Cornelius Amann
October 06, 2026
5/5
Canadian Rockies in Winter: Banff, Lake Louise and Jasper
7 days from Calgary: three nights in Banff with the gondola, the hot springs and a sleigh ride at Lake Louise, the Icefields Parkway in snow, two nights in Jasper, a last night at Lake Louise and a Grotto Canyon icewalk on the way out.
7 days · Round trip from Calgary · up to 12 guests
Snow on the Athabasca Glacier at the Columbia Icefield, beside the Icefields Parkway Photo: ImagePerson, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Athabasca_Glacier_4741.jpg)
The facts
At a glance
- Length
- 7 days, 6 nights
- Start and end
- Round trip from Calgary
- Group size
- 7 to 12 guests
- Longest drive
- 4.5 h on day 4
- Activity level
Moderate
Walks of about 3 to 4 km on packed snow and ice: a snowshoe walk near Lake Louise and the Grotto Canyon icewalk, with snowshoes or ice cleats provided and little climbing; each has a shorter option. Banff, Lake Louise and Jasper are at about 1,050 to 1,750 m, and the gondola summit about 2,280 m. Up to about four and a half hours a day in the minibus on the parkway days, broken by stops. Expect two or three hours outside in temperatures that can be well below -15 C, and you can always wait in the warm.
- Meals included
- 6 breakfasts, 5 lunches, 1 dinner
- Room of your own
- + CAD 700 (estimated price)
- Season
- December to March
Highlights
Why this trip
- A horse-drawn sleigh ride along the frozen shore of Lake Louise, below the Victoria Glacier
- A morning on snowshoes with a local guide near Lake Louise
- A soak in the Banff Upper Hot Springs at dusk, with snow on the deck
- The Banff Gondola up Sulphur Mountain and the summit boardwalk to Sanson Peak
- The Icefields Parkway both ways in daylight: Bow Lake, the Athabasca Glacier and Athabasca Falls in ice
- A morning down the Athabasca valley to Jasper Lake, watching for bighorn sheep and elk
- A dark-sky evening with telescopes in Jasper, a Dark Sky Preserve
- An icewalk in Grotto Canyon near Canmore, past rock paintings to a frozen waterfall
What makes this trip different
Short drives, all published
Every drive is listed day by day. The longest is 4.5 h, on day 4.
Free time is part of the plan
Free time and choices are marked on the days they fall.
Solo without the penalty
A room of your own is + CAD 700 (estimated price).
Day by day
Itinerary
The longest drive is 4.5 h, on day 4.
Tap any stop on the map to open that dayClick any stop on the map to open that day
Calgary to Banff
Calgary International Airport or downtown Calgary to Banff
- Welcome dinner
- Stay in Banff
- Drive about 2 h
Fly into Calgary International Airport (YYC) and land by about 1 pm, or meet us at a central Calgary hotel if you came in the day before; exact times come with your final itinerary. Your See Sight Tours guide and driver meet you, and we head west on the Trans-Canada Highway, about 145 km and an hour and three quarters. The prairie gives way to the foothills, then the front ranges rise straight out of the plain at the mouth of the Bow Valley. We pass Canmore and enter Banff National Park, Canada's first national park, founded in 1885 and part of the Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks World Heritage Site. In December and January it is dark by about 4:30 pm, so after check-in we take a short walk along Banff Avenue under the lights, with Cascade Mountain filling the end of the street.
Evening
Then a briefing on the week, the road and the layers you need, and a welcome dinner together in town. Banff is home for three nights, so you unpack once.
Included
- Pick-up at Calgary International Airport (YYC) or a central Calgary hotel
- Orientation walk along Banff Avenue
- Welcome briefing with your guide
- Welcome dinner in Banff
Activity: Land by about 1 pm to reach Banff before dark.
