Can you do 5 days in Banff? Absolutely! There is SO much to do and see in Banff National Park. 3-5 days in this beautiful place is more than enough to have a wonderful trip. And if you have time to see more or want to squeeze more into your 5 day Banff itinerary, you can head further north to Jasper National Park as well.
Important Info to Know Before You Go
Best way to get to Banff National Park:
The best way to get to Banff National Park is to fly into Calgary International Airport (YYC) in Alberta, Canada. From there, you can rent a car and drive the 1.5 hours (90 miles) from Calgary to Banff National Park. I personally love renting a car for the freedom of getting around once at my destination.
However, you can also catch a shuttle from Calgary to Banff/Lake Louise. One recommendation for a shuttle would be the Brewster Express, charging approximately $60 per leg ($120 round trip). Many other shuttle options can be found here.
When not to go to Banff / When to go to Banff:
Banff National Park and Lake Louise are BEAUTIFUL any time of year. Most people like to go in summertime to see the lakes at their brilliant blue and take in some of the most breathtaking hikes through the Canadian Rockies. In wintertime, people experience a winter wonderland filled with opportunities to ski, ice skate, dog sled, see the Northern Lights and soak in the Banff Upper hot springs.
Summer: June-August
IF you want to see the thawed lakes and be able to hike at high elevation, you MUST go during this time. Summer is very short in Banff, Lake Louise, and Jasper National Park.
Fall: September – November
September can be an excellent time to visit to see the leaves start to turn. By mid-October, leaves will begin falling, lakes freezing, and some roads closing.
Winter: December – March
This will be the most likely time to see the Northern Lights. Come for a beautiful snow globe, but not for high elevation hikes or blue lakes.
Spring: April – May “shoulder season”
Some roads will start to open, certain lower elevation hikes will be doable with good boots and ice cleats (I own this pair of Yaktraxs), and you can even still ski until early May. Remember, the lakes won’t be fully thawed until June.
How many days do you need in Banff and Jasper?
Banff National Park is about 180 miles from Jasper National Park to the northwest. The drive on the Icefields Parkway is incredible. You can easily spend 7-10 days exploring if you decide you want to see Banff, spend time visiting Lake Louise, and Jasper National Park. In Jasper during winter, you can add ice climbing and and a canyon ice walk to your itinerary!
In my opinion, the number of days spent in Banff and Jasper depends on the season. If you go in winter, 5-7 is probably enough since many roads and hikes are inaccessible. Enjoy the amazing winter activities in the snow, and then you’ll be ready to head home! If you go in summertime and there is more accessible ground to cover, I would recommend 7-10 days.
Note: You can even cross the border into British Columbia and visit Yoho National Park, only 50 minutes from Banff and much closer from Lake Louise.
National Park fees for your 5 Day Banff Itinerary
You may be wondering what the cost of admission is to Banff National Park. Unfortunately, your only options are to purchase daily passes for $11 per adult each day (youth are free) or to purchase an annual Parks Canada Discovery Pass for one adult ($75.25) or for a family/group ($151.25). To learn more about fees for visiting Banff visit the Parks Canada website here.
Now, let’s get into the ultimate Banff itinerary!
Banff Itinerary Day 1: Exploring Downtown Banff
Depending on your travel itinerary, you may arrive in Calgary later in the day and decide to stay a night there before heading over to Banff in the morning. Either way, the first stop on our 5 day Banff Itinerary was stopping at the Banff Visitor Centre right in town. They will give you all the tips on road accessibility, bear safety, and more! After that, build some hikes from downtown Banff into your day. Here are some options!
Hike Tunnel Mountain
Hiking Tunnel Mountain will give you fantastic views of the surrounding valleys, even though Tunnel Mountain itself is one of the smallest mountains in Banff National Park. The good news is, it is accessible year-round.
- 2.7 miles out and back
- Moderate
- Easily accessible from Downtown Banff
- Dogs allowed on-leash
Hike the Bow River Trail
A beautiful, mostly paved, riverside trail just steps away from downtown. Bow River Trail is also accessible year-round.
