Two Days In Banff & Jasper National Park: An Amazing Itinerary

Do you want to see the best of Banff & Jasper National Park in only two days? It is definitely possible to see a lot of the most popular and breathtaking sights! Just follow my itinerary below.

Banff National Park and Jasper National Park are two connecting national parks in the Canadian Rockies. They are highly suitable for roadtrips, and continue to adapt to the increased tourism through bigger parking areas and better facilities. It is no wonder that the popularity of the area continues to increase. As soon as you see the photos of Banff and Jasper, you will want to start a roadtrip right away!

If you want to know what to pack for a trip to Banff and Jasper during the summer, you should check out my packing guide too!

How long should you spend in Banff & Jasper?

Ideally: So much longer than two days. You can literally spend WEEKS exploring everything Banff and Jasper National Parks have to offer! If you have more time to explore, you will be able to go on longer hikes and explore less accessible sights, which means you might escape the majority of the crowds.

However, if you only have two days to explore, you should definitely still go! This is what I did, and I do not regret it one bit. The experiences I DID get to have – and the things I DID get to see – was so worth it.

This itinerary is for the busy traveller, who only has a couple of days to explore Banff and Jasper. For this reason, it will cover the most accessible sights and quick ways to experience the beautiful nature of the two national parks.

The Best of Banff & Jasper National Parks In Two Days

Start and end-point: Banff Town (or near by: we actually started from Golden, where we were staying for the night)

The route: To see the best of Banff and Jasper National Parks in only two days, you will heading up the famous Icefields Parkway on the first day, and back towards Banff on the second. In this way, you don’t have to worry about missing anything on your first day. You will be able to see it on your way back!

Day 1

On day one, start your day early. You will have a long (and exciting!) day of exploring in front of you. Also, the earlier you get going, the more luck you will have beating the crowds!

Lake Morraine

The first stop on your itinerary is the breathtaking Lake Morraine. You will undoubtably have seen a ton of photos of this beautiful, turquoise lake during your research of the trip. But nothing beats the feeling of actually standing there. Your eyes won’t believe that it actually looks like this in real life!

If you have done a bit of research on Banff National Park, you might ask: Why not Lake Louise?. Lake Morraine and Lake Louise are two similar turquoise blue lakes in near proximity to each other. For some reason, Lake Louise is the most popular to visit. Personally, I chose to visit Lake Morraine because I liked the views better and heard it was less crowded. However, if you really want to visit Lake Louise, feel free to do so!

Because of the popularity of Lake Morraine, it is important to arrive early to enjoy the tranquility of the place. Some people go for sunrise, but we chose not to, as the colors of the lake are bluest once the sun hits the water. Aim to arrive at Lake Morraine around 7 or 8am for this itinerary.

Since you only have a short time to explore, why not head up the Rock Pile Trail to reach the famous viewpoint on the picture below? Afterwards, head down and take a stroll along the lake-side trail to see the lake from different perspectives.

Practical information: As of 2023, you can no longer drive to Lake Morraine in your own car. For this reason, you will have to park your car at Lake Louise Skiresort and take a short shuttlebus (approx. 20 min.). You have to book tickets in advance, especially during the summer period. Some tickets can sell out within hours of the release. Check Parks Canadas website for more information on the booking.

Stock up on supplies At lake louise Area

Once you have made it back to your car, it is time to head towards the Icefields Parkway. Before you do so, be sure to stock up on anything you might need during the day! There will only be one place along the Icefields Parkway, where you can get any type of food, drinks and snacks. So come prepared!

Peyto Lake Lookout Point (35 min drive – 47 km)

The next stop on your first day in Banff National Park is Peyto Lake. This is another bright-blue lake, which resembles a fox, when you see it from above!

Practical information: There is a big parking lot for the upper viewpoint of the lake, which makes this beautiful scenary very accessible. In just a 5 minute walk from the parking lot, you will arrive to the view above. The location can be found by searching on Google Maps. Just be sure to download your offline map before you go!