Banff: frozen lakes, the gondola and the hot springs
Banff to the Vermilion Lakes, Bow Falls, Surprise Corner and Sulphur Mountain
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Banff
- Drive about 1 h
Morning
First light comes late in midwinter, about 8:30 am, so breakfast is unhurried. We drive five minutes to the Vermilion Lakes, where warm springs keep patches of water open and steaming in the cold while Mount Rundle takes the first sun. Then Bow Falls, half frozen below the Banff Springs hotel, and Surprise Corner for the view back up the river. Late morning we ride the Banff Gondola up Sulphur Mountain to the summit ridge at about 2,280 m and walk the boardwalk to Sanson Peak and its old weather station, with the town far below and the Bow Valley running west into the main ranges.
Afternoon
Lunch is together in town. The afternoon is yours: ski at Mount Norquay, ten minutes away, visit the Whyte Museum, or rest. As the light goes we meet again for the Banff Upper Hot Springs, an outdoor pool of hot mineral water with snow along the deck and Mount Rundle across the valley.
Evening
Dinner tonight is on your own.
Included
- Vermilion Lakes in the morning light
- Bow Falls and Surprise Corner
- Banff Gondola up Sulphur Mountain and the Sanson Peak boardwalk
- Lunch in Banff
- Banff Upper Hot Springs at dusk
Optional experiences
- Skiing at Mount Norquay (lift ticket and rental extra)
- Dog sledding in the Bow Valley (extra, booked ahead)
Easier option: Stay in the summit building at the top of the gondola instead of walking the boardwalk, which can be icy and windy.
More active option: In the free afternoon, walk up Tunnel Mountain with your guide: about 4.5 km there and back and 260 m up, with ice cleats.
Free time: Afternoon free in Banff; dinner on your own
Activity: Bring a swimsuit for the hot springs; towels can be rented.
Lake Louise: snowshoes, the frozen lake and a sleigh ride
Banff west on the Trans-Canada Highway to Lake Louise and back
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Banff
- Drive about 1.5 h
Johnston Canyon, the usual winter icewalk between Banff and Lake Louise, has been closed by Parks Canada since October 2026 for rock-slope repairs, with no reopening date, so this day is built around Lake Louise instead. We leave Banff at about 8:30 am and take the Trans-Canada Highway west, about 58 km and 45 minutes, to the lake at about 1,750 m. With a local guide and snowshoes on, we walk a forest trail near the lake for about two hours, around 3 km, learning how to move on deep snow and reading the tracks of hares and squirrels.
Afternoon
Lunch is a sit-down meal at Lake Louise. Afterwards walk out onto the frozen lake below the Victoria Glacier, where a rink is usually cleared and skates can be rented. Mid-afternoon we take a horse-drawn sleigh ride along the lakeshore under blankets.
Evening
We are back in Banff around dusk, with the evening free. In January, the Ice Magic Festival's sculptures may be on the lakeshore. If Johnston Canyon reopens before your trip, we stop there on the way and walk it instead of the snowshoe walk.
Included
- Guided snowshoe walk near Lake Louise with a local guide, snowshoes and poles provided (the Johnston Canyon icewalk instead, if Parks Canada reopens the canyon before your trip)
- Lunch at Lake Louise
- Time on the frozen lake below the Victoria Glacier
- Horse-drawn sleigh ride along the Lake Louise shore
Optional experiences
- Skate rental at Lake Louise
Easier option: Skip the snowshoe walk and walk the flat lakeshore path with your See Sight Tours guide, then wait in the warm with a hot drink.
Free time: Evening free in Banff
Activity: About 3 km on snowshoes with gentle climbs; no experience is needed, and the guide shows you how to walk in them before we start.
The Icefields Parkway in winter
Banff to Lake Louise, then north on the Icefields Parkway past Bow Lake and the Columbia Icefield to Jasper
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Jasper
- Drive about 4.5 h
The Icefields Parkway runs about 232 km from Lake Louise to Jasper along the Continental Divide, and in winter it is empty: no fuel, food or phone signal between the two, and Parks Canada can close it for avalanche control.
