Canadian Rockies – A 9 Day Comprehensive Guide

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Table of Contents

Day 1: Calgary to Drumheller
In search of dinosaurs in Alberta
Day 2: Drumheller to Kananaskis
Day 3: Kananaskis County
Activities in Kananaskis
Where to stay in Kananaskis
Day 4: Kananaskis to Banff
Day 5-6: Banff and Lake Louise
Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise
Accommodation in Banff
Where to eat in Banff
Things to do in and around Banff
Day 7: Banff to Jasper
Day 8-9: Jasper
Where to stay in Jasper
Where to eat in Jasper
What to do in and around Jasper
Getting home from Jasper
Planning your perfect Canadian Rockies getaway
How much time do you need in the Canadian Rockies?
Budgeting for the Canadian Rockies
Is it always snowing in the Canadian Rockies?

I live in British Columbia, and being so close to the Canadian Rockies means I have managed to visit a few times. I’m so lucky that I live in a beautiful country like Canada, and especially in such an amazing part of that country. My parents visited me in April/May from the UK and I decided we would do a family trip to the Rockies and I could really show off these wonderful places.

Some parts of this Canadian Rockies itinerary are from other trips I have done, but I wanted to pull them all together into this 9 day travel guide. I have been to Alberta and taken bus tours and transfers, but having your own car is the best way to get around. It really gives you the freedom to visit lots of places and really spend the time you want rather than running for the next bus.

Day 1: Calgary to Drumheller

Flying in from Vancouver to Calgary the journey is pretty short, only an hour and a half flight. I have spent time in Calgary before but not usually more than a night or two. The city is pretty quiet downtown after the end of the work day and on evenings. Completely the opposite to Vancouver which always seems to be busy and has a lot of tourists. Calgary can get busy during the first couple weeks of July when a lot of people visit for the Calgary Stampede. You can get great views by going up the Calgary Tower, or learn more about Canadian sports at the old Olympic Park.

I’ve always stayed at the Fairmont Palliser hotel in Calgary, one of the original railway hotels. It’s a beautiful older property and really central – only a couple blocks from the main shopping street. If you’ve never been, I would say stay at least one night to see what the city has to offer, but there’s so much to do in the Rockies that I would always spend extra time there than in Calgary. Just my opinion though.

But this time I wouldn’t be staying in Calgary. Instead I went in search of dinosaurs.

In search of dinosaurs in Alberta

Alberta is famous for its dinosaurs, and as a big dinosaur geek I’ve always wanted to visit Drumheller, home of the Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology. So we picked up our rental car at Calgary Airport and drove East to the small town of Drumheller.

The drive was about an hour and a half, and although not long it was quite boring. The road was straight and so went so far into the distance you couldn’t see the next turn. There wasn’t a hill in sight, it was flat for miles in every direction. We barely saw a bird let alone any other animal, and trees were pretty few and far between too. If you’re driving alone you’ll need a radio to keep you awake. Luckily I had my parents to chat to.

Drumheller is the dinosaur capital of the world, complete with the world’s largest dinosaur standing 86 feet tall .

I stayed at the Badlands Motel. Basic accommodation, but good for one night, especially for a family. I had a family suite for myself and my parents, and they had a separate room which was perfect. The room was basic but had everything we needed for our quick stay.

Royal Tyrrell Museum of Drumheller

The main reason I have always wanted to visit this area was for the Drumheller dinosaur museum, otherwise known as the Royal Tyrrell museum.

With amazing skeletons and dinosaur models it was a fantastic place to spend the afternoon. Taking you through the history of how the Earth was formed, through to life evolving on the planet and a huge focus on the dinosaurs, this paleontology museum has it all. Kids will love it, and adults will find it interesting (especially if they’re as into dinosaurs as I am). Read more about what to do in Drumheller here.

Day 2: Drumheller to Kananaskis

We spent some time checking out the Hoodoo Trail in Drumheller while we there, and after a good night sleep we were ready to drive to the Rockies. We woke up to the start of a crazy snowstorm. Worried that it would continue to get worse, and that it might take us longer to get to our destination we set off early. Visibility was low due to the snow that morning, something to consider if planning a trip at this time of year. Snow is a real possibility even in summer in parts of Alberta, so you can never know for sure what it will be like, but we were there earlier in the season.

We had booked a tour at a wolfdog sanctuary which was located between Calgary and Kananaskis on the way to the Canadian Rockies. Our tour was at noon so we had a cautious drive along the same boring roads we had come along the day before – only with some snow this time. We actually made decent time and got there with time to spare.

