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These are the itineraries I’d follow if friends came to visit me in Glacier National Park. I used to live and work here, I explored just about every corner of the park, and I really tried on these. There’s a version for non-hikers and a version for hikers, so pick the one that fits you.
More Glacier itineraries: 2 days · 3 days · 5 days · 7 days
- Best time: Peak summer (July through early September), when Going-to-the-Sun Road and everything else is usually open. Here’s my guide to the best time to visit Glacier.
- Fly into: Glacier Park International Airport (FCA) in Kalispell, about 30 miles from the West Entrance
- You need: A car (you definitely want one here) and your passport for the Waterton day There’s no real public transportation around Glacier, and the park shuttle only runs along Going-to-the-Sun Road in summer, so having a car is really the only way to get around. 🚗 Book your rental car here
- Book early: Park lodges sell out, sometimes 6 to 12 months ahead, especially Many Glacier Hotel
Where to stay: I’ve linked each lodge as it comes up so you can check availability. Not sure which side of the park to base yourself on? Read my guide to where to stay in Glacier National Park.
Glacier National Park 7-day itinerary at a glance
- Day 1: Lake McDonald and Apgar Village (stay: Lake McDonald Lodge)
- Day 2: Going-to-the-Sun Road and Logan Pass (stay: St. Mary or Many Glacier)
- Day 3: St. Mary and Many Glacier (hikers: Grinnell Glacier)
- Day 4: Many Glacier (hikers: Cracker Lake)
- Day 5: Waterton Lakes National Park, Canada (stay: Prince of Wales Hotel)
- Day 6: Two Medicine and East Glacier (stay: Glacier Park Lodge)
- Day 7: Whitefish, then fly home from Kalispell
Going-to-the-Sun Road usually doesn’t fully open until late June or early July and its alpine section closes in mid-October, so these itineraries are really for peak summer. Always check the NPS road and trail status page and the current shuttle information before your trip, because Glacier changes things every year.
How I check trail conditions: Before every hike, I look the trail up on AllTrails and read the most recent reviews. People comment about whether there’s snow or ice, how the trail is holding up and what they recommend, so I know what to expect before I go.
7-day Glacier itinerary for hikers
Day 1: Lake McDonald and Avalanche Lake
Fly into Kalispell, pick up your car and drive to Lake McDonald. Grab lunch at Eddie’s in Apgar or somewhere in Kalispell on the way. Check into Lake McDonald Lodge, drop your bags and have a beach day: swim, kayak or paddleboard.
In the late afternoon (check what time sunset is), hike to Avalanche Lake. Parking is much easier later in the day than in the morning, and if the lot is full, just wait for someone heading back to their car. It’s about 5 to 6 miles round trip depending on how far along the lake you go, with a little elevation but nothing too bad. Don’t stop at the first view of the lake. Keep going, sit on the logs, have a snack, then head back. Grab dinner at the lodge, which has some fancier food but also burgers and salads.
Day 2: Logan Pass and the Hidden Lake hike
Have breakfast at the lodge and drive up Going-to-the-Sun Road to Logan Pass. If it’s your first time driving it, here’s what Going-to-the-Sun Road is really like to drive, from someone who’s done it about 30 times. The visitor center has some fun merch. Then do the full Hidden Lake hike, not just the overlook but all the way down to the lake. It’s about 5.4 miles round trip, and you’ll likely see a lot of wildlife: definitely mountain goats, maybe marmots, bighorn sheep, or a bear in the distance. The climb back up from the lake is steep, so take your time. I always bring snacks, water and electrolytes (I like Gatorade).
Parking tip: Logan Pass had a 3-hour parking limit in 2026, so I always parked at a pullout about a quarter mile east of Logan Pass (48.69725, -113.71096) to avoid the time limit. Rules may change in following years, so always follow posted signs.
How I got Logan Pass shuttle tickets in 2026
I almost never used the shuttle unless it was the most convenient option for a long hike starting at Logan Pass. When I did, here’s exactly what I did:
- The night before, I made sure I was logged into my Recreation.gov account with the shuttle ticket page already loaded.
- At 7 p.m. on the dot, I watched for the next day’s tickets to open and clicked the time slot I wanted. Sometimes my slot was gone immediately, so I picked the next best time for me.
- Tickets cost $1. After you pay, you get a QR code, and they just scan it on your phone screen when you board.
- They said they check national park passes, but nobody ever checked mine. You still need a valid park entrance pass to be in the park, so don’t skip it.
This is how it worked for me in 2026. The shuttle system may change in 2027 or following years, so always check the NPS shuttle page and Recreation.gov before your trip.
