This one-week itinerary stretches itself beyond the famous national parks to include the two main cities and other highlights along the way. Starting and ending from Calgary [1], it covers around 1,300 kilometers (800 miles) sans detours.
For those of you fortunate enough to have more than a week to visit, we’ve included a number of options for extending the itinerary to take in even more of Alberta [2]’s highlights.
Drive east from Calgary into Dinosaur Valley [3] and Dinosaur Provincial Park [4]. Continue the theme with a visit to the Royal Tyrrell Museum [5]. Stay overnight in Drumheller [6] or begin driving north and stay overnight in Red Deer [7].
Continue north to Edmonton [8], where the highlights include the Royal Alberta Museum [9], Muttart Conservatory [10], and Fort Edmonton Park [11]. These can be seen in a long day, but you’ll also want to take a break from the official attractions to include a shopping trip to West Edmonton Mall [12].
Drive to Jasper [13], visit the enchanting Maligne Canyon [14], and take a boat tour on super-scenic Maligne Lake [15]. If you have some extra time, spend a few hours driving the Mount Edith Cavell [16] road. Spend the night at Alpine Village [17], a woodsy cabin accommodation south of town.
Rise early to drive the Icefields Parkway [18] to Lake Louise, where you will be staying overnight. The trip is less than 300 kilometers (186 miles), but there are so many highlights en route (the Columbia Icefield [19], Bow Lake [20], and Peyto Lake [21] are simply the best of the best stops).
The best time to see Lake Louise [22] in all its glory is early in the morning, which allows plenty of time for the walk to the teahouse at Lake Agnes for an early lunch. From Lake Louise, it’s a short drive to Moraine Lake [23], where you can take to the water in a rented canoe. Drive to Banff [24] via the Bow Valley Parkway [25] (the trail through Johnston Canyon is a great stop along the way), and check into your hotel for the next two nights.
The town of Banff is certainly in a picturesque location, but I encourage you to leave the paved sidewalk behind and explore natural attractions like Lake Minnewanka [26] or hike to the top of Tunnel Mountain [27]. In the afternoon, relax with a round of golf at the Banff Springs Golf Course [28] or soak up the luxury of the Willow Stream Spa at the Fairmont Banff Springs [29].
As you leave the mountains behind and head back to Calgary [1], make time to take in the Olympic legacy that is Canada Olympic Park [30] before heading out to the airport. If your flight doesn’t leave until later in the day, also plan stops at Calgary Tower [31] and the Glenbow Museum [32]. If you have another day in Calgary, visit Fort Calgary Historic Park [33] as well.
Kananaskis Country Day Trip: Now that you’ve seen the famous national parks of the Canadian Rockies [34], spend some time where the locals go. Head into Kananaskis Country [35] from Banff or Calgary. The drive over Highwood Pass [36] and the hike to Rawson Lake [37] are a good combination for a day trip that will get you back in time for a dish of delicious Alberta beef.
Explore Central Alberta: There’s plenty to explore between the province’s two major cities. Heading north from Calgary toward Edmonton, make sure to stop in Markerville [38], a delightful place for breakfast or lunch, and then lose the kids for an hour at the Lacombe Corn Maze [39]. Arrive in Stettler for a steam-train ride through the plains with Alberta Prairie Railway Excursions [40]. Afterward, you should have just enough time to continue on to Edmonton and check in for the night.
Edmonton Excursions: Take a morning or afternoon flight to Fort McMurray [41], where you have made hotel reservations far in advance. Yes, it’s a long way to travel for a Syncrude and Suncor plant tour [42], but you’ll get to experience a modern-day boom, one centered on the world’s largest known reserve of oil.
Return to Edmonton the following day on an afternoon flight, then take a short drive east to Elk Island National Park [43]. Dusk is an excellent time for viewing the abundant big game, including moose and bison.
