too, but don't get too excited. It's essentially a porta-potty that has the worst odor (think of all those people who needed to use the restroom this whole hike and couldn't go in the woods - GROSS! Since we're in a leave-no-trace area, any trash you accumulate, you must pack and bring down with you. This includes any trash you obtain from the tea houses.
The Big Beehive Trail - once you regain some energy, it's time for the hardest part of the hike where the incline & elevation increase drastically. Here's where most people turn around instead of continuing on to the Big Beehive Lookout. Coming from 2 guys who regularly workout and are in pretty decent shape, we had to take a break at each switchback in order to catch our breath and continue on. Finally, at the top, you'll come across a few different paths. You'll want to continue on to the lookout point versus going to the Devil's Thumb or on to the Highline Trail (we'll take the Highline Trail down). When we reached the end, a lot of people were gathered around at various points soaking in the view or eating their packed lunch (which is a good idea - especially with the view)! There are some chipmunks that will try to take your snack though so watch out for them. Regardless, any spot you claim as your own will have a stunning view of Lake Louise and the surrounding area. Take caution as you approach the edge as there are no guard rails. Once you're finished here, you have a few options:
1) Continue on via the Highline Trail (the option we chose)
2) Proceed to the unmarked Devil's Thumb Trail
3) Retrace your steps and head back via connections at Lake Agnes
Highline Trail - choosing option 1, we started our descent from the Big Beehive via the Highline trail. This trail was a nice change of pace because we finally got to experience some relief going downhill vs uphill. At a point, you'll come across another fork in the trail:
1) Turn to continue to the Plain of Six Glaciers (option we chose)**
2) Continue descending via Mirror Lake & retracing your steps down from there
Plain of Six Glaciers Trail & the Plain of Six Glaciers Teahouse - there ended up being one more fork in the trail along this path to the teahouse that allowed you to head towards the shoreline and make the hike back to base. We kept going because we thought at this point, we were so close! Little did we know what we were in for... The path began to open up into the valley and the trees disappeared. It was about 80 degrees F outside and we were now in the direct sun. How long will this last? At the time, we had no clue. It ended up being 4 excruciating miles... But, we finally made it to the teahouse exhausted and feeling defeated from the sun. After a much-needed rest at the teahouse, we headed back to base via the same trail and continued along the lakeside.
**After the hike, we asked ourselves the biggest question on all our minds: "Why didn't we opt for the Lake Agnes Teahouse instead of trekking to the Plain of Six Glaciers Teahouse?" In hindsight, we should have just waited in the long line at Lake Agnes Teahouse, as the journey to the other one was exhausting, nearly killing us (not literally but our spirits were greatly diminished by the time we made it). One of the main reasons we opted for the Plain of Six Glaciers Teahouse was because their menu appeared more appetizing (LOL). Between Ethan & Malik, we ordered the PB&J sandwich, hummus sandwich, and a giant slice of cinnamon coffee cake. Everything on the menu is handmade from scratch on-site! Be cautious though- they might be cash only due to being so remote! Check the status on their websites before making the trip all the way out there. Any regrets? No... just suggestions for the future to make it a little more enjoyable.
Hike Stats - According to Ethan's Apple Watch
12.27 miles hiked
2,822 feet in elevation gained
6 hours & 51 minutes total move time
8 hours & 9 minutes (7:59 am - 4:08 pm) total elapsed time
2,598 calories burned
The Ultimate Hike - The Beehives + Plain of Six Glaciers Loop
Come Prepared
Don't expect to just grab a standard water bottle and start walking up the trail - you're asking for trouble! Come prepared - you'll want to ensure you have the following items on you to set yourself up for a pleasant & successful hike:
Water - rule of thumb: 1 L per 5 miles (you'll need at least a 2 L hydration pack on you for this loop. By the end of the trail, we had all drank up our water. I'd almost recommend 3 L)
Sunscreen - the sun gets to be so strong towards mid-day & the afternoon. 1/2 the group ended up with a sunburn even after putting on protection
Proper Walking Shoes / Hiking Shoes - don't go out and buy special shoes for this hike. Stick to what you know and avoid breaking in a new pair a month or so before the trip. Blisters can be your worst nightmare on a 10+ mile hike and can ruin the rest of the trip if any sort of walking is involved
Light Jacket (preferably water resistant) - luckily it didn't rain on our hike but the weather can change on a dime in the mountains. It's also quite chilly in the morning but will get to be pretty toasty by the afternoon
Snacks - bring something to eat that will fuel you. Think nuts, protein bars, cliff bars, etc. You'll be burning a ton of calories and will want to eat more than usual to keep going. We ended up bringing 10+ snacks each!
