5 Day Tour Banff Yoho Jasper and Columbia Icefield

Welcome to Calgary! Your journey into nature’s grandeur begins here. Towering snow-capped peaks, emerald alpine meadows, turquoise lakes, ancient forests, and abundant wildlife unfold before you in breathtaking succession. This is a place to reconnect with nature, unwind your mind, savor great food, and fully immerse yourself in the harmony of the outdoors—leaving behind the noise and worries of everyday life.

Arrive at Johnston Canyon for a 75-minute exploration. Follow well-maintained walkways through a dramatic limestone gorge, passing waterfalls and crystal-clear streams along the way. If Johnston Canyon is inaccessible due to maintenance or other force majeure conditions, the visit will be replaced with Lake Minnewanka and Two Jack Lake.

Continue into Banff for free time to enjoy lunch at your own pace and explore the town’s lively mountain atmosphere. Guests may then choose to ride the Banff Gondola (optional, approx. 90 minutes), ascending Sulphur Mountain for panoramic views over the Bow Valley and surrounding peaks.

Located 2.7 km from the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel is Bow Falls. The astounding scene and the powerful sound of aqua green water crashing over limestone is truly a remarkable experience. The bow falls is a shallow but wide waterfall on the bow river. Several Hollywood films of the 1950s were filmed here! Famous Hollywood star Marilyn Monroe once was swept over the bow falls as they filmed for “River of No Return.”

The Surprise corner is named after its spectacular views of the majestic Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel that is cozily nestled at the heart of a dense forest with the beautiful Sulphur Mountain as a backdrop. This beautiful scene is elevated with Bow River cascading down into the Bow Falls as a foreground. The magnificent scene at Surprise Corner will make you feel as if you have travelled into a fairytale story.

Arrive at Lake Louise for a 75-minute visit. Famous for its brilliant turquoise waters and the towering Victoria Glacier, this alpine lake is one of the Rockies’ most celebrated natural landmarks.

Continue to Moraine Lake (seasonal, approx. 60 minutes). Nestled beneath the rugged skyline of the Ten Peaks, the lake’s vivid blue colour and dramatic setting make it one of the most photographed landscapes in Canada. Seasonal note: Moraine Lake is typically open from June to early October. When closed, this visit will be replaced with Marble Canyon.

Cross into Yoho National Park and stop at Emerald Lake for a 30-minute visit. Known for its striking emerald-green waters, the lake offers a peaceful alpine setting surrounded by forested slopes and mountain peaks. Continue to Natural Bridge, a unique rock formation sculpted over centuries by the rushing waters of the Kicking Horse River.

Arrive at Athabasca Falls for a 40-minute visit. Here, powerful glacier-fed waters thunder through narrow limestone channels, creating one of the most dramatic waterfall scenes in the Canadian Rockies.

Travel east into the scenic Maligne Valley to Maligne Lake, the world’s second-largest glacier-fed lake. Guests may opt to experience the Maligne Lake Cruise (optional, approx. 100 minutes), sailing across turquoise waters toward the iconic Spirit Island—one of the most photographed locations in the Rockies.

Continue to Medicine Lake for a 20-minute stop. Known for its mysterious disappearing waters, the lake’s levels change seasonally as water drains through underground channels beneath the limestone bedrock.

Calm waters mirror the surrounding peaks, offering a peaceful farewell to Jasper’s alpine scenery.

Continue south to the Columbia Icefield, one of North America’s largest icefields. Guests may choose to join optional experiences (approx. 180 minutes total), including the Ice Explorer, which travels directly onto the ancient Athabasca Glacier, and the Columbia Icefield Skywalk, a glass-floored platform suspended 280 metres above the Sunwapta Valley.

Travel south along the legendary Icefields Parkway, often ranked among the world’s most scenic drives. Stop at Peyto Lake (30 minutes), famed for its vivid turquoise colour and iconic viewpoint. If Peyto Lake is inaccessible due to maintenance or other conditions, the visit will be replaced with Waterfowl Lakes.

Continue to Bow Lake (15 minutes), where changing light and mountain reflections create a final postcard-perfect scene. Pass through Banff before continuing onward to Calgary, concluding your Rocky Mountains adventure. Arrival time in Calgary may vary depending on schedule, traffic and weather conditions. For Domestic flights, please book the flight departing on/ after 21:30. For international flights, please book the flight departing on/ after 22:30.