I wrote a lot about my trip to Banff and Jasper - but maybe you don't really care so much about how the mountains made me feel in awe of nature and the hours talking with my best friends made me feel giddy and grateful.
Maybe you just want the basics - so you can easily plan your OWN trip and have your own feels about this wonderful place. I'll shut up and give you the deets.
DAY ONE - BANFF
HIKES
SULPHUR MOUNTAIN TO COSMIC RAY STATION
Park at the Banff Upper Hot Springs 6.5 Miles
TUNNEL MOUNTAIN
Great for a sunset and views of Banff 1.5 Miles
ACTIVITIES
BANFF UPPER HOT SPRINGS
Great after a hike! Lockers and bathing suits available to rent.
DRIVE UP TO LAKE MINNEWANKA
Make stops at Johnson Lake, Two Jack Lake, Lake Minnewanka and Cascade Ponds
BOW FALLS
Drive by for a photo opp.
FOOD
COUGAR PETES
Classic breakfast foods at HI Banff Alpine Center Hostel- order the egg sandwich.
WILD FLOUR
Pick up fresh sandwiches, baked goods, soups and salads for a picnic lunch.
NESTER'S MARKET
Good for picking up snacks and staples.
SUSHI HOUSE
Conveyor belt sushi for cheap! There might be a wait, but it moves quickly and it's worth it. Don't fill up before the eel.
LODGING
FAIRMONT SPRINGS BANFF
If you can afford it, this is the place to stay.
RIMROCK RESORT
Another high-end option, high above town on Sulphur Mountain.
HI BANFF ALPINE CENTER HOSTEL
On-site restaurant and bar with karaoke - clean, but a bit off the main downtown streets. Affordable.
DAY TWO - BANFF --> LAKE LOUISE
HIKES / RUNS
VERMILLION LAKES
This is a great place for a long run - mix of trails, paved road, pretty scenery and fairly flat. Park at the Fenland Trailhead.
JOHNSTON CANYON TO INK POTS HIKE
Crowded and filled with tourists for the first half, but if you go later in the day you can have the beautiful Ink Pots almost to yourself! 6.3 Miles
FOOD
TOOLOULOU'S
Incredible brunch worth the wait! I recommend the Sufferin' Succotash.
LODGING
STORM MOUNTAIN LODGE
Adorable cabins in the woods with an incredible restaurant on-site. If you're staying here, you need to make a dinner reservation!
DAY THREE - LAKE LOUISE
HIKES
LAKE AGNES TEA HOUSE HIKE
You should 100% arrive to Lake Louise for the sunrise before hiking your way up to the Lake Agnes Tea House - you will not regret ordering the Chai tea latte and peanut butter sandwich.
BIG BEEHIVE HIKE
This is certainly steep in parts, but the view from high above Lake Louise was the most breathtaking of the trip. If you go to Big Beehive after the Lake Agnes Tea House it's a 6.4 mile hike.
ACTIVITIES
LAKE MORAINE
Many options to hike at Lake Moraine as well - or do what we did and just stop by for a picture!
LAKE LOUISE TOWN
We shopped around a bit in the few souvenir stores and picked up postcards to send home.
FOOD
TRAILHEAD CAFE
Part of a little strip mall in Lake Louise's main town area, Trailhead Cafe serves your standard pastries, sandwiches, soup, etc.
LAKE AGNES TEA HOUSE
Again - Chai tea latte and peanut butter sandwich. Keep in mind this spot is CASH ONLY.
STORM MOUNTAIN LODGE
Really, really great food. Creative, Canadian dishes - costly, but you'll be OK with it once you're enjoying your meal. (The French 75 cocktail is heavenly).
DAY FOUR - ICEFIELDS PARKWAY TO JASPER
RUNS / HIKES
BOW LAKE & BOW GLACIER FALLS HIKE
Flat, but lots of rocky terrain as you hike the 4.6 miles round-trip to the Bow Glacier Falls.
PEYTO LAKE OVERLOOK
Make sure you don't stop at the wooden overlook packed with throngs of tourists. Keep hiking to the more secluded overlook - I promise the stunning blue Peyto Lake will take your breath away. 1.2 Miles
TRAIL RUN - JASPER
There are tons of trail run options in Jasper - we went out on trail #12 to Red Squirrel Trail Run to Old Fort Point Road and the Athabasca River Loop before turning around and retracing our steps back to the hostel. 5 Miles
OTHER ACTIVITIES
SUNSET AT PATRICIA LAKE
I pretty little lake to watch the sunset - wear bug spray.
FOOD
NUM-TI-JAH LODGE
There's a sit down restaurant option as well as a gift shop/cafe with grab and go soups, salads and sandwiches. The bison chili was ridiculous.
JASPER BREWING COMPANY
While a lot of restaurants in Jasper aren't open too late - Jasper Brewing Company was hoppin' and their nachos were bangin'.
LODGING
JASPER DOWNTOWN HOSTEL
We loved that these dorms had their own bathrooms. A massive kitchen free for guests to use and very friendly staff. Clean, and right in the heart of town. We loved our stay here!
DAY FIVE - JASPER
HIKES / RUNS
TRAIN RUN
We parked at the Valley of the Five Lakes trail head but our trail run took us off the beaten path - 7 miles of absolute heaven!
MOOSE LAKE
This was a nice short walk after our cruise around Lake Maligne. 2.1 Miles
OTHER ACTIVITIES
LAKE MALIGNE LAKE CRUISE
I would highly recommend this activity - especially to folks who may not be able to do a ton of hiking during their trip. The sights are beautiful, you learn some interesting information, and you get the idyllic photo opportunity of Spirit Island.
SHOPPING IN JASPER
It's definitely worth the time to stop into some of the cute shops lining Connaught Dr. and Patricia St.
FOOD
LOULOU'S PIZZERIA
Nothing to write home about - but decent breakfast food for hungry runners.
SNOWDOME COFFEE BAR
A pretty cool cafe/laundromat combo situation with good iced Americanos.
OLIVE BISTRO
Pretty tasty Mediterranean Food.
DAY 6 - JASPER TO CALGARY
HIKES
STONEY SQUAW HIKE
We stopped back in Banff for one final hike on our drive from Jasper to Calgary. 2.7 Miles
OTHER ACTIVITIES
GLACIER ADVENTURE
Take a ride in a bad-ass ice exploring machine and step food on a glacier! Bonus points if you fill up your water bottle and drink the glacier water!
GLACIER SKYWALK
We stopped by because it was included in our ticket - but we didn't really enjoy it very much.
SWIM IN HERBERT LAKE
A cold but refreshing lake to stop for a roadside swim.
FOOD
BEAR'S PAW BAKERY
Oh my word did this place have a glorious selected of baked goods. We got a cinnamon bun that was bigger than my head.
NATIVE TONGUES
Mexican food in Calgary in a hip setting with great cocktails and HOMEMADE DONUTS.
LODGING
WYNDHAM GARDEN AIRPORT
A typical airport hotel.
OTHER SUGGESTIONS
BIKE RENTAL IN BANFF
$3 Hours for $35 (Including bike, lock, helmet)
ULTIMATE SKI & RIDE
$3 Hours for $35 (Including bike, lock, helmet)
BANFF LEGACY TRAIL
22 km + from Banff town to the town of Canmore
DINNER WITH A VIEW
JUNIPER BISTRO
What makes this hotel/restaurant a worthy stop on your trip? It's a three-way tie between the view, the vibe and the food. *You might want to pack bug spray if you plan on eating outside or enjoying a drink around the outdoor fire pit.