Is this the most beautiful road in the world? The perfect Banff, Lake Louise, Canada road trip itinerary

All road trips take you somewhere, but there are a few special ones that are more stunning than others – and this is one of them. In fact, it’s fair to say, this Canada road trip could be the most beautiful road in the world.

Be warned, Alberta doesn’t ease you in gently. One minute you’re driving through open countryside and, in a blink, the Rocky Mountains rise up out of nowhere, framing a cinematic landscape like no other.

By the time you hit Banff, you’re not just looking at the mountains — you’re driving through them, following the path of turquoise rivers and lakes, weaving through lush green pine forests and resisting the urge to stop every five minutes to snap another photo.

How to plan a road trip to Banff and Lake Louise in Alberta

Canada is huge. Plus, virtually the whole country is blessed with natural beauty, so deciding on where to go on your Canada road trip is the hardest part.

I was planning a road trip with my friend Emily and we decided to go for the famous ‘Icefields Parkway road trip’ across Alberta. This is somewhere that I’d only seen in photos and was desperate to see if it really looked that beautiful in real life.

And (spoiler alert) it did.

As we wanted to see as much as possible on our seven-day Alberta road trip itinerary, we decided to double down and fulfil another big bucket list experience – exploring Canada in a campervan.

This meant we could visit as many places as we could in a week, without the bother of checking in and out of hotels. And the challenge made our fun girl’s trip a real adventure.

Since it was our first time taking on an epic road trip like this and we had no idea what to expect, we worked with travel company My Canada Trips to plan the whole experience.

They were fantastic, answering all our silly questions about renting a motorhome as well as suggesting a recommended route and campsites/hotels (some of which I have covered in the blog below).

In the end, we had to take this trip over six days, but the itinerary we did was a condensed version of My Canada Trips’ Alberta Rockies and Badlands Adventure, which I highly recommend.

Based on the places we‘d said we wanted to go and do, they were able to help us form a bespoke road-trip itinerary, which was invaluable.

As a respected tour company for this region, they handled all the things we might not have considered (such as road diversions and National Park passes). They planned a guide route, booked campsites, handled park passes and gave us a pack with suggestions for places to stop, attractions and restaurants.

With direct flights from London on Air Canada, we flew into Calgary to start our adventure. Then spent a week driving on a round-trip through Alberta, finishing back in the city, before heading home.

This post has all the details of our six-night Alberta road-trip itinerary, including everywhere we visited, our destination highlights and the tips we picked up along the way:

How to follow this Alberta road-trip itinerary:

We covered the route in six days, but you could spend FAR longer doing this Alberta road trip. In fact, if you wanted to really make the most of the beautiful stops and take on some hiking and other activities, I would actually recommend 10 days minimum and 14 days ideally.

If you only have one week, go ahead and copy our full itinerary, which as well as taking on the famous Icefields Parkway, also makes some amazing stops at other beautiful locations in Alberta.

I’d highly recommend booking this adventure. It really is one of the most beautiful roads in the world.

If you have any questions about Alberta, the places we visited or about renting a caravan, please don’t hesitate to ask me on my Instagram @helenwrites and let me know if you are planning a trip like this. I love to hear about other people’s travels!

mycanadatrips.com and travelalberta.com are also invaluable resourses.

What is the best time to do the Icefields Parkway in Alberta?

You may have noticed a large part of this road trip is called the ‘Icefields Parkway,’ but the time to go is actually when the weather is warm.

The most popular time to see this part of the world in all its glory is between June and September. The weather is beautiful, with mild temperatures and little rain. All the roads and key attractions are usually open and in full swing and the famous turquoise lakes are said to be at their brightest.

However, this is also when you will encounter the mass of other tourists and areas can become very overcrowded and therefore not as idyllic as they look on Instagram.

We actually went at the end of September and in my opinion, this is the perfect time to go.

The weather was perfect. Sunny and warm during the day and a little bit chillier and crisp in the mornings and evening.

The most popular places, such as Lake Louise, were still busy, but not overwhelmingly so. We didn’t have any problem getting parked, finding camping or jostling for position at the beauty spots.

A few clever choices (which I detail below) helped us maximise our experience and it was an absolutely incredible road trip. You’re going to love it.

I loved Alberta and I can honestly say this was one of my favourite road trips of all time.

Seven-day Alberta Banff, Lake Louise road-trip itinerary

DAY ONE:

Stay overnight in Calgary.

Where to stay: The Dorian, Autograph Collection

I have to be honest, before arriving in Calgary, I had overlooked this cool city as just a place to stay before picking up our campervan for the road trip.

