Banff, Canada
Entrance to downtown Banff
Banff, Canada
I decided to travel to Banff, Canada in September 2019. I had never actually heard of Banff until a few months prior to my trip but I had heard of Lake Louise. I pinned this beautiful, turquoise lake to my “Places I Want To Go” Pinterest board multiple times and I knew one day that I would want to see this lake in person. It looked so magical in the pictures and – spoiler alert – it looks even better in person!
So I did a little research and once I learned that this gorgeous lake was located in a small town in Alberta right in the midst of the Canadian Rockies, I (with very little hesitation) booked my week-long trip. I flew into Calgary which is a little more than an hour drive to Banff. The flights from Pittsburgh to Calgary cost less than $400 round trip with a layover in Denver. I also stayed in Canmore which is about 10-15 minutes outside of Banff. I would highly recommend taking this option, especially if you are staying for more than a couple of days. The price difference was about $100/night cheaper than any hotel in Banff. However, if you arejust going for 2-3 days and not renting a car, then you may want to consider paying extra to stay in downtown Banff.
Private balcony at the Falcon Crest Lodge
I stayed at the Falcon Crest Lodge and I absolutely loved waking up every morning to a cup of coffee on my private veranda while taking in the views of the Canadian Rockies. My place had everything I needed including a living room with a fireplace, kitchen, bathtub, comfortable bedroom, etc. I enjoyed having the kitchen because I saved a lot of money on food. Typically, I’d eat breakfast at my place, pack sandwiches and snacks for lunch, then grab dinner while I was out exploring. Also, Canmore has just as much to offer as downtown Banff does as far as restaurants and shops. Another plus is that this town isn’t as overcrowded with tourists or day-trippers.
Downtown Banff
With that said, I do recommend spending some time in Downtown Banff. The main road is situated perfectly within the mountain skyline and it’s a view that could keep you entertained all day long. Magpie and Stump was highly recommended to me but I ended up choosing to eat at other places. It has a Mexican style to it and that wasn’t really the type of food I was craving. I did enjoy the Bear Street Tavern and St. James Irish Pub. I highly recommend their french onion soup, if it's available. Rose and Crown is another popular restaurant and I enjoyed Banff Avenue Pub for some drinks.
Banff Avenue in downtown Banff
As you are coming or going to Downtown Banff, I recommend taking the beautiful, scenic, and quick trip down Vermillion Lakes Drive. I did this in less than an hour but you could easily spend multiple hours here soaking in the views. It’s a dead-end road about 2.5 miles long and I went right at dusk. Apparently if you go at this time you have a good chance of catching a lot of wildlife but I had no such luck. Maybe there was some wildlife next to me and I didn’t know it because I was too busy staring at the lake and mountain views.
Vermillion Lakes Drive at dusk
Another lake close to downtown Banff (just about 3 miles away) that I highly recommend checking out is Lake Minnewanka. This is another location that I spent just about an hour but you could definitely make a day trip out of this. I went in the evening when the kayak/boat rentals were closed but I got a cool experience because I was one of the only people wandering around the lake at this time.
Lake Minnewanka
The end of the dock at Lake Minnewanka
If you have a rainy day or if you are feeling tired from all of the hiking and outdoor activities, go check out the Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies. This is located directly in downtown Banff. Right next to the museum is an open area where they often have outdoor markets and live music. If you walk past that field, you’ll find a walking path right along the water and I recommend taking a stroll that way!
Another very popular activity in downtown Banff is riding the Gondolas. I chose to skip out on this activity due to the high price. If you book in advance, you can get tickets cheaper (around $40) but I was trying to book day-of and the cost was close to $70. The trip itself is 8 minutes long and you can also hike about 1 mile to the top of the mountain. I do plan to return to Banff one day and this will definitely be something I do my second time around. I found mixed reviews on this experience. Most people agreed the views were amazing but seemed like half the people thought it was worth the money and the other half thought it was overpriced. For me, paying $70 for an 8-minute ride didn’t fit into my itinerary during this trip.
