Things to do in Banff
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit Banff
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
Peak summer, every trail and teahouse open, wildflowers in July, highest prices and dawn full car parks.
Locals' favourite, cooler hiking and gold larches from late September, with Moraine closing after Thanksgiving.
Winter ski, icewalks and skating, with February and March best for deep snow and lengthening days.
The one genuine dead spot, too late for lakes and too early for reliable ski.
Shoulder bargain with the lowest hotel rates and spring skiing, but big lakes stay frozen into late May.
What's on
- Banff Half Marathon / Marathon June
Summer running event in peak season.
- Canada Day 1 July
The town's biggest and busiest day.
- Banff Centre Summer Arts Festival Summer
Concerts and performances at Banff Centre on Tunnel Mountain.
- Melissa's Road Race September
Autumn road race in larch season.
- Banff Centre Mountain Film and Book Festival late Oct to early Nov
The town's cultural peak, book rooms early.
- SnowDays Festival mid-Jan to early Feb
Snow sculptures and skijoring on Banff Avenue.
- Ice Magic at Lake Louise January
International ice carving at Lake Louise.
- Christmas at the Castle December
Festive season at Fairmont Banff Springs.
Best things to do in Banff
Moraine Lake
Milky turquoise lake under the Ten Peaks, best at sunrise from the Rockpile before crowds build.
Lake Louise
Iconic lake and glacier that rewards walking past the shore to the Lake Agnes and Six Glaciers teahouses.
Johnston Canyon
Catwalks past waterfalls in a limestone canyon, quieter if you continue to the Ink Pots meadow.
Banff Gondola
Eight minute gondola to the Sulphur Mountain summit for the definitive Bow Valley panorama on a clear day.
Sunshine Meadows
Summer gondola and chairlift into alpine meadows with wildflowers, larches and easy lake loops.
Lake Minnewanka
Scenic loop of Two Jack and Johnson Lakes and big Lake Minnewanka for picnics, cruises and shore walks.
Tunnel Mountain
Smallest summit in the park and the best effort to view ratio, paired with Bow Falls and the river trails.
Cave and Basin National Historic Site
The sulphur cave where Canada's national parks began, uncrowded and ideal on a rainy or rest day.
Where to stay in Banff
Downtown Banff
first trip, all-round base
Everything walkable, with restaurants, the Roam hub and both lake shuttles reachable without a car.
Banff Springs / Bow Falls side
splurge or quiet resort stay
In trees by the river and golf course, a 15 to 20 minute walk from downtown.
Tunnel Mountain
families, drivers and longer stays
Wooded bench above town with condo resorts, kitchens, parking and space for kids.
Lake Louise
hikers, skiers and lake-first trips
Stay at the lake for dawn without a shuttle queue, with few restaurants and premium prices.
Canmore
value and apartment-style stays
Real town outside the park gate with kitchens, better prices and its own trails, 20 minutes away.
Field / Golden, BC
specialists only
Lovely for a Yoho or Kicking Horse focused night, but neither works as a daily Banff base.
Think twice about
- Calgary as a Banff base
1.5 hours each way in good conditions, eating the dawn starts that are the whole game at the lakes.
- Golden, BC as a Banff base
About 1.5 hours to Banff town. Base in Golden for Golden, visit Banff once, do not commute it.
- Unlicensed rentals in the Banff townsite
Banff strictly regulates rentals. A suspiciously cheap unlicensed listing can leave you cancelled or mislocated.
- Highway-strip motels east of the park gate
No town to walk to and a drive plus gate queue to everything, Canmore prices without Canmore's town.
Best restaurants in Banff
Eden
The Rockies' only Five Diamond restaurant, a French influenced tasting menu high above town.
The Bison Restaurant & Terrace
Regional Canadian cooking centred on Alberta bison and game, the best all round dinner in town.
Bluebird Woodfired Steakhouse
Mid century wood fired steakhouse for Alberta beef, cocktails and a brunch locals queue for.
Chuck's Steakhouse
Classic dry aged Alberta steakhouse, the town's institution for a special occasion beef dinner.
Block Kitchen + Bar
Small, always busy sharing plates room that staff choose on nights off, so go early.
Shoku Izakaya
Izakaya small plates, sushi and Korean dishes, the prescribed break from steak on day three.
PARK Distillery
Dinner in Banff's only working distillery, with campfire cooking and an on site tour and tasting.
Bear Street Tavern
Thin crust pizza with honey and chilli oil for the crusts, the default family and group dinner.
