What to see in Banff town and its surroundings: 10 top plans

Welcome to this article, where, based on our own 21-day travel experience in the Canadian Rockies , we tell you what you can do and see in Banff town.

One of the articles inside the super guide to traveling to Canada.

Banff town , along with Lake Louise town, which we will visit later on our route , is the most important municipality in Banff National Park in Canada, one of the five national parks in the Canadian Rockies. It is the most populated, largest, and most populated municipality in the park.

The route we recommend for visiting Banff National Park is to stay here in Banff for about 5-6 days and from this base visit everything we show you here and then visit from here Lake Louise , Johnstone Canyon , Yoho National Park and the glaciers of Icefields Parkway and the famous Icefields Parkway.

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How to get to Banff Town

On our trip, we arrived in Canada at Calgary airport. From Calgary, we reached Banff in 1,5 hours and 128 km driving along the TransCanada Highway, a superbly maintained road open year-round, already within Banff National Park.

Actually Calgary, if you are going to visit the Canadian Rockies, is the best airport to enter Canada, the closest without a doubt.

The best way to get from Calgary to Banff Village is by car, as it offers greater flexibility for getting around. However, if you prefer public transport, you'll have no problems. Everything is very well organized with shuttle buses and connections both from Calgary to Banff Village and within Banff National Park itself, allowing you to easily visit the various points of interest.

There are multiple shuttle bus services from Calgary Airport or Downtown Calgary to Banff or Lake Louise. Additionally, you can also take the train through the Rocky Mountains for a breathtaking experience from Calgary or Vancouver.

Banff how to get around the town and its surroundings

Banff town is a relatively walkable town for a European . Let me explain.

The first difference we notice between North American and European countries is the layout of their streets. In Canada , as in the US, the streets are not designed for walking. They are very wide and designed for cars rather than pedestrians.

In Banff, this is partly the case because it covers a large area. But what we loved about Banff is that it also has a completely pedestrianized downtown area.

In general, then, Banff is a town whose 4 km of town centre can be easily explored on foot and also by bicycle.

However, to go to places of interest in Banff town, further away from the center, or surrounding areas, which we will tell you about here, you will need to travel by vehicle to get there or by public transport, or what we advise you is to visit it through the tour that there is in Banff.

You can travel by private vehicle or public transport using its network of public buses to visit its different places of interest and surroundings within Banff National Park such as Lake Louise, Lake Minnewanka or Jonsthon Canyon.

Where to stay in Banff Village

Most likely, Banff village will be your base for visiting the Canadian Rockies or at least Banff National Park, which is the most visited of the 5 national parks in the Canadian Rockies.

The town of Banff is one of the towns with the most accommodations in the area, Banff has approximately 50 accommodations.

If you still don't have accommodation booked for your trip, we recommend one of these 50 hotels in Banff, due to its proximity to Calgary airport and proximity to the main attractions of the Canadian Rockies and Banff National Park.

See which of the 50 best suits your tastes and budget, all of them in general in Canada are very good.

Banff Village: Top 10 Things to Do and See

Banff Town is one of the most tourist-friendly towns in the Rockies and is famous for its scenery, hot springs and outdoor activities.

In Banff town and its immediate surroundings you can visit the following attractions:

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Bathe in Banff Hot Springs and see the Cave and Basin National Historic Site

If there is an iconic historical site in Banff National Park, it is the Cave & Basin National Historic Site.

Thanks to the discovery, in 1983, of this cave, where hot springs emerge , the Banff National Park was declared by the Canadian government in 1885 , the first declared National Park in Canada.

Today, in the Cave and Basin, you can visit the cave with stalagmites and stalactites, a fountain and a legendary natural thermal pool. A special place for indigenous peoples for over 10.000 years.

Entry is free with the Discovery Pass card.

Additionally, we find a visitor center in the Cave and Basin where we have interactive exhibits, short films and other activities.

The Banff Upper Hot Springs

Outside the historic Cave, and further up a road that leads to the Sulphur Mountain gondola, we find the spa where we can bathe in the thermal waters, the Banff Upper Hot Springs.

These hot springs in Banff are a cherished tradition for any visitor to Banff National Park. Relaxing here in these warm, mineral-rich waters is priceless.

The baths are in a federally listed heritage building and feature an outdoor pool overlooking the rugged peaks of the Rundle and Cascade mountains . Its water temperature ranges from 37 to 40 degrees Fahrenheit.

The opening hours are from 10:00 AM to 10:00 PM , but the last entry is at 9:30 PM. Tickets cannot be purchased in advance or online; they can only be purchased in person at the reception desk.

Prices are $17,50 for adults and $15,25 for children. You need to bring a swimsuit, flip-flops, and a towel. There's a family ticket for two adults and two children for $56,75 , which saves you a little money and isn't bad.

Cascade Gardens

Cascade Gardens is a haven of peace and beauty in Banff Village, right in its center.

These gardens are located at the base of Mount Cascade , tastefully designed and with beautiful views.

The gardens feature a combination of built and natural decorative elements , with a wide variety of ornamental flowers and plants of all colors. They are full of Columbian ground squirrels and other types of small squirrels.