Yamnuska Wolfdog Sanctuary

I had never heard of Yamnuska wolfdog sanctuary until a colleague told me about it. Honestly I didn’t really know what a wolfdog was before this, but it was a really awesome experience.

We spent an hour with a guide who told us the difference between HIGH CONTENT and LOW CONTENT wolfdogs. I got to feed them treats out of my hand, and pet them as they approached us. I never thought I’d be so close to a wolf, however much wolf was in there. It was incredible and something I would recommend to anyone visiting the area. The sanctuary is a non-profit and is really well run with amazing guides. Want to visit Yamnuska? Read more here.

Day 3. Kananaskis County – gateway to the Canadian Rockies

Kananaskis is a sometimes overlooked area between Calgary and Banff. Everyone is often so busy trying to get to Banff, they don’t stop at this picturesque area where the foothills and the Canadian Rockies meet. I was fortunate enough to spend more time here for a work conference last year and was in awe of the beautiful views at every turn. If you have time to spare, I would recommend spending a night here on your way to the Rockies.

Activities in Kananaskis

As well as the Wolf Sanctuary there are plenty of other outdoor activities to take part in. In the winter there are your typical winter sports – skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing, and even dog sledding. But in the summer there are so many places to hike and ride a bike, to really enjoy the outdoors. You don’t have to be a hardcore hiker to enjoy the views. We went for a walk through the village of Kananaskis and around the resort we stayed at and saw some of the most spectacular views. It was even more impressive at sunrise, the sky turning every color your could imagine.

While there we also went to Boundary Ranch. I went there on a group event with work. We had a horse and wagon ride out along the trail to see the Buffalo, and had a BBQ cookout as well as line-dancing lessons. We also had races using bouncy blow up horses which was hilarious to watch on video afterwards.

The lodge itself is a beautiful building complete with fireplace in the middle and historical info about the area all over the walls. There are trail rides on horseback and dog sledding for even people not part of a large group.

Where to stay in Kananaskis

I recently spent a few nights at the Pomeroy Kananaskis Mountain Lodge. It was a lovely property, surrounded by fantastic trails, and central to the small Kananaskis village.

The hotel is more of a resort and has pretty much everything you need for a weekend getaway or longer. I took advantage of the pool and the restaurants there, the outdoor area to sit and take in some of the lovely sunsets and the large fireside chairs reading a book. There’s a Nordic Spa which I wish I’d taken advantage of, and tennis courts and golf course if you want some outdoor activities.

The rooms were nice and comfortable, very spacious and with a large en-suite bathroom. I was in the lead in category Guest Room and it still was much larger than a lot of the hotels you get in the Canadian Rockies area. The hotel complex is right next to the village which is pretty small. But there’s a convenience store and post office, and a pub with cheaper beer than the hotel. A great place to get away from everything.

Day 4: Kananaskis to Banff

Leaving the beautiful Kananaskis lodge behind, make your way back to the highway to continue to Banff, one of the most popular towns in the Canadian Rockies. It’s not too far, only about an hour. But there are some stops you can make along the way.

Allow at least two or three hours because you’ll always want to pull over if there’s a view. Canmore is close by which is another nice little town that I know many people have visited. I’ve never been myself but heard it’s also worth an overnight stop if you have time.

Helicopter ride in Kananaskis

But if you do have time to stop on your way to Banff, Stoney Nakoda Resort just off the highway is a great place. The resort itself is nice if you want to grab a bite to eat, stay in the area, or just drop a bit of cash in the casino. But the reason I stopped there was to take a helicopter tour over the area. Alpine Helicopters Inc. have more than one location, but I went from the Stoney Nakoda resort.

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We took the Warrior Lookout tour, the 12 minute helicopter ride. Seeing the mountains, the rivers and the views below is incredible, such a unique perspective on the area we had been driving through.

Having never been in a helicopter before when I first went here, I was a little nervous. I’m not great at flying, I hate take-off. That moment when you leave the ground as the plane hurtles forward at a ridiculously high speed and you stomach feels like it stays on the ground for a longer time than you do. I didn’t get that with the helicopter. It was smooth and we just lifted off the ground without me realizing. Such a great experience and a unique perspective to see the Canadian Rockies.

Day 5-6: Banff and Lake Louise, the center of the Canadian Rockies

Banff and Lake Louise are two of the busiest and most expensive places in the Canadian Rockies. They are stunningly beautiful, which is the main reason why everyone wants to visit. I have stayed in Lake Louise before at the Fairmont hotel right on the lake, and it is amazing to be that close to the lake. But if you want to see the area, Banff is only 45 minutes away and is a little cheaper to use as your base.

Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise

The Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise is perfectly located at the edge of the lake itself. The property is a huge resort with restaurants, shops and all the other amenities you could want. I stayed here once and enjoyed my stay. However the lake is the draw, the hotel is just the convenience. The hotel is expensive so don’t be surprised by the price if you want to stay here. If you are staying here, you’re bound to end up dining here too, so worth taking that into consideration when budgeting since the hotel restaurants are amazing, but with amazing prices to go with them.

If you want somewhere cheaper, the Post Hotel or Lake Louise Inn might be worth looking at. But if you do stay at the Fairmont, you should probably spend the extra and have a lake view room. For me, coming all that way and staying at the hotel famously situated on the lake, then being in a room facing the opposite way from the lake seems counter productive.

Accommodation in Banff

I’ve visited Banff a few times now, so here are some of the properties I’ve stayed in starting with the cheapest and working up to the more luxury hotels.

Elk and Avenue

Nice hotel, located on Banff Avenue, the main street in town. Banff Ave is very long and this hotel is not too far away from the action without having the noise of the main town. It’s the first hotel you get to after the strip of tourist shops ends. There’s a cafe in the building and a Canadian Rockies visitor center where you can book some of the Brewster tours and attractions. The rooms themselves are really nice and the hotel has all the major amenities you would need.

Fox Hotel and Suites

A little further up the street than the Elk & Avenue, but the Fox is a lovely property. The hotel on site is a Chilis but they have a breakfast included in the room cost – something that’s not too common in Banff so could save a little money if you’re there for a few days.

The hotel itself has nice rooms. I was in a family suite with separate living room, although the pull out couch being in the living room was a little cold for the end of April. You might need to ask for an extra blanket if there anytime other than summer. The awesome part of this hotel is the sauna room, recreated to look like a cave with sulphur springs.

Moose Hotel

I loved the Moose hotel. On Banff Avenue just a little further away from town than the Elk & Avenue (but before the Fox hotel), it is a wonderfully kept hotel. It has had some renovations in the last few years which makes it a lovely hotel. My room was rather large and the bed and room were really comfy.

There’s a restaurant onsite like most of the hotels in Banff. But the main thing to note about this hotel is that they just ran with the whole moose theme. I had moose art on the walls, in the bathroom, in the lobby. The light fixtures in the rooms have moose antlers on them. It’s all well and good until you wake up in the night and you’re face to face with a moose. There’s even a giant moose statue outside. Such a nice hotel though.

Rimrock Resort

The Rimrock is amazing. It has beautiful rooms, very spacious, and all with at least a little view even if it’s just trees.

The property was built into the side of a mountain and down instead of up since the Fairmont had the monopoly on large buildings and the town of Banff put a ban on building more than 3 stories. So the Rimrock got around this rule by building down. The hotel is out of the town but you can use your hotel key on the local buses for access, and it’s conveniently located next to the Banff Gondola so make sure to take a walk over to the hot springs.

Fairmont Banff Springs

Of course, the most well known hotel in the town is the Banff Springs. The “castle in the Canadian Rockies” is just that. Impressive, luxury, and visible from all over the area. It’s an amazing place to stay.

The amenities are Fairmont all over. Well maintained, high end, and plentiful. There have to be almost a dozen restaurants and eateries including a cool German pub by the river (see below). There are shops on site if you have some money to burn, and a world renowned golf course if you are so inclined. Also just out of the town, the hotel is still walkable into Banff (about a 15 minute walk).

One thing to note is that since the hotel is about 100 years old, some of the rooms are a little smaller than most hotel rooms so you may end up with a Queen bed instead of a King or two Doubles instead of two Queens. Also, watch out for ghosts!

Where to eat in Banff

Over 4 million people visit the Banff National Park every year, and you can bet that most of them will stop in Banff at least once. For a town with a little over 8000 residents, that’s a whole lot of hungry people visiting. Banff therefore has dozens of amazing places to eat. From quiet cafes, to local pubs. International cuisine to homegrown Albertan steak. And a growing number of high end restaurants, not only limited to the fancy hotels. Here are some of the places you can try, something for every budget.

Banff Brewing Co.

If you’re here in summer, go mid afternoon and hope for an outdoor seat looking down on Banff avenue. I love sitting there with a cold beer watching the world go by, and surrounded by the most fantastic mountains. Now if this isn’t a relaxing way to enjoy the Canadian Rockies I don’t know what is.

But wherever you manage to get a seat, this place has you covered. Delicious ever changing beers along with the main stays. Their food seems to keep getting better too. The soft pretzels with mustard and cheesy dips are so good. I also had a crispy broccoli dish which was good. They do a good selection of pub food and unique food items.

