Things to Do in Banff: Travel Experts' Guide to Banff National Park

A bustling mountain town in the heart of the Canadian Rockies.

Summary

• The best things to do in Banff include visiting glacial lakes, driving mountain passes, and spotting iconic Canadian wildlife
• The best places to stay include world-famous Fairmont properties and rustic lodges nestled in the mountains
• You can reach Banff easily by car from Calgary or by either car or train from Vancouver Things to do in Banff National Park vary from hiking trails that take multiple days navigating the backcountry to settling into a brewery for the afternoon, watching the evening light up the peaks.

We think the sweet spot is somewhere in the middle, exploring the abundance of activities around the national park before returning to a mountainside castle or a boutique town hotel.

This is our expert's guide to visiting Banff.

Our credentials? Over 25 years experience designing custom tours and itineraries through the Canadian Rockies, curating trips for every kind of traveler. We know what to do, when to do it, and how to arrange it into a singular, life-changing vacation (the kind where the word 'vacation' doesn't quite encompass the scope or feel).

Each recommendation and suggestion is bookable as a part of our personalized Canada itineraries. If you see something you like, reach out to a Travel Designer, and we can arrange it as a part of your trip. Now, let us show you around Banff.

Best Things To Do in Banff

The obvious place to begin is what there is to do in Banff.

The best things to do in Banff include hiking trails, wildlife-viewing tours, visiting world-famous lakes (like Lake Louise and Moraine Lake), and driving the Icefields Parkway.

Credit: Travel Alberta / Colin Way

Wander Downtown Banff

Let's start with the town itself. Banff is a bustling, walkable hub. Restaurants, souvenir stores, and iconic Canadian brands line Banff Avenue, Banff's answer to 'main street.' One block over, on Bear Street, you'll find breweries, bakeries, and bistros along the brick street.

For a town this size, the quality of its restaurants and stores is impressive. Set aside a leisurely morning to walk the avenue, browsing galleries, boutiques, and outfitters as you go. And, after your day's adventures, one of the many restaurants is the perfect place to settle in for the evening.

Credit: Lifes Captured Sparks on Unsplash

Visit Lake Louise

Lake Louise is truly, truly stunning. It earns every superlative ever written about it.

The glacial lake — as vibrantly turquoise in person as everyone says — sits beneath the Victoria Glacier at the end of a valley that itself feels custom-designed to take your breath away. And, it's less than an hour from downtown Banff.

Credit: Travel Alberta / roth + ramberg

Visit Moraine Lake

Lake Louise might be Banff's most famous lake, but Moraine Lake is our favorite. It's a short distance from the first, and entirely lined by mountain peaks.

Moraine Lake is beautiful at all hours, but is something else entirely at sunrise. Catching the sun rising over the water has become a staple of many Canadian Rockies trips, and dedicated tours and shuttles run early in the morning to make it possible.

It's important to note that personal vehicles are no longer permitted on the Moraine Lake road. All lake access requires booking via Parks Canada shuttle, public transit, or an organized tour. We handle this for all of our guests.

Credit: Gary Corken on Unsplash

Drive the Icefields Parkway

If we could recommend only one drive in Canada, the Icefields Parkway would be it.

This 144-mile highway connecting Lake Louise to Jasper is widely considered one of the most spectacular roads on earth, and having driven it many times ourselves, we wouldn't argue.

The parkway passes Bow Lake, Peyto Lake, the Columbia Icefield, Athabasca Glacier, Athabasca Falls, the Weeping Wall, Sunwapta Falls — the list goes on. There are seemingly endless viewpoints overlooking glaciers, mountains, and lakes.

Our advice: don't rush. Bring a picnic (there is just one cafe on the road) and find one of these such viewpoints to park at. Enjoy your sandwich overlooking what are frankly some of the most impressive views in Canada.

Credit: Travel Alberta / Banff Jasper Collection by Pursuit / Mike Seehagel

Walk on the Columbia Icefield Glacier

The Columbia Icefield is the largest ice field in the Rocky Mountains, made up of over 7,000 acres of ice. It's (very conveniently) situated halfway along the Icefields Parkway and offers travelers an incredibly unique opportunity.

