Banff and Jasper National Parks Self Drive Discovery

Welcome to Calgary! Upon arrival at the Calgary International Airport, you will pick up your rental vehicle and drive approximately 1-hour, 30-minutes to Banff in Banff National Park. You will traverse Kananaskis Country which includes five provincial parks, four wildland provincial parks, one ecological reserve, and several provincial recreation areas. It also encompasses the Canmore Nordic Centre, a world class facility built for the 1988 Calgary Winter Olympics as well as the Nakiska Ski Resort at Kananaskis Village, which was specially designed for the alpine events. A plethora of activites can be enjoyed in this region including horeseback riding, whitewater rafting, hiking, golfing, mountain biking, and fishing.

Banff National Park is famous for its surreally colored lakes, majestic mountains, and endless outdoor adventures. Canada’s first national park and the world’s third, it has a rich heritage as one of the world’s most awe-inspiring mountain destinations. What makes Banff National Park so special is its easy access and close proximity to the vast unspoiled wilderness of the Canadian Rockies. The park spans 2,564 square miles of mountainous terrain, packed with spectacularly scenic valleys, peaks, glaciers, forests, meadows, and rivers. Adventurers can enjoy incredible alpine day hikes, great paddling, Via Ferrata, and much more. For those looking for a more relaxed pace, you can ride the Banff Gondola up Sulpher Mountain for spectacular 360-degree views, enjoy a cruise on Lake Minnewanak, enjoy a soak in the Banff Upper Hot Springs, visit the Cave & Basin or Banff Park Museum National Historic Sites, take in one of the many scenic drives or enjoy unique wildlife viewing.

Today you will drive approximately 3-hours, 30-minutes from Banff to Jasper in Jasper National Park. Unlike any other, the stretch of road from Jasper to Lake Louise known as the Icefields Parkway is rated as one of the top drives in the world by Condé Nast Traveler, it is dotted with more than 100 ancient glaciers, cascading waterfalls, dramatic rock spires, and emerald lakes set in sweeping valleys of thick pine and larch forests. The abundance of wildlife in Jasper and Banff National Parks will have you peering around every turn. So take your time, stop for a hike to a breath-taking viewpoint, capture that stunning photo to share with friends, and enjoy a roadside picnic amidst the splendor of the Canadian Rockies pristine wilderness. Highlights include Athabasca Falls, Sunwapta Falls, the Glacier Skywalk, the Columbia Icefield Centre, the Weeping Wall, Peyto Lake, and Bow Lake.

The town of Jasper is located in the heart of Jasper National Park. Originally a railway town, its unpretentious charm has a timeless appeal. The park’s abundant wildlife, crystalline lakes, deep canyons, evergreen forests, shimmering glaciers, and thundering waterfalls — all surrounded by towering mountains — are some of the reasons the park was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site. At 4,335 square miles, Jasper National Park is Canada's largest park in the Rocky Mountains and the second largest Dark Sky Preserve in the world. Jasper offers breathtaking sites and memorable experiences. Adventurers can enjoy incredible adrenaline-pumping mountain biking, alpine day hikes, great paddling, and much more. For those looking for a more relaxed pace, you can picnic amongst majestic peaks, enjoy a cruise on Maligne Lake, take in one of the many scenic drives or enjoy unique wildlife viewing.

Today you will drive approximately 3-hours from Jasper to Lake Lousie in Banff National Park as you retrace your steps along the Icefields Parkway. For the outdoor enthusiast, ensure to check out one of many shorter-easier hiking opportunities along the route-Bow Glacier Falls, Parker Ridge Trail, Warden Lake, or Wilcox Pass.

After breakfast, you will check out of your hotel and drive approximately 2-hours to the Calgary International Airport where you will return your rental vehicle and check-in for your onward flight.