Calgary to Jasper road trip: complete 7-day route
Calgary to Jasper is one of the great road trip corridors in North America. The 362-km direct route covers two major national parks, the Icefields Parkway (one of the world’s most scenic drives), and a landscape that shifts from foothills prairie to high alpine glaciated terrain. This 7-day itinerary makes the journey properly rather than rushing it — using the Foothills and Kananaskis Country on the way out, the classic Icefields Parkway route through the heart of the Rockies, and arriving in Jasper for two nights of exploration before the return.
At a glance
| Day | Route | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Calgary → Kananaskis → Canmore | ~100 km |
| 2 | Canmore → Banff (full day) | 20 km |
| 3 | Banff → Lake Louise + Moraine Lake | 116 km |
| 4 | Lake Louise → Icefields Parkway → Jasper | 232 km |
| 5 | Jasper day 1: Maligne Lake | 96 km (return) |
| 6 | Jasper day 2: Maligne Canyon + Pyramid Lake | Local |
| 7 | Jasper → Calgary (return) | 362 km |
Best season: June through September for full access
Essential bookings: Moraine Lake shuttle, Spirit Island boat tour, accommodation throughout
Note: This itinerary includes one night in Canmore — a great base for the Banff portion at lower cost
Day 1: Calgary to Canmore via Kananaskis
Rather than driving straight to Banff, this itinerary takes the scenic approach through Kananaskis Country — the provincial parkland east and south of the national park that offers some of the finest mountain scenery in Alberta at lower cost and crowd levels than Banff.
Morning: Kananaskis Village and Peter Lougheed Provincial Park
Leave Calgary west on Highway 1, then south on Highway 40 (Kananaskis Trail) at Cochrane/Bragg Creek. The Kananaskis Valley opens up as you drive south through the foothills.
Stop at the Peter Lougheed Provincial Park Visitor Centre for orientation. The Kananaskis Lakes — Upper and Lower — are reached by a 14-km side road and offer spectacular mountain views with a fraction of Banff’s crowds. A 3-km lakeshore walk gives excellent Front Range panoramas.
Continue north through Kananaskis Village to Highway 1 at Canmore.
Afternoon: Canmore
Canmore is the ideal base for the first night — it is 20 km east of the Banff park gate, significantly cheaper than Banff for accommodation, and has a strong local dining and cafe scene. See our Banff vs Canmore guide for a full comparison.
Walk Canmore’s main street and the Bow River trail. The Three Sisters peaks immediately above the valley make this one of the best close-up mountain panoramas in Alberta. The Grassi Lakes (4.6 km return from the Grassi Lakes trailhead, 300 m elevation gain) are worth an hour if you have afternoon energy — two brilliant turquoise alpine lakes in a cirque above Canmore.
Day 2: Banff
Drive 20 km from Canmore through the park gate into Banff (enter the park, have your Discovery Pass or payment ready).
Morning: Johnston Canyon
Drive 18 km west to Johnston Canyon. Arrive by 9 AM at the latest. Canyon trail catwalks to the Lower Falls (1.1 km) and Upper Falls (2.7 km). If you want a full day of hiking, the Inkpots (11.5 km return) continue above the upper falls to mineral springs in an alpine meadow.
Afternoon: Banff Gondola and Vermilion Lakes
Take the Banff Gondola (book ahead) to the 2,281-metre summit of Sulphur Mountain. The 360-degree Bow Valley view is the best orientation perspective for the entire trip. After descending, drive to Vermilion Lakes west of town for the classic sunset view.
Dinner in Banff and the Banff Upper Hot Springs in the evening.
If basing yourself in Canmore and commuting: this works well. Drive in, park, use the day, return in the evening. See our ROAM Transit guide if you want to use the bus from Canmore.
Book Banff gondola, hot springs and guided day toursDay 3: Lake Louise and Moraine Lake
Leave Canmore/Banff by 6:00 AM. Drive to the Lake Louise Park and Ride (78 km from Canmore, 58 km from Banff).
Morning: Moraine Lake
Board your pre-booked Parks Canada shuttle to Moraine Lake (25 minutes from the Park and Ride). The Rockpile viewpoint delivers the Valley of the Ten Peaks in the morning light — one of the great landscape panoramas of the world. Allow 2-3 hours at the lake including the Lakeshore Trail (3.4 km return) and, if available, a canoe rental.
Late morning: Lake Louise
Return shuttle, then Lake Louise lakeshore shuttle. Walk the lake’s shore, soak in the Chateau and glacier backdrop, and take the Lake Agnes Tea House trail (7.4 km return, 380 m elevation gain) if energy allows.
Check into Lake Louise village accommodation for the night. Staying in Lake Louise means you can start the Icefields Parkway drive directly the next morning without backtracking from Banff.
Day 4: The Icefields Parkway to Jasper
The centrepiece day. Leave Lake Louise by 7:00 AM. The 232-km Icefields Parkway (Highway 93 North) to Jasper takes 8-10 hours with proper stops. See our Banff to Jasper driving guide for a full stop-by-stop breakdown.
