Last updated on June 27th, 2023 at 03:19 pm
What is Icefields Parkway? Let’s answer that first. It is a section of Trans-Canadian Highway 93 which connects Banff National Park to Jasper National Park i.e. the highway between Lake Louise to Jasper is called Icefields Parkway. In this Banff to Jasper itinerary blog post, we’ll cover all the must-see gorgeous stops to take while driving on this stretch of the Canadian Rockies in Alberta.
For things to see & do in Banff we have a detailed 5-day Banff itinerary blog post that includes YOHO, and Jasper National Parks as well. TIP: You will need to buy a National Parks Pass to enter Banff and drive to Jasper, so secure that in advance.
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links.
To Drive From Banff to Jasper or Vice Versa? Is it Safe and Worth it?
We did a round trip starting from south to north i.e. starting at Lake Louise in Banff driving all the way to Jasper. Consider spending a night or two in Jasper before driving back to Banff. You can easily do the same road trip from Jasper to Banff. Because there is so much to see, we stopped at a few spots on our way up and others on our way back. TIP: Truth be told, you simply cannot see and do it all in a single day round trip drive.
To answer the second question, YES & OMG YES! If the thrill of driving through the Canadian Rockies isn’t enough reason then I’ll give you a few more to add this to your bucket list. Think about driving past the largest glaciers in Alberta i.e. Athabasca, Columbia, and Saskatchewan glaciers. And let’s not forget a dozen of glacier-fed pristine blue & green lakes that you’ll pass by. The best part is that these stops are right off the highway without needing to take a major detour. Icefields Parkway has been one of the safest roads we’ve driven on. TIP: Just don’t get carried away by empty roads and break the speed limit or you may get a speeding ticket as I did by National Parks Police.
Here is a map of our drive, click on the image to go to Google Maps view.
How to Get There?
Banff – The closest big city to Banff is Calgary and the airport is Calgary International airport. Pick up your rental car at the airport and drive to the town of Banff which is about 1.5 hours.
Jasper – Now if you are doing this road trip from north to south i.e. starting at Jasper, then the closest city is Edmonton and the airport is Edmonton International Airport. It is about 3.5 hours drive from Edmonton to Jasper.
Rental Car – We highly recommend you rent a car for this epic road trip so you can stop and go at your own pace.
TIP: Carry a traditional GPS device or consider adding it with your car rental because there are areas with no cellphone reception on the way. Alternatively, download offline google maps for directions.
When is the Best Time to Drive This Highway?
The most important question though is which month should you visit Banff and/or Jasper? We visited end of May and as you can see from our photos most of the lakes were frozen including Lake Louise, Lake Moraine, Lake Peyto, et all. Although, I have to admit it was quite a unique experience to see things this way. The same year my friends visited in August and they got to see the gorgeous colors of Banff lakes. TIP: So if you really want to see the lakes melted consider going in peak summer i.e. the end of June to mid-September.
Must See Spots on Icefields Parkway Between Banff and Jasper National Parks, Alberta
Here’s the meat of this blog post – a list of all the stops to take. You’ll start your road trip at Lake Louise but I’d recommend not including a stop at Lake Louise on this road trip. Rather keep it as a separate stop for another day in your Banff itinerary.
1. Herbert Lake
A quick stop at Herbert Lake to get you excited for what lays ahead. Though I have to tell, as we drove back to Banff the next day we were passing Herbert Lake in the darkness of night and I have never seen such a magical reflection of stars on a calm lake before. It was too bad we didn’t stop to take photos.
2. Bow Lake
We actually stopped at two different viewpoints for Bow Lake. One is an overlook of Bow Lake from the mountain and the other is where we could walk down all the way to the lake.
3. Peyto Lake
Since we did this road trip end of May Peyto Lake was frozen and I do not anticipate it to be fully melted until the end of June. TIP: If you want to see the deep blue color of Peyto Lake then plan your trip in the summer i.e. after June and before Oct-Nov. Let me also add here that we didn’t even anticipate so much snow on the way to the lake’s viewpoint. We literally hiked up a road that was covered in heavy snow to get a glimpse of this lake.
4. Waterfowl Lakes
Finally, there was a lake that was unfrozen on this road trip and it was Waterfowl. What a grand setting for all these lakes surrounded by majestic Canadian Rockies.
5. Mistaya Canyon
In all honesty, we skipped this viewpoint but if you have the time, do stop by. Mistaya canyon can be accessed after a short 0.6-mile round trip hike.
6. Big Bend View Point
This is the view that puts things in perspective, seeing how the Icefields parkway cuts through the mountains is a treat to the eyes. The best part is this is an easy overlook off the road so definitely make a stop here.