Mistaya canyon (23 min drive – 32 km)

Mistaya Canyon is another breathtaking natural wonder in Banff National Park. The canyon is shaped from the powerfull flow of water coming from Peyto Lake, and has evolved over thousands of years!

Practical information: You get to Mistaya Canyon by following a 10 minute trail through the forest. Once you reach the canyon, you will also find small trails along the river, which you can follow for more photo opportunities!

Sunwaptha Falls (1 hour 15 min drive – 104 km)

Sunwaptha Falls is one of the most popular falls in Jasper National Park. It is easily accessible, and an amazing sight to witness. The waterfall is so powerful, that you will be able to cool off by standing in the mist from it!

If you want to explore a bit further than most do, take the 20 minute path down to the lower falls. When we visited, there was only one other couple by the lower falls, and around 30 at the upper. So if you want to beat the crowds, it is definitely worth the walk!

Practical information: Sunwaptha Upper Falls Viewpoint can be found just a few hundred meters from the parking lot. If you want to explore the lower falls trail, it will be a 1-1,5km walk each way. The trail is a little steep on your way back, but should be managable for most!

Goats and glaciers look-out point (13 min drive – 18 km)

Goats and Glaciers look-out point is a quick stop on your way to Jasper. What is funny about this viewpoint, is that there never seems to be any goats. You can, however, spot the glaciers on the mountains in the distance!

Practical Information: This viewpoint is right by the parking lot – it doesn’t get any easier (and quicker) to experience beautiful nature than this!

Jasper town (30 min drive – 38 km)

Once you reach Jasper Town, check in to your hotel or campsite and relax after a long day of exploring. Jasper is a really cute mountain-town with a ton of independent shops, small restaurants and cafés, and some lovely areas to have a stroll. If you budget allows for it, I would recommend heading to the center for a bite to eat in the evening!

Evening search for wildlife

This is an optional part of the itinerary for wildlife-lovers: But if you really want to spot some wildlife, while you are in Banff and Jasper National Parks, your chances are best in the early mornings and in the evenings. For this reason, I would suggest going for a slow evening drive on some smaller roads, to see if you have any luck! Alternatively you can higten your chances by joining a wildlife tour with the experts of the area.

Note: Even though you want to see some local wild-life, always remember to stay safe. Always stay in your car – pull to the side to watch the animals, if there is enough space on the roads for cars to pass – and keep a beer spray on you, if you venture out on any trails.

Day Two

For your second day in Banff and Jasper National Park, it is time to get up early and get going! Before heading out, get some breakfast in Jasper town, as you will be away from supplies for the next 3 hours.

Medicine Lake Lookout (30 minute drive – 25 km)

First on the agenda for your second day in Banff and Jasper National Parks is a drive to the Medicine Lake Lookout. The main reason I chose to add this to my itinerary, is that I had heard that it was one of the best roads in Jasper National Park to spot some wildlife. And sure enough, we got to see plenty of wildlife on our 30 minute morning drive there! It was a highlight of the trip for me for sure!

Medicine Lake itself is also quite beautiful, and we were the only ones there during the morning, which felt like a great exchange from the crowds in the rest of the park.

Practical information: The lookout point is right by the parking lot. If you want to do a walk by Medicine Lake, there is a small trail around it. However, we were not able to do this, as a sign forbid us to due to eagles nesting on the trail.

Maligne Canyon (15 min drive – 15 km)

In only 15 minutes from Medicine Lake, you will find yourself at Maligne Canyon. This canyon is the deepest in the Canadian Rockies – and you can just imagine the power of the water streaming through it below!

Practical information: The trail at Maligne Canyon follows a route crossing seven bridges. To adapt the trail for our quick, two-day itinerary, follow the path until you reach the fourth bridge and turn around. This hike will take you around an hour and take you to the majority of beautiful sights at Maligne Canyon.