Leggings - something skintight will help that is not too heavy but will keep you warm when it's cool and also keep you cool when it's hot. You get the idea
Sunglasses - you'll want them even if you don't normally wear sunglasses. The sun will end up directly in front of you at some point during the loop
Battery Pack - our phones almost all died by the end of the hike. A battery pack would have let us recharge and use our phones without fear of them dying out in the woods alone
Cell Service - expect there to be little to none out on the trails
All Trails - a great resource for finding and downloading hikes. They offer a free trial, which we took advantage of so if our signal was lost, we could still find our way along the trail via the app
Moraine Lake
As previously mentioned, the only way our group was able to see Moraine Lake was due to us securing a Super Pass ticket via the ROAM Bus System. This allowed a free transfer to Moraine Lake on the Parks Canada Connection Shuttle.
One thing we would change in the future would be to spend more time at this lake. Given the circumstances, we didn't have much wiggle room to fully enjoy the space. Our goal is to travel back to Banff National Park in the future and be able to spend a sunrise here along with a local hike & canoe ride out on the lake. Possibly even stay at the lodge on site?!
Moraine Lake & a night in Banff
Day 3: Glacier Tour & Departure
Columbia Icefield & Hike
With a 6:30 am departure time, we were checked out of our lodge and back on the road. This time, we were headed north via the Icefields Parkway to the Columbia Icefield, which is the largest ice field in North America's Rocky Mountains. The drive up was beautiful but we had no time to stop and enjoy the scenery due to our 9:00 am tour start. This would be reserved for our drive back. We ultimately chose the half-day tour with Ice Walks because it felt like the best deal with the most experience on the Athabasca Glacier. The tour company provided us with all the equipment needed (crampons, jackets, gloves, hats, walking sticks, etc.) but they recommend bringing your own personal items for comfort. We borrowed an extra jacket (thankfully) because it got quite chilly out on the glacier despite it being 70 degrees F at the base prior to departing. We had a local guide lead us out on the glacier on a 3-hour 3-mile hike roundtrip. We learned a lot from them and even had the chance to drink straight from the flowing water!
One of the most interesting parts of the tour was finding out that this glacier (Athabasca) is so small in comparison to the whole ice field. Sadly, this glacier is expected to be completely melted in 50 years due to it melting faster than the ice field feeding it. When this happens, a lake will form and it will look similar to Lake Louise, Moraine Lake, and Peyto Lake, being vibrant blue. This phenomenon can only occur via glaciers, which is why there are so many in the Canadian Rockies. These lakes receive water from glaciers as they move, grinding rocks into tiny particles called rock flour or glacial silt. This fine rock flour remains suspended in the water, giving it a milky appearance, and causing sunlight to scatter. Blue wavelengths, which are shorter, scatter more effectively than red wavelengths as sunlight penetrates the lake. The optical effect known as Rayleigh scattering leads to the reflected light appearing turquoise or blue, giving lakes their distinctive hue. The presence of this mineral-rich glacial meltwater gives the lakes with their enchanting colors. Additionally, the depth of the lake influences the intensity of the blue color. Deeper lakes like Lake Louise and Moraine Lake allow greater light penetration, revealing more of these blue tones. Had we not taken this tour, we would not have known (without Googling it) how these lakes are so blue!