Ride onto the ancient glacier in a massive specialized Ice Explorer or, for a more intimate experience, a smaller all-terrain vehicle will take you even further up the ice to an exclusive spot. The most adventurous option is to embark on a guided hike across the ice, where you'll learn about glacial formation and preservation as you aim to tread lightly and minimize your footprint.

Credit: Travel Alberta

Wildlife-Viewing Tours

The Canadian Rockies are home to an extraordinary cast of wildlife — grizzly and black bears, elk, moose, bighorn sheep, mountain goats, not to mention the multitude of smaller critters that make their home among the mountains.

While you're highly likely to happen across at least a few during your travels, you can increase your luck by taking a specialist wildlife tour. Your guide has local insight that visiting guests just can't have, and access to a network of other guides spread across the Bow Valley, all working together to look. With a guide, you have a much higher chance of encountering one of the Canadian Rockies' most impressive wildlife spots.

Credit: Travel Alberta / Banff Jasper Collection by Pursuit

Banff Gondola

It makes sense why Banff Gondola is one of the most popular attractions in Banff National Park. The gondola ascends Sulphur Mountain to a summit elevation of over 7800 feet, where you're met by a stunning view of the town of Banff, the Bow Valley, and the peaks beyond. As a bonus, you'll find a large interpretive center, a ridgetop boardwalk trail, and a fine-dining restaurant at the top.

We often arrange for our guests to go up the Banff Gondola with a guide as part of a tour of the town. Aside from getting to visit Sulphur Mountain's summit at the optimum time (usually at or around sunset, when the golden hour views are at their height), you'll be accompanied along the ridgeline boardwalk, where you'll be brought to the best and the best-hidden spots few others know about. And, with it, narrated the history that goes along with each.

Credit: Travel Alberta / Noel Hendrickson

Horseback Riding in Bow Valley

Horseback riding is the quickest way to get far beyond crowds in Banff. Without the effort of a hike, you'll venture down trails and into the forest, following rivers, pushing through marshes, and passing hot springs hidden in the trees. And, honestly, there's just something that feels right about setting out from a ranch in the mountains.

Rides range from one-hour introductions to multi-day journeys through the backcountry, and suit riders of all experience levels.

Credit: Rocky Mountaineer

Banff Upper Hot Springs

Banff Upper Hot Springs holds a unique position in Canada's history. It was the original source of tourism in the Canadian Rockies and directly contributed to Banff National Park's foundation. Today, it makes for a vintage escape open year-round.

In summer months, the baths are the perfect spot for a refreshing soak, especially after a ride up the Banff Gondola, which is just steps away. In winter, escape the chill by descending from the warm bathhouse, itself a federal heritage building, into the steaming pools in the warm waters, watching snow fall around you and settle in the Bow Valley.

Credit: Travel Alberta / Banff Lake Louise Tourism / Jake Dyson

Hikes in Banff National Park

There are all manner of world-class hikes to be found in Banff National Park. Parks Canada offers an incredible list of day hikes for anyone ready to get out there and explore, all categorized by distance (in kilometers) and difficulty.

But, to hiking-curious travelers or more casual wanderers, hiking in Banff National Park might seem intimidating. We often arrange for our guests to go with a guide. You'll not only be kept safe by a professional who knows the trails well and is proficient in wildlife safety, but will get on-the-ground interpretation as you hike.

Credit: Travel Alberta / Alpine Helicopters

Helicopter Tours

When it comes to seeing the Canadian Rockies, ground tours tend to take the limelight. But is there any better way of seeing one of the world's largest mountain ranges at eye level?

In a helicopter, you'll get up close and personal with the peaks that define the Rocky Mountains, and swoop into the valleys sitting between. From up here, you'll begin to get a grasp on the actual size of the Canadian Rockies. Peaks just fall away into the horizon.

A helicopter ride is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. We might be biased, but if you're going to do it once, it should be in the Rocky Mountains.

Credit: Travel Alberta / Sameer Ahmed

Day-Trip to Canmore

While it is a separate town (and not technically even within Banff National Park), it's worth mentioning Canmore here.

Canmore is just 20 minutes away from Banff by car, or 30 minutes by the ROAM transit bus on Route 3, and offers a refreshingly local counterpoint to the much-touristed Banff. Independent restaurants, local breweries, and a quieter main street are all backed by the dramatic Three Sisters peaks. In Canmore, you'll get a sense of what it is to live among the Canadian Rockies, sharing your streets with more than enough jaw-dropping views and the occasional roaming elk.

