By air
Calgary (YYC), ~1.5 h by road
North America · Canada
Banff, Canada
Turquoise lakes in the Rockies
Getting there
Best time to visit
June to September for the lakes; December to March for skiing
Don't miss
Lake Louise
Moraine Lake
The Banff Gondola
The Icefields Parkway
Things to do
Lake Louise and Moraine Lake
The Banff Gondola
The Icefields Parkway
The hot springs
Where to eat
Sources: Photo: Gorgo · Public domain
What to pack
Layers, hiking boots; learn the bear-safety basics
A quieter corner
Johnston Canyon's catwalks
Questions travellers ask
Should I visit Banff in summer or winter?
June to September for the lakes, or December to March for skiing.
How far is Banff from Calgary?
About 1.5 h by road from Calgary (YYC), where you'll fly in.
What shouldn't I miss in Banff?
Lake Louise and Moraine Lake, the Banff Gondola, the Icefields Parkway and the hot springs. Johnston Canyon's catwalks are the hidden gem.
What should I pack for Banff?
Layers and hiking boots — and learn the bear-safety basics before you set out. For dinner, think Alberta beef and the craft breweries.
About Banff
- Mountains
- Lakeside
Where it is
Banff is a resort town inside Banff National Park in the Canadian Rockies of Alberta, Canada, set in the Bow Valley about 126 km west of Calgary, at around 1,400 m.
History
First Nations, among them the Stoney Nakoda, Blackfoot, Tsuut'ina and Ktunaxa, have lived in and travelled through these valleys for at least 10,000 years. In 1883 three Canadian Pacific Railway workers came upon hot springs on Sulphur Mountain; a reserve was set aside around them in 1885, the beginning of Canada's national park system, and the railway built the Banff Springs Hotel to draw visitors.
People
Banff is a small town whose people work mostly in tourism and for the park, joined each season by young workers from across Canada and abroad, and English is the main language. The Stoney Nakoda, whose reserve lies to the east in the Bow Valley, are among the First Nations with deep ties to the park.
Known for
- Lake Louise and Moraine Lake
- The Icefields Parkway
- The Banff Gondola up Sulphur Mountain
- Hot springs and the Banff Springs Hotel
- Skiing and hiking in the Rockies
Did you know?
The hot springs of Sulphur Mountain, among them the Cave and Basin where Canada's national parks began, are the only home in the world of the Banff Springs snail, a critically endangered species.
We haven't written a guide for this place yet — you can still plan a trip here.