While there are options via the big chain adventure company, Pursuit, we were not satisfied with only getting access to the glacier for 15 minutes. However, their ride on the Ice Explorer looked exciting! There is also an option to go to the Skywalk but we opted against that as well.
Ice Walks guided tour on Athabasca Glacier
Trekking the Athabasca Glacier.
Peyto Lake
On the way back to Banff, there are several lakes and other points of interest you can veer off the road to explore. We even saw some longhorn mountain goats! Sadly, these were the only big game wildlife we saw. I heard there is a better chance of seeing bears in the more remote / less touristy areas.
We only made one stop coming back south via the Icefields Parkway, which was Peyto Lake. Like Lake Louise and Moraine Lake, it's a glacier-fed lake and because of that, has a deep blue hue. By this point, everyone was exhausted. Malik, Nirmal, and Delaney decided they just wanted to go to the viewpoint platform and check out the lake. Ethan and Maggie went on and took the trail less traveled to the panorama viewpoint. This was well worth the extra mile as there was only one other group at the opening, meaning it was all ours once they left. The view here was unobstructed and perfect in every way! If you are able, be sure to take this path because most are unaware of it, as it's not a marked trail (but is found on All Trails).
Vermillion Lakes
Continuing on, we eventually arrived on the outskirts of Banff, home to Vermillion Lakes. This group of three stunning lakes is situated within walking distance of town, offering a variety of outdoor activities such as biking, paddling, and wildlife observation. What makes it even more special is the perfect reflection of Mount Rundle.
Departure
After a short but action-packed weekend, it was time for us to head back to the airport to drop off the car rental. We were stuck on a redeye flight back to Chicago with a connection in Toronto (departing at 1:00 am; landing in Chicago at 10:00 am). We did our best to nap in the airport but it wasn't of any substance.
Peyto Lake and Vermillion Lakes detour
Alternative Attractions and Hikes:
There is so much to see and do in and around Banff National Park. Due to our limited time, we had to make the difficult decision to pass up on quite a few things:
Banff Gondola
Johnston Canyon & Hike
Lake Minnewanka
Bow Lake
Cave & Basin National Historic Site
Horseback Riding
Tunnel Mountain & Hike
Sentinel Pass Trail via Larch Valley Trail (near Moraine Lake)
Consolation Lakes Trail (near Moraine Lake)
Emerald Lake
Spirit Island
Jasper & Jasper National Park - 1 month before our departure, Jasper was hit with devastating wildfires. The area remained closed for the season due to the destruction and out of respect for local residents.
Overall Thoughts and Impressions:
Coming from a group of people who are not normally considered early birds, we knew we had to prioritize waking up early to get the most out of our experience with the little time we had. This trip was one of our favorite and most exhausting trips taken as a couple. Each day was packed from sunrise to sunset with a go-go-go mentality. Well worth it though as the natural beauty in the area surprised us all.
One thing that benefited us Americans was that our dollar was stronger than the Canadian dollar (1 USD = 1.35 CAD). This meant whatever price we saw, we only paid 3/4 of it in our currency.
As previously mentioned, there are so many different various one could do on this trip. Make it your own and pick out a few of your must-visit places! Anything you choose will be a great time. Our goal is to come back at least 2 more times - once in the early summer to start to see all the snow melt in full effect and once in the winter to appreciate all the winter activities the region offers.
Itinerary Budget Breakdown (per person):
Roundtrip Airfare [Chicago-Calgary]: 226.39 USD
Stay: 320.84 USD (1,604.22/5)
Car rental: 85.66 USD (428.31/5)
Golden Sky Bridge & White River Rafting Bundle: 134.26 USD
Golden Sky Coaster: 19.50 USD
Bus Transportation: 19.40 USD
Glacier Tour: 100.60 USD
Banff National Park Pass: 6.46 USD
Total = 913.11 USD
*Estimated Variable Costs (consisting of parking, meals, drinks, & souvenirs: 337.24 USD)
**The image on the right was upside down for Two Jacks Lake.
Comments