However, we arrived to find a fun and colourful city, with lots of character and personality, great restaurants and fun neighbourhoods. I actually regret not spending more time here, but have earmarked Calgary as a place to go back and explore properly. Watch this space…

Where to eat: 

Breakfast: Monki in Inglewood (Calgary’s oldest and coolest neighbourhood). This place is known for its range of Eggs Benedict, but you can’t go wrong with the maple pancake stack – in Canada, c’mon! We also got a side of the Brisket Hash and it was sensational.

Dinner: Ten Foot Henry, a cool independent restaurant just a short walk from The Dorian, serving excellent small plates and beautifully-presented mains. Leave room for their famous butterscotch pudding, because it’s exquisite.

Drinks: Madi’s 12|12 in Inglewood for cool cocktails and Mexican picky bits and Local Pubic Eatery on 8th Street (central) for Guavaritas (guava margaritas).

DAY TWO:

Pick up campervan from CanaDream.

Renting a motorhome in Alberta Canada

Through My Canada Trips, we rented our RV from CanaDream.com, one of Canada’s best-known camper companies. For such a big company, I was really impressed with how friendly and personal the service was.

We were a little apprehensive, since we’d never rented an RV in Canada before, but they made it so easy, explaining everything and putting us at ease.

We took an Uber from central Calgary to the CanaDream depot, but if you are planning to start your road trip as soon as you arrive in Canada, the location is close to the airport.

We rented the Large Motorhome, which was easily big enough for a family to be comfortable (it actually sleeps six). To be honest, the Midi Motorhome would have been plenty big enough, but having the larger vehicle meant Emily and I would have more space and a bedroom each, with me taking the back room and her taking the room above the cab.

It was so fancy inside (and so spacious), with a full kitchen and bathroom, dining table and sofa, as well as our two double beds.

Watch the video tour here

It was daunting at first, driving such a large vehicle. My dad is a bus driver and he’d given me lots of tips, so I took the wheel first and we set off on the road to Banff to kick off our Alberta road trip itinerary.

Drive from Calgary to Banff: 3-4 hours with stops

The drive from Calgary goes instantly from city to stunning, with frequent places to pull over safely and take photos along the way.

We spotted this family of Elk just alongside the road and pulled over to marvel at the wildlife and the landscape, as well as take a few pics. The roads are quiet, so it’s easy to stop safely in most areas.

Leave enough time for a stop in Canmore, which is on the way to Banff. This is a charming mountain town with stunning views and a little high street with cute boutiques, coffee shops and restaurants.

On a longer itinerary, you could easily stay here overnight and ideally, we’d have left a bit more time to explore.

It’s still a great place to stop on the drive to Banff from Calgary and an opportunity to stretch your legs. Grab an ice coffee and take the scenic walk along the river at Policeman’s Creek Boardwalk.

From here, it’s another two-hours’ drive to Banff itself, but the journey passes quickly thanks to the stunning scenery.

Where to stay in Banff in a campervan: Tunnel Mountain Village

Although, not the closest campsite to the town, the Tunnel Mountain Village was the most beautiful campsite we stayed in during our Alberta road trip.

The plots are dotted through the woods, each with a picnic table and campfire spot. The trees offering some privacy, making it feel quite magical.

The campsite offers a regular shuttle bus, which is really handy if you don’t want to drive the RV in. However, parking in Banff itself is no problem, with a large, free car park at Banff Train Station.

What to do in Banff:

Banff is beautiful. The town looks straight out of a Netflix movie.

I recommend getting into town early, before the main shops open for a laid-back stroll around and to snap some crowd-free photos of Banff Avenue (the main street) with the backdrop of mountains in the distance.

The best thing we did in Banff was a horseback ride with Banff Trail Riders. I love to ride, but even if you are a complete novice, this gentle trail in the foothills of the mountains and along the Bow River is breath-taking.

Another fun activity with stunning views is the Mt. Norquay Sightseeing Chairlift. I can only assume that this chairlift is most utilised in winter, carrying skiers 7000ft up to the summit, but in summer it doubles up as a fun and chilled-out way to take in the beautiful view and really appreciate how vast and dramatic the landscape is. For only $47 (£26) per person, it’s a bargain too.

After an early dinner at Farm and Fire in Banff, we locked up the campervan and let someone else do the driving, joining a guided tour with RADventures.

As well as getting to know the area with an experienced guide, the primary reason for booking this tour (the Best of Banff tour) was to visit Moraine Lake.

Now a protected area, Moraine Lake can only be visited by shuttle bus (tickets sell out months in advance) or on an official tour.

It may seem like an extra expense or allocation of time, but don’t skip Moraine Lake. It’s absolutely stunning.

In fact, I think it’s one of the most beautiful places I have ever been in my life. It was certainly the most stunning stop on this beautiful road trip, that already has a lot of competition for the most gorgeous view.

Seriously. Just look at this place.