7. Columbia Icefields Discovery Center
After all that driving this is the only rest area that you’ll find on your road trip, so make good use of it. Not only the much-needed restroom break but there is a cafeteria in the Discovery Center as well.
The two most popular tours that start from here are the Columbia Icefield Adventure where you get to walk on the Athabasca glacier after a short bus ride and Glacier Skywalk which is another bus ride from the discovery center. TIP: Tickets for Glacier Skywalk vary from $30-$35, we highly recommend checking the available dates and prices online. The tickets for Icefields Adventure are roughly $100 and it includes the Glacier Skywalk.
Athabasca Glacier
Athabasca Glacier is visible from the parking lot of Discovery center but if you want to experience it up and close then there are two ways to do it – take the Ice Explorer tour where a short bus ride takes you right on top of the glacier OR save a $100 and do a short 0.9-mile round trip hike up to the toe of the glacier (which is what we did). This hike starts across the road from the discovery center. Once at the parking lot, you’ll see the hike marked very clearly along with signs where the glacier used to be decades ago.
PS: This is where we ended our day 1 stops. After this point, we drove straight to Jasper to rest up for the night before heading back down and covering the remainder of the places below.
TIP: The furthest building in the photo below is Discovery Center, as you can see to get to the toe of Athabasca Glacier it’s a little bit of an uphill hike.
8. Tangle Creek Falls
This waterfall is easy to miss if you’re driving fast because it literally falls on the side of the road so watch out for this one from your car. If you want to stop then the parking is only on the southbound side of Icefields Parkway.
9. Sunwapta Falls
Sunwapta is in fact a combination of two waterfalls. TIP: The upper falls can be seen from across the parking lot but to see the lower falls you will have to do a bit of hiking down. After seeing the images online we decided that the upper falls were more beautiful so we didn’t end up going for the lower falls.
10. Athabasca Falls & Athabasca Canyon
Here is another gorgeous waterfall that is easily accessible from the parking lot. If you follow along the boardwalk further down, you will get a nice view of the waterfalls and Athabasca Canyon.
11. Jasper Skytram
If you are taking the Sulphur mountain Skytram/Gondola in Banff then you can probably skip this one. Since we didn’t do that we decided to check out the top of Mt. Whistlers’ mountain by jumping on the Jasper Skytram. I ended up hiking further up to the first summit. It may not be an easy hike for everyone since you are way above the clouds at this point at a very high elevation. Tickets are priced at $54.60/ adult and can be bought in person or in advance online. There is a restaurant up at the top of the summit where you can enjoy a nice lunch or coffee with a view.
12. Valley of 5 lakes hike
This popular hike to the valley of 5 lakes is right off of the Icefields Parkway and very close to the town of Jasper and the Jasper Skytram. You can even see these gorgeous green lakes as you ride up the sky tram. The entire trail is a 2.9-mile loop that will take you through all 5 lakes. But if you only want to do a section of this loop and just make it a round trip. At the beginning of the trail, you can pick if you want to start from the 1st lake or the 5th. TIP: In the summer we highly recommend carrying Mosquito Spray in addition to Bear Spray and a Bear Bell with you at all times while you hike in the Canadian Rockies.
BONUS – CANADIAN BEAR SPOTTING
Not that there is a google map to find spots bear watching but hey keep an open eye as you drive the Icefields Parkway. There is a very high chance you’ll spot a bear on the side of the road or even cross the road, especially at the end of the day. We were successful in seeing both a Grizzly and a Black Bear as it got closer to sunset on both days of our drive.
PS: Please do not overreact and jump out of the car scaring the poor animals. Practice safety and enjoy the bears with great pleasure within the luxury of your car.
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Where to Stay on This Road Trip?
TIP: Book your Banff & Jasper stay in advance as these places are highly likely to be sold out in the summertime.
As we mentioned above Lake Louise will be your starting point so staying the first night here makes the most sense. Some interesting places to stay here are Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise, Lake Louise Inn, Baker Creek Mountain Resort (we stayed here and highly recommend this for a cabin/glamping setting), or Deer Lodge.
In Jasper consider staying at The Crimson Jasper, Astoria Lodge, Whistler’s Inn, Mt. Robson Inn (We stayed here because everything else was booked), Tekarra Lodge.
If you want to break your road trip and stay overnight on the Icefields Parkway, some good lodging options are Glacier View Lodge or Sunwapta Falls Rocky Mountain Lodge.
Remember when we said don’t go by the google map, saying you can finish this drive in less than 4 hours. Yeah, No! We needed 2 days to see all this on a round trip from Banff to Jasper. The key to enjoying this drive is planning and with this post, I hope we’ve helped do exactly that. As always feel free to drop in your questions in the comments and don’t forget to share with family and friends.
Happy & Safe Traveling!
