Banff is an absolutely incredible travel destination and with so many things to do it can be hard to prioritise what to include in your itinerary. After spending several weeks there, we’ve cherry picked the absolute must do’s to make sure you have the perfect trip.
This itinerary has it all; mind blowing hiking trails, jaw dropping lakes, Canada’s second highest waterfall, a historic teahouse, sunset gondola rides and hot springs. In short, it will be the trip of a life time.
Here’s our unmissable five day Banff itinerary.
An epic 5 day Banff itinerary
Here’s a summary of how to plan your trip to Banff:
Day 1: Lake Louise, Grizzly Bear Watching & Peyto Lake
Day 2: Moraine Lake, an epic hike and Vermillion Lakes
Day 3: Waterfalls, glacier hikes and Emerald Lake
Day 4: Lake Minnewanka, Fairmont Banff and a mountain top sunset
Day 5: Hot springs, helicopters and canyons
Where to stay
Day one
Canoeing on Lake Louise
If you want to start your Banff itinerary with a bang, this is the way to do it! It is without question the most spectacular water we have ever canoed on and I don’t think I stopped saying ‘wow’ for the entire hour.
That blue water with the snow-capped glacier backdrop is one of the most iconic views in Banff and it will truly blow you away. It should be on every Lake Louise bucket list!
The paddling is really easy, even if you’ve never done it before, because the water in the lake is so calm. You can choose to rent the canoes for half and hour or an hour, and we’d recommend the full hour which gives you enough time to get to the end of the lake and back.
Canoe hire pricing for non-guests is:
30 minutes: CA$142 (US$105) including tax
1 hour: CA$153 (US$113) including tax
If you are staying at the Fairmont, it’s
30 minutes CA$89 (US$66) including tax
1 hour: CA$100 (US$74) including tax
As you can see, there’s very little in the cost between 30 minutes and an hour.
If this is a bit outside your budget a good alternative is to do the Lakeshore Walk, it’s 2km each way. You can turn back whenever you please if you don’t want to go that far and will still have had epic views of Lake Louise.
Make sure you stop along the way for a paddle in the incredibly freezing water, it will definitely make you feel alive!
Lunch at The Fairmont
This is our secret tip for you. If you’ve done any research on Lake Louise at all, you’ll know that parking is a nightmare and the car park closes very early in the morning in peak season.
However, what virtually no tourists know is that if you eat at the Fairmont Hotel you can park there and enjoy the lake at your leisure without having to get up at 4am (we did this three times before finding out about the Fairmont secret!).
To be honest, even without the parking we’d recommend having lunch at the hotel because it’s an experience in itself, particularly if you get one of the coveted tables right beside the huge picture windows looking out onto the lake. The view is just mind blowing, you find yourself staring at it so intently that you realise you haven’t actually spoken to your lunch companion for the last ten minutes!
The prices are a bit above what you’ll find around Banff town, but not actually very much more for the amazing setting and quality of food. Eating out virtually anywhere in Banff costs an arm and a leg and we thought the Fairmont was better value than most, and with the free parking thrown in, an absolute no brainer!
Update for 2023: parking at the Fairmont is no longer free and is charged at CA$30 a day.
Go Grizzly spotting on the Lake Louise Gondola
So before you think that this day will be too Lake Louise heavy, the Lake Louise gondola is actually nothing to do with the lake itself, you come here for the best chance of seeing wild Grizzlies in Banff!
You can drive and park at the gondola (it’s in a different area to the lake parking so you won’t have trouble parking) and then choose whether you want to ride an enclosed gondola or an open air chairlift.
We’d highly recommend the chairlift because not only do you feel closer to the bears but you can get better photographs as you won’t be shooting through glass.
As you get into the chairlift ask the operator where the bears are currently being spotted (there are pylons with numbers so you know where to look extra carefully) and you can ask anyone as they are coming down on the gondola too.
We were lucky enough to see three Grizzly Bears, a mother and two delightful cubs who were frolicking in the meadows, it absolutely made our day! We also saw a large adult Black Bear and heaps of Ground Squirrels which we mistook for Marmots!
From the lookout at the top of the gondola you also get an absolutely glorious mountain panorama which has to be seen to be believed. You’ll see a teeny tiny glistening Lake Louise in the distance and to be honest the whole scene looks like it is straight from a fairytale.
Tickets aren’t cheap at $60 CAD per person ($45 USD), but we felt it was ok for seeing Grizzly Bears in a safe environment. If you stop at the nearby petrol station they had $5 off flyers for the gondola which is what we used to bring the price down slightly.
