Banff
:For the Scottish town that Banff was named after, see Banff (Scotland) The town of Banff in Banff National Park, in the Canadian Rockies, is the larger of the two populated areas in Banff National Park, about an hour and a half drive west of Calgary and four hours south of Jasper. Banff is part of the Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks UNESCO World Heritage Site. Like many mountain towns, Banff has a very different character in winter and summer. There is a decent selection of bars and restaurants but predictably a few too many souvenir shops and boutiques. European travellers will especially welcome the sidewalks that facilitate exploration of the town on foot.
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40 places match
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Banff Gondola Mountaintop Experience
Banff Gondola
Banff's sightseeing gondola provides visitors with great views of the Canadian Rockies and the town of Banff. The gondola takes you up 698m (2,292 ft) to an elevation of 2,281m (7,486 ft). At the top, there is a restaurant, gift shop, observation deck, photo opportunities, and a boardwalk to nearby Sanson Peak, at the top of Sulphur Mountain. On most Fridays and Saturdays, you can experience a sunset "Alpine Lights" dinner in the Panorama restaurant at the top of the gondola.
Varies seasonally; closed for 1 week in Jan for annual maintenance$62 per adult ($56 if booked 48 hr in advance)
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Banff Springs Golf Course
If you'd like to play golf, there's a 27-hole public golf course near to and operated by the landmark hotel. Along the season, several golf tournaments are arranged there.
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Banff Upper Hot Springs and Pleiades Massage & Spa
All the amenities of a modern facility are featured in this historic spa and bathhouse, with a backdrop of spectacular alpine scenery. Relax in soothing hot water where travellers have come to "take the waters" for more than a century. For an extra apres ski laugh, guests wishing to amuse can rent a hilarious 'traditional style' bathing costume. The outdoor hot pool is a great place to soak and watch falling snowflakes or the stars. Can be quite busy at times. In late spring, the hot springs flow sometimes drops significantly and must be supplemented with artificially-heated water. The Upper Hot Springs website's "Water" page states whether they are using all hot springs water or are supplementing.
10AM-10PM varies seasonally$7.30 per adult
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Bow River Trail
The Bow River Trail is a riverside trail of 0.9 or 1.4 km, which are paved and according to the home page of the Town of Banff even wheelchair accessible.
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Bow Valley Parkway
A scenic route from Banff to Lake Louise, running parallel to Highway 1. You have a good chance at seeing different mammals like bighorn sheep, wolves, elk, deer and grizzly bears. There are seasonal travel restrictions.
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Canoeing & kayaking with Banff Adventures Unlimited
formerly Blue Canoe
Three minutes walk from the centre of Banff, you can find the canoe docks. There, you can rent canoe or kayak to take a tranquil journey on the Bow River. 1- and 2-person kayaks available; canoes seat three. Guided tours in large voyageur canoes are offered twice daily. Purchase canoe vouchers at 211 Bear Street.
$36 per person for one hour
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Chateau Mountain Sports
Renting equipment for downhill skiing, snowboarding, and cross-country skiing (skate-skiing & classic). They also rent snowshoes, ice skates, hockey sticks & pucks.
8AM-8PM
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Fairmont Banff Springs Bowling & Entertainment Centre
Canadian 5-pin bowling, neon black-light bowling, an HD golf simulator, and a pool table.
Summer: Sun-Thu 3-10PM; Fri Sat 1-11PM; Winter: Sun-Thu noon-11PM; Fri Sat 1PM-midnight
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Fenland Trail
A very good spot for birdwatching all year, and you may also see beaver or muskrat in 40 Mile Creek. May be closed in spring due to calving elk. (Cow elk are very protective of calves.)
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Grotto Spa
Mineral pool, hot tub, eucalyptus steam room. Massages and other treatments available.
Mon-Thu 4-9PM, Fri Sat 9AM-9PM, Sun 10AM-6PM
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Holiday on Horseback
Trail rides, western cookouts (trail ride and campfire meal), and back-country rides. Wagons are available so that your whole group can go together, including non-riders.
From $46 per person
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Hoodoo Trail
A popular walk to the hoodoos (a kind of rock formations) east of Banff.
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Lake Minnewanka Loop
Great spot to see bighorn sheep next to the road, especially when you get to Lake Minnewanka and the area around Johnson Lake and Two Jack Lake.
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Marsh Loop
An easy walk of 2.4 km through the marshlands near Banff. This is a good place for birdwatching and there are good views of Mount Norquay.
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Mount Norquay Road
Look for bighorn sheep here, and if you are lucky, you may also spot a mountain goat along the cliffs.
