Trip Report: The Ultimate Alberta Rockies Road Trip

While this trip is possible with transfers, we opted to self-drive for flexibility and to make as many stops as possible along the world-famous Icefields Parkway, the stunning road connecting the two towns.

It was a special trip for numerous reasons - our first ski holiday together, Tasha's first time in Canada, Tasha's birthday - plus an extra special reason which you'll have to keep reading to find out!

By Craig Charley, Marketing Manager

It's somewhat surreal seeing mountains in person that I've seen countless times on screen. Our base in Banff was the 4* Mount Royal Hotel, perfectly located on Banff Avenue.

Step outside and you're greeted by the iconic views of Tunnel, Cascade and Rundle mountains as you cross the road to pick up rentals from Ultimate Sports. Photos don't do it justice, but we tried!

Some people overlook Banff because you have to drive or take a transfer to the ski resorts, but the fact it's a proper town adds a different dimension to a ski holiday. There are so many things to do and see, and countless coffee shops, restaurants and bars. It's just a cool place to wander around, and everyone is so friendly that it's easy to chat with locals and get tips on the best spots in town (and on the mountain).

A bit jet-lagged, on our first morning we opted for a leisurely breakfast at Coyotes Banff (Tooloulous was our first choice but there was a queue to get in, so we went back on day two!).

The free ski resort shuttle buses pick you up from the Mount Royal car park, but as we were in between bus times we decided to drive the speedy 10 minutes to nearby Mt Norquay for our first ski day.

Your 'SkiBig3' lift pass provides access to Norquay as well as Sunshine Village and Lake Louise, and should be waiting for you when you check-in at your hotel. It also comes with extra benefits including discounts on activities and in shops and restaurants.

It hadn’t snowed for a few days, but due to huge snowfall over the past few weeks, good temperatures and great maintenance, conditions were perfect. Lovely soft snow and the sun shining all day.

Norquay is the smallest ski area, so it’s perfect for a warm-up day. Especially if you work your way along the progressively longer and steeper runs off the Cascade, Spirit and Mystic chairs! It's worth noting that the colour grading is on the generous side - the greens are more like blues while the blues were steeper than black runs we skied in the other resorts.

We were keen to try tubing (included with your lift pass) but it does get busy on the weekends, so we opted to wait until the evening session at 5pm. You can ski right up until 4pm and then grab a drink and snack while you wait. It was immense fun, suitable for all ages but you definitely feel like a kid again.

On Fridays and Saturdays, you can head back onto the floodlit slopes which stay open until 9pm. But with tiredness setting in, we instead drove back to Banff to enjoy a relaxing hour in the brilliant rooftop hot tubs at the Mount Royal.

Dinner was at the fantastic Shoku Izakaya which opened last year (and is conveniently also across the road from the hotel). Unique cocktails and tasty small plates - with lots of vegan options too (important for me!).

With legs warmed up, for our second day we headed to Sunshine Village - the resort customers spend most of their time in when staying in Banff.

It’s a 20 minute drive and a 20 minute gondola from the car park to the village base, where you feel like a kid in a sweet shop surrounded by lifts.

We spent the morning lapping blues off the Strawberry, Standish and Wawa chairs, not wanting to head higher due to wind. We did venture up Lookup Mountain after lunch, but with winds staying high and snow coming down, conditions were far better below the tree line.

Tin Can Alley and Wawa Bowl were the runs of the day - great snow, out of the wind and the quietest part of the resort! We barely touched the amount of terrain on offer and could easily spend a whole trip in Sunshine alone.

In the evening, we jumped on the Roam bus up to Banff Gondola on Sulphur Mountain. With snow still falling fast, the views weren’t the best but it was magical walking along the mountaintop boardwalk.

I highly recommend setting aside time for dinner at Sky Bistro - especially if you’re lucky enough to grab a table by the window! Again, not the best views on the day but the food was delicious. And once the sun sets, the Nightrise interactive art show begins (included in your gondola ticket).

”Lake Louise is the best ski hill” is something we heard from the locals often on this trip, and after yesterday’s skiing, we’re on board too! Especially after non-stop snow since the previous evening.

It’s a 40-minute drive from Banff along Highway 1, so we first treated ourselves to our best breakfast yet at Brazen in the Mount Royal, staring excitedly at all the fresh snow outside. Our friendly waiter was over the moon about recent conditions, telling us that the whole town has been smiling the past few weeks.

40 minutes might sound like a long drive (especially if you’re used to ski-in ski-out), but with stunning views at every turn it goes by quickly and is worth it for the prize at the end.

We had by far our best day on skis of the whole trip. The reported 10cm of snowfall felt like far more and, despite the fresh snow, we didn’t queue for a single lift!

With low visibility, we spent the morning on the Larch Express. The blues had all been upgraded to black with some challenging moguls - but we were happy to take them on with such a soft landing!

After a couple of easier runs in the Back Bowls, it was then time for the thigh-burning descent from Eagle Ridge down to the base - 3,000 ft of vertical - and a short drive to see the actual Lake Louise.