Morning
So we leave Banff at first light and drive the whole road in daylight, about 288 km and four to four and a half hours of driving, a little over our usual cap. It is the only road north and nothing on it is open for an overnight in winter, so stops break it up instead. Some pull-outs are not plowed and some stretches are avalanche no-stopping zones, so your guide picks the stops on the day from those that are clear: usually Bow Lake under snow below Bow Summit, at 2,088 m the highest point on the road, then the Columbia Icefield, where the Athabasca Glacier comes down almost to the highway, and Athabasca Falls, frozen into blue columns. The Ice Explorer does not run in winter, so we look from below.
Afternoon
Hot drinks and snacks are on board, and lunch is a late sit-down meal in Jasper at about 2 pm.
Included
- The Icefields Parkway with your guide, driven in daylight
- Bow Lake
- The Columbia Icefield and the Athabasca Glacier from the roadside viewpoints
- Athabasca Falls
- Late sit-down lunch in Jasper
Free time: Evening free in Jasper
Activity: If Parks Canada closes the parkway, we wait in Lake Louise for it to reopen; if it stays closed, we stay a fourth night in Banff and drive to Jasper on day 5. Watch for bighorn sheep, mountain goats and elk on the northern stretch.
Jasper: Jasper Lake and the dark sky
Jasper east on Highway 16 to Jasper Lake and back, then a dark-sky site near Jasper
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Jasper
- Drive about 1.5 h
Jasper is smaller and quieter than Banff, and after the July 2024 wildfire it is still rebuilding, with burned slopes along some roads. Maligne Canyon, the classic Jasper icewalk, is reported closed for the whole 2026-27 winter, icewalks included, so we do not plan on it. Instead your See Sight Tours guide takes us east on Highway 16 down the Athabasca valley, about 40 minutes, to Jasper Lake, where the wind often sweeps snow off the ice and the mountains rise on both sides of the valley. We walk the shore, and on the way we watch the slopes where bighorn sheep and elk often come close to the road in winter.
Afternoon
We are back in town for lunch together, and the afternoon is free. Jasper National Park has been a Dark Sky Preserve since 2011, and in midwinter it is dark by about 5 pm.
Evening
After dinner on your own, a local astronomy guide sets up telescopes away from the town's lights to show you the winter sky. If Maligne Canyon reopens before your trip, its icewalk replaces the morning.
Included
- Morning outing east to Jasper Lake with your See Sight Tours guide, watching for bighorn sheep and elk on the way (the Maligne Canyon icewalk instead, if Parks Canada reopens the canyon before your trip)
- Lunch in Jasper
- Dark-sky evening with an astronomy guide and telescopes
Optional experiences
- Skiing at Marmot Basin, about 30 minutes from town (lift ticket and rental extra)
Easier option: Watch from the warm minibus at Jasper Lake instead of walking the shore.
More active option: In the free afternoon, a snowshoe walk with your See Sight Tours guide on a trail near town, snowshoes provided.
Free time: Afternoon free in Jasper; dinner on your own
Activity: About 1 to 2 km on the snowy lakeshore, with cleats if it is icy; we stay off the lake ice. On a cloudy night the astronomy evening moves indoors or to another night; the Northern Lights are sometimes seen here, but we do not promise them.
South on the parkway to Lake Louise
Jasper south on the Icefields Parkway past Sunwapta Falls and the Columbia Icefield to Lake Louise
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Lake Louise
- Drive about 4 h
Driving the parkway south shows you a different road: the Sunwapta valley opens ahead, and Mount Andromeda and the edge of the Columbia Icefield fill the windscreen as we climb to Sunwapta Pass, 2,035 m, the boundary between Jasper and Banff parks. It is about 233 km and three and a half to four hours of driving, again all in daylight.