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Norquay
The closest mountain to the Banff townsite, and it is much used by the locals. It is unique in the area because you can pay for skiing by the hour, and night skiing is available on Fridays and Saturdays. There is a tube park for non-skiers (and non-boarders.) The ski season is a little shorter at Norquay, because it is at a lower altitude than Sunshine and Lake Louise, and snowfall is less consistent. The trails here lean more towards steep and difficult, although there is still plenty of easy terrain. Giv'er Grandi (formerly Excalibur, accessed via Mystic Express lift) is North America's steepest groomed piste. The lodge is not much good for breakfast; lunch and beer on the deck can't be beat however!
$61 for full-day adult ticket
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Red Earth Spa
Access to hotel hot pool, steam rooms, and exercise rooms. Massage, body wraps, various other treatments.
9AM-9PM (varies seasonally)
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Rimrock Spa
There are two individual massage rooms, one facial/Vichy room, a second facial room, 2 manicure stations, and 3 pedicure stations in the spa. Two couples/double massage rooms are located on the 4th and 5th floors. Spa guests may also use the hotel pool, whirlpool, sauna, and outdoor patio decks.
Daily 8AM-10PM
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Rocky Mountain Raft Tours
Float trips down the Bow River starting near the base of Bow Falls. The only rafting trips that take place inside Banff National Park; other rafting operators will pick you up in Banff and then start the trip somewhere outside the park. Season is from mid-May to late Sept.
From $50 per adult
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Rude Boys
Rents snowboarding equipment only. Second location at 205 Caribou St.
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Sally Borden Fitness and Recreation Centre
Facilities include a climbing wall, spin studio, aquatics centre (25-m pool with view of Sulphur Mountain, hot tub, whirlpool, wading pool, steam room, and sun deck), massage, physiotherapy, drop-in classes (e.g. spin, yoga, zumba) and more.
Mon-Fri 6AM-10PM, Sat Sun 7AM-10PM$10 adult day membership, $5 adult public swim
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Sleigh rides
Their 12- and 18-passenger sleighs do hourly trips near the Banff townsite. Rides are roughly 45 minutes. They will provide hats & mittens if needed, blankets are also supplied to bundle up in. Couples can book a private 2-seater sleigh ride for $182 per couple.
Daily 10AM-8PMFrom $30/adult
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Snowtips-Backtrax
In addition to downhill ski equipment, they rent cross country skis, light touring skis, skate skis, telemark skis, ski clothing & helmets, ice skates, crampons, snowshoes, winter boots, and sleds.
08:00-20:00 every day
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Sulphur Mountain Trail
Rather than taking the gondola up Sulphur Mountain, you can hike the trail up to the top of the ridge and catch the gondola down. (It's half price to just take the gondola down, but it's free before 10AM and after 7PM.) The trail is steep but manageable for those with a reasonable level of fitness. Note that there is a little-used road that goes down the side of Sulphur Mountain that is away from the town, which has been mistaken for the hiking trail; the road is much longer than the hiking trail. If you opt to hike down after taking the gondola up, you should be able to see the gondola towers and cables on your way down, as the hiking trail zigzags below the gondola lift.
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Sunshine Meadows
An alpine park with trails with varying difficulty levels. There are guided walks too, and the area offers good views of the highest mountains in the Banff National Park. Shuttle bus access from Banff.
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Sunshine Village
20 minutes west of the Banff townsite. It also receives more snow than the other two resorts and benefits from a higher elevation and a generally longer ski season. All natural snow, no snow-making. Also fantastic scenery. It is the only resort of the three to have on-hill accommodation. Buffet breakfast served in the lodge at the bottom of the gondola - not much else until lunchtime once you get to the top.
$85 full-day adult ticket
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The Banff Centre
A globally respected arts and cultural centre featuring performances and events with dance, music, theatre, opera, film, books, new media, and visual arts.
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Tunnel Mountain Trail
A hike of 4.3 km, ranked as "easy". It starts from downtown Banff and takes you up the Tunnel Mountain, from where you have a nice view over the surroundings. You won't find any tunnel along the trail; when the Canadian Pacific railway was constructed in the late 19th century a plan was to build a tunnel through this mountain but it never happened.
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Ultimate Ski & Ride
Ski and snowboard equipment for rent. They have a second location at Inns of Banff, 600 Banff Avenue.
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Via Ferrata at Norquay
A bit safer way of climbing, also performed with guides. You go up the mountain along a sort of ladders on the mountain wall.
35 of 40 places have map locations.