Bow Lake (36 km): Turquoise headwaters of the Bow River; the Num-Ti-Jah Lodge. 30 minutes.
Peyto Lake viewpoint (77 km): The single most spectacular viewpoint on the drive; the wolf-shaped electric-blue lake below Bow Summit. 60-90 minutes.
Saskatchewan River Crossing (108 km): The only fuel between Lake Louise and Jasper. Fill up.
Parker Ridge hike (118 km): 4.8 km return to a ridge above the Saskatchewan Glacier. 90 minutes.
Columbia Icefield Discovery Centre (126 km): Athabasca Glacier walk. Ice Explorer tour if booked in advance. 1-3 hours.
Athabasca Falls (198 km): The most powerful waterfall in the Rockies. 30 minutes.
Arrive Jasper by late afternoon. The Athabasca Valley in the evening light, with Pyramid Mountain to the north, is a beautiful introduction to the town.
Day 5: Maligne Lake and Spirit Island
Drive 48 km southeast of Jasper to Maligne Lake — the largest glacially-fed lake in the Canadian Rockies. Take the pre-booked Spirit Island boat tour (Maligne Lake Boat Tours) to the iconic island in the lake narrows; this is the most photographed view in Jasper National Park.
After the tour, walk the Moose Lake Loop (3.2 km) at the south end of the lake or sit on the lakeshore and absorb the silence and scale. Return via Medicine Lake Road, stopping at Medicine Lake itself.
Evening: Jasper town for dinner. Famoso Pizzeria, the Jasper Brewing Company, or the Trailhead Café are all solid.
Book guided Jasper National Park experiencesDay 6: Maligne Canyon, wildlife and Pyramid Lake
Morning: Maligne Canyon
Maligne Canyon — 55 metres deep through sculpted limestone, reached via six footbridges crossing the gorge at different depths. The First and Second Bridge viewpoints are the most dramatic. Allow 1.5-2 hours.
Afternoon: Jasper townsite and wildlife watching
Walk the Jasper townsite, visit the Jasper-Yellowhead Museum and Archives, and take the Pyramid Lake Road north of town for late-afternoon wildlife. Elk wander the Jasper streets and adjacent meadows with complete urban ease. Moose, deer, and the occasional black bear are seen along the Pyramid Lake Road corridor at dusk.
Canoe on Pyramid Lake at the end of the afternoon — the mountain reflections in the evening light are excellent.
Evening: Dark sky
Jasper is a designated Dark Sky Preserve. Away from the townsite lights on a clear night, the Milky Way is visible with the naked eye. The Maligne Lake Road or the Pyramid Lake Road both provide good dark-sky viewing away from town light.
Day 7: Return to Calgary
Option 1 — Via Highway 16 (shorter): Drive Highway 16 east from Jasper to Hinton (80 km), then south via Highway 2 through Rocky Mountain House and Red Deer to Calgary. Total approximately 420 km, 4.5-5 hours. Stops: Miette Hot Springs (61 km east of Jasper, the hottest springs in the Canadian Rockies) is worthwhile if you depart early enough.
Option 2 — Via Icefields Parkway (longer, more scenic): Return south on Highway 93, stopping at Athabasca Falls, the Columbia Icefield, and Sunwapta Falls again — the reverse direction reveals different angles and the light is completely different in the afternoon. Continue through Lake Louise and east on Highway 1 to Calgary. Total approximately 550 km, 6+ hours with stops.
Breakfast at the Bear’s Paw Bakery in Jasper before departure regardless of route.
Budget breakdown
| Item | Per person moderate (CAD) |
|---|---|
| Accommodation (6 nights) | $600-900 |
| Food (7 days) | $400-550 |
| Parks Canada Discovery Pass | $72.25 |
| Moraine Lake shuttle | $12 |
| Spirit Island boat tour | $70-80 |
| Banff Gondola | $55 |
| Fuel (full route) | $90-130 |
| Total per person | ~$1,300-1,800 |
Booking tips
- Moraine Lake shuttle: Book via reservation.pc.gc.ca the day the April booking window opens. See our shuttle guide.
- Spirit Island boat tour: Book through Maligne Lake Boat Tours. July and August tours sell out months in advance.
- Accommodation: Book 3-6 months ahead for summer. Canmore as the Banff-area base saves substantially on accommodation cost.
- Discovery Pass: See our Parks Canada Discovery Pass guide.
Variations
One week, Jasper to Calgary (reverse): Fly into Edmonton instead of Calgary, start in Jasper, drive south on the Icefields Parkway, end in Calgary. One-way rental required. Works particularly well for visitors based in Edmonton.
Add Kananaskis Country: A detour into Kananaskis on Day 1 (as in this itinerary) dramatically improves the journey. The Peter Lougheed Provincial Park lakeshores are outstanding and almost unknown to international visitors.
10-day version: Add Yoho National Park (Emerald Lake, Takakkaw Falls) for two nights on the BC side of the Rockies. See our 10-day Canadian Rockies itinerary.