Silver Dragon

Just over the bridge heading out of town towards the Fairmont Banff Springs, there is a Chinese restaurant which always seems to be busy. Everyone who goes there says the food is amazing so I finally got to try it this Spring. They have a good mix of your typical North American Chinese menu items, and some more traditional ones.

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We ordered way too much food as the portions are rather large. The prices are higher than I would usually pay for a dish in other Chinese restaurants, but it’s good food. One of my favorite Chinese dishes is Tomato and Egg stir fry so I was thrilled they had this on the menu.

Good Earth Coffeehouse

If you’re looking for a quick breakfast, or somewhere to grab a nice lunch to take with you for the day, this is the place. Located in the same building as the Elk & Avenue hotel, they do a lot of healthy items that still pack a punch of flavor. I’ve had their build your own granola before which was a great snack to take with me on a long journey. Their breakfast sandwiches are really good, and they have a delicious honey lemon squish cookie (think whoopie pie).

St. James’ Gate

You can’t go anywhere without an Irish pub right? This place is just off Banff Avenue, and has an incredible menu. They do good pub food, but really delicious, hearty plates. My Mum had the Irish Stew which she said was amazing, my Dad had a pot pie with the most buttery, flaky crust.

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I opted for a salad after so much unhealthy food so far, and it was one of the best salads I’ve had. Butternut squash on top of greens, with tomatoes, goat cheese, candied walnuts and cranberries. Really refreshing.

Melissa’s Missteak

Cheap all day breakfast place a block off the main street. Melissa’s has a diner like feel with good, simple, home-cooked food. It’s reasonably priced for Banff too which is nice. I had the egg breakfast and it kept me going for the rest of the day on a long day of driving. The staff were friendly in this no frills restaurant with some fun Canadian decor.

Vermillion Room at the Fairmont Banff

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. And if you’re looking for the ultimate breakfast place, then look no further than the Fairmont Banff. You can order off the menu, or you can go for broke (maybe literally) and get the breakfast buffet. For about $35 CAD per person they have the ultimate breakfast spread of pastries, fresh fruit, smoothies, cereals, cold cuts and cheeses, and hot food. They have a made-to-order omelet station where you can choose what to include. They have waffles, pancakes and oatmeal with a couple different types of potatoes. Coffee and juice included. If you have breakfast here, you won’t want to eat until dinner time.

Waldhaus pub at the Fairmont Banff

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For a more casual eatery in the Fairmont Banff, take an evening stroll out the back of the hotel down the steps towards the river. There you’ll find the Waldhaus restaurant, with German inspired dining. But my favorite place is the little pub next door. Overlooking the river with some outdoor seating for nice evenings, this cozy little German style pub is great for a cold beer and a bite to eat. They have real German beers on tap, and although we didn’t have a meal there, the food looked good. We did opt for dessert though. My Dad had a Black Forest gateau and I have an apple strudel. Worth every penny. Want to see what else you can eat at the Banff Springs? Check out this afternoon tea.

Things to do in and around Banff

There are plenty of things to do in Banff, but for the real good stuff you’ll want to get out. Renting a car is the best way to see the area, although there are plenty of tours if you can’t. We spend at least one full day in Banff, and did some smaller trips the other days.

Whyte Museum

The Whyte Museum is on Bear Street, one block off the bustling Banff Avenue. My Dad told us about it from a guidebook he’d been reading and I’m glad he was so persistent.

It could be easily overlooked in favor of the Banff Park Museum on the main street, housing mostly taxidermy specimens that had seen better days. Instead the Whyte Museum was a lovely place filled with local history, cool artifacts and beautiful art. We were there about an hour, but really got some good insights into Banff and the Canadian Rockies National Parks.

Cave and Basin

This place is small, and won’t take you long to look around, but it’s worth a visit. It’s about a 5 minute drive out of the main area of Banff, or a 20-25 minute walk. Essentially it’s a hot springs, but no longer used for bathing. We learned how it was first used to attract visitors to the National Park, and the history of how it was discovered.

We walked through a dark tunnel to the cave where the strong smell of sulphur took over. The cave was beautifully lit up and the water looked so inviting. Outside there were a couple more pools and some lovely views of Banff.

Vermillion Lakes

On the way out of Banff Avenue, just before the highway there’s a road around Vermillion lakes. You can walk or cycle around, but we just took a quick drive, stopping along the way. The views of the mountains in the background are really nice, and there is wildlife all around so you might be lucky enough to see something. You can’t drive the whole way around so you will have to turn around at the end and drive back.