It makes for an excellent day trip away from the park's busier trails and visitor sites.

Best Winter Activities in Banff

Winter activities in the Canadian Rockies are a whole other game.

As snow descends in the valleys in late November, both the town and national park quite literally transform into a thing of winter dreams. Along with it, the things to do in Banff change as roads and trails are covered in snow and the famous lakes freeze over. In Banff in winter, you might find yourself believing in magic, true magic, all over again.

Credit: Travel Alberta / Gerard Yunker

Ice Skating on Lake Louise

When the temperature drops and Lake Louise freezes over, the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise opens a section of the lake as an outdoor skating rink, with the Victoria Glacier watching over from the far end and the surrounding peaks dusted in snow. It is without question or doubt one of the most spectacular skating settings anywhere on Earth.

Credit: Banff & Lake Louise Tourism (BLLT) / Paul Zizka

Horse-Drawn Sleigh Rides

Also at Lake Louise, horse-drawn sleigh rides are one of the most festive things to do in Banff National Park in winter.

Utterly Christmassy in every way, you'll board a 'one-horse open sleigh' (the stuff of carols, complete with thick blankets to keep you warm) to glide through snow-topped pine forests to the very far end of Lake Louise.

Credit: Banff & Lake Louise Tourism (BLLT) / Paul Zizka

Dog-Sledding in Bow Valley

For a faster-paced alternative, a dog-sledding ride will trade a slow glide for zipping through forests and across frozen lakes. Sled dogs are extraordinary to watch, and extraordinarily exciting to experience.

Credit: Banff & Lake Louise Tourism (BLLT) / Jake Dyson

Canyon Icewalks to Frozen Waterfalls

In summer, Johnston Canyon is one of Banff's most popular hikes. In winter, it becomes something else altogether. As temperatures fall, the canyon's waterfalls freeze — massive, pale blue columns of ice stopped mid-cascade — and guided tours lead small groups along the canyon trails to see them up close.

It's one of the most otherworldly experiences the Canadian Rockies offer in any season.

Credit: Travel Alberta / Dan Schykulski

Winter Wildlife Tours

Grizzly and black bears might have begun hibernating, but winter in Banff National Park brings its own remarkable wildlife activity. Against the white backdrop of snowy forests, elk, moose, and coyotes become far more visible than they are in the summer months as they move through valleys and along the riverbanks in search of food.

Like in summer, a knowledgeable guide makes all the difference here. They'll show you where to look, when to go, and how to read the tracks and signs that you'll see.

Credit: Travel Alberta / Mike Seehagel

Guided Snowshoeing

Snowshoeing requires no prior experience, yet it opens up a side of Banff National Park that even summer hikers don't encounter.

We arrange guided snowshoe excursions for guests of all fitness levels: gentle introductory walks through old-growth forest to longer half-day routes with glacier views at their end. If you've never snowshoed before, this is the ideal place to start.

Where to Stay in Banff National Park

Where to stay in Banff largely comes down to one choice: downtown Banff, or outside the town.

Credit: Banff Loging Co

Best Hotel in Downtown Banff

For guests who prefer to be in amongst it all, the hotels flanking the north end of Banff Ave are a perfect choice. There's everything from lodge-style to boutique spots, many with mountain views on account of their location.

Our favorite downtown hotels for our own guests include the sister hotels Hotel Canoe & Suites and Otter Hotel (both with rooftop heated pools overlooking Cascade Mountain), and the Elk + Avenue Hotel for something really in the heart of town.

Credit: Fairmont Hotels & Resorts

Best Hotel Outside Banff Town

There are, of course, the iconic Fairmont hotels.

Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel overlooks the Bow Valley from its magnificent perch on the side of Sulphur Mountain and is a destination in its own right. The dining, the spa, and the sheer grandeur of the place will take up your time, each something to marvel at. And, while being set outside of downtown Banff's bustle, it's just a short walk — or an even shorter free bus ride — into the center of town.

Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise is a little further out — around a 45-minute drive — and less ideal if you want to be based out of Banff itself. Rather, it's perfect for a brief lakeside retreat or a wellness-centered getaway.

