Drive one of the world's most scenic highways past turquoise lakes, glaciers and snow-capped peaks between Banff and Jasper.
The Icefields Parkway links Banff and Jasper national parks along 230 kilometres of continuous mountain scenery — glacier-fed lakes in impossible shades of blue, hanging glaciers visible from the road, and wildlife that regularly includes elk, bighorn sheep and the odd black bear along the verges. This self-drive trip is built around short, well-placed stops rather than long driving days, with a private vehicle and driver-guide so you're never rushing between viewpoints.
Anchor stops include Moraine Lake and Lake Louise at dawn before the crowds arrive, the Columbia Icefield with its own walkable glacier tongue, and Peyto Lake's wolf-head-shaped bay from the Bow Summit viewpoint. Short hikes fill the afternoons — Johnston Canyon's waterfalls, the Wilcox Pass ridge walk facing the icefield — and nights are spent in Banff, Lake Louise and Jasper townsite, with mountain-view rooms wherever the route allows.
