3 Days in Jasper National Park: The Ultimate Itinerary

Jasper National Park is an incredible part of the world and one of my all time favourite places in Canada. It is not too far away from the famous and super popular Banff National Park so if you are visiting Banff, I recommend trying to add some time to your itinerary for Jasper.

When compared with Banff, the crowds are much smaller and the entire park somehow feels a lot more wild and less touristy!

In Jasper, you are much more likely to get a glimpse of some of Canada’s amazing wildlife, such as moose, bears and elk! We didn’t see any moose BUT we did see a couple of Grizzly Bears and LOADS of elk while in Jasper!

There are loads of things to do and see in Jasper including viewpoints, hiking trails, boat cruises and gorgeous crystal clear lakes. The town of Jasper is also really lovely with some great restaurants and cafes.

This guide will give you a 3 day Jasper itinerary. It has everything you need to plan the an incredible 3 day trip to Jasper including where to stay, the must-see viewpoints and hikes and best restaurants in Jasper.

Things to Know About Jasper National Park

📍 Where is Jasper National Park

Jasper National Park is located in the Canadian Rockies and is about a 3 hour drive North from Banff, up the Icefields Parkway. The below map has pins of all of the places mentioned in this blog post.

Click here to open the map in Google Maps!

✈ How to Get to Jasper

If you are flying, the closest international airports to Jasper are Calgary International airport (4.5 hours drive) and Edmonton International airport (4 hours drive). Personally, we usually fly into Calgary unless we are driving from Vancouver because then the drive takes us through Banff.

I recommend renting a car in advance from the airport to pick up on arrival so that you don’t have to stress when you get there.

🚐 Getting to Jasper from Banff

If you are coming to Jasper from Banff, you will need to drive up the Icefields Parkway. The Icefields Parkway is a 232km (144 miles) long scenic drive which will take you at least an entire day if you plan on stopping and seeing some of the sights.

Exploring the Icefields Parkway is one of the best things to do while in Banff!

😉 Is Jasper National Park worth it?

Jasper National Park is extremely underrated. It is one of the most beautiful places to see on this planet in my opinion and severely underrated when compared with Banff. If you’re not sure whether to visit Jasper or not, take this as your sign to go!

📆 Best Time of the year to visit Jasper National Park

The best time to visit Jasper National Park is in the Summer months because you can hike, camp, swim in the gorgeous lakes and the weather is usually perfect. Fall is also beautiful with the Fall colours and less crowds, however, the weather can be more temperamental and rainy.

Summer

Summer is a great time to visit Jasper because there is SO much to do. There are loads of amazing hikes to do, viewpoints to see and lakes to relax by as well as the wildlife to see!

During Summer, there is an abundance of wildlife to look out for in Jasper such as grizzly and black bears, elk, mountain goats, marmots and so much more!

If you visit Jasper in the Summer, you will never feel like you have enough time to do and see it all.

Fall

Fall is a really special time to see Jasper as the colours are incredible! It becomes a lot less busy because all of the Summer tourist will have left. The weather during Fall is still lovely and you can still access many of the hikes, waterfalls and views.

Winter

Jasper is one of the best Winter destinations in Canada! In Winter, Jasper turns into a snowy Winter wonderland! Jasper is absolutely beautiful in the Winter and a lot of people visit at this time of the year specifically to see the incredible frozen waterfalls such as the one at Maligne Canyon.

There are also different kinds of activities that you can do in Winter, such as dog sledding!

Spring

Spring is an amazing time to visit Jasper because the temperatures are cooler than the Summer. Some of the higher mountain trails may still be snowy so there are usually less hiking opportunities but the crowds are also smaller which is always nice!

How is Jasper Different from Banff?

When compared with Banff, Jasper is the less touristy, more wild location of the two. The town of Jasper tends to be a bit less busy but still a lot of fun with lots of great restaurants!

Although Banff is home to the famous Lake Louise and Moraine Lake, Jasper has Spirit Island which is a crazy beautiful place with turquoise water that you can only get to by boat.

Both Banff and Jasper have a gondola but the gondola in Jasper has slightly more incredible views (in my opinion).

Both places have some really great hikes and things to see and do as well as some great restaurants, although Banff has more in terms of restaurants, cafes and a bigger shopping scene.

If you are planning a trip to the Canadian Rockies, I recommend adding both Banff and Jasper to your road trip itinerary if you have time.

❓ How Many Days Should you Spend in Jasper

Even if you only have one day, you should try to see some of Jasper. If I only had one day in Jasper I would spend it seeing Spirit Island and doing a hike.

The ideal amount of time to spend in Jasper is 3-4 days but you could definitely spend longer. You can see the main spots quite easily in 3-4 days but if you want to explore more away from the main tourist spots, a few more days would be perfect.

🎟 National Parks Pass

You will need a National Parks Pass (Discovery Pass) for pretty much everywhere in Jasper. You can purchase one here.

🌲 Leave No Trace

Whenever you are enjoying the beautiful nature that our world has to offer, remember to leave no trace (LNT)! Respect the beautiful places that make our world beautiful and take out everything that you take in, take only photos and respect the wildlife and other people. You can read more on the 7 LNT principles here.

