All products featured on Condé Nast Traveler are independently selected by our editors. However, when you buy something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission.
Presented by Destination Canada
Before you plan a visit to the Canadian Rockies, consider that these majestic mountains span more than 1,000 miles across two provinces: British Columbia and Alberta. The terrain seems limitless, and the options for visitors can feel that way too, with everything from sightseeing and spa retreats to activities like hiking, horseback riding, and fishing on offer throughout the region. To help you map out a perfect getaway, we’ve hand-picked some of the best the Canadian Rockies have to offer, zooming in on a part of Alberta packed with sights and attractions, as well as several Indigenous tourism experiences.
Getting to the Canadian Rockies
Getting to the Canadian Rockies is easy. Most visitors fly into Calgary or Edmonton, Alberta’s two biggest cities. The Lake Louise area, situated inside Banff National Park, is just 80 miles west of Calgary on the Trans-Canada Highway. The drive’s beautiful, with seasonal sights of snowy peaks or lush greenery, though the road gets crowded in the summer high season. If you plan to start your adventure in Jasper National Park, home to Alberta’s tallest mountain, Mount Columbia, Edmonton’s a good starting point, about 225 miles northeast and Alberta’s capital city.
Want someone else to do the driving? Consider flying into Vancouver and hopping on the Rocky Mountaineer train to Jasper, which runs from mid-April to mid-October. Departing from a small station outside downtown Vancouver, the glass-domed luxury train takes in jaw-dropping sights as it snakes through mountains and valleys over the course of two days—including a gorgeous view of British Columbia’s roaring Pyramid Falls, seen from a perch accessible only by rail. The route, aptly named Journey Through the Clouds, also takes in Fraser River Valley, the Hell’s Gate rapids, and Mount Robson, the highest peak in the Canadian Rockies with an overnight stop at a hotel in Kamloops.
Banff and Lake Louise
Most visitors choose the town of Banff as their home base to explore Banff National Park–Canada’s first national park, and a wonderland of awe-inspiring mountain peaks, crystalline lakes, and vibrant wildlife. Beautiful turquoise-colored Lake Louise, with some of the region’s most astonishing scenery, is about 36 miles northwest and easily accessed from Banff by the Roam public-transit system. Several private companies also operate shuttles. You’ll need to buy passes to visit national parks and sites; Parks Canada’s Discovery Pass offers access to more than 100 National Parks, National Marine Conservation Areas, and National Historic Sites across the Canadian Rockies and Canada.
Nicknamed the “castle in the Rockies,” the five-star Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel is Banff’s best-known property, with 757 guest rooms, an indulgent spa, and a world-renowned golf course. Chef Robert Ash’s new daily afternoon Royal Tea service at the hotel’s Rundle Bar may be Canada’s most deluxe tea experience; reservations are a must. For pampering at slightly gentler rates, neighboring Rimrock Resort Hotel offers bright, plush rooms with gorgeous views from its Sulphur Mountain location. Book a Grandview Suite for ones of the Bow or Spray Valleys below.
The Banff Gondola to Sulphur Mountain’s summit is a five-minute walk from here; downtown Banff is a five-minute drive. Opt for the gondola and you’ll be whisked up to mountaintop Sky Bistro, which serves up spectacular views alongside Canadian-inspired plates. Spicy elk bolognese is a signature. Down below, Banff’s newest restaurant, Lupo, is named for Wolf Street, its scenic location, with a menu of Northern Italian dishes like burrata with roasted pumpkin, squash risotto, and classic Margherita pizza.
Banff, of course, is home to a near-endless slew of outdoor activities. Explore terrain by horseback, ATV, bike, or foot; cruise or fish the lakes; climb, rappel, or zipline through woods and canyons. Locally-owned tour company Banff Adventures is your best bet for the widest range of activities with experienced guides.
If you decide to stay in Lake Louise instead of commuting from Banff—tough to resist, once you glimpse the surroundings—drop your bags at Post Hotel & Spa, the only Relais & Châteaux property in the Canadian Rockies. Its serene Temple Mountain Spa and superb Outpost restaurant are destinations in themselves.
Up for a hike? Lake Louise insiders recommend the nine-mile Plain of Six Glaciers trail, heading southwest from the lakeshore. It ends at the cliffside Plain of Six Glaciers Teahouse, with house-made snacks and soulful teas. Alternatively, hike 2.2 miles of stunning woodland trails to the family-owned Saint Agnes Tea House, which serves more than 100 teas and sandwiches on homemade oatmeal bread. Paddling across Lake Louise is also a must; the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise rents canoes to guests and day visitors alike. For an adrenaline hit, several operators offer whitewater rafting tours of the Kicking Horse River, about 45 minutes southwest.
End the day at The Station Restaurant, where you’ll chow down on unpretentious fare like bison burgers and local salmon gravlax in a restored circa-1915 railway station.
Jasper
Continue your Canadian Rockies adventure in Jasper, a 144-mile drive from Banff-Lake Louise along the Icefields Parkway, the iconic double-lane highway that runs along the Continental Divide. (In 2021, 2.1 million visitors came to Jasper National Park—a dip from previous years because of the pandemic—and traffic is expected to swell this summer.) Plan on spending at least half a day on the road; you’ll ogle glaciers, mountains, wildlife, lakes, waterfalls, and valleys, passing Mistaya Canyon, Bow Lake, and the Athabasca Glacier. Just remember to gas up before you hit the road.
Both pampering and adventure await here once you arrive. Book a room at the storied Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge, which celebrates its centennial this year. With Canadian understatement, the property describes itself as “a charming village,” which is like saying the Rockies are nice hills. On offer: Lushly appointed cabins and suites, a world-class spa and golf course, cross-country ski facilities, and five restaurants—try house-smoked Alberta brisket at The Nook Smokehouse. Queen Elizabeth and the late Prince Phillip alighted here in 2005 during a visit to mark Alberta’s centenary.
For an even more elevated experience, hop on the Jasper SkyTram, Canada’s longest and highest tram. Once it transports you up 7,424 feet, you can hike, savor poutine and locally roasted Vale coffee at the Summit Café, or just marvel at the breathtaking, 360-degree vistas of mountain ranges, rivers, and the town of Jasper itself.
Parts of Jasper National Park are prime real estate for moose and bears; find them on a guided wildlife hike or tour. For an unforgettable experience, venture on an evening wildlife search, or combine your animal adventure with a cruise on Maligne Lake. The park is home to plenty of wellness experiences, too. Miette Hot Springs in the east produces the Rockies’ hottest mineral water—129 degrees Fahrenheit, which cools to 104 degrees once it reaches the mineral-rich soaking pools. For another kind of natural therapy, just look up. Jasper National Park is the world’s second-largest Dark Sky Preserve, so designated for the exceptional quality of its starry nights and lack of artificial light.
Indigenous Tourism
Whichever route you take through the Canadian Rockies, you’ll gain a deeper appreciation with an Indigenous tourism experience. “It’s much more immersive than just visiting sites,” says Brenda Holder, founder of tour company Mahikan Trails and board chair of Indigenous Tourism Alberta. “It’s about meeting Indigenous People, immersing yourself in our culture, connecting with the land, and understanding history. It’s a big piece of truth and reconciliation for us.”
On Mahikan Trails’ Banff Medicine Walk, Holder shares her knowledge of plants, trees, and bushes, educating guests on how local flora is used for nutrition and health. Mahikan Trails guides can also take Banff visitors to a pow-wow in neighboring Morley, or a hike through Grotto Canyon, 19 miles southeast of Banff, “whose pictographs we look at from an Indigenous perspective,” Holder says.
