Documenting Lovely Moments
Amazing 12-Day Summer Itinerary in Banff and Canadian Rockies
Our Canadian Rockies summer family vacation was one of our favorite trips. It was full of fun adventures and breathtaking sceneries. From Calgary to Canmore, Banff, Lake Louis, and Jasper, we packed a lot in our schedules while making sure we still had fun and were not overwhelmed.
12-Day Canadian Rockies Itinerary
DAY 1
Calgary - Alberta, Canada
- Arriving in Calgary International Airport (YYZ)
► Arriving at Calgary International Airport (YYZ)
Our flight arrived late around 10 pm. We took a shuttle to go to our airport hotel.
► Check into hotel
We stayed at Element Calgary Airport hotel for the first night.
DAY 2
Banff - Alberta, Canada
- Breakfast at the hotel
- Downtown Banff
- Lake Minnewanka
- Check into hotel in Banff
- Greek Night Dinner in Downtown Banff
► Breakfast in Calgary
We had a delicious breakfast buffet at Element Calgary Airport hotel. From there we picked up our rental car and drove to Banff, Alberta.
► Downtown Banff and Lake Minnewanka
It was too early to check into our hotel but we were able to park our car at the hotel parking lot, then take the complimentary hotel shuttle to Downtown Banff. We walked around Downtown Banff, grabbed a quick lunch, and hopped back on the shuttle to check out Lake Minnewanka in Banff National Park.
► Check into hotel
In the afternoon, we took the shuttle back to check into our hotel, the Rimrock Resort Hotel.
► Greek Night Dinner in Downtown Banff
Earlier in the day when we were walking around Downtown Banff, we saw a sign in front of the Balkan Restaurant about their Greek Night celebration for that evening. We decided to make a dinner reservation for that night and was lucky to get a table. The Mediterranean dinner was delicious, the service was great, and the belly dancing performance was wonderful. The kids had a blast learning some dance moves. They also found it super cool to participate in the traditional plate smashing. It was such a fun night!
DAY 3
Banff - Alberta, Canada
- Breakfast at “The Highest Starbucks”
- Banff Gondola to Sulphur Mountain
- Boardwalk to Sanson’s Peak
- Dinner in Downtown Banff
- Wildlife on the Bow Tour
► Breakfast at “The Highest Starbucks”
We took a short walk from our hotel to a Starbucks at the base of Banff Gondola building. At 1583 meters elevation, it is the highest Starbucks in all of Canada.
► Banff Gondola
After breakfast, we got on the enclosed gondola for a ride up the 7500 ft summit of Sulphur Mountain, with a spectacular view of the Rocky Mountains. Read more about our experience at Banff Gondola.
► Sulphur Mountain Boardwalk
We took the boardwalk trail leading up to Sanson’s Peak, with an even more magnificent view.
► Wildlife On The Bow Tour in Downtown Banff
After spending the whole morning at Banff Gondola, we came back to the hotel to rest and freshen up. Later in the afternoon, we hopped on the shuttle to Downtown Banff for dinner, and headed to our booked activity, Wildlife On The Bow Canoe Tour, where we learned fun facts about local animals while paddling up the scenic Bow River.
DAY 4
Yoho National Park and Jasper National Park - Canada
- Emerald Lake in Yoho National Park
- Brunch at Mount Burgess Dining Room
- Natural Bridge
- Takakkaw Falls
- Peyto Lake
- Ice Explorer to Athabasca Glacier
- Dinner at Glacier View Lodge
► Emerald Lake
We checked out of our hotel in Banff very early in the morning around 5 am and headed to Emerald Lake in Yoho National Park. We took a morning walk around the peaceful lake and snapped some great pictures. Read more about Emerald Lake and Yoho National Park.
► Brunch at Mount Burgess Dining Room
After the walk, we had a tasty brunch at Mount Burgess Dining Room, with a view of Emerald Lake.
► Natural Bridge
Only a short drive away from Emerald Lake, we made a stop to see the Natural Bridge, the natural rock formation that was carved over time to resemble a bridge.
► Takakkaw Falls
We hopped back on the car to the parking area of Takakkaw Falls, Canada’s second largest waterfalls. We took the walking trail to the base of the waterfalls, where we could feel the mist of the milky water and listen to the rapid water.