🎒 What to Pack for a Trip to Jasper

When you are packing for Jasper, you are going to want to pack for an outdoor adventure.

🎒 Check out our gear guide for a full list of our hiking gear!

🛌 Where to stay in Jasper

There were lots of amazing places to stay in Jasper but sadly some of my favourite places to stay burnt down in the 2024 Jasper wildfires. You need to book extremely early (now more than ever) to get a good deal (or any accommodation at all). Here are a few top hotels that I recommend checking out, but if you want to look into where to stay in Jasper in more detail, check out this blog post.

Budget: Jasper Downtown Hostel
Moderate: Astoria Hotel
Luxury: Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge

Ultimate Jasper National Park 3 Day Itinerary

Here is how to spend 3 incredible days in Jasper National Park. I hope you have the most amazing time!

Day 1

On day 1, you will be visiting some of the top places to visit in Jasper! I recommend having a quick breakfast at your hotel before you leave for the day.

For lunch you could take a packed lunch or get something at the Maligne Lake Chalet and Guesthouse after the Spirit Island Cruise.

Spirit Island

You can’t go to Jasper and not visit Spirit Island! Spirit Island is an incredibly beautiful place that you can only reach by boat.

During your boat ride, watch the water as it gets more and more blue. The reason for this is that you are heading closer towards the glacier that feeds into Maligne Lake. 

😉 Fun Fact: Maligne Lake is the largest glacially-fed lake in the Canadian Rockies

To get to Spirit Island from Jasper, the drive is about 50 minutes to Maligne Lake. We saw our first-ever grizzly bear on the road from Jasper to Maligne Lake which was a super exciting experience so make sure you keep your eyes peeled for wildlife!

From the Maligne Lake wharf, you will be taking the Maligne Lake Boat Cruise which will need to be pre-booked ahead of time. The Spirit Island boat cruise takes about 1.5 – 2 hours total.

Maligne Canyon

Once you have refueled with your packed lunch or at the Maligne Lake Chalet and Guesthouse, it’s time to head to your next destination!

Maligne Canyon is a really impressive slot canyon with gorgeous blue water and waterfalls that you can hike along next to.

To hike the entire canyon, it is 3.7km / 2.3 miles with an elevation gain of 131m / 429 ft. It will take you about 1-2 hours each way, which also depends on how long you stop for photos. The canyon is extremely impressive so you will find yourself stopping quite a bit.

If you find yourself getting hungry while exploring the canyon, there is a restaurant on site called Maligne Canyon Wilderness Kitchen.

Dinner

There are plenty of options for places to eat in Jasper but we ate at Earls and it was delicious! If you are familiar with Canadian restaurants, you will know that Earls is literally everywhere. The food is a little pricey, especially if you decide to get cocktails like Dave and I did but you’re on holiday so why not!?

If you go to Earls, try to get a table on the patio. The views are great!

Day 2

Day 2 is an adventurous one! You will be exploring Mount Edith Cavell and have the option to do a beautiful longer hike or just see the viewpoint closer to the parking lot. Afterwards, you will visit one of the most beautiful waterfalls on the Icefields Parkway, Athabasca Falls.

Mount Edith Cavell

Mount Edith Cavell is about a 40 minute drive from Jasper. The great thing about Edith Cavell is that you don’t have to walk far to see an incredible view or you can choose to go on a nice long hike!

When we went to Mt Edith Cavell, it was pouring with rain and so we didn’t go on much of a hike but I think it was still worth the drive to get there. There are two main hikes that you can do at Mt. Edith Cavell.

Path of the Glacier Trail

Distance: 1.2km / 0.7 miles return | Elevation gain: 70m / 230 ft | Time: 1 hour

The Path of the Glacier Trail is perfect for if you don’t want to go on an insane hike but still want to see some incredible views!

The trail starts off paved and then turns to a maintained gravel trail, before ending at an incredible bright blue pond called Cavell Pond underneath Angel Glacier.

We stayed at the viewpoint for ages, staring at the crazy looking pond and listening and watching for the ice cracking off Angel Glacier and falling into the pond.

Cavell Meadows Trail

Distance: 7km / 4.3 miles return | Elevation gain: 500m / 1,640 ft | Time: 3-5 hours

The Cavell Meadows trail takes you through the forest and some beautiful meadows to a viewpoint overlooking Mount Edith Cavell, Angel Glacier and Cavell Pond.

Athabasca Falls

Although Athabasca Falls do get extremely busy as they are a popular tourist spot for practically everyone travelling along the Sea to Sky Highway, they are worth a visit!

Alternatively, you could stop at Athabasca Falls on your way to Banff if you are taking the Icefields Parkway.

The Icefields Parkway is the long stretch of road from Banff to Jasper and is home to some of the most epic views we have ever seen! We spent one extremely packed and long day driving the Icefields Parkway and visiting the very best stops.

If you still have time before dinner, you could also stop at some of the other amazing viewpoints, such as Tangle Creek Falls and Sunwapta Falls.