Morning
Where the pull-outs are plowed and outside the avalanche no-stopping zones, we stop at Sunwapta Falls, for a second look at the Athabasca Glacier in morning light, and at the Weeping Wall, a cliff of frozen waterfalls where ice climbers often work.
Afternoon
We reach Lake Louise for a sit-down lunch at about 1:30 pm. The rest of the afternoon is free: skate on the lake, walk the lakeshore, or sit by a fire. Around 4:30 pm the last light turns the Victoria Glacier pink.
Evening
The farewell dinner is together in Lake Louise, where winter evenings are quiet and choices few. If the parkway is closed, we leave Jasper east on Highway 16, which stays open, for a night in Edmonton.
Included
- The Icefields Parkway southbound with your guide
- Sunwapta Falls and the Weeping Wall, where the pull-outs are plowed
- The Athabasca Glacier from the Columbia Icefield viewpoints
- Lunch at Lake Louise
- Farewell dinner at Lake Louise
Optional experiences
- Skate rental at Lake Louise
Free time: Afternoon free at Lake Louise
Activity: If the Edmonton route is needed, day 7 becomes about 300 km and three hours to Calgary airport without the Grotto Canyon icewalk, so the flight advice stays the same.
Grotto Canyon icewalk and back to Calgary
Lake Louise east on the Trans-Canada Highway past Banff and Canmore to Grotto Canyon, then Calgary International Airport and downtown Calgary
- Breakfast
- Drive about 3 h
Morning
Sunrise is not until about 8:30 am in midwinter, so if you like, walk down to the lakeshore before breakfast and watch the first light reach the peaks above the frozen lake. We leave Lake Louise at about 8:45 am and take the Trans-Canada Highway east past Banff and Canmore, about 95 km and an hour and a quarter, to Grotto Canyon in Bow Valley Wildland Provincial Park, outside the national park. With a local guide and ice cleats, we walk up the frozen creek into a narrow limestone canyon to a frozen waterfall where ice climbers often work, passing Indigenous rock paintings on the canyon wall. It is about 4 km there and back, mostly level, and takes about two hours. Then it is about 105 km out of the mountains to Calgary International Airport, arriving by about 1:30 pm, and your guide sees you to the terminal. Anyone staying on is taken on into downtown Calgary, about 20 km more. Winter snow can slow the highway, so book a flight leaving after about 4:30 pm.
Included
- Grotto Canyon icewalk with a local guide, ice cleats provided
- Drop-off at Calgary International Airport (YYC), or a central Calgary hotel if you are staying on
Easier option: Walk only the first part of the canyon, to the rock paintings, then wait in the warm minibus.
Free time: Early morning free at Lake Louise
Activity: About 4 km on packed snow and ice, mostly level. Lunch today is on your own; the airport has places to eat. Book a flight leaving after about 4:30 pm.
- Calgarystart
- Banff3 nights
- Jasper2 nights
- Lake Louise1 night
- Calgaryend
- Overnight stop
- Day trip
- By boat or train
Wildlife and weather: From December to February expect daytime highs around -5 C and nights around -15 C in Banff and Jasper, with cold snaps to -30 C and the occasional mild chinook. Daylight runs from about eight hours in December to about eleven to twelve in March. The lakes, waterfalls and canyons are usually frozen through the season. Elk, bighorn sheep and mountain goats are often seen near the roads in winter; bears are hibernating.
Want this plan in your inbox?
Get the day-by-day itinerary by email, or ask us anything about this trip. A trip planner replies the same or next business day.
Before you book
Right for you?
Good for you if you want
- Travellers who want the Rockies under snow without driving the Icefields Parkway in winter themselves
- People who would rather snowshoe and walk a frozen canyon than ski all day
- Solo travellers and non-drivers
- Anyone happy to be outside in real cold for a few hours a day
Not for you if you want
- Turquoise summer lakes, Moraine Lake or a glacier ride: those are summer only, so see our Banff, Lake Louise and Jasper summer trip
- Travellers who cannot walk on icy ground, even with cleats
- A ski holiday: there is one free afternoon in Banff and one in Jasper for skiing, not full ski days
- Anyone who needs a fixed timetable: winter roads sometimes change the order of the days
Book flights after we confirm your seat.