- 2.6 miles out and back
- Easy
- Dogs allowed on-leash
- Wheelchair friendly from access point on Muskrat Street to northwest end of the trail
Sulphur Mountain Hike or Gondola
The Sulphur Mountain hike is definitely a commitment! However, it is a worthwhile, breathtaking hike that can also be done year-round. However, if you do visit in fall/winter/spring, make sure to bring a pair of ice cleats/crampons!
- 6.7 miles out and back
- Difficult
- Dogs allowed on-leash
If you still want to see the fantastic views from Sulphur Mountain but skip the hike, take a ride up on the Banff Gondola. My mother-in-law gifted us the Nightrise Sky Experience Dinner Package for $144/person including a 3-course dinner at the Sky Bistro and the ride up the gondola. However, you can also just go up the gondola for $58/person and eat at Sky Bistro a la carte, or just enjoy the views from above!
While not a cheap endeavor, our dinner at Sky Bistro was delicious, so beautiful with a table by the window, and very romantic! If it hadn’t been a gift, we probably would have opted to hike up!
Banff Itinerary Day 2: Ski Banff Sunshine Village or See Moraine Lake
Our trip to Banff took place at the end of April, therefore, skiing was still open and the access to Moraine Lake was closed! As previously stated, what you do on your 5 day Banff Itinerary is highly dependent on when you go! We went skiing.
Skiing at Banff Sunshine Village
If you choose to go skiing near Banff, you have three ski resort options, known as Ski Big 3: Banff Sunshine Village, Lake Louise, and Mt. Norquay. We did the first two during our trip, starting with Banff Sunshine Village! Purchase your lift tickets through the Ski Big 3 website. Two days of skiing in April ran about $200/day (lift tickets + ski rentals).
Visiting Moraine Lake
It used to be that you could drive your personal vehicle up to Moraine Lake, but as of 2023, the only way to get there is through a shuttle bus. You can reserve your Parks Canada shuttle ride 60 days in advance through Parks Canada. You can park your personal vehicle in the Banff or Lake Louise Park & Ride and grab a ride on the shuttle for $8 (adults), $4 (seniors 65+), free (17 and under). Access to Moraine Lake is only available from late May to October.
When you get to Moraine Lake, I suggest two hikes!
- Lake Shoreline Trail: 2.3 miles out and back, moderate
- Rockpile Trail: 0.5 miles out and back, easy; the view from the rocks is supposed to be amazing!
Finish off your day with some food dinner in downtown Banff and leave room to get a famous Beaver Tail (Canadian fried dough pastry with your choice of toppings) for dessert.
Banff Itinerary Day 3: Peyto Lake and Athabasca Glacier
No visit to Banff, Alberta is complete without a trip to Peyto Lake, no matter the season. Another beautiful, turquoise blue, glacier-fed lake nestled in the mountains! When we went in April/May, Peyto lake was still frozen and covered in snow, but still fantastically scenic. In summer-time, its gorgeous color shines.
From Banff, Peyto Lake is a 1 hour drive up the Icefields Parkway (30 minutes if you’re starting from Lake Louise area). Once you arrive, the turn-off (from Banff/Lake Louise) will be on your left. The walk to the viewpoint is 10 minutes up a paved up-hill path.
Note: There are no tours or public transport that will take you to Peyto Lake, unfortunately. A rental car is really worth having if you don’t want to miss this.
After your visit to Peyto Lake, head north on the Icefields Parkway to the Athabasca Glacier (another 1 hour). While this is a heavy driving day, the views all along the parkway are fantastic, and it is well worth it just to drive, stop, and take pictures!
A fantastic adventure, if your budget allows, is to go on the Columbia Icefield Adventure where you will ride aboard an all-terrain vehicle all over the glacier, get to walk on ancient ice, and gain access to the Columbia Icefield Skywalk. The cost is $81 USD for adults at peak time and $42.50 for kids. If you opt to go after 3:30 PM (non-peak time), you can save up to $15 per ticket.