Peyto Lake
After seeing Lake Louise you might be wondering if there could be a lake more beautiful….. it’s hard to believe but we think Peyto just pips it. It’s around a 35 minute drive from Lake Louise (further away from Banff) so it makes for a long day but trust us it is truly worth it.
The milky blue water of Peyto Lake is simply jaw dropping. You reach the main lookout after a steep 10 minute paved walk and it offers a magnificent view from high above the lake. This is where almost everyone stops, and if you’re feeling done for the day, it’s the perfect ending.
If you have yet more energy you should visit the secret Peyto Lake viewpoint or do the the full walk (which is just under 6km) and gives you incredible views of Bow Lake, which is yet another of the most beautiful lakes in the Rockies.
Here’s how you get to the secret viewpoint and the longer hike.
Day two
Sunrise at Moraine Lake
Update for 2023: You can no longer drive down Moraine Lake Road. Your only access options are now the Parks Canada shuttle, taxis, a tour or cycling. You can still park at Lake Louise and use the shuttle to reach Moraine Lake from there.
The early start on this day is going to be painful but there’s no way around it, even when we visited in fall it was packed! The car park is tiny and the lake is one of the most exquisite in the world.
That means crowds, and the car park regularly being full by 5.30am (when the car park is full they close the road and there is no one in one out because there is nowhere for cars to wait).
Even turning up a fraction too late can put your early start to waste and is one of the big mistakes to avoid in Banff.
So that’s the downside but the upside is that you will see Moraine Lake in all it’s glory. The water is at its most still in the morning which means you will get the best reflections of the snow-capped Ten Peaks Mountain range in the water. You’ll also hopefully get lovely soft light or if it’s cloudy you’ll still have even light which is better for photography than glare.
Unlike most sunrise spots you sadly won’t be alone but it is still totally worth it. We’d recommend walking up to the top of the Rockpile Walk for the best views.
Absolutely everything you could possibly want to know about sunrise at Moraine Lake is in this post.
Breakfast at Lake Agnes Teahouse
As you’ve got to Moraine Lake so early you will have time to sneak into Lake Louise (which is around 15 minutes away) before the car park fills up. Now it’s time to do a little bit of work to get to one of the most memorable breakfast spots in the Canadian Rockies.
You start the 3.5km hiking trail from the shore of Lake Louise. The trail is uphill most of the way, but the switchbacks ease the pain and the forest shelters you from any sun or wind so it’s not too difficult. Along the way you’ll pass Mirror Lake which has a lovely reflection in the early morning.
Once you arrive at the teahouse you can congratulate yourself for being there early enough that you got one of the best outside tables without having to queue (long queues begin around 9am)! You can now take a rest and enjoy a well earned breakfast with a pot of fresh tea at the historic teahouse overlooking Lake Agnes.
The teahouse opened in 1905 and it feels like little has changed! There’s no electricity and all ingredients have either been hiked or helicoptered in. Prices are quite high accordingly (particularly the tea which they take great pride in) and you must bring cash. Although it’s the most expensive pots of tea we’ve ever ordered, it is also the most memorable!
After brekkie non hikers can head back down for a well earned rest before heading out again for sunset. If you love walking then you really can’t miss going just a little further for the best views of Lake Louise in the whole area.
You can continue 1km from the teahouse to Little Beehive for excellent views and it’s not too steep. Or 1.6km further to get to Big Beehive which is a real show-stopper. In the trail guide we linked above we have all the details on the hike, including both Beehives from start to finish.
Sunset at Vermillion Lakes
Vermillion Lakes are no ugly duckling but they also aren’t in the league of the lakes you’ve seen so far. That doesn’t mean they aren’t worth seeing though, the lake itself is lovely and it’s a prime sunset watching spot.
We had it to ourselves for the majority of the time and enjoyed nothing but the sound of the water lapping against the shore and the call of the birds. If you want a peaceful and quiet lake right beside Banff town this is it.
Keep an eye out for wildlife, as although we didn’t get lucky, it is supposed to be a great spot to see beaver and moose!
Day three
To access this area requires driving up a very steep and windy road. Normal cars should have no trouble but we saw big vehicles struggle.
Takakkaw Falls
Takakkaw Falls in Yoho National Park is the most spectacular waterfall close to Banff, and well worth the 1 hour 20 minute drive to get there.
The 381m high waterfall (Canada’s second largest) cascades from the mountainside and the scenery is both beautiful and dramatic.