Dinner

Jasper Brewing Company is great for a not too pricey meal with a good beer! They have things like fish and chips, ribs and burgers.

Day 3

Day 3 is lake day! There are so many gorgeous lakes in Jasper and today you are going to see 3 of them!

Beauvert Lake

Beauvert Lake, which is also known as Lac Beauvert, is about 15 minutes from Jasper. The Fairmont Hotel is located right on the lake so is a great place to get coffee or a bite to eat after spending time paddling or swimming in the lake.

We brought our own inflatable paddleboards to jasper which are perfect for road tripping and we can highly recommend! Otherwise, there is canoe rental available at the Fairmont.

Beauvert Lake has a gorgeous backdrop of mountains so is great for photos!

Annette Lake

Annette Lake is another gorgeous blue lake in Jasper with sparkling clear water. Just like Beauvert Lake, Annette Lake also has a beautiful mountain backdrop.

You can walk from the parking lot down the trail next to the lake and find a spot to set up on the grass by the lake. There are lots of little spots to choose from with lake access and also a lovely dock.

Pyramid Lake

Pyramid Lake is a fun place to visit if you have some spare time. When we went it started pouring with rain but we still had fun as you can tell from the photos and it was still absolutely stunning!

There is a small parking lot where you will then walk down the path over a bridge to Pyramid Island which is a small bit of land separated from the shore.

From Pyramid Island, you will have views out to Pyramid Mountain.

Other Jasper Lakes to visit

• Patricia Lake
• Edith Lake
• Maligne Lake
• Jasper Lake
• Medicine Lake
• Horseshoe Lake
• Honeymoon Lake

Jasper Skytram

You can’t leave Jasper without taking a ride on the Jasper Skytram as it is one of the best things to do in Jasper! Like the Maligne Lake Cruise, it is also one of the most popular things to do, so I highly recommend getting your tickets in advance.

We didn’t have the best luck with the weather so we saw more clouds than views but it was still a fun experience. I’m already planning to go back this Summer to hopefully get some sunset views from the top!

The Skytram takes you up to the top of Whistlers Mountain and the views from up there are insane! The Jasper Skytram is the longest and highest guided aerial tramway in Canada and takes you up to a crazy 2,263m!

Once you have reached the top, which is the false summit, you can walk even higher up the mountain to the summit (or Whistler’s Peak).

The hike to Whistler’s Peak from where you get off the cable car will take you about 20-30 minutes one way. It is a 1.4 km hike one way, with 200m elevation gain. The elevation at the summit is 2,463m.

On a clear day, you can see the surrounding mountains, including Mount Robson and Mount Edith Cavell, which are both pretty spectacular!

If you are looking to do a longer hike, you could do Indian Ridge, which is 12.7 km return with an elevation gain of 950m from where the Jasper Skytram drops you off.

The Jasper Skytram closes for the Winter and reopens in the Spring.

Dinner

Usually on our last night in a place we like to treat ourselves with something extra yummy so when we were in Jasper we chose Albas Italian Restaurant to meet my lovely blogging mentor Bri and her partner Paul!

The food here was rich but absolutely delicious and they have both indoor and outdoor seating which was really nice!

Frequently asked questions

Is it possible to see Jasper National Park in one Day?

It is definitely possible to see some of Jasper National Park in 1 day, however you would need to make sure you know exactly want you want to see and do and have everything planned out in advance.

🚗 Do I need a car to visit Jasper

A car will definitely make your trip to Jasper easier as there is not really any public transport that will transport you to the places in the park that are away from the actual town. If you aren’t able to bring your own car to Jasper, you can hire a car from Edmonton airport or Calgary airport, depending on where you fly into.

🐶 Are dogs allowed in Jasper National Park?

Dogs are allowed on a lot of the trails in Jasper National Park which is amazing! I can’t wait to take Winnie to Jasper one day! However, there are some trails that don’t allow dogs due to the large amount of wildlife in the area.

You can read more about bringing your dog to Jasper National Park here.

How to Spend One Day in Banff

If you are arranging a trip to Jasper, you should definitely see some of Banff!

Banff is the gateway to the Canadian Rockies and the famous and stunning Lake Louise and Moraine Lake. There is SO much to do in and around Banff, but how the heck do you choose what to do if you only have 1 day?!

This guide lists the best things to do in Banff in 1 day and also includes a list of the best places to stay in Banff, a packing list and information on how to get around Banff without a car.

You might also enjoy:

• Everything You Need to Know About Johnston Canyon
• Beautiful Lakes in Jasper for Swimming and Kayaking
• How to Get to Spirit Island in Jasper
• Where to Stay in Jasper – coming soon
• How to Canoe to Spirit Island: Our Very Real Experience – coming soon
• Top Things to Do and See in Jasper for First-Timers – coming soon
• Is the Jasper Skytram Worth it? – coming soon
• Amazing Icefields Parkway Stops You Shouldn’t Miss!
• The Most Amazing Lake Louise Tours
• Beautiful Lakes to Paddle Board in Canmore and Banff
• How to Spend a Weekend in Banff
• How to Spend 1 Day in Banff in Summer

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