My pictures were taken from the Rockpile Trail (an easy uphill walk via a clear path). This is often called the ‘twenty-dollar view’ lookout, because the exact vista was featured on the Canadian $20 bill before it was replaced by a different design.

The RADventures tour also takes you to Lake Louise for sunset and a slow drive to spot wildlife at dusk, arguably the best time to see Canadian Elk, Moose and bears.

DAY THREE

Lake Louise and the Icefields Parkway – Banff to Jasper road trip (12 hours with stops, or do over two days)

The real beauty of a great road trip is where the road itself is the main attraction. The icefields parkway road trip itinerary from Banff to Jasper is one of the most scenic drives in the world.

In terms of distance, this drive would take around four hours on a normal road. But this is not a normal road.

Allow yourself an entire day for this trip, and a minimum of 12-hours, because you need to allow for frequent stops and photo ops. I guarantee at each place, you will stay longer than you planned to when mapping out the route from home.

We obeyed an early start, leaving our campsite and reaching the serene Vermillian Lakes before sunrise.

We parked up alongside the lake and had breakfast as the sun rose and it was stunning. Even though it is really accessible from the main road, this lake was so secluded, I couldn’t believe how peaceful and serene it was.

Then it was time to hit the road!

First stop: Lake Louise (allow 1-2 hours for a stop here)

I can confirm, the most famous stop on the Icefields Parkway road trip does live up to expectations. Lake Louise is absolutely stunning.

This vibrant, bright blue glacial lake really is as blue as it looks here. It did, quite literally, take my breath away.

Park up and go for a walk around the water’s edge, checking out the striking (and wildly expensive) Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise hotel which takes pride of place at the foot of the lake. Rooms here start from £1300/£700 a night in low season. During our visit, a double room would start at £1800/£1000

Since it was early, we popped in for coffee and cake from the takeout counter, but you can also enjoy drinks and bar snacks in the stylish lounge with views across the water (walk up only, no reservations).

The hotel also has a range of other restaurants that can be booked by non-guests and a luxury spa that also looks out on the phenomenal view.

One thing you can do on Lake Louise is take a canoe out on the water. It was absolutely divine and really is one of those life moments where you feel very lucky to be there.

However, this one of the most expensive things we did on our entire Alberta road trip – $170 (£90) +tax, for an hour, but we got some incredible pictures and the experience itself was sublime, so we had no regrets.

You can’t pre-book the red canoes on Lake Louise, so the earlier you arrive at the lake, the less time you’ll likely have to wait.

After taking in the view here for as long as we could allow, we eventually set off onto the Icefields Parkway for the epic drive to Jasper.

Where to stop on the Ice Fields Parkway Roadtrip from Lake Louise to Jasper

There are so many beautiful places to stop along the way, but these are our highlights:

Bow Lake Viewpoint

We didn’t stop here long, just enough time to raid the campervan fridge for drinks and snacks and take some pics of the view. Definitely worth a stop, but parking was trickier with the RV. One to skip if you are trying to make up time.

Peyto Lake (a natural lake that looks like a wolf)

A short uphill (paved) walk will take you to the lookout point for Peyto Lake. This is a very popular stop on the Icefields Parkway, with a café at the viewing point and a perfect view across the lake – also getting a peek at the glacier too – so it does get crowded with coach trips and day visitors. Be patient, you will get a chance to take pictures and enjoy the view. If you are not using the café, allow yourself at last an hour here, probably 90 mins.

Athabasca Glacier 

This one is a cool stop and one of the easiest glaciers in North America to see up close without taking on a long hike. You can park for free and walk to the edge of the glacier without booking a tour or using a guide.

The route is uphill and mildly difficult. Proper walking boots or sturdy trainers are recommended. Along the route, you will pass markers where the end of the glacier used to be over the last 100 years and it’s a sobering reality.

The stop will take you around an hour, but if you want to explore more, you can book a designated glacier hike with an experienced guide at icewalks.com

Sunwapta Falls 

A really beautiful little stop with picnic benches and a choice of photo spots. You can stop for a break and get a great view of the upper falls, just a five-minute walk from the car park.

If you want to stretch your legs a bit more, there is a moderate hike to the bottom of the falls. Keep an eye on the time if you are doing the Icefields Parkway road trip in one day, like us, as you don’t want to get down there and it suddenly gets dark. (We didn’t do it, but online estimates have the hike as a 90-minute round trip).

Athabasca Falls 

We got here as the sun was setting and it was stunning. This is another stop that is super easy, with fantastic views of the landscape and a waterfall, just a few steps from the car park.

Drive to Jasper: 30 minutes.

Where to stay in Jasper with a campervan:  Jasper’s Gates Resort and RV 

Due to limited availability, we stayed at the Jasper Gates Resort, which is a cute family-run site, but it is around an hour from Jasper town centre.

