If you ever visit Canada, you won’t want to miss visiting Banff National Park. If you are flying, you will likely land in Calgary. I suggest renting a vehicle from the airport. Banff is approximately 1.5 hours away from Calgary, and having a car will allow you to explore the park. We came for a long weekend, so we only had a few days to cover some ground. We also decided to stay in Canmore just outside Banff, so having a vehicle allowed us to come and go as we pleased. Canmore is a great affordable option for lodging, and the town is super cute and has lots of shops and restaurants to experience. You will need to purchase a park permit to enter the National Park. The price will depend on the amount of time you plan to spend there.
- Lake Louise & Moraine Lake – You won’t want to miss the iconic Lake Louise and Moraine Lake. Lake Louise is just up the road from Moraine Lake making it easy to visit both at the same time. You pass Moraine Lake to get to Lake Louise. I can’t comment on Moraine Lake as we visited in the winter, and the access roads were unfortunately closed (something to consider when planning your trip)—a reason for us to go back. Luckily, we could get parking at Lake Louise, but the parking lot is busy. You will need to be patient or consider using the shuttle option. We got a glimpse of the Chateau Lake Louise, and took in the stunning turquoise waters and glaciers surrounding the lake. Depending on the season, activities such as boat, ski, and skate rentals are available through the Chateau on a first-come, first-served basis. Depending on your budget, you can stay at the Chateau or make dinner reservations and experience the restaurant for some fine dining.
- Johnston Canyon – I love hiking the Johnston Canyon trail. The trail is well maintained and absolutely stunning. Some sections were busier than others, it is a fairly popular spot. There are two waterfalls lower, and upper. Getting to the lower falls is approximately 1 hour around trip and double that for the upper. I would give yourself 2-3 hours to take it all in and just enjoy the nature. The hike includes catwalks, bridges, tunnels, lush forest and waterfalls, what’s not to love!
- Banff Gondola – Even though gondolas scare the sh*t out of me (photo evidence below), the Banff Gondola was well worth the ticket price, which is around $60 per adult. The gondola takes you high above the trees and up the mountainside to the summit of Sulphur Mountain. Here, you can hike some trails, take in the views, or enjoy the restaurant and tourist information center.
- Hot spring – Open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. After spending a day outside exploring, this was a great way to end our night with a relaxing soak in hot, mineral-rich water. It is not a natural spring but the price is relatively low and it was a relaxing experience with nice views of the mountain peaks. Single entry is around $20 per adult, and includes a locker rental.
Since we missed out on Moraine Lake we drove over to Emerald Lake in British Columbia. This is another incredible location and was nowhere near as busy as Lake Louise.
Check out the GuideAlong audio tours. Specifically the Canadian Rockies bundle! The audio tours are a great way to save money on tours, help plan your trip, find some hidden gems and even get recommendations on parking! It’s the perfect addition to any roadtrip.
