Jasper Q&A: The Quick Jasper/Banff Budget Vacation
Jasper and Banff, where to go, shat to see in 5 days, on a budget:
We received this question from Sandra in Seattle:
My husband and I will be in Seattle from noon 8/20/10 and need to be back in Seattle by 3 am on 8/25/10. We would like to see as much of Banff and Jasper as we can–do not have alot of money, so would like to know cheapest places to stay and what to see.
Thank you for your time,
Sandra in Seattle
Experience some of the best Jasper National Park has to offer.
First, where to go and what to do. You’ll definitely want to do some hiking, since this is perhaps one of the best places in the world to do it in, and you’ll be here during prime hiking season. Also, hiking has the added benefit of being real easy on the budget. I would recommend checking out this Canadian Rockies hiking guide. It’s written by Kathy and Craig Copeland, “The Opinionated hikers” who don’t pull any punches telling you which hikes in the Canadian Rockies are and are not worth your vacation time.
To get some great views of the Canadian Rockies range in general, without having to hire a helicopter or a plane, I would recommend hitting the Banff Gondola, the Lake Louise Gondola and the Jasper Tramway. It’s a fun way to spend some time, you’ll get great views and photos, a really wide view of the Rockies, and the chance to see some wildlife.
Finally, as far as things to do, if you’re hitting both Jasper and Banff, you’ve got to do the scenic drive between the two on the Icefields Highway. I recommend taking your time on this drive, making plenty of stops, making sure to see the Athabasca Falls and Columbia Icefield. Here’s our guide to the Jasper Banff scenic drive.
Here’s some more Banff travel info and Jasper vacation guides.
As far as lodging, I’ll make this as easy as possible for you, steering you directly to some places where you can book in Banff and Jasper. Just click on the links below.
So there’s a quick run down on a five day Jasper Banff budget vacation. Feel free to submit your questions!