It’s just a few minutes walk from the car park to your first view of the falls but you can walk across the bridge for a closer up view. The path is short and easy.
Iceline Trail
After Takakkaw Falls it’s time to take on one of the Rockies greatest hikes. If you want to walk right up to a glacier and see the magnificent Takakkaw Falls from above you just can’t miss this hike.
To put it into context we saw people crying tears of joy at the scenery, actual tears! There’s probably no greater praise for a hike than it brings people to tears.
There are a couple of ways of doing it depending on whether you want a longer or shorter hike. We chose to make it a loop which is 17km and took around 5.5 hours.
This route will take you through forest, beside glaciers and down past several ethereal blue lakes, and another gorgeous waterfall, Laughing Falls.
If that is too long, you can make it a return walk to the glacier. You’ll walk through the forest, still get stupendous views of Takakkaw Falls from above and get to the glacier. That route will be just over 13km if you go to the high point but you could turn back slightly earlier if you prefer.
Whichever route you choose will have some considerable elevation gain but the pay off is just huge. We’ve got a detailed trail guide here.
Emerald Lake
If you’re not really into hiking and the tears haven’t convinced you, you could head over to Emerald Lake instead, or in fact if you still have the energy after hiking.
Emerald Lake is also in Yoho National Park but it still takes 45 minutes to one hour to drive to from Takakkaw Falls. The colour of the lake is different to anything you will have seen so far and it’s particularly photogenic around sunset.
Sitting on the lake shore is incredibly peaceful, and whilst it’s still popular, it’s noticeably quieter than Moraine Lake, Lake Louise and Peyto Lake.
If you skipped the Iceline Trail and would like to do an easier walk you can hike around the lake perimeter on the 5km fairly easy track. The views are fabulous and the lake appears to change colour as you see it from different angles.
Day four
Via Ferrata or Lake Minnewanka Cruise
We’ve got two options for day four, one is for adventure junkies and one for those who are ready for something more relaxing.
Via Ferrata
If you’re up for an adventure then the Via Ferrata is going to be the best option for you. If you love hiking and have thought about dabbling in rock climbing, this is the perfect inbetween. You will make your way up to the summit of Mount Norquay on a mixture of hiking trail and metal footholds.
It’s both exhilarating, and if you’re like me, a little scary! The scenery is of course mind blowing and you’re clipped into metal chains that run along the rock face for safety.
You can choose between four routes ranging from 2.5 to 6 hours with varying degrees of difficulty. We went for the four hour Ridgewalker route which is a good bet if you’ve never tried a Via Ferrata before.
You can read all about our experience here, it should be helpful if you’re on the fence as to whether you’d find it scary because I was in that exact boat!
Lake Minnewanka Cruise
If you don’t feel like something too exerting then you could do one of Banff’s most popular activities, a boat cruise on Lake Minnewanka - it’s the only lake which allows motorised boats in Banff.
The lake is another stunner and as well as enjoying the scenery you’ll get lots of information on the history of the area. The guide was great and happy to answer questions on all things Banff.
If you prefer getting out on the water under your own steam you can also hire kayaks here.
Relax with a drink at the Fairmont Banff
The Fairmont in Banff is an institution, and as it was way out of our budget to stay there, we decided to go and have a drink instead.
The hotel is impressive inside and out and the views are just beautiful. We think the prices are maybe 30% higher than in town, we paid $6 for a coffee, but we thought it was worth it for those wonderful balcony views.
Make sure you don’t park at the hotel or you will be stung for a hefty fee, there is free parking just a few minutes walk away on the road leading to the hotel.
Head up on the Sulphur Mountain Gondola for sunset
If you want a real treat then we would suggest heading on the gondola up to the top of Sulphur Mountain for dinner. The restaurant has one of the best views in the world, completely surrounded by mountains! If it’s out of your budget - sadly it was for us - then you can still head up the mountain and enjoy the views for sunset.
Even though we didn’t get much of a sunset on our visit, it was still incredible up there. There is a boardwalk which takes you to the very summit (it doesn’t take long to get there) and offers more incredible views along the way.
The Sulphur Mountain Gondola doesn’t come cheap but there are a few ways to save money. In the summer at full rate, adults pay CA$70 (US$52) and children are CA$45 (US$33)- under 5’s are free. If you book in advance (and during low season) adults pay CA$60 (US$44) and children pay CA$39 (US$29).
It’s also worth checking Get Your Guide, as you can book your tickets in advance with them. Click below to check out their prices and availability.