How We Choose Hotels

When choosing hotels for each vacation we design, we consider the wants and needs of each individual guest and the way the overall itinerary comes together. Our Travel Designers are great at knowing which one is right for who, and when — a couple's midsummer anniversary will look very different from a family Christmas vacation.

Our Senior Travel Designer helped us every step of the way. First of all, he wanted to understand the purpose of our trip. I could tell he was genuinely excited that we had reached this milestone in our marriage and really wanted to make this special for us. He ensured the hotels knew this was a celebration trip. - Mike, Recent Traveler

We work with a curated collection of properties across the country to get the fit right for each guest. That means you'll be paired with a unique combination of stays along your trip. If you have any particular dream stays, let your Travel Designer know when booking. If not, let us see what we can do for you.

Credit: Destination Canada

How to Get to Banff

Banff is most often accessed from one of two cities: Vancouver, in the west, or Calgary, to the east. Both Vancouver and Calgary have major international airports.

Despite being deep in the Canadian Rockies, the drive from Calgary to Banff is very short, just 1 hour and 27 minutes from Calgary Airport. For more information, we have a detailed guide on how to get from Calgary to Banff, and what you'll see along the way. Banff is a little farther from Vancouver, but starting here is actually our favorite way to recommend people get to the town.

The trip between Vancouver and Banff is one of the most beautiful in Canada. In Vancouver, you can board the world-famous Rocky Mountaineer for two days of riding the rails through the best of British Columbia and the Canadian Rockies. You'll spend two full days onboard the train, breaking the trip in Kamloops to sleep at a hotel overnight.

Our Favorite Packages With Time in Banff

This all being said, how do you best combine these activities into one vacation? Of course, that depends on each traveler — your distinct interests will combine in a different way from any other person's. We'll balance this with logistics and rest to make the perfect vacation for you.

Credit: Rocky Mountaineer

Canadian Rockies Train Trip Combo Circle

Few experiences truly begin a trip like two days onboard Rocky Mountaineer.

Starting with freshly-made gourmet meals, handcrafted drinks delivered to your seat, and world-class mountain views through Rocky Mountaineer's signature glass-domed windows, a day spent enjoying Banff's activities, and a tour to Jasper follows. You’ll return to Vancouver on the Canadian, Canada's sleeper train.

Perfect for: Refined travelers looking for the finer things in life

Credit: Tourism Vancouver Island / Jordan Dyck

Canadian Rockies & Vancouver Island Road Trip

If sensational scenery dotted with charming mountain towns, wildlife wandering thick pine forests, and rugged rainforest coastlines sound like your kind of Canada, then this route will be your cup of tea.

Starting in Vancouver, you'll weave your way up Vancouver Island alongside the Pacific, where ample marine wildlife abounds. Then, you’ll head towards the grand Canadian Rockies to weave you'll weave your way through Banff, Lake Louise, and Jasper, spending time to explore each as you go.

Perfect for: Aventurous travelers looking to explore Western Canada to its fullest

Credit: Fairmont Hotels & Resorts

Christmas in Banff at the Castle

A five-day retreat to a castle in the mountains timed to coincide with Christmas Day (which itself comprises a horse-drawn sleigh ride and an elaborate feast) is one of the more sumptuous ways to spend the holidays. When combined with a day trip to the frozen Lake Louise and a custom tour in Banff National Park, it makes the holiday a vacation.

Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel makes the holidays most magical, and there's simply no better place to ring in Christmas than in the snowy winter mountains of Banff National Park.

Perfect for: Any and all travelers looking for holiday magic

Credit: Canada By Design

How to Book

When booking with Canada By Design, we take care of the necessities, arranging your hotel stays, transport, and activities ahead of time. A Travel Designer will work with you one-on-one to include the best activities for you, and weave them into a custom itinerary. When the time comes, you just have to show up.

FAQs

Why should I visit Banff National Park?

Banff National Park is Canada’s original national park, and perhaps its most famous. It's full of postcard-perfect views, and iconic Canadian experiences. At the same time, it’s the commercial hub of the Canadian Rockies, offering easy access to restaurants and shopping to end your days exploring the mountains.

Do I need a Parks Pass when visiting Banff?

Banff town is located in Banff National Park, meaning you will need a Park Pass from Parks Canada to enter. This can be purchased at national park gates and information centers such as the one in downtown Banff.

Feature Image Credit: Travel Alberta / C&B Advertising