Links:
[1] http://www.moon.com/destinations/alberta/calgary
[2] http://www.moon.com/destinations/alberta
[3] http://www.moon.com/destinations/alberta/calgary/dinosaur-valley
[4] http://www.moon.com/destinations/alberta/calgary/dinosaur-valley/dinosaur-provincial-park
[5] http://www.moon.com/destinations/alberta/calgary/dinosaur-valley/drumheller/royal-tyrrell-museum
[6] http://www.moon.com/destinations/alberta/calgary/dinosaur-valley/drumheller
[7] http://www.moon.com/destinations/alberta/calgary/central-alberta/red-deer
[8] http://www.moon.com/destinations/alberta/edmonton
[9] http://www.moon.com/destinations/alberta/edmonton/sights/downtown/royal-alberta-museum
[10] http://www.moon.com/destinations/alberta/edmonton/sights/downtown/muttart-conservatory
[11] http://www.moon.com/destinations/alberta/edmonton/sights/downtown/fort-edmonton-park
[12] http://www.moon.com/destinations/alberta/edmonton/sights/west-edmonton-mall
[13] http://www.moon.com/destinations/canadian-rockies/banff-and-jasper-national-parks/town-jasper
[14] http://www.moon.com/destinations/canadian-rockies/banff-and-jasper-national-parks/town-jasper/sights-and-drives/maligne-canyon
[15] http://www.moon.com/destinations/canadian-rockies/banff-and-jasper-national-parks/town-jasper/sights-and-drives/maligne-lake
[16] http://www.moon.com/destinations/canadian-rockies/banff-and-jasper-national-parks/town-jasper/sights-and-drives/mount-edith-cavell
[17] http://www.moon.com/destinations/canadian-rockies/banff-and-jasper-national-parks/town-jasper/accommodations
[18] http://www.moon.com/destinations/canadian-rockies/banff-and-jasper-national-parks/icefields-parkway
[19] http://www.moon.com/destinations/canadian-rockies/banff-and-jasper-national-parks/icefields-parkway/sights/columbia-icefield
[20] http://www.moon.com/destinations/canadian-rockies/banff-and-jasper-national-parks/icefields-parkway/sights/bow-lake
[21] http://www.moon.com/destinations/canadian-rockies/banff-and-jasper-national-parks/icefields-parkway/sights/peyto-lake
[22] http://www.moon.com/destinations/canadian-rockies/banff-and-jasper-national-parks/lake-louise-and-vicinity/lake-louise
[23] http://www.moon.com/destinations/canadian-rockies/banff-and-jasper-national-parks/lake-louise-and-vicinity/moraine-lake
[24] http://www.moon.com/destinations/canadian-rockies/banff-and-jasper-national-parks/town-banff
[25] http://www.moon.com/destinations/canadian-rockies/banff-and-jasper-national-parks/town-banff/bow-valley-scenic-parkway
[26] http://www.moon.com/destinations/canadian-rockies/banff-and-jasper-national-parks/town-banff/sights/lake-minnewanka
[27] http://www.moon.com/destinations/canadian-rockies/banff-and-jasper-national-parks/town-banff/hiking/town
[28] http://www.moon.com/destinations/canadian-rockies/banff-and-jasper-national-parks/town-banff/other-recreation/golf
[29] http://www.moon.com/destinations/canadian-rockies/banff-and-jasper-national-parks/town-banff/sights/fairmont-banff-springs
[30] http://www.moon.com/destinations/alberta/calgary/sights/canada-olympic-park
[31] http://www.moon.com/destinations/alberta/calgary/sights/downtown/calgary-tower
[32] http://www.moon.com/destinations/alberta/calgary/sights/downtown/glenbow-museum
[33] http://www.moon.com/destinations/alberta/calgary/sights/downtown/fort-calgary
[34] http://www.moon.com/destinations/canadian-rockies
[35] http://www.moon.com/destinations/alberta/calgary/kananaskis-country
[36] http://www.moon.com/destinations/alberta/calgary/kananaskis-country/peter-lougheed-provincial-park/highwood-pass
[37] http://www.moon.com/destinations/alberta/calgary/kananaskis-country/peter-lougheed-provincial-park/hiking
[38] http://www.moon.com/destinations/alberta/calgary/central-alberta/calgary-red-deer
[39] http://www.moon.com/destinations/alberta/calgary/central-alberta/lacombe
[40] http://www.moon.com/destinations/alberta/calgary/central-alberta/highway-12-east
[41] http://www.moon.com/destinations/alberta/edmonton/excursions-edmonton/fort-mcmurray
[42] http://www.moon.com/destinations/alberta/edmonton/excursions-edmonton/fort-mcmurray/sights-and-recreation/syncrude-and-suncor-plant-tours
[43] http://www.moon.com/destinations/alberta/edmonton/excursions-edmonton/elk-island-national-park