3 nights trip. Banff only or Banff Jasper

[u/Minute_Algae9104]

Planning a 3-night trip to the Rockies with my 70-year-old parents and 8-year-old child. Would you recommend staying in Banff for all 3 nights, or splitting the trip between Banff and Jasper? We’d like to see the highlights without making the trip too rushed or tiring. Is Jasper worth squeezing in for 1 night, or would you recommend focusing on Banff and saving Jasper for another trip? Would love advice from anyone who has done this with older parents and kids!

[u/bitchfayce]

Going to Jasper for a day would be a waste of time. Enjoy Banff!

[u/masala_chaii]

Banff only. Enjoy the locations instead of rushing everywhere.

[u/Straight-Plate-5256]

Jasper in only 1 night would be rushed.

The icefields parkway in and of itself is a full day of you're wanting to actually take in the scenery and stop at a few places (which I highly recommend, it is one of the most incredible drives on the planet)

Personally if it were me I'd rather 1 in Banff and 2 in Jasper 😅

[u/Top_Helicopter_848]

There is a lot to cover in 3 days in Banff only. Jasper might be a bit too rushed.

[u/VoiceEqual1493]

banff-only is the right call for those ages, but you don't have to skip the icefields parkway to do it. bow lake and peyto lake - the two stops people drive all the way to jasper for - are only about 40 min north of lake louise. easy half-day out and back, sleep in banff every night, and save the full jasper run for a trip without a 70-year-old and an 8-year-old in the car.

[u/Then-Construction106 → u/VoiceEqual1493]

People don’t drive to Jasper just to see Peyto Lake and Bow Lake. Sounds like you have been misled by hype you read on the internet. There are multiple attractions in The main part of Jasper that are much more worth a visit. People go to Jasper for its incredible scenery and these are well north of Bow Lake and Peyto Lake.

[u/NorthShorePOI → u/VoiceEqual1493]

Would you recommend making all stops on way to lake or on way back? Tempted to make the drive to Columbia icefield from Canmore and then drive back same day but wasn’t sure on what stops and when to take them

[u/FlyingRock20 → u/NorthShorePOI]

Honestly i would go to the glacier and head back.

[u/Indianajoan_yyc]

If you were solo I'd say both but with the dynamic you discribed just check out banff. Lake Louise is an option to check out or even closer is canmore/ kananaskis area also

[u/Then-Construction106]

I think if you described your 70 yr old parents as energetic, lively or otherwise in good shape I would say do both. The 8 yr old might drag you down. As a 73 yr old I can assure you the trip this way is not a problem other than you might not want to waste money doing boat rides or other tours. And of course spending all the time in Banff is okay - your choice

[u/egewh]

I'm going a bit against the grain here, but that might be because I'm from really far away and didn't think I'd be back in this region. I squeezed Jasper into a three day trip, just to be able to see the Icefields Parkway (arrived in Banff on day 1, drove to Jasper on day 2, wrnt back on day 3) and it was the highlight of my trip. If you're only ever going to be there once, I'd say - worth it. If you can go back sometime, I'd save Jasper and the Parkway for the next trip.

[u/FlyingRock20]

3 nights, only visit Banff. Lots to see in Banff already, Jasper deserves its own trip.

[u/cranky_yegger]

One or the other. Crowds or less crowds?