If you still have energy, walk the first couple of miles of the Highline Trail, which are beautiful. If you love waterfalls, do St. Mary Falls and Virginia Falls instead, near the east end of the road. It’s about 3.6 miles round trip and mostly flat.
Drive down to St. Mary, check out the visitor center, and grab dinner at the Snowgoose Grille at St. Mary Lodge, pick up groceries at the St. Mary store, or drive to Two Sisters Cafe near Babb (check what time it opens and whether it’s open that day of the week, and get there right as it opens, because the waitlist gets long quickly). Curly Bear Cafe has ice cream too. The Snowgoose Grille is basically open from 6:30am to 10pm in peak season, so it’s a good place to get food if you’re hungry after a hike nearby. You can see all the places to eat at St. Mary here. Then check into Many Glacier Hotel. If it’s booked, St. Mary Lodge is a great backup, but Many Glacier Hotel is stunning.
Day 3: Grinnell Glacier
Grab breakfast at the hotel and hike Grinnell Glacier. You can walk to the trailhead from the hotel or drive. The trailhead lot is small, but there’s more parking along the road. It’s about 10.6 miles round trip with about 1,600 ft of gain (taking the boat across the lakes shortens it to about 7.2 miles). The hype is there for a good reason.
It’s hard but doable if you take your time. The whole trail is basically in the sun, so bring lots of water, snacks and electrolytes. It gets cold at the top, so pack a puffer. Bring a swimsuit too. You can dip in the glacier lake, or in the lake near the start and end of the hike. I wish I had, it would have felt so nice.
Back at the hotel, have dinner at the Ptarmigan Dining Room (fancier, great view) or drive to Two Sisters.
Day 4: Cracker Lake
Pack a lunch and hike to Cracker Lake. It’s about 12.8 miles round trip, but it’s pretty chill: mostly gradual and in the trees, without much to see until the end. Then you get to the lake and it’s absolutely beautiful, the bluest water I’ve ever seen. Take some cute pictures, get in, have lunch, and head back. Spend the afternoon relaxing on the hotel’s deck with a book and that view. More Many Glacier ideas are in my best Many Glacier hikes guide.
Day 5: Waterton Lakes National Park (Canada)
Check out of Many Glacier and head across the border to Waterton, Glacier’s sister park. Bring your passport. The Chief Mountain border crossing is the most direct route but it’s only open seasonally (in 2026, May 15 to September 30), so check the hours before you go.
You can make this a chill day (see the non-hiker version below), or choose one of two amazing hikes:
- Crypt Lake: About 10.6 miles round trip with about 2,200 ft of gain. You take a boat to the trailhead with Waterton Shoreline Cruise Co., so you need to make the boat and there are limited departures. You climb a ladder, crawl through a tunnel and end at a gorgeous lake you can swim in if the cold doesn’t get you. There are spots to cliff jump, too.
- Akamina Pass, Wall Lake and Forum Lake Loop: My pick if I had to choose. It’s an 11.6-mile loop (per AllTrails) and one of the most beautiful hikes I’ve ever done, but there’s a steep section of exposed rock scrambling that’s off route with no actual path to follow (I’d recommend some previous scrambling experience), and it gets very windy and cold at the top. It’s covered in my underrated Glacier hikes post.
After your hike, go into town and get hot dogs at Wieners of Waterton, then stay the night at the Prince of Wales Hotel.
Day 6: Two Medicine and East Glacier
Before you leave Waterton, drive the Akamina Parkway and the Red Rock Parkway. Then cross back into the US and head to Two Medicine (about 2 hours). On the way in, stop at Kyiyo Mercantile at Kiowa Junction for food and a famous huckleberry bear claw.
If you’re up for it, hike to Upper Two Medicine Lake: about 10 miles round trip, not crazy hard, with incredible mountain views. (Check the trail status, because construction closed the North Shore trailhead in 2026.) Stay at Glacier Park Lodge in East Glacier. It’s a very pretty hotel inside and out, with shopping and food at the hotel and nearby.
Day 7: Whitefish
After breakfast, head to Whitefish. Go paddleboarding or kayaking at City Beach, shop, grab lunch and walk around the cute little town. Stay at Grouse Mountain Lodge (a little fancy, with a good dinner) or head to Kalispell if you’re flying out. Either way you’ll be close to the airport.
7-day Glacier itinerary for non-hikers
Honestly, if you’re not much of a hiker, I think 7 days in Glacier is a bit much. But here’s the best plan I can think of for you.