Luckily for those burning thighs, we were booked in at the luxurious Fairmont Spa Banff Springs. The soothing mineral pools, waterfalls, outdoor hot tubs, steam rooms and saunas left us feeling refreshed and ready for the long drive the next day.

For dinner, we had our first poutine (vegan!) at Nourish Bistro, paired with some delicious local craft beers.

Banff exceeded our high expectations and we were sad to leave, but it was time to drive up the Icefields Parkway to Jasper!

I challenge you to name a more scenic drive than Alberta’s Icefields Parkway.

The three-hour journey between Lake Louise and Jasper can easily take twice that with scenic stops at frozen lakes, rivers, waterfalls and glaciers. Not to mention the local wildlife too! It’s best if you have some winter driving experience, but I found it fairly easygoing in our large SUV - around three-quarters of the drive was snow and ice-free.

It ended up taking us more than seven hours on the way to Jasper, but we spent considerable time at every single viewpoint taking in the incredible scenery: Bow Lake, Peyto Lake, Saskatchewan River Crossing, the Weeping Wall, Big Bend, the Athabasca Glacier and the Sunwapta and Athabasca Falls.

All of these stops were outstandingly beautiful, but there's one that we will never forget. With not a soul in sight at the Saskatchewan River Crossing viewpoint, I got down on one knee and happily, Tasha said yes!

We arrived into Jasper on a high and were welcomed with open arms at 3* The Crimson Jasper before heading for our first dinner as an engaged couple at The Raven Bistro. We liked it so much we're having one of the dishes at our wedding!

If it's possible, Jasper is even cooler than Banff, but in a more low-key way. The locals seemed to have grown up in the area, while Banff has a more transient population (a number of the team here at Ski Safari have previously lived and worked there!).

On our final night in town, after dinner at Jasper Pizza Place (and a couple of local craft beers), we made our way to The Stand Easy where we'd heard about a 'jam night'. Locals took turns to hit the stage and support each other, making impromptu bands. All ages were up dancing and it had a real community vibe about it. I'd highly recommend a visit if you're in town. The jam nights are every Friday, but there are regular gigs on other nights too.

Like Banff, the scenery surrounding Jasper is stunning with numerous frozen lakes to visit. Maligne Lake was our favourite. An hour's drive from Jasper, it's known as the best location for seeing moose, elk and other wildlife. We actually saw more in town (including elk and goats), but the views across the pristine white wilderness were still worth the drive. Especially nobody else there!

It's worth mentioning at this point that Jasper was impacted by wildfires this summer. We were terribly sad to hear the news, but we're pleased to say that the ski resort of Marmot Basin was unaffected and the town is welcoming visitors this winter. Please be aware that a small portion of the town will remain closed to tourists.

Our first full day in Jasper fell on Tasha's birthday, so to do something a little different, so took another day off the slopes and ventured into the magical Maligne Canyon on a guided icewalk. Although you can definitely fit in a walk with a morning or afternoon ski!

Our knowledgeable guide Liam was enthusiastic and insightful, telling us about the ice formations, the history of the area and importantly, the best spots for photos!

As well as a popular winter walking area, it’s also world-famous for ice climbing - something you can also try on a guided tour that’s suitable even for beginners.

Sunny spring skiing is hard to beat and Marmot Basin, a 25-minute drive from Jasper, provided the goods. We spent our first morning on a mountain tour with Magda from the ski school and her passion for the ski area was clear from the start.

We covered most of the beginner and intermediate terrain in two days, but we’d happily spend another few days lapping our favourite runs in the sun - Highway 16, Solace, Paradise and Tranquilizer.

40% of the terrain here is graded black and double black diamond, so expert skiers and boarders are spoiled for choice - especially with the Tres Hombres and Eagle’s East areas, plus the ski-anywhere runs off the Knob Quad.

Despite the sunshine and warm temperatures down in town, the resort was holding its snow really well - unsurprising with the highest base elevation in Canada! Marmot has a long season and stayed open as late as 05 May this year.

Food was a highlight, and that's not something you can say about every ski resort! We ate in the two on-mountain restaurants, the Caribou Bar & Grill and the Eagle Smokehouse. Both more relaxed and elevated than the cafeterias, but still well-priced.

Full of character and chatter on the lifts, I can see now why Marmot Basin is known as "the big friendly"!

It's a well-used cliché, but this really was the holiday of a lifetime. Banff, Lake Louise and Jasper all lived up to a decade of hype and should be experienced by everyone. But it doesn't need to be a once-in-a-lifetime experience!

Alberta is one of our best value destinations, and not just in North America. The best savings and exclusive offers end 30 November 2024, so book now before prices go up.

A huge thank you to all the suppliers who helped us out, including SkiBig3, Pursuit, Ultimate Rentals and Marmot Basin.

We're just weeks away from our first team trips of winter 2024/25, so make sure you're following our Facebook and Instagram pages for the latest updates from the mountains.

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