- Banff Avenue for mountain-town dining: game, fondue and poutines.
- The Grizzly House (1967) for fondue in a kitsch classic.
- Lake Louise's Station Restaurant in the 1910 railway station.
Banff City Guide
The Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel, seen from Surprise Corner. Photo via Wikimedia Commons.
Banff is the mountain town inside Canada's first national park: Cascade Mountain over the main street, elk on the lawns, and the Fairmont Banff Springs rising like a castle above the Bow River. Everything here is about the peaks.
The town itself is small; the sights are the lakes and canyons around it. Lake Louise and Moraine Lake are day trips, Johnston Canyon is the classic walk, and the gondola climbs Sulphur Mountain for the valley view.
What to do in Banff
In town
- 1
Fairmont Banff Springs The 1888 'Castle in the Rockies' above the Bow. - 2
Banff Gondola Eight minutes up Sulphur Mountain to the boardwalk summit. - 3Banff Upper Hot Springs The historic hot pools on Sulphur Mountain's flank.
- 4
Bow Falls The falls below the Springs hotel, an easy walk from town.
Day trips
- 1
Lake Louise The turquoise lake under the Victoria Glacier. - 2
Moraine Lake The Valley of the Ten Peaks; shuttles only, no private cars. - 3
Johnston Canyon The catwalk trail to the upper and lower falls. - 4
Lake Minnewanka The big glacial lake minutes from town.
Banff Hotel Guide
How to choose the best places to stay in Banff. Verified properties below; for the full list, search live availability on Booking.com.
Luxury
Fairmont Banff Springs
The castle hotel itself: stay for the building as much as the mountains.
View on Booking.com
Budget-friendly
HI Banff Alpine Centre
The hostel up Tunnel Mountain Road, with the hot tub view.
View on Booking.comWhere to eat
Getting there and around
Banff is 90 minutes west of Calgary (YYC) on the Trans-Canada; Brewster Express and Roam Transit run the route. A Parks Canada pass is required. Moraine Lake is shuttle-only in season; book Parks Canada shuttles ahead.