Alberta
Jasper National Park
A first Jasper trip from the UK: the 3-hour Icefields Parkway drive up from Banff, what the Columbia Icefield and Maligne Lake boat tours actually cost in dollars, and how the 2024 wildfire changed the townsite.
In short
Jasper National Park at a glance
Jasper is the wilder, quieter half of the Canadian Rockies pairing — the bigger but far less crowded national park north of Banff, reached by driving the Icefields Parkway, a 230km, roughly 3-hour run that is itself the main event. Most UK trips fly into Calgary (YYC), spend a few nights in Banff, then drive up to Jasper for two or three nights before flying home from Edmonton (YEG) or looping back. The park's headline sights are the Columbia Icefield and the Athabasca Glacier halfway up the parkway, the turquoise Maligne Lake with its Spirit Island boat tour, Athabasca Falls, and the Jasper SkyTram up Whistlers Mountain. A 2024 wildfire burned through part of the Jasper townsite and surrounding forest, so some lodges and trails are still rebuilding — check what has reopened before you book. Jasper is also the world's second-largest dark-sky preserve, so an autumn or winter night here is one of the best aurora and stargazing spots in the Rockies.
Jasper is the half of the Canadian Rockies that most first-time British visitors short-change. Bigger and far emptier than Banff to the south, it is reached by driving the Icefields Parkway — the 230km, roughly 3-hour run that ranks among the great mountain drives anywhere, threading past Bow Lake, the wolf-head shape of Peyto Lake and the Columbia Icefield, where you can ride an Ice Explorer onto the Athabasca Glacier itself. The usual UK shape is to fly into Calgary, do Banff first, then take two or three nights up here for Maligne Lake, the Spirit Island boat cruise and the Jasper SkyTram before flying home open-jaw from Edmonton rather than retracing the whole parkway.
Two things change how you plan a Jasper trip right now. The first is the July 2024 wildfire, which burned through part of the townsite and surrounding forest — most of the headline sights are open again, but some lodges and trails are still rebuilding, so confirm what has reopened with Parks Canada and your hotel before you book. The second is the dark sky: Jasper is the world’s second-largest dark-sky preserve, so an October or winter night here, far from the summer glacier-tour crowds, is one of the best places in the Rockies to catch the aurora or simply the Milky Way over the peaks.
The route
A Rockies loop that treats the Icefields Parkway as the journey rather than a transfer, slotting Jasper's lake-and-glacier sights into two or three nights after Banff. Drive times are real estimates for clear summer conditions on Highway 93 and Highway 16; in winter, snow and ice can double them and some parkway services close. Fly out of Edmonton at the end to avoid driving the parkway twice.
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Day 1
Banff up the Icefields Parkway
Leave Banff or Lake Louise and drive Highway 93 north — Bow Lake, the Peyto Lake viewpoint (a short uphill walk to the wolf-head-shaped lake) and Mistaya Canyon break up the first half. There is no fuel between Saskatchewan Crossing and Jasper, so fill up; the Crossing's pumps are the only ones for ~150km.
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Day 2
Columbia Icefield and Athabasca Falls
The Columbia Icefield Discovery Centre sits at the parkway's halfway point — ride the Ice Explorer onto the Athabasca Glacier and walk the glass-floored Skywalk (combo ~CA$120, book a timed slot). Carry on north past Sunwapta Falls to the powerful Athabasca Falls, then into the Jasper townsite to settle in for two nights.
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Day 3
Maligne Lake and Spirit Island
Drive the Maligne Lake road (~45 min east of the townsite), stopping at Maligne Canyon's gorge and watching for wildlife around Medicine Lake. At the end, take the boat cruise to Spirit Island — the postcard view you cannot reach any other way (~CA$90, ~90 min). Back in town, ride the Jasper SkyTram up Whistlers Mountain (~CA$75) for the valley panorama.
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Day 4
Jasper to Edmonton
Soak at Miette Hot Springs (the Rockies' hottest springs, ~CA$10) on the way out, or detour to Pyramid and Patricia Lakes for a calm morning paddle, then drive Highway 16 east — about 4 hours to Edmonton (YEG) for the flight home. If you flew into Calgary and must loop back, allow a full day down the parkway again.
Where to base yourself
Pick one or two bases rather than moving every night.
Jasper townsite
£££ premiumThe compact main town on the rail line, walkable with restaurants, shops and the park office, and the obvious base for the lakes and the SkyTram. Some lodging was lost or closed by the 2024 wildfire, so book early and confirm the property has reopened; rooms here are limited and go fast in July and August.
Best for: First-timers, walkability, no-car evenings
Pyramid Lake / Patricia Lake (lodge zone)
££ mid-rangeA cluster of lakeside lodges a few minutes' drive north of the townsite, quieter and on the water with canoe and kayak hire on the doorstep. A calmer alternative to the town centre that still puts you minutes from restaurants — useful if townsite rooms are sold out.
Best for: Lakeside calm, paddling, families
Hinton (park edge)
£ valueA working town ~1 hour east on Highway 16 just outside the park, with markedly cheaper chain motels and the only realistic budget beds when Jasper is full. You trade the in-park atmosphere for a daily commute, but it can halve your room cost in peak season.
Best for: Budget base, peak-season overflow, drivers
Getting around Jasper National Park
Jasper is a driving park: the townsite is walkable but the sights are spread along Highway 93, the Maligne Lake road and Highway 16, so a hire car (~£45–65/day from Calgary or Edmonton) is effectively essential. There is no fuel on the Icefields Parkway between Saskatchewan Crossing and Jasper — about 150km — so fill up before you commit to it, and carry water and warm layers because mobile signal drops out for long stretches. If you would rather not drive the whole parkway, scheduled coaches run Banff–Jasper and the VIA Rail Canadian stops at Jasper, but neither lets you stop at Peyto Lake or the glacier, which is half the point of the route. Remember you drive on the right, distances and speeds are in kilometres, and wildlife on the road at dawn and dusk is a real hazard — elk and bears wander the verges, so slow down and never get out to approach them. In winter, Highway 93 can close or demand winter tyres, and the days are short, so plan glacier and lake stops for the middle of the day.
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Jasper National Park FAQs
How do you get from Banff to Jasper?
How was Jasper affected by the 2024 wildfire?
Is the Columbia Icefield glacier trip worth booking ahead?
When is the best time to visit Jasper for dark skies?
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