Browse some of the shops of Banff Avenue

Banff Avenue has tourist shop after tourist shop. But I also found a few nice little independent places with artisan items for sale. My favorite place to visit is Evoolution. They sell olive oils and vinegar of every imaginable flavor.

The Rocky Mountain Soap Co. is also worth a visit. They have lovely beauty products and soaps so delicious sounding you’ll be tempted to eat them. Don’t though! Many of the hotels in Banff use their soaps as the in room amenities which is how I first got to sample them. Marketing at it’s finest – it worked.

The there’s the Park Distillery where you can buy some local spirits like vodka, gin and rye. They have a very tiny shop but also a full restaurant. I haven’t been into the restaurant yet, but I usually bring back some vodka when I visit.

Bow Falls

Behind the Fairmont Banff Springs is the Bow River. Along the river are Bow Falls, a nice short walk away.

There’s a path you can follow from the town of Banff, over one of the bridges and along the river. At a certain point in the direction of the Fairmont Banff, you’ll come to some stairs which you can climb and it will take you along to the Bow Falls viewpoint. The river runs fast and the falls are small but mighty. It’s worth taking a look.

Surprise Corner and the Hoodoos

The hoodoos are really famous rock formations in the area. Just like the ones in Drumheller, they’re weird and spectacular at the same time. We went for a drive around the Bow River to get some fantastic views and check out these supernatural looking rocks.

Surprise Corner is a viewpoint not far from Bow Falls where you get the most amazing lookout on the Fairmont Banff Springs. It’s less of a surprise since the viewpoint is so famous now, but still pretty nice. There are lots of these fantastic viewpoints all around Banff, which couldn’t look ordinary if it tried.

Banff Gondola

Outside of the town of Banff, towards the Rimrock Resort hotel is Sulphur Mountain. At the base of the mountain are the hot springs if you want to check them out. But what most people do at Sulphur mountain is go up on the Banff Gondola to the summit. A quick 8 minute gondola ride to the top and you have some of the most spectacular views in the area. At the top there’s a gift shop and restaurant, as well as information on the area and the mountain.

There are boardwalks outside leading around the summit with viewpoints in all directions. You can see the river, the mountains below and the hotels and town.

If you’re lucky you might spot some animals up there like chipmunks or the hoary marmot.

Two Jack Lake and Lake Minnewanka

We took off early one morning to drive to some of the nearby lakes. Despite having been to the Canadian Rockies a few times before, this trip was the first time I went to Lake Minnewanka. It gets all the credit as one of the most beautiful lakes near Banff, but if I’m honest I thought Two Jack Lake was a little prettier. It felt a bit more secluded, maybe a little less popular.

We rolled into the parking lot and wandered down to the water’s edge. Since it was April we expected the lake to be as frozen as many others, but were pleasantly surprised to see this was not the case. It was well on it’s way to thawing and we could see the rich blue color of the lake. The views were out of this world.

We continued driving along the road, just a few more minutes. We came to Lake Minnewanka, which although linked to Two Jack Lake, is much larger, and was still actually frozen with so much snow on it. I walked right down to the water’s edge. The size of this lake was just incredible.

Lake Louise

Is there any lake in the Canadian Rockies more famous than Lake Louise? With great fame comes great responsibility though. The ever popular lake is swarming with visitors all year long, especially as the summer starts to roll around. At the end of April we were able to get parked (free parking) since we got there about 9am, however a couple days later when I stopped there early afternoon I wasn’t able to find a parking spot. If you’re just going to the lake you might want to think about taking one of the shuttles from Banff operating through the summer.

The lake itself is always magnificent with that imposing glacier in the background and the majestic Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise right on the lake’s edge. I talked about the hotel earlier, but the lake has a lovely little path around the edge. Or if you’re there in the spring you can walk across the lake like most everyone else was doing on our visit. I stood on it, but wasn’t trusting enough to take off across the ice. I’ve seen the lake in a few different seasons now and snow, ice or completely clear, it’s still breathtakingly beautiful. For a first timer though I would wait until after May to see it in all it’s glory.

Moraine Lake

I have not had any luck with Moraine Lake. I’ve either run out of time to visit it, have not been able to get in because it was too busy to park, or have been too early in the season for it to be open. Moraine Lake is one that I need to see, it is apparently one of the most beautiful lakes with unreal colors. I went at the end of April this year and the road to the lake was still closed. If you want to see it you will likely have to wait until mid to late May at the earliest for it to be open. Something I wish I’d known before I got there.

Day 7: Banff to Jasper through the Canadian Rockies

The icefields parkway is possibly one of the most beautiful highways in the world. Phenomenal views at every turn, I found it impossible to keep driving when I saw somewhere to stop. To drive from Banff to Jasper is about 3.5-4 hours without stopping. But why wouldn’t you want to stop?

