Why you must visit Banff Park at least once in your life
Banff self-drive for five days and four nights🚗 Checking the map🗺️, calculating driving times and distances, and which hotel is both comfortable and convenient along the way haha😃 And no backtracking~ A meticulously planned itinerary🚗 Just copy my homework❗
Day 1️⃣ Calgary Airport — Self-drive to Banff, Alberta
📍Stroll around Banff town
(There's a store in town that sells Canada Goose, they restock every day, I got my down jacket the second day I went there)
🏨The Hidden Ridge Resort
Has a kitchen! Easy parking, located on the hillside, the room has a great view
DAY 2️⃣ Banff Gondola — Banff Upper Hot Springs — Vermilion Lakes
📍15mins drive from the hotel to take the Banff Gondola (Banff Gondola), a four-seater, about 8 minutes to reach the top of Sulphur Mountain at 2285 meters, overlooking the majestic Rocky Mountains, especially beautiful
📍The world-famous Banff Upper Hot Springs, mixed bathing, swimsuits required~ If you're not afraid of the cold, go for it!
📍Vermilion Lakes are about 3 kilometers from Banff town, three lakes surrounded by marshland, with Mount Rundle in the background
Day 3️⃣ Banff (Two Jack Lake + Minnewanka Lake + Lake Louise) — Yoho National Park, Canada (Emerald Lake)
📍16mins drive from Banff town to Two Jack Lake, the lake is blue and green, very beautiful.
📍Another 5mins to Minnewanka Lake, the largest and deepest lake in Banff National Park, located east of Banff town.
📍Lake Louise is known as the 'Sapphire of the Rocky Mountains', the lake reflects the silhouette of Mount Victoria, opposite is the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel (you can book their afternoon tea🍰 online in advance, the view is absolutely stunning)
📍Emerald Lake is the largest lake in Yoho National Park, known as the 'Emerald of the Rocky Mountains'. The green lake water reflects the surrounding forest, snow-capped mountains, and peaks
🏨Chapel Mountain Lodge
This hotel is all individual cabins, located in Yoho National Park, the rooms are very characteristic, with fireplaces and lofts (super love)!
Day 4️⃣ Columbia Icefield +Glacier Skywalk — Athabasca Falls — Jasper National Park
📍Definitely visit the Columbia Icefield! So beautiful⛰️ Park in the parking lot, take their Ice Explorer large vehicle🚗
📍You can also encounter Athabasca Falls on Highway 93A
📍Maligne Lake is the largest natural lake in Jasper National Park
🏨Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge
Stayed in the villa area of the hotel, open the back door of the room and there's the lake, the hotel itself is a resort park, the rooms are very large
Day 5️⃣ Jasper National Park (Maligne Canyon) — Edmonton, Alberta
📍Maligne Canyon is the longest, deepest, and most scenic canyon in the Rocky Mountains. Unique karst topography, walk 6 bridges along the valley trail
📍West Edmonton Mall (West Edmonton Mall) is the largest in North America and the fifth largest shopping center in the world, the special Canada Goose clothes on the homepage were bought here!
Finally, after returning the car at Edmonton Airport, I chose to fly to the old town of Yellowknife to see the Aurora😃