Icefields Parkway and the Banff Area
Split stays between Banff town and Lake Louise village, covering the Icefields Parkway, Yoho and Golden, and Canmore. Jasper is not included.
Stay in Banff town for the first three nights to see the town, Lake Minnewanka and the Bow Valley Parkway. Move to the village of Lake Louise for the last three nights, which gives you easy early access to the lakes, a drive north on the Icefields Parkway to Bow Lake and Peyto Lake, and a westward trip to Yoho and the Golden Skybridge. On the final day, return to Calgary via Grassi Lakes in Canmore. Ideal for drivers who want to see the Banff area thoroughly without heading north to Jasper.
The Golden Skybridge and some Yoho roads close in winter, and Moraine Lake is reachable only by shuttle.
Day by day
Day 1 · Arrival in Banff and Tunnel Mountain
Banff & Lake Louise（Banff Town、Tunnel Mountain、Banff Hoodoos Viewpoint）
Drive from the airport to Banff, about 1.5 hours. In the evening, take a short 1.5-hour round-trip hike up Tunnel Mountain.
Stay: Banff Townsite
Day 2 · Gondola, Hot Springs and Lake Minnewanka
Banff & Lake Louise（Banff Gondola (Sulphur Mountain)、Banff Upper Hot Springs、Lake Minnewanka、Two Jack Lake）
Take the gondola in the morning. In the afternoon, drive the Lake Minnewanka loop, about 25 km, and optionally take a boat ride on the lake.
Stay: Banff Townsite
Day 3 · Bow Valley Parkway to Lake Louise
Banff & Lake Louise（Johnston Canyon、Morant's Curve、Lake Louise、Lake Agnes Tea House）
Drive about 50 km along the Bow Valley Parkway, stopping along the way, and check into the village of Lake Louise in the afternoon.
Moving to Lake Louise village lets you catch the early shuttle to Moraine Lake the next day.
Stay: Lake Louise Village
Day 4 · Moraine Lake and Larch Valley
Banff & Lake Louise（Moraine Lake、Larch Valley & Sentinel Pass、Lake Louise Gondola & Ski Resort）
Take the early shuttle from the Lake Louise transfer point to Moraine Lake. The trail round trip takes about 4 hours.
Larch Valley turns golden in September. Hike in groups when bears are active.
Stay: Lake Louise Village
Day 5 · Icefields Parkway: Bow Lake and Peyto Lake
Banff & Lake Louise（Bow Lake、Peyto Lake）
Drive north on Highway 93, the Icefields Parkway, about 45 minutes to Bow Lake. Peyto Lake is another 15 minutes north. Return the same way.
Gas stations are scarce along the Icefields Parkway, and fuel is expensive at Saskatchewan Crossing.
Stay: Lake Louise Village
Day 6 · Emerald Lake in Yoho and Golden
Banff & Lake Louise（Emerald Lake, Yoho National Park、Natural Bridge, Yoho） → Golden（Golden Skybridge、Kicking Horse Pedestrian Bridge）
Drive west about 30 minutes to Yoho, then another hour to Golden. The round trip is about 170 km.
Entering B.C. means setting your clock back one hour, so keep an eye on the time.
Stay: Lake Louise Village
Day 7 · Grassi Lakes in Canmore and Return
Banff & Lake Louise（Canmore、Grassi Lakes）
Lake Louise to Canmore takes about 1 hour, the round trip to Grassi Lakes about 1.5 hours, and then about 1.5 hours to the airport.
Grassi Lakes is in Kananaskis, so you'll need a conservation pass.