6 nights
Where you'll stay
Your hotels are named in your trip confirmation.
- Banff3 nights
- Jasper2 nights
- Lake Louise1 night
One price
What's in the price
Included
Accommodation
- 6 nights: 3 in Banff, 2 in Jasper and 1 at Lake Louise
- Central hotels of a 3-star-plus standard with private bathrooms, a short walk from Banff Avenue and Jasper's main street; we name each hotel when we confirm your dates
- Rooms shared, or your own for a supplement
Transport
- Pick-up at Calgary International Airport (YYC) or a central Calgary hotel on day 1, and drop-off at the airport or a central Calgary hotel on day 7
- A winter-equipped minibus with winter tyres and a professional driver for the whole trip
Your guide
- A See Sight Tours guide with the group from day 1 to the airport on day 7
- Local guides for the snowshoe walk at Lake Louise and the Grotto Canyon icewalk, and a local astronomy guide in Jasper
Activities
- Parks Canada entry to Banff and Jasper national parks for the whole trip, and the Kananaskis Conservation Pass for the vehicle at Grotto Canyon
- Orientation walk on Banff Avenue
- Vermilion Lakes, Bow Falls and Surprise Corner
- Banff Gondola up Sulphur Mountain
- Banff Upper Hot Springs
- Guided snowshoe walk near Lake Louise, snowshoes and poles provided
- Lake Louise and a horse-drawn sleigh ride along the lakeshore
- The Icefields Parkway both ways: Bow Lake, the Columbia Icefield and the Athabasca Glacier, Athabasca Falls, and Sunwapta Falls and the Weeping Wall where the pull-outs are plowed
- Morning outing to Jasper Lake with your guide
- Dark-sky evening with telescopes in Jasper
- Grotto Canyon icewalk near Canmore with ice cleats
- The Johnston Canyon or Maligne Canyon icewalk in place of the Lake Louise snowshoe walk or the Jasper Lake morning, only if Parks Canada reopens the canyon before your trip
Meals
- 6 breakfasts
- 5 lunches, on days 2 to 6, including a late sit-down lunch in Jasper after the parkway
- 2 dinners: a welcome dinner in Banff and a farewell dinner at Lake Louise
Not included
- Flights to and from Calgary
- Travel insurance (we recommend cover for weather delays)
- An eTA or visitor visa for Canada, if your passport needs one
- Dinners on days 2 to 5 and lunch on day 7
- Drinks
- Tips
- Optional activities: ski lift tickets and rentals, dog sledding and skate rental
- Winter clothing and boots
- Towel and swimsuit rental at the hot springs
Extras
- Room of your own
- CAD 700 (estimated price)
When you can go
Dates and prices
Pick your start date when you request to book. We check that date and confirm it in your quote.
Prefer to travel without a group or guide? Ask us about arranging hotels, transport and city tours for you to travel independently.
Before you book
Booking terms
Nothing is charged now. Full terms and the cancellation schedule come with your quote, before you accept.
Business addresses
See Sight Tours Trips (USA): 3172 N Rainbow Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89108, United StatesSee Sight Tours Trips (Canada): 5305 50 Avenue, #1091, Red Deer, AB T4N 4B6, Canada+1-888-961-6584Guest reviews
What guests say
Reviews from guests on our day tours.
Jane
October 06, 2026
5/5
Susan
October 06, 2026
5/5
Tom L
October 05, 2026
5/5
MandL83
October 05, 2026
5/5
Darren O
October 05, 2026
5/5
Good to know
Questions
What does the price include?