► Peyto Lake
On our way to Jasper, we made another stop and did a short hike to see the wolf-shaped Peyto Lake, and its surreal blue water color.
► Glacier View Lodge
The drive to Jasper was full of amazing scenery. We also saw a black bear on the road and some moose. We checked in at Glacier View Lodge, where we booked an All-Inclusive Stay. Read more about our Jasper All-Inclusive Stay.
► Ice Explorer to Athabasca Glacier
Our All-Inclusive package included an after-hour group tour to Athabasca Glacier, exclusively for hotel guests. We went on the Ice Explorer and learned fun facts about the retreating glacier. We arrived on the Athabasca Glacier after all the crowd had left, which was nice. We took a sip of the water from the glacier, which was so cold and fresh. The tour also provided some hot apple cider for us to enjoy at the glacier before we left.
► Dinner at Glacier View Lodge
After the tour, we headed to the resort’s Altitude Restaurant for dinner, then went to our glacier-view room to rest after such a fun, busy day.
DAY 5
Jasper to Canmore, Canada
- Breakfast at the hotel
- Columbia Icefield Skywalk Tour
- Panther Falls
- Mistaya Canyon
- Lunch in Lake Louise Village
- Check into hotel in Canmore, Canada
► Breakfast at the hotel
We had a delicious breakfast buffet at the hotel to start the day.
► Columbia Icefield Skywalk
Also part of our All-Inclusive Stay, we went on a private group tour to the Columbia Icefield Skywalk before it was open for the public. We stepped on the 918-ft high glass-bottomed skywalk that overlooks the Sunwapta Valley. We also saw a cute family of bighorn sheep there.
► Panther Falls
After the tour, we returned to the hotel and were ready to check out. We hopped on the car going to Canmore, our next destination. On the way, we made a few stops, and the first one was Panther Falls.
► Mistaya Canyon
Our next stop was Mistaya Canyon, an amazing hidden gem that was accessible with a short, delightful hike.
► Lunch at Lake Louise Village
We continued our drive and made a stop for lunch at Lake Louise Village. Afterwards, we did a little shopping around the village before going back in the car.
► Check into hotel in Canmore, Canada
We checked into The Malcolm Hotel in Canmore, Canada. After freshening up, we went for a quick dinner and back to the hotel to rest.
DAY 6
Lake Louise, Canada
- Drive to Lake Louise
- Hike to Lake Agnes and Mirror Lake
- Lake Agnes Teahouse
- Canoe Ride in Lake Louise
- Moraine Lake
- Lake Louise Gondola
- Mountaintop Dinner
► Lake Louise
We started the day very early around 5 am to beat the crowd. The lake was as beautiful as what we saw in the pictures, with calm, turquoise water, and mirror reflections of its surrounding mountains. We spent some time just sitting by the lake admiring its beauty. Read more about our visit to Lake Louise.
► Hiking to Lake Agnes
We walked along Lake Louis, then hiked the trail up to Lake Agnes. Just before we reached Lake Agnes, we stopped to take pictures at the charming Mirror Lake with a view of the Beehive.
► Lake Agnes and Lake Agnes Teahouse
The hike to Lake Agnes was rewarded with delicious tea and snacks at the historic Lake Agnes Teahouse.
► Canoe Ride in Lake Louise
Coming back down from the hike, we rented some canoes from Chateau Lake Louise dock and had a wonderful time paddling while enjoying the views.
► Moraine Lake
In the afternoon we went to visit Moraine Lake, another stunningly beautiful lake in the Canadian Rockies.
► Lake Louise Gondola and Mountaintop Dinner
We took the Lake Louise Gondola to go up to the summit for a mountaintop dinner at Whitehorn Bistro. The food was delicious and the views were amazing
DAY 7
Banff, Canada
- Johnston Canyon Hiking Trail
- Brunch in Downtown Banff
- Lake Minnewanka Cruise Tour
- Two Jack Lake
- Dinner in Canmore
► Johnston Canyon Hiking Trail
As usual, we started the day early to beat the crowd. We arrived at Johnston Canyon Hiking Trail around 7 am. It was a delightful hike with beautiful waterfalls, overhanging canyon walls, and lush forest.