Day five
Soak in the Hot Springs
Ordinarily we would put hot springs as an ideal evening activity but we’re going to level with you here, we went in the evening and it was not the cleanest! But the springs themselves were pretty cool with great views and really hot water to soothe aching muscles after so much activity. So with this in mind we recommend going as soon as the springs open, when they will be at their least crowded, and cleanest!
The springs are probably one of the best value activities in Banff at just CA $16.50 (US$12) for adults and CA$14.25 (US$11) for children 3-17. Children under 3 go free.
Helicopter Trip
It’s your last day and if you want to go out in style we’d recommend taking a scenic helicopter ride over the Rockies! The views from the air are mind blowing and will allow you to see the mountains from a vantage point that few people ever get the chance to.
There are lots of different options for routes from a quick 12 minute mountain fly over to longer options where you get to do a landing on a mountain pass.
Get Your Guide offer a variety of scenic helicopter trips, ranging from 22-50 minutes, all with free cancellation up to 24 hours in advance.
Johnston Canyon
For the final part of your Banff itinerary it’s time to head to a long time Banff favourite, Johnston Canyon. The trail winds through a narrow canyon with turquoise water gushing through it, until you reach two incredible waterfalls.
The walk to the Lower Falls is an easy, paved, 0.8km (each way) trail and you can walk behind the waterfall when you get there!
The Upper Falls track is 2.5km (each way) and is a lot steeper but well worth the effort. If you’re keen we’d recommend leaving the crowds behind and continuing on to the Ink Pots which are 6km (each way).
These gorgeous blue and green pools have a huge mountain backdrop and lots of places to sit and admire them from. It’s a truly special spot, and all the more so because virtually no ones goes there. Anywhere else in the world they would be a top attraction!
You can read more about each trail in our Johnston Canyon guide.
Banff National Park entrance fee
To complete this itinerary you need to pay the national park entrance fee. You can buy a day pass for CA$10.50 (US$8) for an adult, or CA$21 (US$16) for a family/group.
If you plan on visiting multiple national parks in a year, we recommend buying the Canada National Parks Annual Pass for CA$145.25 (US$108) for a family/group and get entry to every national park in the country for a year.
Where to stay in Banff
Banff is a pricey place to stay at any time of year and you won’t really find a bargain. We’ve picked three options for three different budgets.
We stayed in the midrange choice but our budget and luxury options are included because we personally spoke to people staying there and they came highly recommended.
If you’re undecided between Banff and Canmore as a base, why not check out our post all about Banff vs Canmore.
Budget - Samesun Hostel
This hostel is a bit of an institution and right in the heart of Banff town. When we returned to Banff in mid September as the peak season was winding down the Samesun was one of the few places to stay that still had a no vacancy sign up every single day. They have both mixed and single sex dorms and a friend of ours said there was a great, friendly vibe.
Check the latest prices and reviews on:
Midrange - Ptarmigan Inn
This is where we stayed on our third visit to Banff and we loved the really central location, we could walk everywhere in town and having previously stayed in Canmore it was a treat to be so much closer to the lakes and other attractions surrounding Banff - when you’re heading to Moraine Lake for sunrise those extra 30 minutes in bed really count!
Our room wasn’t huge but it was big enough and very comfortable, the bed in fact was so comfy that sometimes it was hard to drag ourselves out! The bathroom was also great and I loved the local Rocky Mountain shower products. There is a free underground car park and also a pool and sauna which we sadly never had time to use!
Check the latest prices and availability on:
Luxury - The Fairmont Banff or Lake Louise
Both Fairmont options are grand and luxurious so where you stay depends on whether you want to be in town or out by Lake Louise (just over 40 minutes drive). If you can, staying in both areas would be great and when we return to the area we will stay at Lake Louise for at least part of our trip as we loved that whole area so much. These are bucket list hotels when you’re really looking to treat yourself and one day we’d love to stay.
The Fairmont hotels don’t come cheap but if you have the budget they do come highly recommended. Rooms look stunning and a blend between modern and old world style - think marble bathrooms. There are onsite pools and jacuzzi with spectacular views. A major downside of the Fairmont in Banff though is that parking is charged in addition to the room rate which we think is quite tight. That is not the case at Lake Louise.
Check the latest prices and availability for the Fairmont Banff Springs:
The Fairmont, Lake Louise
Check the latest prices and availability for the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise:
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Are you planning a trip to Banff? What would be on your dream Banff itinerary? Let us know in the comments below!