Enjoy some lunch In Jasper (13 min drive – 12 km)

Once you return to Jasper, I recommend stocking up on all of the snacks, foods and drinks, you will be needing during the rest of your day. On this second days itinerary, there are some long stretches of driving. Why not buy some of your favorite roadtrip snacks before heading on?

Athabasca Falls (30 min drive – 32 km)

Athabasca Falls is another waterfall, that Jasper National Park is especially known for. As with Sunwapta Falls, it is absolutely beautiful and powerful to observe. But if I am being honest, we did not stay for long, as the place was so crowded with tourists. I later found out that this waterfall is also the most accessible for big bustours, which means big crowds are constantly coming in during the day. However, it was still very beautiful, and worth a quick stop!

Practical information: The views of the falls are practically right by the parking lot and is even accessible for wheelchairs etc. However, you can do a small hike to the lower falls on a trail, which is about 1 km in total.

Colombia icefield (1 hour drive – 75 km)

The next stop on this second day in Banff & Jasper National Parks is the Colombia Icefield. Depending on how much time you have, you can make your stop here both long and short.

If you are short on time (like we were), I would recommend stopping at one of the parking areas with views over the glacier. It is a really impressive sight, and a nice stop to stretch your legs on the long drive!

If you have longer (although this should be planned beforehand), you can actually enjoy some of the facilities and activities the the Colombia Icefields Center provides. One of the most popular attractions at the Colombia Icefields Center is doing a glacier tour, where you get to walk on a real glacier! If you plan to do this, you might have to skip some of the other attractions on this itinerary.

Quick Stop at saskatchewan river crossing (40 min drive – 52 km)

This is the only place between the towns of Jasper and Lake Louise, where you can buy food, snacks and drinks. Since the second day of this itinerary is a long day of driving, I have added this stop to give you a break. Go stretch your legs and buy anything you need before heading on!

Visit Bow lake – and swim in glacier water! (27 min drive – 42 km)

Bow Lake will be your last chance to enjoy the views of the stunning, blue lakes in Banff and Jasper National Park. When we visited this summer, I was persuaded to take a dip in the water. It was so refreshing (and completely freezing). Do you dare to do the same?

Practical information: There are several places, where you can stop and park you car at Bow Lake. The first is called “Bow Lake Viewpoint” on Google Maps, which is where the picture below was taken. Although there were stunning views from the parking lot, it was completely crowded with people. For this reason, I recommened driving to The Lodge At Bow Lake, where you can easily go for a dip at a rocky beach!

Explore banff town (1 hour drive – 94 km)

Once you have reached Banff, you have technically made it to the end of this itinerary. But there are still a lot of things, you can explore! Banff town is a beautiful place to walk around. From my experience, it was more crowded but also bigger than Jasper, which has its advantages and disadvantages. Never the less, you cannot end your trip in Banff and Jasper National Park without having an explore through Banff Town itself!

Do you have time the next morning before you head on?

If you find yourself not having to leave Banff until the middle of the next day, why not explore some of the beautiful parts around Banff Town? I have listed a few sights below for your inspiration:

Walk along the Bow River Trail

The Bow River Trail is an easy wooden trail along Bow River, which starts out right from downtown Banff! The trail is 1,2 km until you reach the Bow Falls, where you can enjoy the views before heading back!

Visit the cascade ponds

The Cascade Ponds are a selection of ponds placed in a beautiful park area below the Cascade Mountain. It makes for a great picnic spot or a nice stroll in some beautiful nature! Also, it is only a short drive away from Banff, which means you can check it out before leaving the area for good!

Enjoy the banff hot springs

To get to Banff Hot Springs, you can jump on the Banff Gondola and head up on the mountain, which is a fun activity to do in Banff in itself! Once you are up there, you can either choose to just take in the views – or buy a ticket for a few hours of relaxation in the hot springs.

I hope this two day itinerary for Banff & Jasper National Parks has inspired you to explore. Even with limited amount of time, you can see a lot!