Six nights in central 3-star-plus hotels, 6 breakfasts, 5 lunches and 2 dinners, airport transfers, a winter-equipped minibus and driver, your See Sight Tours guide throughout, park entry and passes, a guided snowshoe walk at Lake Louise, the Grotto Canyon icewalk with cleats, the sleigh ride, the Banff Gondola, the Upper Hot Springs and the Jasper dark-sky evening.
How big is the group and who leads it?
The small-group trip runs with 7 to 12 guests in one minibus with a professional winter driver. A See Sight Tours guide is with you from Calgary to the airport on day 7, and local guides lead the snowshoe walk, the Grotto Canyon icewalk and the astronomy evening, as those operators require.
How fit do I need to be?
Moderate. The walks are about 3 to 4 km on snow and ice, a snowshoe walk near Lake Louise and the Grotto Canyon icewalk, with snowshoes or cleats provided and little climbing. Both have a shorter option. You need to be steady on snow and ice and happy to be outside in the cold for two or three hours.
I am travelling solo. What will I pay?
A room of your own costs CAD 700 more than the shared price, about 17.5 percent, and that figure is shown when you request to book, with no extra charge added later. Everything else, from the icewalks to the meals, is the same for you as for everyone else.
When is the best time to go?
The trip runs from December to March. December and January are the darkest and coldest, with about eight hours of daylight and the best frozen waterfalls. February is often clearer. March brings longer days and milder afternoons, while the lakes and canyons are usually still frozen.
What happens if the Icefields Parkway is closed?
Parks Canada sometimes closes the parkway for avalanche control or storms, usually for hours. Your guide checks the road the evening before. On day 4 we wait in Lake Louise, or stay another night in Banff. On day 6 we leave Jasper on Highway 16 to Edmonton, then drive to Calgary airport on day 7.
How cold does it get and what should I pack?
January days in Banff are usually around -5 C and nights around -15 C, and cold snaps can reach -30 C. Pack a thermal base layer, a fleece, an insulated jacket with a hood, a waterproof shell, insulated boots with good grip, a warm hat, mittens with liners, wool socks, sunglasses and a swimsuit. We provide ice cleats.
Are the canyon icewalks running this winter?
One is: the Grotto Canyon icewalk near Canmore on day 7, which is outside the national parks. Parks Canada closed Johnston Canyon on 13 October 2026 for rock-slope repairs, and Maligne Canyon is reported closed all winter, so neither is in the plan. If either reopens before your trip, we add its icewalk and tell you before you travel.
How does booking work?
Choose a start date and request to book; we confirm within 24 hours, and no payment is taken until then. The small group starts from CAD 3,995 per person sharing, taxes included, and a room of your own is CAD 700 more. Prices are indicative until we confirm your dates and hotels.
Can we travel privately or on our own dates?
Yes. Besides the small group, the trip comes as a private trip for your party only, on a date you choose, from CAD 7,190 per person sharing. If you would rather travel independently on your own dates, ask us from the dates section and we can quote the same hotels, transfers and icewalks.
Do I need a visa for Canada?
Many travellers need only a passport and an eTA (Electronic Travel Authorization) to fly to Canada; US citizens need a passport but no eTA, and some nationalities need a visitor visa. Check the Government of Canada rules for your passport before you book flights.
How is this different from your summer Rockies trip?
Our summer trip, Banff, Lake Louise and Jasper, has Moraine Lake, a glacier ride and the Maligne Lake cruise, which close in winter. This trip is built around what winter does well: snowshoes and a sleigh at Lake Louise, hot springs in the snow, a frozen canyon on foot, dark skies and an empty Icefields Parkway.
See Sight Tours has been providing travel services across North America since 2006. Operating in 20 cities across Canada and the USA, the company specializes in small group tours that offer personalized, high-quality experiences for travelers.
Book your Tour
Get in Touch
- Toll Free1-888-961-6584
- Local1-289-271-9767
© 2026 See Sight Tours. All rights reserved.