Banff

Trip Length

Our August 2024 trip was 9 days (8 nights), including 2 days of driving. We spent 3 of the 7 non-driving days in the Banff area. We could have easily spent a few extra days there as there were many lakes and trails that we had on our list that we didn’t have time to do. If you’re not looking to do a lot of hiking, 3 days would probably be a great duration. While you’re in the area, we’d encourage you to check out some of the other Parks Canada parks like Yoho, Kootenay, and Jasper. Our original plan was to spend a few days in Jasper but unfortunately, forest fires had devastated the town and the park. Everything was closed at the time, so Scott shuffled all of our reservations, and we shortened our trip.

Where to Stay

Lodging in Banff is expensive. If you know us or followed along on our trips, you’ve probably realized that luxury accommodations don’t rank high on our priority list. We love a nice hotel but given the choice of spending a few hundred dollars more on a hotel vs. an additional activity/tour we’ll always chose the latter. Banff has a variety of mid-range chain hotels, B&Bs, and individual AirBnB/VRBO options. There are also lodging options outside of Banff if you have a rental car and don’t mind driving a short distance to get into the park. Over our 8 nights, we stayed in 7 different hotels. Some of that was due to us wanting to be closer to the area we were exploring, some of it was due to availability/prices.

Our Banff portion of the trip included:

• Banff Inn – No fuss, clean, large rooms with free parking in the heart of Banff. They have an on-site restaurant and other amenities that we did not utilize. Very easy to walk to the main part of town once you park.
• Grande Rockies Resort – This is located in Canmore about 30 minutes outside of Banff.  Decent room with free parking. We ate at the on-site restaurant as we were tired after a long day of hiking. Canmore is definitely a growing town and is located between Calgary & Banff.
• Moxy Banff – trendy but comfortable room with paid on-site parking on the edge of the main Banff area. We used Marriott points for our one-night stay here. The Moxy brand is known for unique rooms that are great for couples/solo travelers that pack light. You won’t find a traditional closet or refrigerator, but you may find unique features like the chair lift seating pictured below. The common areas (indoor and outdoor) were really great, and we took advantage of the on-site laundry before heading to dinner. This would be a fun place to stay for a few nights and was quieter as it’s on the edge of town.

If you’re looking for an even more budget friendly option, there are a variety of camping options available. This will require some planning as spots open at the beginning of the year and go fast.

For those wanting to splurge on a luxury stay, there are options like the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise or Moraine Lake Lodge. Both of these properties look amazing and maybe if we win the lottery someday, we’ll check them out.

What to Do

Town of Banff

Banff is one of two Canadian towns located within a National Park (the other being Jasper). Serving as a tourist destination year-round, the town has more than its fair share of souvenir shops, high-end retailers, restaurants, and hotels. Banff Avenue cuts down the middle of town with the main section being ~1.2 miles one-way. Walking or taking the public shuttle is the best way to get around downtown as many businesses do not have parking. During our stay, there was a section of the street that was blocked off as a pedestrian area. As of September 2024, the locals have voted to close this and open the road back up. While it was very nice to have the extra walking and sitting space, we can understand the local’s perspective as traffic at some of the intersections was terrible due to everyone being forced into a single route. Check out the town’s website for more information on events and things to do.

For those looking to save on your food budget, the local IGA is conveniently located, opens early, and has a parking lot. We stopped there for sandwiches each morning before heading out for the day. I pack some sandwich bags from home, and we buy a bag of pretzels or chips for a quick snack. We also grab a few jugs of water to make sure we have some in the car to refill our water bottles/CamelBaks.

Banff Gondola – Overlooking the town of Banff, this gondola ride will take you up  Sulphur Mountain. The cable car ride was actually much longer than we expected. Each car holds 4 people. This wouldn’t be something we’d recommend for anyone who is afraid of heights due to the height and duration of the ride. At the top, you’ll find a large building with educational exhibits, restrooms, a gift shop, and multiple food & beverage options. The Sulphur Mountain Cosmic Ray Station trail is a short 0.7 mile RT hike up to an even higher viewpoint. Do keep in mind that the gondola operations can be suspended due to weather. While we were at the top, there were multiple storms passing through and the operation was paused for about an hour due to lightning so keep an open schedule for a few hours after your anticipated departure time. As of 2025, admission starts at $55 pp but can also be purchased as part of the Pursuit Pass. There are different events held throughout the year, including arts & crafts, live music, etc. There are quite a few seating options on the top deck, making this a great place to take in a sunset.

Cascade Garden of Time – This is a free, relaxing activity close to downtown. We decided to stop by on our way back from some hiking. There is parking (we had to circle a few times to get a spot) but we could have easily walked here. Lots of beautiful flowers and ponds with the Rockies as a backdrop.

