A Guide to Visiting Banff National Park, Alberta

Banff National Park is Canada’s oldest National Park and in my opinion, one of the most beautiful places in Canada. Located in Alberta’s infamous Rocky Mountains, Banff National Park has stunning turquoise lakes, gorgeous mountain and glacier views, amazing wildlife, and world-famous scenic drives. There is SO much to see and do in this incredible area of Canada. I hope you enjoy this guide to visiting Banff National Park!

NOTE: To visit Banff National Park, you will have to purchase a Parks Canada pass for the duration of your stay. You can do this either online before your trip or at the National Park gates. I recommend purchasing online if you are visiting during peak tourist season, as there might be long line ups to purchase at the gates. If you purchase the Discovery Pass, you can use the pass to visit the other National Parks in the surrounding area on your trip.

For more information on the Parks Canada pass: https://www.pc.gc.ca/en/voyage-travel/admission

WHAT TO DO

Banff Avenue

One of the most popular places to visit in Banff National Park is the town of Banff. The town is also the perfect home base for exploring Banff National Park. Whether you are staying in Banff or not, stopping in the town and seeing the main street, Banff Avenue, is a must. With an abundance of shops and restaurants, and a backdrop of the Rocky Mountains, walking along Banff Avenue is unforgettable.

Surprise Corner Viewpoint

Check out the Surprise Corner Viewpoint for a great view of the Bow River, which runs through the town of Banff, and the infamous Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel. To get to the viewpoint, simply drive down Buffalo Street towards Tunnel Mountain Drive. There is also a hiking trail from here called Hoodoos Trail, which runs along the Bow River.

Bow Falls and Bow River Walk

From the town, cross the Banff Avenue bridge over the Bow River and take the trail on your left that runs along the river. At the end of the trail, you’ll reach Bow Falls. I loved this beautiful and short walking trail. You can also walk the trail that runs along the other side of the river.

Cascade of Time Garden

Back at the Banff Avenue Bridge, you’ll see a stately building with a gated entrance. This is the beautiful Cascade of Time Garden. Take some time to wander around the lovely garden and admire the mountains in the foreground. Before you leave, make sure you head to the front of the building for an amazing view of Banff Avenue with Cascade Mountain in the distance.

Banff Gondola

Although it’s a very expensive attraction, I highly recommend taking the Banff Gondola up Sulphur Mountain. If you don’t plan on hiking up a mountain in Alberta, taking a gondola ride is a must to admire those incredible mountaintop views.

We went up the gondola around dinner time, walked around up top, and then had dinner at Sky Bistro. Dinner was delicious and I will never forget the views. There are also two other restaurants at the top of the gondola.

For tickets and more information on the Banff Gondola: https://www.banffjaspercollection.com/attractions/banff-gondola/

Fairmont Banff Springs Golf Course

We were lucky enough to stay at the Fairmont Banff Springs due to a great deal they had (their regular rate is way over my budget). My boyfriend is a golfer so of course, he had to golf the Fairmont Banff Springs Golf Course. I rode along with him and really enjoyed the amazing scenery. If you are a golfer or travelling with golfers, experiencing this incredible golf course is a fun thing to do in Banff.

Mount Norquay Lookout

From town, take Mount Norquay Road up to Mount Norquay Lookout for a great view of Banff and the mountains.

Vermillion Lakes

When you head back towards town on Mount Norquay Road, make a right onto Vermillion Lakes Road. Enjoy driving down this scenic road past various small lakes.

Two Jack Lake and Lake Minnewanka

Take Banff Avenue out of town to Lake Minnewanka Scenic Drive. You will first arrive at beautiful Two Jack Lake.

Continue on to Lake Minnewanka, where there is a great hiking trail along one side of the lake. A 25-minute, easy walk will bring you to Stewart Canyon Bridge and some beautiful views. This is as far as we went, but I would have liked to hike further. You can also choose to take a boat cruise on the long and narrow lake.