Best bars in Banff
Three Bears Brewery
Brewpub with a retractable roof patio, a food tour favourite for beer and casual food.
Where the Buffalo Roam
Cocktails and small plates in Canmore that locals cross town for.
Best coffee in Banff
Whitebark Café
The coffee focused cafe local guides pick for drip coffee and a morning start in town.
Outdoor things to do in Banff
Icefields Parkway
Canada's greatest drive, stopping at Peyto Lake, Bow Lake and the Athabasca Glacier at the Columbia Icefield.
SkiBig3
One pass for Sunshine, Lake Louise and Norquay, three different mountains with free town shuttles.
Fairmont Banff Springs Golf Course
Stanley Thompson's 1928 championship course under Mt Rundle, famous for the Devil's Cauldron par three.
Mount Norquay Via Ferrata
Guided via ferrata on cables and ladders above Norquay, no climbing experience needed but a head for heights.
Kicking Horse River
Class III to IV glacial whitewater near Golden, the region's best rafting day for experienced rafters.
Yoho National Park
Quieter day in Yoho for Emerald Lake, Natural Bridge and glacier fed Takakkaw Falls.
Kootenay National Park
The locals' quiet parkway day: Marble Canyon, the Paint Pots and the Stanley Glacier hike.
Banff Canoe Club
Budget canoe rental on the Bow River, the value alternative to pricey lake canoe hire.
Best hotels in Banff
Fairmont Banff Springs
The Castle in the Rockies, a landmark luxury stay with spa, golf and Bow Valley views.
Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise
Lakeshore icon where lake view rooms face the glacier and trails start at the door.
Moose Hotel & Suites
Best all round town hotel, with rooftop hot pools, spa and rare free downtown parking.
Mount Royal Hotel
Historic Banff Avenue landmark, unbeatable for walking to dinner in the centre of town.
Rimrock Resort Hotel
Quiet mountainside luxury above town, home to Eden and big valley views.
The Juniper Hotel
Retro modern small hotel with some of the best Bow Valley views and lower rates.
Hidden Ridge Resort
Condo units with kitchens, fireplaces and outdoor hot pools in the trees for families.
Tunnel Mountain Resort
Family condo resort on Tunnel Mountain with kitchens, fireplaces and free Roam access.
Is Banff expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | CA$100 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | CA$300 a person |
| Splurge | CA$650 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- Moraine Lake: months ahead
- Lake Louise: months ahead
- Banff Gondola: weeks ahead
- Sunshine Meadows: weeks ahead
- Fairmont Banff Springs Spa: weeks ahead
- Icefields Parkway: weeks ahead
- SkiBig3: weeks ahead
- Fairmont Banff Springs Golf Course: weeks ahead
- Moraine Lake Road is closed to private vehicles year round. Book the Parks Canada shuttle, with 60 percent released two days before departure.
- Hotels 6 to 9 months ahead for July, August and Christmas in the townsite. Camping reservations open in January.
- Gondola tickets, Columbia Icefield tours, via ferrata, dog sledding and Eden, Bison and Chuck's dinners need booking in peak weeks.
Is Banff safe?
- Carry bear spray on hikes beyond town, keep 30m from elk and 100m from bears, and never feed wildlife.
- Glacial lakes are 4 to 8 degrees even in August and afternoon thunderstorms build fast in summer, so be off summits early.
- Snow tyres are required on Highway 93 in winter, and there is no fuel or phone signal on most of the Icefields Parkway.
Banff travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- The Glacier Skywalk as a standalone must do, a glass platform over a view you can see from the road.
- Lake Louise canoe hire at peak price for a photo, when Emerald Lake or the Bow River costs meaningfully less.
- Johnston Canyon at midday in July and Moraine Lake for 20 minutes, both top sights at 8am and poor at 1pm.
- Banff Gondola on a cloudy day or at walk up peak price, when the view is the entire product.
Getting around Banff: public transport and more
- Walk in town, Banff is 4km end to end, and use Roam Transit for the gondola, Tunnel Mountain, Minnewanka, Canmore and Lake Louise.
- Driving in town in summer is the worst option. A car earns its keep for the parkway, Yoho, Kootenay and dawn starts.
- Calgary airport is about 1.5 hours away, with Banff Airporter and Brewster Express as the standard transfers.
Who Banff suits
| Solo travellers | Good |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | Good |
| Couples | Great |
| Bachelor parties | OK |
| Families | Good |
| Bachelorette parties | OK |
Make Banff your trip
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