If jaw dropping scenery is what you are seeking from a road trip, then it is unlikely to get much better than the Icefields Parkway, a 230km mountain road running through the heart of Alberta’s Banff and Jasper National Parks in Western Canada.
It is punctuated by over 100 ancient glaciers, picturesque waterfalls cascading from dramatic rock spires and beautiful turquoise lakes set in sweeping valleys.
There are plenty of places for pulling over to take spectacular photos or find a trailhead to hike; and taking your time is essential with so many unmissable stops along the way.
There are several ways to construct your adventure and I will happily do so based upon individual preference but for starters here is one of my tried and tested itineraries to get the imagination firing.
The closest airport is Calgary with a flying time from the UK of nine and a half hours. Staying a night or two in Calgary is an option though most people prefer to collect their rental vehicle and head straight off to the town of Banff, the crown jewel of the Canadian Rockies, just under a couple of hours drive.
Banff National Park was Canada's first one of its kind and encompasses 6641 km2 of protected wilderness areas. There is plenty to see in the main picturesque town with several museums, galleries, an array of shops and restaurants and I would consider a three-night stay at one of several recommended accommodation options.
For an amazing experience, head to Canada’s highest operating hot spring, Banff Upper Hot Springs, for a dip and take in the utterly stunning view. There are lots of hiking opportunities for the more adventurous as well as rafting and float trips.
For further breathtaking views of the Bow Valley and six mountain ranges, take the Gondola ride to the summit of Sulphur Mountain.
Leaving Banff and driving west, you will reach Lake Louise in less than an hour. This captivating alpine lake, renowned for its sparkling blue-green waters, is surrounded by the magnificent Victoria Glacier at one end, the iconic Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise at the other and soaring glacier-clad peaks all around.
Approximately 2.5 kilometres long and 90 metres deep, it offers a surreal paddling experience in the warmer summer months and without doubt one of the world’s most spectacular skating rinks in winter.
Taking the Lake Louise Gondola is a must where you will soar to an elevation of 2,088 m (6,850 ft) for some of the best grizzly bear viewing opportunities in the Canadian Rockies.
Follow that with afternoon tea at the beautiful Fairmont Chateau where you may want to stay overnight or at another of the Lake Louise hotels.
An early start would be wise to allow a full day for the next leg of your Rockies road-trip to take in all the scenery and best places to stop and a major tip - remember to fill up your gas tank as you leave Lake Louise as there is just a solitary service station along the Icefield route.
Head north crossing the boundary between the Banff and Jasper national parks and ensure paying a visit to the Glacier Discovery Centre. Here, board an Ice Explorer to take you up onto the Athabasca Glacier and experience walking on ice up to 360 m (1,180 ft) thick.
For exhilarating aerial views of the glittering glaciers and rugged mountain peaks, there is a five-minute shuttle ride from the Discovery Centre to the Columbia Icefield Skywalk, a glass-floored observation platform suspended 280m (919 ft) over the glacier-formed Sunwapta Valley.
Resume northwards on the Parkway to the Athabasca Falls Viewpoint to experience the most powerful of the park’s many waterfalls, where from the lookout you can engage your senses with hearing the roar of the rushing water and feeling the refreshing spray and mist.
Back on the highway to the friendly alpine town of Jasper, the commercial centre of the most northerly of Alberta’s National Parks, surrounded by soaring peaks, viridescent glacier-fed lakes and untouched wilderness of forests and rivers.
Jasper is the perfect base for exploring the line-up of natural attractions such as Maligne, Medicine, Pyramid and Patricia Lakes and Mount Edith Cavell in addition to being one of the largest dark sky preserves on the planet, making it a sensational place for stargazing.
Wildlife is abundant both around and in the town itself with viewing opportunities of eagles, big horn sheep, black bears, mountain goats, moose, deer and elk. Taking a ride on the Jasper Tramway on Whistler Mountain will provide endless picture postcard views of the surrounding landscape.
I would suggest staying at least a couple of nights here. All the comforts you could wish for, from luxury accommodation to charming cabins are at your disposal.
There are all kinds of options for your onward journey from Jasper, retracing the way you came to stop at any points you may have missed on the way up, or how about returning your vehicle here and taking the spectacular Rocky Mountaineer, one of the world’s great train journeys through the Rockies to the fabulous city of Vancouver.
This itinerary is of course only a suggestion and is fully flexible; add extra or less nights, consider a range of accommodation options, upgrade to an SUV, add excursions, you can even add a cruise to Alaska from Vancouver.
I work closely with the brilliant specialists at Prestige Holidays Canada and have tailor-made many dream Canadian adventures.
The Icefields Parkway is truly one of the bucket list experiences and a road trip to savour.