Bow Lake

Frozen and covered in snow, or glistening turquoise blue in the summer sun, I can’t drive past here without a couple of photos. You can see it from the highway, I mean you can’t miss it really. By Canadian Rockies lake standards it’s a small lake, but where I’m from this is a beast. If you time it well, this could be a great place for a mid morning snack break (or late afternoon if you’re going the other way). Get out, take the photos, do the tourist thing!

Waterfowl Lakes

This road is just one gorgeous lake after another but a bit further down the road from Bow Lake are Waterfowl Lakes. With yet more high peaks in the background, you’d think they’d dominate the view, but you’d be wrong. You’ll still be drawn to the beautiful lakes below.

I was especially lucky to be there earlier in the season when it was still frozen so could walk on the lakes.

Columbia Icefields Discover Centre

Two thirds of the way to Jasper, you’ll get to the Columbia Icefields center. In short, it’s a tourist hub with overpriced gift shop and restaurant, and in the height of summer you might be fighting for parking. But if you want to have the most Canadian experience, you should make a stop here. The biggest draw is the Ice Explorer ride onto the Athabasca Glacier. I got to ride in a vehicle with wheels that are as tall as me, and you just can’t say that every day.

Don’t forget your sunglasses, as the ice and sun combination will have you seeing spots if you don’t. We took a bus from the visitor centre to the ice explorer vehicles. After transferring to them we drove down steep ice covered hills to the glacier itself. Here we had about half an hour to explore, take a million and one selfies and appreciate just how much it would suck if there was an avalanche.

A little ways up the road is the Glacier Skywalk, a nightmare for anyone scared of heights. I haven’t taken it myself, but most of the tours include it now and will go here after the ice explorer.

Day 8-9: Jasper and the Canadian Rockies

Banff has been overtaken by commercialism. It’s a beautiful place don’t get me wrong, but it’s one of the most accessible places in the Rockies, and has the visitors to prove it. Jasper takes a little more work to get to. It’s a bit further off the beaten track, and is at least 4 hours from the nearest airport. Because of this, Jasper has retained a lot of it’s rustic, unpolished, mountain town charm. Some of the lodges and hotels have seen better days and the dining options more limited. But if you love the great outdoors, Jasper will blow your mind. If you love animals, Jasper will blow your mind. Elk are so common it felt like they were placed there on purpose.

Where to stay in Jasper

Most of the hotels in Jasper are on Connaught Drive, kind of like how most of Banff hotels are on Banff Avenue. A lot of the hotels in Jasper are more lodge style, some bordering on motel-style. The town is at capacity for number of hotels, so when they’re full they’re full. Getting into Jasper is a little more difficult than Banff during the busy periods. Also worth noting, is that Jasper, unlike Banff, has only one high end hotel (the Fairmont). A lot of the others are still nice and clean but not in the same league.

Crimson hotel

The Crimson hotel is on the main street, just across the street from the VIA rail train station. The hotel was renovated a few years ago and renamed, so I did like how clean, and bright it was. The rooms were nice, really comfortable.

They may have the worlds tiniest elevator, which if you’re leaving when the bell staff are transporting luggage, you’ll have to wait or take the stairs. The hotel is owned by Mountain Park Lodges which manage a lot of hotels in the town. The Crimson is one of the nicer ones I think though.

Sawridge Inn and Conference Centre

The Sawridge was recently grouped in with Mountain Park Lodges, and in my opinion is one of the nicer hotels in Jasper’s town. Lodge style, there is a central area of the hotel where the restaurant and pool are, and there are both Atrium (interior) facing rooms and balcony rooms (exterior facing).

This hotel is literally the last hotel on Connaught Drive before you head out of town, so bear that in mind if longer walks aren’t your thing. It’s still a small town, so not that far a walk, but maybe not as close and convenient to the restaurants and shops as you might get at a more central hotel

Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge

Then there’s the Fairmont. Sprawling resort about a 5 minute drive from town, this place is the nicest hotel you’ll find in Jasper. It has it’s own lake (Beauvert lake) which I really enjoyed taking an early morning walk around. The hotel has all the amenities you would need (outdoor heated pool, hot tubs, restaurants and bars, shops). There are a few main building rooms, but the majority of the rooms are in cabin style accommodation. Think 50s holiday camp but with a fancy hotel setting. We had a Lakeview suite which was beautiful, and had a separate living area with pull out bed (perfect for traveling with my parents). Elk just wander the property which is amazing.