Bow Falls – the Bow River runs along the town of Banff. There is a trail that you can take from town to the falls as well as a parking lot just steps from the falls if you prefer to drive. Even in late August, there were a lot of white-water rafting companies still operating so that is an option if you’re looking for a little non-hiking adventure.

Tunnel Mountain Summit Hike – 2.7 miles RT

The trailhead to this hike is just outside of Banff town. There are technically two starting points. The mileage is from the lower parking lot. The second parking lot has just a handful of spots but if you can get a spot there, we recommend starting there as the trail between the two parking areas won’t have much of a view. This is a moderate hike that basically is all up one way and then down with great views from the top.

Johnston Canyon to Upper Falls – 3.4 miles RT

This is another popular (aka busy) trail. A steady uphill hike on a mostly paved trail from the parking lot to the Upper Falls. You’ll wander through the canyon and have plenty of photo opportunities as there are many smaller falls along the way to the Lower and Upper falls. Expect to wait in line to snap a picture of both of these spots. It was pouring rain the day we did this ‘hike’ and it was still super busy.

Banff National Park

Banff is one of 37 national parks in Canada. To visit, you’ll need to purchase a Parks Canada pass. The pass is good for 12 months and covers 80 sites.

Lake Louise area

Lake Louise is one of the most beautiful alpine lakes you’ll find. It’s also one of the most popular. Parking is extremely limited and typically fills up before sunrise in the summer months. If you’re staying in Banff, the Roam public bus system offers affordable rides to the parking lot. The option we chose was use the Parks Canada shuttles. These require advanced reservations with timed entry and sell out almost daily. Check the website for other transportation options. If you’re looking to also visit Moraine Lake, you can take a connector shuttle between the two.

There are many activities available at Lake Louise. Based on our experience, most people come for the photo and a quick walk along the lake. Another popular option, especially with the social media influencers/content creators is renting a canoe. Rentals are first-come, first-serve and are available in 30- or 60-minute increments. Prices were $165/hr. (in 2024). One thing to consider when deciding what time of day you’d like to visit is that the weather/lighting/elevation really does change what the lake looks like. Notice the difference in our pictures below.

We did two hikes in this area.

Fairview Lookout – 1.4 miles RT

This is a moderate hike with 500 ft. elevation gain over the 1.4-miles. The trail takes off from the parking lot area and quickly starts uphill. While there isn’t much to see on the way up, you’ll be rewarded with amazing views of the lake as well as the Fairmont Chateau. This was not a very busy trail, and people were more than happy to take pictures for each other.

Plain of Six Glaciers and Big Beehive – 11.3 miles RT

This is not an easy trail. Ranked ‘hard’ on AllTrails, you have to work for your views (3k ft. elevation gain), but they are well worth it! This is a loop trail and there are a few options that you can take to shorten the duration if you’d like. We spent around 7 hours on the trail (6 hiking, 1 eating/enjoying the views). The reviews are mixed on which direction is best. We think it depends on your hiking preferences. We started this trail a little after 9am and chose to go clockwise. This meant we started with an easy 3 miles along Lake Louise. It’s a steady climb without shade for a longer duration than counterclockwise but it allowed us to get this section out of the way before the sun hit its peak. Our first stop was Plain of Six Glaciers Tea House. Quick bathroom break and snack and we headed to Six Glaciers viewpoint. From here you have a view of the lake as well as the glaciers.

After enjoying the view at Six Glaciers, we headed back to the tea house and continued on the trail to Big Beehive. Still going up but the trail now consists of long switchbacks through the trees, giving us some shelter from the sun.

Arriving at the top of Big Beehive, you’ll walk up some rocks and at the end find a shelter. Lots of people taking a break, enjoying the stunning view of Lake Louise and the surrounding mountains. We took advantage of the shade and the seats and ate the sandwiches we packed, battling with chipmunks per the norm on these types of hikes. A few dozen pictures later, we decided to start the decent.

We headed down to Lake Agnes Tea House. This is when Amanda realized Scott had 100% made the right decision (for us) on which direction to start this hike. The picture below of the switchbacks doesn’t do it justice. They are steep! There are also a lot more people in this section of the trail as it’s possible to just hike to Big Beehive and turn around and come back down instead of going on to Six Glaciers. Lake Agnes is pretty but there were lots of bugs when we were there. The tea house is a very popular stop so you can expect long lines if you’re purchasing goodies here. Remember to pack your trash out as there are no bins here.

It was all downhill from here. We passed by Mirror Lake and finished our day happy and tired.

Moraine Lake

Another beautiful alpine lake that is sure to be packed with tourists. No private cars are allowed so you’ll need to take one of the shuttle services discussed above. Canoe rentals are also available here. Take a few pictures but don’t miss one of the best picture spots just a short distance from the parking lot.