Johnston Canyon

Johnston Canyon is just outside of the town of Banff, located on the Bow Valley Parkway. During our trip, the Bow Valley Parkway was closed to vehicles. Luckily, you can take a 35-minute bus ride on the 9 or 8S Roam Transit bus routes, which take you right to the start of the canyon hike. Reservations for the buses are recommended during peak season.

We absolutely loved hiking at Johnston Canyon. The hike to the Lower Falls, and then to the Upper Falls, is relatively easy. For a longer and more difficult hike, you can continue on to see the Ink Pots; small pools of vibrant mineral water on the mountains.

For more information on Roam Transit: https://roamtransit.com/

Lake Louise

A 40-minute drive west from the town of Banff is one of the most popular spots in Banff National Park; Lake Louise. Visiting Lake Louise was one of my favourite days on our trip. I couldn’t get enough of the turquoise water and dramatic backdrop of the mountains. If you are exploring Banff National Park, visiting Lake Louise is a must.

To read my blog post, “A Perfect Day Trip to Lake Louise,” click here.

Icefields Parkway

On our trip to Alberta, we stayed in Banff for four nights, followed by two nights in the town of Jasper. To get from Banff to Jasper, you have to drive along the Icefields Parkway. This incredibly scenic drive is an infamous Alberta attraction in itself. With no stops, the drive is 3.5 hours, but be prepared to spend a whole day on the road, as you won’t want to miss any of the incredible attractions and viewpoints along the way. Even if you are not staying overnight in Jasper, I highly recommend allotting some time on your trip to driving at least a part of the Icefields Parkway and seeing some of the amazing sites.

To read my blog post, “A Guide to Driving the Icefields Parkway,” click here.

Other things to do in Banff National Park:

Cave and Basin National Historic Site
Banff Hot Springs
Hiking trails around the town of Banff: Hoodoos Trail, Tunnel Mountain Trail, Spray River Trail, Sulphur Mountain Trail, etc.

WHERE TO STAY

As previously mentioned, we were lucky enough to stay at the Fairmont Banff Springs when visiting Banff National Park. Although we got a great deal, it was still pricey, but we absolutely loved the amenities and the grounds. The staff and concierge were also incredibly helpful with any questions I had about our trip. Another plus is that since we stayed for more than three nights, we had complimentary breakfast at their great restaurant, The Vermillion Room, and complimentary parking at the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise.

Some other hotel options we were looking at in the town of Banff were Mount Royal Lodge, Caribou Lodge, Banff Park Lodge, and Brewster’s Mountain Lodge. These hotels all have good reviews and are located right in town, which is definitely convenient.

Since accommodations in the town of Banff are very pricey, another option is to stay in Canmore or the surrounding area. There are also tons of campgrounds in Banff National Park. You can also stay in Lake Louise, but options for accommodation and restaurants are much more limited. In my opinion, the town of Banff is the best home base when visiting Banff National Park.

WHERE TO EAT

For restaurants in Banff National Park, I can only recommend those that I enjoyed in the town of Banff.

Toulou’s was recommended to me for breakfast, although we did not end up going since we had complimentary breakfast at our hotel.

Our favourite lunch spots were Eddie Burger and Bear Street Tavern are delicious. From Bear Street Tavern, The Godfather is the best pizza I’ve ever had.

For dinner, Park Distillery is the spot to be at in town. I highly recommend the Sawback cocktail and rotisserie chicken dinner! An iconic Banff restaurant, which I actually went to when I was eight (but did not on this trip), is Grizzly House, a fondue restaurant established in 1967.

For fine dining, Sky Bistro at the top of the Banff Gondola is great and has incredible views. We also had an unforgettable experience at Eden in the Rimrock Resort Hotel.

For cocktails, we absolutely loved hanging out at the Rundle Bar in the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel – the view from the patio is incredible. The Bradshaw (voted best cocktail in Banff) and the Mai Tai are so yummy! If you are not staying at the Fairmont, I highly recommend having a drink at the Rundle Bar and walking around the Fairmont.