To stay at the Jasper Park Lodge, you really do need a car. I mean you don’t actually but I would recommend it. It’s a bit removed from the town, where you will likely want to go at some point. The hotel offer a car service to drop you in the town if you talk to the concierge. The hotel has a resort fee, but self parking is included in that which was nice for us.

Where to eat in Jasper

I wouldn’t say Jasper has the same options as Banff. I should really stop comparing the two, but you know that if you go to one, you’re likely going to the other. There are some lovely restaurants, and the number of nice places has grown since I was last there. You’ll find good food for sure. There were more places I wanted to try but didn’t have time to. Here are some of the ones I made it to:

Smitty’s

Cheap and cheerful, this diner is a gem in Jasper. It’s no frills but delicious hearty food specializing in breakfast items. Kind of like a Denny’s style restaurant but with a hometown feel. Between us we got an egg breakfast (with hash browns and toast), an omelette, and oatmeal. Overall nice food, and great service. For a touristy town like Jasper this was a reasonably priced place too.

Jasper Brewing Co.

Pretty much the same menu as the Banff Avenue Brewing Co., this is a great place for some slightly elevated pub food and great beer. On the main street, Connaught Drive, it’s a great place to while away a couple of hours drinking top notch craft beer.

The Other Paw Cafe

This cafe is well known throughout Jasper. They have the Bear’s Paw and the Other Paw, two locations in the town. The prices are reasonable, the bakery items fresh and delicious and there are some cheaper lunch options too. We went into both of them at one point and really enjoyed the cozy atmosphere of the cafe.

Jasper Pizza Place

On our first night in Jasper we wandered around looking for a good place to eat. As a vegetarian it’s often not the easiest finding food in Alberta, the beef capital of Canada. But this place had a great menu selection. I went in expecting to get one of their delicious-looking wood-fired pizzas, but instead ended up with the equally delicious ravioli.

Usually when you get ravioli in a restaurant you end up with about 6 pieces, but here there was a bowl full, stuffed with cheese and in a mouth-watering cream sauce with oodles of mushrooms. They also had some great local beers on tap.

Earl’s

I’m from Vancouver where there’s pretty much an Earl’s on every corner. It’s a chain restaurant which for me seems like I’m not trying local food when I go somewhere like Jasper, but at least means consistency. For someone visiting the Rockies and not actually making it to Vancouver, Earl’s is a great place to try. For one thing their happy hour is amazing. From 3pm until 6pm there are cheap foods and drinks, again making this a reasonably priced option in an otherwise expensive area of Canada.

What to do in and around Jasper

Jasper is where you go if you love the great outdoors. It takes longer to get there so you have to put more effort in if you want to visit. Banff is an easy day trip from Calgary, perfect for the weekend visits. Jasper is a full day of driving from Banff (because you won’t can help but stop along the way) and about 4 hours from Edmonton, the nearest airport. While summer is beautiful, Jasper in winter is also just amazing. Jasper is all about hiking and lakes, and beautiful untouched views. It’s worth the effort to go there.

Patricia Lake and Pyramid Lake

Our full day in Jasper we went in search of beautiful lakes. Sure it was the beginning of May, and more than a little chilly but there were lakes to be seen. Our first stop was Patricia Lake. Only a few minutes drive from the center of Jasper, Patricia Lake has a couple places to stop for some lovely views of the lake. The lakes in Jasper were less frozen than the lakes in Banff, or so we found. We walked down to the water’s edge at Patricia Lake, and although it was a cloudy day it was so calm and serene there.

Pyramid Lake was a little further along the same road. Also much bigger. A lot of it was still frozen too. We walked along one of the beaches at the edge of it, and after seeing some questionable animal tracks, hastily retreated to the car. There were ospreys flying around, and we only saw one other person for most of the morning.

We continued to Pyramid Island, a lovely little walk into the Lake along a trail. This is a popular place to get married, so much so that they have information for upcoming weddings and built in bench seating for the ceremony. There was a lovely old hut where couples and families had carved their names. Some dating back to the 1940s. I thought that was really sweet.

Annette and Edith Lakes

Both of these lakes were close to our hotel where we stayed at the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge. They were a lovely little drive along a small road, quieter places and a little hidden, but beautiful.

Annette Lake had a lovely little jetty area you could walk out onto, and it looked like it was set up for people to jump off of in the summer. Of course it was way too cold for us to do that. Edith Lake had some amazing views too, and was a place that in nicer weather it looked like people took part in water sports.