► Downtown Banff
After the hike, we headed to Downtown Banff to have brunch at Tooloulou’s Restaurant.
► Lake Minnewanka Family Cruise
We then took the shuttle to Lake Minnewanka for our booked activity, the Lake Minnewanka Family Cruise Tour. We learned fun facts about the lake, then the captain gave the kids a chance to drive the boat.
► Two Jack Lake
The Two Jack Lake was only a shuttle stop away from Lake Minnewanka. It’s another charming lake in Banff, and a great place to go kayaking, paddle-boarding, or swimming.
► Dinner in Canmore
After a busy day in Banff, we drove back to Canmore, grabbed dinner, and spent the rest of the night in our hotel room.
DAY 8
Banff and Canmore, Canada
- Brunch in Downtown Banff
- Shopping
- Lazy afternoon in Canmore
- Dinner
► Brunch in Downtown Banff
We liked Tooloulou’s so much that we came back the next morning for brunch, followed by some souvenir shopping.
► Lazy afternoon in Canmore
After the busy few days we had, we decided to have a lazy day. We spent the afternoon relaxing at the hotel’s rooftop pool and hot tubs, with a great view of the Three Sisters Mountains.
► Dinner in Canmore
We then headed to Downtown Canmore for dinner.
DAY 9
Canmore, Canada
- Pastries Breakfast in Canmore
- Kananaskis Whitewater River Rafting Tour
- Dinner in Banff, Canada
► Pastries breakfast in Canmore
We started the day with delicious French pastries and coffee at Le Fournil Bakery in Canmore.
► Kananaskis Whitewater River Rafting
Afterwards, we got ready for our exciting adventure for the day, Kananaskis Whitewater River Rafting, which we booked through Chinook Rafting. Our guide and the entire experience was so awesome. Read more about our Kananaskis River Family Whitewater Rafting experience.
► Dinner in Banff
We came back to the hotel to shower and get ready for dinner at Chuck’s Steakhouse in Downtown Banff.
DAY 10
Canmore, Canada
- Breakfast in Canmore
- Rat’s Nest Cave Adventure Tour
- Dinner
► Breakfast at the hotel
We had breakfast at Le Fournil Bakery.
► Rat’s Nest Cave Adventure Tour
Our booked adventure for the day was the Caving Adventure at Rat’s Nest Cave, which we booked through Canmore Cave Tour. Our tour guide was amazing and so patient, especially with the kids. We started with a hike up the mountain to the entrance of the cave, and spent time crawling, sliding, climbing, and squeezing into tight passages. It was a total of 6-hour excursion and was an unforgettable experience for us. Read more about our Canmore Caving Adventure in The Canadian Rockies.
► Dinner in Canmore
After the tour, we went for dinner in Canmore and headed back to our hotel to rest after an adventurous day.
DAY 11
Calgary, Canada
- Breakfast in Canmore
- Canada Olympic Park
- Calgary Zoo
- Check into hotel in Calgary, Canada
- Dinner at the hotel
► Breakfast and checking out
After breakfast, we were ready to check out of our hotel in Canmore.
► Canada Olympic Park
We drove to Canada Olympic Park in Calgary and had so much fun downhill-karting. It was also cool to see the actual bobsled that belonged to the Jamaican team in one of our favorite movies, Cool Runnings.
► Calgary Zoo
From the park, we headed to Calgary Zoo and enjoyed the beautiful weather while visiting animals from around the world. The twin pandas playing with each other were absolutely adorable!
► Check into hotel in Calgary
Later in the afternoon, we returned our rental car at the airport and took the airport shuttle to Clique Airport Hotel, where we spent the last night of our vacation. We had dinner at the hotel and spent the rest of the night watching a movie and playing card games in our hotel room.
DAY 12
Calgary, Canada
- Transfer to Calgary International Airport (YYZ)
► Transfer to Calgary International Airport (YYZ)
We booked an airport shuttle to take us to the airport in the early morning. It was hard to believe that the vacation was ending, but we were ready to bring home so many unforgettable memories during this trip.
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About Us
I'm a happily-married mom of two. Our family enjoys an active lifestyle and spending quality time together. We love creating memories through travel, learning about different cultures around the world.