Lake Louise
This is a MUST-SEE if you are traveling to Banff or anywhere in the surrounding area. Lake Louise is located about 30-45 minutes outside of Banff. I wouldn’t worry too much about any drive or distance in this area because it is all so scenic. My breath was taken away anytime I was in the car simply looking around. A really cool feature along the highways are these grass-covered bridges that they build every few kilometres so that the wildlife can cross over-top of the bridges while avoiding the highway traffic.
There is a hotel the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise if you’d prefer to stay at this lake. If you enjoy hiking, this would be a great option for you but it is more pricey to stay here than to stay in Banff or Canmore. I did two day trips to Lake Louise. I spent the first day hiking and they have a TON of hiking trails.
Lakes Agnes
I hiked Lake Agnes TeaHouse which is 6.8km and takes roughly 3 hours. There are some spectacular views along the way and you’ll find a waterfall right next to the teahouse. You can purchase tea or pie at the teahouse but since I packed my lunch, I chose to sit and eat my sandwich next to Lake Agnes. It’s really fun to see Lake Louise get smaller and smaller while you hike up this mountain. If you are feeling extra-adventurous then you can continue another 1.6km around Lake Agnes to hike Big Beehive. I am pretty brave but I will say that the farther you get on this trail, the smaller and steeper the trail becomes… So I got about 1km in but I did not make it to the top of Big BeeHive and I heard that most people quit before they get to the top. Maybe on my next trip. IF you can make it to the top, I know that the view is amazing because I’ve seen other people’s pictures. I hope one day to experience it for myself.
Big Beehive Hike
The second day at Lake Louise was spent on my absolute favorite adventure of the week which was canoeing Lake Louise. Now I will say that this was a pricey activity ($125/hour) but totally worth it. You could also do 30 minutes for $115. I would pay the extra $10. Also, guests at the Fairmont Chateau get priority in line. I happened to get to Lake Louise about 20 minutes before the line opened (I think it opens at 10am but definitely double check the hours before you go anywhere) so I waited the 20 minutes and got one of the first canoes out. I paddled down the lake and back and that took up about the entire hour. There is a worker at the end who will take your photo of you in the canoe. I decided to spend another $20 on the professional photo.
After my canoe trip, I hiked along the lake for an easy 45-minute flat walk. I really enjoy this walk and I loved seeing the lake from different angles. The view from the back of the lake towards the Chateau is pretty cool and you can walk along a little beach area.
I should mention that parking can be difficult at Lake Louise. Unless you plan on going first thing in the morning, you’ll probably have to park in their overflow parking lot. You park and then wait in line for a bus and then the bus takes you about 10-15 minutes to the Lake Louise area. Times can vary but this took probably close to an hour each way.
You will want to add in time to go see Lake Moraine while you’re visiting Lake Louise. This lake is real close to Lake Louise and has a similar appearance as far as the water color and mountain backdrop. There’s an easy and enjoyable hike along the rocks next to Lake Moraine that offers great views and takes no more than a half hour.
After a day at Lake Louise and Lake Moraine, treat yourself to the Banff Upper Hot Springs. I know I keep repeating myself but everywhere I went in Banff had a GREAT VIEW! Bring your swimsuit (and towel because they do charge extra for towels) and relax in these hot springs while you breathe in the mountain air.
Moraine Lake
Icefields Parkway
If you have a car (I rented one at the airport) then you must do yourself a favor and take the drive of a lifetime along the Icefields Parkway. If you leave Banff and continue past Lake Louise towards Jasper, you will see some of the most spectacular views of lakes and mountains imaginable. The drive itself from Banff/Canmore to Jasper National Park is about 3 hours but you will need to factor in time to stop and look at lakes or take photos.