Rockpile – 0.5 miles RT

While this isn’t a ‘hike’, you will get your heartrate up a bit climbing the rock stairs to the top of the rockpile. Here you’ll wait your turn to snap a few pictures of the gorgeous water surrounded by towering walls.

Moraine Lake area

Moraine Lake Shoreline Trail – 2.3 miles RT

This is an easy and beautiful trail that will take around an hour out and back. The crowds at the beginning of the trail will thin out as you begin the walk.

Consolation Lakes – 4.0 miles RT

Rated as a moderate trail on AllTrails, this hike starts near the Rockpile trail. This trail has a lot of what Amanda calls ‘trip hazards’. Lots of rocks and roots but isn’t a terribly difficult hike. The moderate rating comes from the rock scrambles you’ll need to do (some at the beginning but mostly at the end). The ones at the end are optional as you can just stop and enjoy the view from the end of the dirt trail. We climbed out a bit but the view wasn’t really getting that much better, so we took a break and ate our lunch and then headed back.

Lake Minnewanka area

Cascade Ponds Trail – 0.9 miles RT

This is a great short and easy trail that has views of these ponds as well as beautiful mountains as a backdrop. There were a lot of people picnicking in this area but be aware of the prairie dogs that are not shy and very food motivated.

Stewart Canyon Trail – 3.7 miles

We were only able to do a portion of this trail due to a restriction that required you to hike with at least 4 people. We hiked from the parking lot to the bridge and turned around.

Icefields Parkway area

Peyto Lake Viewpoint – 0.8 miles RT

A paved trail will lead you from the large parking lot up to the platform viewing deck. Don’t let the distance fool you, this is rated moderate due to the steep incline of the trail. Expect lots of people crowding the edges of the viewing deck to get a photo of the stunning blue water. There were also people below the viewing deck but we felt that was ‘off-trail’ and so we didn’t attempt (if anyone knows for sure, please let us know in the comments). This is a wheelchair accessible trail and deck. Enjoy some time here soaking in the view or continue up and additional 0.7 miles RT to Peyto Lake Panorama View and get a little more elevation and even better view of the lake.

Parker Ridge – 4.1 miles RT

This hike off the Icefields Parkway has a decent sized parking lot but you’ll still likely want to knock this out early in the day due to the fact that it is almost completely exposed and very buggy. This is pretty much an up and down hike with an elevation gain of around 1100 feet in under 2 miles. The view at the top is worth it! There is an optional spur trail that Scott did while Amanda enjoyed the view of the glacier and alpine lake. The views aren’t necessarily any better so if you’re looking to cut off some mileage. Also, the last portion of the trail along the ridgeline doesn’t get you that much better of a view and is slightly narrow.

Columbia Icefield Adventure (Glacier Tour & Skywalk) – Approximately 2 hours from the town of Banff, this unique activity will get you up close and personal with the Athabasca Glacier. The drive from Banff along the Icefields Parkway is gorgeous.  If you don’t have a car, there are lots of private and large group tour options that will take you there. It’s a great way for people who may not be ready to take a full glacier hike to get out onto a glacier (before they are all gone!). The Ice Explorers are massive vehicles that transport you out onto the glacier moraine. The tour can be a little cheesy, but it would be great for kids. You’ll get a few minutes on the glacier to take pictures and walk around. Wear sturdy shoes as there is no gear provided and ice is well, slippery.  Prices start at $153 pp/CAD (2025). You can find slightly cheaper rates via our Viator link above and discounts exist for Alberta residents. This activity can be bundled in one of the Pursuit Passes offered directly on their website. If you’ve experienced a glacier up close before like we have, this will probably be a little underwhelming.

The Skywalk offers great views and the opportunity to walk across a glass observation deck. You must park at the Glacier Discovery Center and take a bus there, either with a direct ticket or with the glacier tour combo.

We really enjoyed our time in the Banff area and plan to return in the near future. We had a lot of things on our list that we just didn’t have time for. We’ve added them here in case you’re looking for more ideas in this beautiful part of the world.

Our “To-Do Next Time” List:

Banff/Lake Louise/Moraine Lake area

• Sundance Canyon Trail hike
• Johnson Lake hike
• Cave & Basin National Historic Site
• Lake Annette hike
• Sentinel Pass hike
• Eiffel Lake Trail hike

Surrounding areas

• Boom Lake Trail hike
• Lake Minnewanka Cruise
• Bow Glacier Falls hike
• Helen Lake Trail hike
• Chephren Lake Trail hike
• Panther Falls Trail hike
• Grassi Lakes/Highline/Canmore Loop trail hike
• Canmore Cave Tours