The tours range from about a week to a fortnight, and we’d rather not come all that way and feel hurried through Banff, Lake Louise and Jasper. But we also don’t want to pad it out unnecessarily. Did a shorter tour feel rushed, or was it about right?
Hey! So I actually did almost this exact trip—Banff National Park, the Columbia Icefield, Yoho National Park, and even a little bit of Golden, BC, for the mountain coaster and zipline. We squeezed it into five days and four nights, and honestly, it definitely felt rushed.
Most days, we were out from around 6 a.m. until 9 p.m., and even with those long days, we still had to skip quite a few things on our itinerary because we simply ran out of time.
I’d say a week could work if you mainly want to see the highlights, but it may still feel quite packed. The hiking is also worth factoring in, because even one trail can easily take up several hours of your day. Personally, I think around 10 days would be the sweet spot—you’d have enough time to see a lot, fit in some hikes, and actually enjoy the scenery without constantly watching the clock, while still avoiding the cost of a full fortnight.
Realistically, you’ll probably still leave with a few places you didn’t get to see. There are just so many lakes, viewpoints and mountain trails that the Rockies have a way of making you want to come back anyway!
Where are you travelling from? If it’s a relatively easy journey, a week now and another trip later could make sense. But if you’re coming from far away, I’d definitely lean toward staying a little longer.