Peyto Lake
The area itself is really simple to navigate. There’s just one highway and along that highway the signs are really easy to follow. So you’ll head north on Highway 93. Make sure you stop and get gas and use a bathroom before you get too far from Lake Louise. Along this drive, I stopped at a few different lakes but took my time at Bow Lake and Peyto Lake. You won’t see Peyto Lake from the highway. You have to park and walk down a path to get there and it's definitely a sight worth seeing.
Once you get to Jasper, you’ll drive along “Big Bend” which is a very noticeable U-shaped curve in the road. That’s how you know you’re close to your destination. This guide (click here!) is extremely helpful for things to do in this area and along this road trip but I’m going to tell you about everything I did.
Upon arrival in Jasper, you’ll see a Welcome Center and this is where you want to go. I came to this area specifically to see the Glacier Skywalk and once I drove to it, I learned that you can only get there by tour bus because there is no public parking. In the welcome center, you’ll have different options for tours. One of these is just the Glacier Skywalk and another is to do the skywalk and tour the Columbia Icefields (Athabasca Glacier). I chose to do only the Glacier Skywalk because you can drive up to the glacier and get very close to it (although you cannot walk on it unless you pay for the tour).
The Glacier Skywalk is a clear walkway that you walk out on. If the weather allows, you’ll have views upon views of glaciers, mountains, etc. There is a walking tour that leads up to the skywalk filled with lots of good information about the area including facts about the wildlife and the land. During my visit, a giant snowstorm came right as I was taking the tour. It cleared the skywalk of any other tourists. So while my views weren’t as great as they could’ve been, it was still really fun to walk out onto the skywalk with all of the snow coming down. I felt like I was in the middle of a snowglobe. I could still see some awesome views but I couldn’t quite capture them with my camera.
Like I said, you can drive right up to the Columbia Icefields and observe the glacier. They have markings on the land leading up to the glacier to show you how much the glacier has shrunk in size over the years due to global warming. The Columbia Icefields and Glacier Skywalk are the two most popular and highly recommended activities but there’s plenty to do and see along the highway. Make sure you give yourself the entire day for this road trip and make sure you layer. I experienced just about every season during this trip. Even on short hikes, make sure you have layers because at one moment the sun could be shining and the next moment, you’ll be in the middle of a snowstorm.
Columbia Icefield Skywalk
Athabasca Glacier
Johnston’s Canyon
I would pair up this hike with either a day trip to Lake Louise or a day trip to downtown Banff. It’s located right in the middle of the two. You’ll probably spend about 2-3 hours on this trip and make sure you check out both waterfalls. This hike is a pretty easy hike that is easy to follow. The path goes right along the water and you’ll be seeing new views constantly.
You’ll see two waterfalls on your hike through Johnston’s Canyon
Yamnuska Wolfdog Sanctuary
This is a hidden gem a little less than an hour from Banff (towards Calgary). I did this on the last day of my trip. I don’t want to give away too much because of how informative and educational this experience was. I’ve linked the website so you can read a little bit more about what’s involved. But I will say that this was a really neat and interactive tour. Make sure you schedule ahead of time! You can schedule on their website by clicking here.
Summary
Overall, this trip was beyond spectacular! Banff is definitely a place I would make a return visit. I’d love to check it out in the winter. The skiing is supposedly really amazing. I would spend at least 3 days in Banff and I think a week was a good amount of time. Most resorts do come with an unlimited National Park Pass (which will save you about $150) so check with your hotel before you purchase a park pass.
If you’re looking for a mountain vacation and love the outdoors then this is the trip for you! Everything from the hot springs, mountain views, hiking trails, waterfalls, and turquoise lakes was absolutely amazing. I would see this place soon while it remains one of the most untouched parts of the world. Due to the growing popularity of pictures on Instagram and people like me blogging about how amazing Banff is, the tourism numbers continue to increase annually. You can take that as a good or bad thing but this destination is quickly becoming very popular so I recommend moving it to the top of your list of places to go soon!
