Jasper on a budget: how to do it well
Short answer
Jasper on a budget is possible but takes planning: plan on about C$130 per person per day (bed C$45, food C$40, sights C$20, transport C$25), which assumes hostels or campgrounds and a shared car.
A realistic daily budget
| Budget | Mid-range | Comfort | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bed (per person, sharing) | C$45 | C$150 | C$300 |
| Food & drink | C$40 | C$75 | C$140 |
| Sights & tickets | C$20 | C$65 | C$130 |
| Local transport | C$25 | C$45 | C$80 |
| Per person, per day | C$130 | C$335 | C$650 |
Approximate 2026 prices, two people sharing a room. From our Jasper day-cost table.
Free things to do
- Walk Maligne Canyon
- Walk to the toe of the Athabasca Glacier
- See Athabasca Falls and Sunwapta Falls
- Walk the Path of the Glacier trail at Mount Edith Cavell
- Cross the footbridge to Pyramid Island at sunset
- Stargaze in one of the world's largest dark sky preserves
Cheap eats
- Picnic from the town supermarket
- Café breakfast: C$15–25
- Brewpub burger: about C$25–35
- Campground cooking with groceries from town
- Bakery sandwiches for the Parkway
Where to sleep for less
Budget travellers stay in hostels and campgrounds in the park, at about C$40–110 a night; both fill months ahead for July and August.
Getting around cheaply
You need a car: Jasper is about 4 hours from Edmonton airport and 4.5–5 hours from Calgary via the Icefields Parkway. Share the rental and fuel. VIA Rail's Canadian also stops in Jasper.
A sample budget day
- Morning: Maligne Canyon walk (free with the park pass, about C$11)
- Lunch: picnic from town (about C$15)
- Afternoon: Medicine Lake and the drive to Maligne Lake (fuel shared, about C$20)
- Evening: cook at the campground or hostel (about C$15)
- Total: about C$60–70 plus your bed (about C$45), so roughly C$110–130
More ways to save
- Book hostels and campsites as soon as reservations open.
- Bring a cooler and cook most meals.
- Drive the Parkway once, not back and forth, if you continue to Banff.
- Rent canoes as a group to share the hourly cost.
- Skip the SkyTram on cloudy days.
- Travel in late spring or September for lower room rates.
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Common questions
Can I visit Jasper on a budget?
Yes, with hostels or campgrounds, a shared car and picnics, at about C$130 a day.
Do I need a car?
Yes; there is no public transport to most sights.
What is free in Jasper?
With the park pass, Maligne Canyon, the glacier toe, the waterfalls, Pyramid Island and the night skies.