July 2025 | Banff • Lake Louise • Jasper • Yoho
If you’re dreaming of turquoise lakes, towering peaks, epic hikes, and wildlife sightings that feel straight out of a documentary, Banff National Park delivers in every possible way. Our family spent a full week exploring Banff, Lake Louise, Jasper, and Yoho National Park—and it was hands down one of the most breathtaking trips we’ve ever taken.
Here’s our full July 2025 itinerary, plus honest tips, food highlights, and what we’d absolutely do again.
✈️ Thursday: Arrival in Alberta & Canmore Charm
- We flew into Calgary, Alberta, grabbed our Turo rental car, and immediately grabbed dinner at Zaitoona Shawarma, followed by Dairy Queen—because seeing a DQ in Canada felt oddly exciting.
- From there, we drove to Canmore, picked up groceries and bear spray (pro tip: always ask if your Airbnb already has some), and settled in. That evening we took a peaceful walk along a creek near our Airbnb and ended the night at Rocky Mountain Flatbread Company.
✨ Must-Order: Garlic oil–based pizza with pancetta, blackberry ricotta, and basil. Still dreaming about it.
🏔️ Friday: Lake Moraine Perfection
This was a BIG day! We met our shuttle guides from 10 Peaks at Johnston Canyon Resort & Bungalows—they were punctual, organized, and worth every penny.
Highlights:
- Sentinel Pass Hike (≈ 3 hours): A stunning mix of terrain, similar to Avalanche Lake and Highline-style views. Absolutely fabulous.
- Canoeing on Lake Moraine: Luke, Andrew, and I spent an hour on the water ($160 CAD).
- White Hot Chocolate from the café—AMAZING.
- Rockpile Trail: Short, stair-heavy, but the best photo spot of Lake Moraine.
- Gift shop stop for souvenirs and our annual family Christmas ornament tradition.
Dinner that night was homemade tacos back at the Airbnb—perfect after a full adventure day.
🧊 Saturday: Icefields Parkway (Jasper + Banff National Parks)
This day deserves its own blog post—but here’s the highlight reel. We drove 2 hours and 15 minutes to meet our incredible guide Terri from Feel Free Adventures. Without her, we would never have found these hidden-gem hikes.
Epic Stops & Hikes:
- Parker Ridge: Views of the massive Saskatchewan Glacier in the Columbia Icefields. We even saw the Triple Continental Divide (Arctic, Atlantic, Pacific).
- Boundary Lake: Quiet, emerald-green, less than 10 people total. Andrew fished while we lunched.
- Athabasca Glacier: Sobering markers showing how much the glacier has receded over time.
- Peyto Lake: Beautiful, but overcrowded and very easy—fine for photos, less exciting for older kids.
- Bow Lake: Incredible roadside views.
🦌 Wildlife: Bear + deer sightings
🌸 Plants: Glacial lilies, heather, campion, and ancient moss (150–200 years old!)
Dinner: The Grizzly Pub in Canmore—overall okay, but the cauliflower appetizer was shockingly incredible (and I hate cauliflower).
💎 Sunday: Lake Louise & Tea House Magic
Parking fills by 7:30 AM, so we used the 10 Peaks shuttle again (this time from Sunshine Village Gondola).
What We Did:
- Lake Louise photos
- Mirror Lake (adorable stop with views of Big Beehive)
- Lake Agnes Tea House Hike (built in 1901!)
☕ Tea House Favorites: Maple, blueberry, strawberry teas + biscuits with jam
💵 They accepted USD despite reviews saying otherwise.
⚠️ Honest Take: Lake Louise and Lake Agnes are like Santorini—beautiful but very crowded. Also… horse poop on the trail (think Santorini donkey vibes).
Solution: Start before 8:00 AM.While my youngest and I relaxed at the Tea House, the older boys and Todd hiked Big Beehive—steep like Angels Landing (located in Utah), but the views blew them away. We ended the day exploring Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise—cornhole, maple syrup shopping, and unbeatable scenery.
🚠 Monday: Banff Gondola & Waterfalls
- Rode the Banff Gondola up Sulphur Mountain
- Watched a short Banff history film
- Lunch at Sky Bistro (delicious!)
- Walk to Bow Falls after parking at Fairmont Banff Springs
- Downtown Banff was packed, so we headed back to peaceful Canmore
🍴 Dinner at The Local—my fish tacos were fabulous.
🌊 Tuesday: Johnston Canyon to the Ink Pots
One of our favorite hikes! We hiked:
- Lower Falls
- Upper Falls
- Continued on to the Ink Pots
🥾 8 miles total and 100% worth it—just arrive before 7:30 AM.
🎣 Wednesday: Fishing & Wildlife
Todd, Luke, and Andrew went fishing and caught 5 fish—and saw 3 grizzly bears 😳
Max and I took a slower day: breakfast out, movies, and much-needed recovery time.
Dinner: Tavern 1883
🏆 Best lemon pepper wings EVER.
🌉 Thursday: Yoho National Park & British Columbia
We crossed into British Columbia to explore Yoho National Park:
- Walked around Emerald Lake
- Visited Golden SkyBridge (two swinging bridges over a deep canyon)
- Completed an intermediate ropes course as a family
- Zip lining for Todd, Luke, and Andrew
Lunch in downtown Golden before heading back to Alberta.
✈️ Friday: Fly Home
Tired, sore, and already planning when we can return.
⭐ Key Takeaways
- Weather changes fast: Sun, rain, sleet, snow—sometimes in minutes.
- Pack smart: Layers, rain jackets, snacks, water, Band-Aids, and real hiking shoes.
- Food is expensive, especially with three boys—budget for groceries + restaurants.
- September brings snow, which can close hiking routes early.
- Our boy’s ages ranged from 15-8 years old and they all did great!
🏡 Stay Highlights: Why We Loved Canmore
We highly recommend staying in Canmore over Banff:
- Less crowded
- 20 minutes from Banff
- More relaxed, small-town vibe
Our Airbnb in Spring Creek was perfect—newer, walkable, and having a washer/dryer was essential.
🍴 Food Highlights
- Rocky Mountain Flatbread
- Tavern 1883
- The Local (Canmore)
- Lake Agnes Tea House—don’t skip it!
🥾 Activity Highlights
Many hikes can be done solo, but if you want hidden gems along the Icefields Parkway, hire a guide. It completely changed our experience and gave us access to unforgettable places we’d never have found otherwise.
If Banff is on your bucket list—go. Just be ready to hike, layer up, and be absolutely blown away. 💙🏔️