Athabasca Falls

Just before you get to Jasper, you’ll pass Athabasca Falls. You can’t see it from the highway, so make sure to keep an eye out for the sign. It’s easy to incorporate this into your Icefields Parkway day, but just as easy to backtrack if you’re in Jasper for a couple days.

We were at the end of a long day from Banff and I wished we’d spent a bit more time here or been able to get here earlier in the day. Still, the falls were small but beautiful. Worth a stop for sure.

Grab a drink at the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge

You might not be staying here, but if you’ve driven to Annette and Edith Lake, you may as well drive a little further and visit the Jasper Park Lodge. In the evening there is a lovely lounge in the center of the hotel’s main floor to have a nice drink. In April it was cool outside so the roaring fireplace and rustic lodge feel made it really cosy. The drinks aren’t cheap but it’s a beautiful location. You might even luck out and get a window seat, looking out on the lake on the property.

Getting home from Jasper

After spending time in Jasper, you will likely plan to fly out of Edmonton. The drive to Edmonton is about 4 hours. I’ve rented a car at Edmonton airport before, that’s probably the easiest place to drop it off. The first hour of the drive is pretty nice, it’s still within the National Park. After that it’s just a highway, and not too exciting. But after being in Jasper and the Canadian Rockies, that makes sense that a highway won’t be that thrilling.

Option 2 is driving back the way you came, along the Icefields Parkway, back past Banff and to Calgary. That’s what I chose to do this time, for two reasons.

1 – it’s way more scenic than driving to Edmonton and I could stop at some nice viewpoints along the way and really appreciate the Canadian Rockies one last time.

2 – it meant no one way drop off fee for the rental car so would save a little bit of money. This way probably added an extra hour of driving time only.

My parents got on the Rocky Mountaineer train in Jasper, a 2 day luxury rail journey back to Vancouver. So I had the drive on my own and met them back in Vancouver. I still think I made the right choice by going back to Calgary. For you it would depend on flights too, since options out of Calgary may be better.

Planning your perfect Canadian Rockies getaway

You’ve seen where you can visit, and what there is to do there. Now you should consider a few more things. How long do you need? This is a 9 day itinerary based on all the things I’ve done, however you can miss some of this out and create a shorter itinerary if you need. For me Drumheller was a place I’d always wanted to go, but if dinosaurs don’t interest you, you can take that part out. Although, if dinosaurs don’t interest you… **shakes head**

How much time do you need in the Canadian Rockies?

I could spend forever there and not see it all. I have been to the Canadian Rockies a few times now, and always find something new. The time of year can greatly impact what you are able to see. I like to see the snow, but to see the lakes clearly you need to wait until later in the summer. But then in the summer it can be hot at times so something else to think about. Banff is easy enough to get to from Calgary, so even if you have just a few days make a trip up to Banff, Lake Louise and the surrounding area. If you have more time I would recommend going all the way to Jasper.

My last visit I was there overall for a week and that was the longest I’ve been there in one visit. I couldn’t get enough of all the beautiful scenery, it’s just draw dropping! To get the most out of your time there I would recommend about a week at least, otherwise there are things you might rush. For me being in Vancouver, it’s a little easier as I can easily get back there.

Budgeting for the Canadian Rockies

Sure, Canada is not a cheap place to visit. But a trip to the Canadian Rockies doesn’t have to break the bank either. There are cheaper accommodations like the lodges, or even hostels. If you’re much more outdoorsy than me then camping could be an option too.

The one thing I didn’t factor in during my trip was the National Park fee. It cost $98 CAD for the 6 days we were in the parks. Any longer than that and you’re likely to get the annual pass which isn’t much different. Because we had a vehicle with us, that’s where the extra cost was. Make sure to account for this when planning your car rental.

Some of the hotels we stayed in had kitchens, or at least a fridge. That helped as we would often make sandwiches for lunch, or be able to go to the supermarket for some items. It’s nice to enjoy a good meal while you’re away but there are cheaper options too. Happy Hour menus will also be your best friend. Scope them out before you go.

Is it always snowing in the Canadian Rockies?

No, it’s not. It can get quite hot in the summer months, although there are some places in the Canadian Rockies where you will always see snow capped mountains. That’s part of the charm right? The weather in the Rockies is unpredictable, it can snow in July.

Always make sure to pack layers and plenty of options. If you’re out hiking, you’ll need sunblock and bug repellent too. Even in May when it wasn’t too warm, we still got a little burnt from the sun reflecting off the snow at the glacier. Sunglasses are also a must. If you are visiting in early spring or winter, make sure to check if your rental car comes with a winter tyre option.

If you’ve enjoyed this post feel free to comment, or share using the social media buttons below. Have you been to the Canadian Rockies before? What are your must visit places?