
You can drive through Banff and the Icefields Parkway in a day it’s definitely worth it even just for a quick drive-through. Even if you’d like to visit Jasper, I would still recommend flying to Calgary. The drive from Edmonton to Jasper is not very scenic and takes around 4 hours. Therefore visiting Banff is incredibly easy you take Trans-Canada Highway and can drink beer in Banff in two hours.Īfter driving in the foothills, you will soon enter the Rockies and pass Kananaskis Country and Canmore, another stunning mountain town. While the closest international airport to Jasper is in Edmonton, 365 km away the closest airport Banff is in Calgary only 126 km. The reason is not only the popularity of each but also the distance from major cities. A lot of Banff’s year-round visitors are locals from Calgary enjoying a weekend, a vacation or very common bachelorette parties due to Banff’s bustling nightlife. In Banff, the mountains are much closer to the town and appear to be bigger while in Jasper, the town is situated in a large valley and mountains are a bit further from town.īanff appears to be busy and crowded most of the year and Jasper is much quieter, especially when the summer ends. The traffic often collapses, finding a parking spot might be a miracle and the main downtown street is very crowded with hordes of tourists.īoth towns are surrounded by high mountain peaks. It depends on your preferences and what kind of vacation are you looking for.Įven though Jasper National Park is much bigger than its neighbour Banff, the town of Jasper is smaller with only 5,690 citizens and Banff is almost at 10,000.ĭuring summer, the highest season, Jasper is still a pleasure to walk around and enjoy the surroundings but Banff is a different story.

Mountain towns Jasper and Banff are both charming in their own way and both have pros and cons for visiting. The highest point on Icefields Parkway is Bow Summit at 2,027 meters above sea level therefore it can snow any day of the year.
#Rocketship park drivers#
In summer 2019, a sudden snowstorm on Icefields Parkway left a lot of drivers stranded. Most visitors choose to come in the summer when the weather is most stable, but you should still come prepared with a jacket in case of snow. Jasper National Park is the largest national park in the Canadian Rockies covering 10,878km2 while Banff National Park is about half the size covering 6,641km2and it’s the oldest national park in Canada.īecause Jasper and Banff National Parks are so close to each other, their climate and weather conditions are typically the same. Jasper versus Banff: Geographical Differences and Atmosphere They are connected with Icefields Parkway, an insanely scenic road, which is often on the list of the most beautiful drives in the world. It features things to do in Jasper and Banff National Parks, as well as atmosphere, transportation and accommodation options in mountain towns lying in their hearts and sharing their names, Jasper and Banff. The following Jasper versus Banff comparison breaks down similarities and differences between the parks to help you choose which one to visit. While I always recommend visiting the Rockies for at least a week, the ideal time would be two weeks, it’s understandable that not everyone has this time available. Jasper or Banff: Which National Park Is The Best For You? But what if you could only choose one? This guide, by Maya from Travel With The Smile, will detail the differences between the two in our Jasper vs Banff showdown. In fact, they are neighbours so many people visit both when coming to the Canadian Rockies. They are the most visited national parks in Canada.

If you’ve seen any pictures of Canada’s nature, chances are they are from either Jasper or Banff National Parks. This article has links to products and services we love, which we may make commission from.