Day 1: Apgar Village and Lake McDonald
Drive in from Kalispell and spend the day at Apgar Village and Lake McDonald. Walk around, explore, get food at Eddie’s Cafe and ice cream from the shop next door. Don’t skip it, it’s delicious. Just relax all day. Stay at Lake McDonald Lodge.
Day 2: Going-to-the-Sun Road
Drive toward Avalanche Lake, stopping at the pullout with waterfalls on the way, then walk the Trail of the Cedars, a short, easy loop. Keep going up Going-to-the-Sun Road to the Logan Pass visitor center and walk part of the Hidden Lake boardwalk or the start of the Highline, both fairly flat at first. Then drive down to St. Mary for the night and have dinner at the Snowgoose Grille. If you see cars stopped on the road, slow down. It’s probably a bear.
Day 3: St. Mary and Many Glacier
Have breakfast at the St. Mary Lodge buffet (it was around $25 per person when I was there) or grab coffee and a pastry from the coffee shop. They have great pastries. Visit the St. Mary Visitor Center and walk the short, flat Sun Point Nature Trail.
Then drive to Rising Sun and take the road on the left to the Rising Sun picnic area. It has a really nice beach on St. Mary Lake with picnic tables. I used to love coming here on my days off to chill or paddleboard. In the late afternoon, head to Two Sisters for dinner (get there right when they open), then check into Many Glacier Hotel and walk around the grounds.
Day 4: Many Glacier
Explore Many Glacier. Walk as much of the easy, flat Swiftcurrent Lake loop as you like, hang out by the hotel, or rent a kayak or paddleboard. Have dinner at the Ptarmigan Dining Room, then drive a little way down the Many Glacier road for sunset. The views near the dam are always good. Stay a second night at Many Glacier Hotel.
Day 5: Waterton
Cross the border into Waterton (bring your passport). Have tea and pastries at the Prince of Wales Hotel afternoon tea, then drive the Red Rock Parkway and Akamina Parkway. In town, grab lunch (I love the hot dog place, Wieners of Waterton). You can also check Waterton Shoreline Cruise Co. for a boat ride on the lake. Departures are limited, so check times. Stay at the Prince of Wales Hotel.
Day 6: Two Medicine and East Glacier
Drive to Two Medicine (about 1.5 to 2 hours), stopping at Kyiyo Mercantile at Kiowa Junction for a huckleberry bear claw on the way. Drive around the area and take the very short walk to Running Eagle Falls (about 0.3 miles each way). Then head to Glacier Park Lodge in East Glacier. The hotel is beautiful, there’s a historic 9-hole golf course and some shops, and you can have dinner there.
Day 7: Whitefish
Enjoy one more slow morning at the lodge, then explore Whitefish: shopping, lunch, the beach with paddleboard and kayak rentals, and mountain views. Stay at Grouse Mountain Lodge and you’ll be close to the Kalispell airport the next day.
Rainy day backup plans in Glacier
If it rains and you want to change plans, pick a waterfall or flatter hike:
- Near St. Mary: St. Mary Falls and Virginia Falls
- Near Many Glacier: Iceberg Lake (it stays beautiful even in the rain because it’s so open) or Red Rock Falls
Want to stay nearby instead? Compare places to stay
If you don’t want to stay at the lodges I mentioned (or they’re booked for your dates), there are plenty of hotels, cabins and vacation rentals just outside the park. Use these maps to compare live prices and pick a spot close to where you’ll be exploring each day.
West Glacier and Lake McDonald area
St. Mary and Many Glacier area
East Glacier and Two Medicine area
Waterton Lakes area
Glacier itinerary FAQ
Is 7 days in Glacier National Park too long?
For hikers, 7 days is perfect. There’s so much to do. For non-hikers it can feel like a lot, but the plan above spreads it out with Waterton, Two Medicine and Whitefish.
How far ahead should I book lodging in Glacier?
As early as you can. Park lodges can sell out 6 to 12 months ahead, especially Many Glacier Hotel. Xanterra, which runs Many Glacier Hotel and Lake McDonald Lodge, opens reservations up to 13 months out.
Do I need a car in Glacier National Park?
Yes. The shuttle only covers Going-to-the-Sun Road and doesn’t go to Many Glacier, Two Medicine or Waterton, so a car is the only realistic way to do this itinerary.
Do I need a passport for Waterton?
Yes, Waterton is in Canada, so bring your passport (or another accepted border document) for the crossing in both directions.
Next up: the most underrated hikes in Glacier and the best Many Glacier hikes besides Grinnell. I hope this helps you plan an amazing trip!