DAY FOUR

What to do in Jasper in 2026:

During the wildfires of 2024, much of Jasper was affected and so while the rebuilding continues, the town now is relatively small. However, it was one of the friendliest and laid-back stops we made on our Alberta Road trip.

Jasper Food Tours offer a three-hour ‘peaknic’ hike. This is a fascinating slow-paced hike through the burnt-out forest, where we learned some fascinating insights into forest fires, nature and how the earth rebuilds itself. Our guide was absolutely excellent and a wealth of knowledge. I learned so much on a topic I knew very little about. Highly recommend.

You are rewarded at the top of the hill with a picnic (hence the ‘peaknic’ name. I do love a good play on words), which is included in the price (£149pp +tax and tip).

Then, we drove to Maligne Lake, an absolutely gorgeous spot nestled in the Canadian Rockies. The view across the lake looked like a fairy tale scene.   

You can take a boat cruise across the water to see Spirit Island, a beautiful vista often used in pictures and advertisements for Canada. The tour takes around 90-minutes, but you cannot disembark on Spirit Island as the land is protected.

After being in the van for a long time over the last few days, we opted instead to take a walk around the lake, where there were multiple stops to pause and take in the view, snap photos or have a picnic.

Drive to Edmonton: Four hours

From here, we were heading back to Calgary with a stop in the city of Edmonton. This road is pretty long with not much to look out, so be prepared for lacklustre scenery which will pale in comparison to the Alberta road trip so far.

When we were planning our route with My Canada Trips, I had been keen to visit Edmonton. However, after a week on the road, we were craving an evening experiencing a bit of van life.

We stayed at Devon Lions Campground – A wholesome, family-friendly campground, but it was around 45-minutes from the city. We didn’t fancy another drive into the city, so sadly we opted to skip a night in the city in favour of a BBQ and wine around the campfire.

FUN IDEA: We broke up the drive from Jasper to the Devon Lions campsite by stopping in Hinton and going to explore Beaver Boardwalk.

The delightful little boardwalk takes you over the wetlands and you can see the adorable beaver dams. We didn’t see any beavers, unfortunately, but it’s a cute little beauty spot to get a break from the road.

DAY FIVE

Drive from Edmonton to Drumheller: 3.5 hours with no stops

Another long drive, from here the view drastically changes, from mountains and impossibly blue lakes, to a golden, arid landscape.

This is known as the Badlands and is an area steeped in fascinating dinosaur-lore.  

This drive is not as exciting as the previous days on the Alberta road trip, but on route to Drumheller, we decided to go off-itinerary and swing into Rowley – one of Canada’s notorious ‘ghost towns’.

These ‘ghost towns’ are abandoned communities in the middle of nowhere in Canada’s vast landscape. Rowley is one of Alberta’s best-preserved ghost towns, offering a glimpse into life on the Canadian Prairies in the early 20th century.

Unlike many ghost towns, Rowley isn’t completely abandoned. A handful of residents still live there and preserve many of the historic buildings which date back to 1911. The main street has also been used as a movie backdrop and props and signage can still be seen through the shop windows. Still, we didn’t see a single person while we were there!

We did what any good content creator would do and made a quick horror movie while we were there, which was a fun way to kill an hour on an otherwise tedious drive.

Watch the video.

Back on the road, Drumheller is another jaw-dropping landscape. The moon-like hills have remained unchanged for millions of years.

A good place to stop and appreciate the view is Horsethief Canyon, which (in dinosaur times) was actually the sea bed.

Now, it’s a valley of layered sandstone, with curious rock formations jutting out of the landscape, known as hoodoos.

Where to stay in Drumheller with a campervan:  Dinosaur Trail KOA Holiday Park 

The campsite is just along from the Royal Tyrell Museum, an incredible museum on prehistoric life and dinosaurs in the exact place many fully preserved dinosaur fossils have been recovered.

This museum is really terrific for adults and kids. There are lots of interactive exhibits and a full T-Rex skeleton – the only fully-formed one in the world.

Speaking of big dinos – in downtown Drumheller, look out for the World’s Largest Dinosaur. A silly exhibit that you can pay to climb inside ($5 per person), but also makes for a fun selfie.

We swung in on the way to the Last Chance Saloon in Wayne. It’s a fun drive through the valley, crossing 11 mini bridges. The historic Last Chance saloon is at the very end of the paved road, in place here since1913.

They serve BBQ in their garden terrace and often have live music too.

DAY SIX:

Drive from Drumheller to Calgary: 1hr 30 mins with no stops

Then, we were on the home stretch, heading back to our starting base, Calgary, to drop off our trusty campervan and head to the airport.

For an invaluable resourse of information and to find out more about this beautiful area, check out travelalberta.com

This trip was planned and booked by the fantastic mycanadatrips.com

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