Note: The Columbia Icefield Adventure only runs May through October.
Banff Itinerary Day 4: Lake Louise
A 5 day Banff itinerary is not complete without adding Lake Louise to your Banff road trip. Lake Louise is only 35-40 minutes Northwest of downtown Banff.
If you’re visiting during the colder months, grab some ice skates for an adventure on the frozen lake and then head into the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise for high tea. You can make a reservation for high tea which runs from 11:30 am-2:30 pm, but costs a whopping $85 per person. The hotel is gorgeous and worth roaming around without doing tea (that’s what we did!).
If you visit during the warmer months, canoeing in the breathtaking lake is a great activity, although expensive at $145 per hour for non-hotel guests. Another fantastic activity is to hike the Lake Agnes Tea House trail (4.6 miles out & back, moderately challenging). When you get 2.3 miles in, you’ll reach the Lake Agnes Tea House and MUST stop to get some tea from their extensive list and a bite for lunch if you’re hungry.
On our fourth day, we used our second Ski Big 3 lift ticket to ski the Lake Louise ski resort, and then followed with roaming the Fairmont and taking in the views of the snowy lake.
Banff Itinerary Day 5: Lake Minnewanka & Johnston Canyon
On the final day of our Banff 5 day itinerary, we visited Johnston Canyon and Lake Minnewanka. In late April/early May, much of the Johnston Canyon to Lower Falls trail (1.4 miles out & back, moderately challenging) is icy and snowy but SUPER cool. All you need is a pair of crampons/ice cleats (we like these Yaktrax you can buy on amazon). While it is very cool to see frozen waterfalls, the trail is extremely popular any time of year and equally beautiful and easier to hike in the warmer months!
After your Johnston Canyon to Lower Falls hike, head to Lake Minnewanka and hike the Stewart Canyon trail any time of year (3.6 miles out and back, moderately challenging). These activities are fantastic and we loved them because they are suitable year-round! If you’re lucky, you’ll spot some cool wildlife.
Our 5 Day Banff Itinerary Budget
While we did have some pricier activities (namely skiing and the Sky Bistro) on our 5 day Banff itinerary, there are many places to cut costs and save money which we’ll outline below. Here was our budget breakdown:
| Flight to Banff from NC | $350 per person |
| Lodging (5 nights in Canmore) | $375 per person |
| Rental Car + Gas | $350 per person |
| Food + Drink | $150 per person |
| Activities | $500 per person |
| TOTAL: | $1725 per person |
Ways to Save on your 5 Day Banff Itinerary
As a general note, I think you can easily do a 5 Day Banff itinerary for $1,000-$1,200. Get a group together (4 is a great size) to split lodging and car costs. OMIT the skiing. Skiing is so fun but expensive. Below are some other ways to save.
- One BIG way to save on your 5 Day Banff itinerary is to NOT stay in downtown Banff. In fact, we stayed in nearby Canmore for a much cheaper price. Opt out of staying directly in town, especially if you have a rental car! Canmore is just 20-25 minutes southeast of Banff.
- Opt to hike Sulphur Mountain instead of take the gondola
- Incorporate hiking and packing lunches into your itinerary as much as you like, and opt out of expensive activities like the Gondola, Afternoon Tea at the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise, and Canoeing in Lake Louise.
- A good compromise is to pick one splurge activity that you are most excited about.
- Bring your 4 friends and split the Group Parks Canada Discover Pass.
- Shoulder season IS a less expensive time to go. You can save quite a bit on lodging and car rentals during this semi off-season time.
In general, Banff can be a pretty expensive place to visit, but if you have your heart set to go, you can make it work on a smaller budget! Let us know if you go!
For another mountain vacation that is also versatile for any season, head on this amazing Colorado and Utah trip. We did it in winter, but it can be adapted for any time of year.
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