These gardens are accessible to everyone. Organized with different thematic areas, which guide the visitor through their paved paths.

In addition to ponds, fountains, bridges, and wooden pergolas, there is a large historic building that resembles a palace or castle. This place is the headquarters of Banff National Park.

Stroll among art on the banks of the bow river  and see the Bow Falls 

The Bow River flows through Banff Village and is one of the most important rivers in Banff National Park. Therefore, you shouldn't miss visiting its banks, waterfalls, or even taking a canoe trip if you'd like.

I'll tell you a little about the route we took to visit it.

We strolled along Banff Avenue until we reached the Bow River, where there's a really cool bridge ( location ) and wooden walkways. Canoes and kayaks are available for rent there if you'd like a fun trip on the river. Then, we crossed the bridge and walked through Cascade Gardens , where the Banff National Park offices are located amidst a beautiful garden park. We continued a little further along the Bow River Trail, which is full of sculptures and artwork, until we saw the waterfall formed by the river. From there, we turned back—an easy and very pretty 1,5 km route .

Visit Lake Minnewanka y Stewart Canyon Bridge

One of the closest and most famous lakes to Banff town is Lake Minnewanka.

To visit this beautiful lake, you must take a tour of Banff , or take your own car or the bus and park in one of its parking lots, which fill up early in the summer: GPS coordinates: 51°14'52.6″N 115°30'02.4″W/51.247944, -115.500667

From this parking lot there is a dock where you can take a boat for a tour of the lake and there is also a cafeteria, kayak or motor boat rentals and various trekking activities.

This is the only lake in Banff National Park where you can rent a motorboat. Although it is noisy and aesthetically pleasing, it is a great option for those who may have difficulty rowing.

We decided to walk a little to see the lake from its shore and get to the Stewart Canyon bridge, where from here on they don't let you do any trekking without bear spray.

The route is 7,5 km round trip, easy and without elevation gain.

Vermilon lakes

From the center of Banff you can take a 6,5 km round trip hike to visit the Vermilon Lakes, a group of lakes very close to Banff Village.

There's no place to rent a canoe there , but if you rent a canoe on the Bow River from Banff Village, you can tow it for a while and do the Vermilion Lakes by canoe.

If you prefer not to go trekking, you can go by public transport or by private car park in a small parking lot on the side of the road that goes up to Lake Louise.

Walk through the fairy chimneys, the Hoodoos

Another highlight of your Banff tour is the Hoodos, unique and spectacular rock formations of sandstone, limestone, and sedimentary rocks, also known as fairy chimneys.

They are a very cool geological attraction located along the banks of the Bow River, near the public campsites in Banff Village. These rock pinnacles help us understand how wind and water erosion works on the terrain over thousands of years. Erosion that has left the rocks as thin columns at the top and larger ones at the bottom.

To see the Hoodoos you can do so from a viewing point or from a couple of trails that pass by them.

The best viewpoint, with a small parking lot, is the Hoodoos Viewpoint , where the Hoodoos Trail Head starts , an easy trail with good panoramic views of about 10 km to another of Banff's cool viewpoints, the Surprise Corner Viewpoint , where there is also another small parking lot.

Go hiking or ride the Banff Gondola to the overlook of the Sulfur Mountain.

Sulphur Mountain offers stunning views in Banff Village. To reach this peak, which boasts some of the best panoramic vistas of Banff and the valley, you'll need to arrive by public transport or private vehicle and park in the designated parking area where the trail to the summit of Sulphur Mountain begins .

GPS Coordinates: 51°08'53.7″N 115°33'28.0″W/51.148250, -115.557778

From here starts the well-marked Trail, which is less than 10 km to go and return to the summit of Sulphur.

For those who prefer not to walk, there is the option of taking a cable car, the Banff Gondola , for a reasonable price.

We were keen to do some trekking and enjoy nature, so we decided to hike there and back. It has an 800-meter elevation gain , so even though it's easy, the route has a fairly steep incline.

At the top we arrived at a restaurant and a beautiful viewpoint overlooking the town and the valley.

Then we went back down to relax at the Banff hot springs, which are just a 5-minute walk from where we parked at the Sulphur; it's the same parking lot.

Take a fairly easy hike to the peak from Tunnel Mountain with good views over the valley and the city

If you prefer to climb a summit but on a shorter route with less elevation and impressive views of the valley and Banff, there is an alternative.

The alternative is the summit of Tunnel Mountain. It's a 4 km round trip with 418 meters of elevation gain, easy and with an exceptional reward at the end. The parking lot is very small, but if there's no space, you can park down below.

Visit Banff Park Museum National Historic Site

The Banff Park Museum National Historic Site is free with the Discovery Pass, which, as we have indicated above, you must have in order to access Banff National Park.

There are many stuffed animals in this museum, which left us with a bit of a strange feeling. Honestly, we didn't know if we liked what we saw or not. We love animals, but stuffed animals are something else…

On the other hand, all the well-explained exhibits were very educational and entertaining for the little ones in the house.

Buffalo Nations Museum

A small but interesting museum to understand the origins of these lands and the importance of the buffalo to indigenous history.

Your visit lasts approximately one hour exploring the different exhibits with very complete information about indigenous cultures and histories.

It closes at 18pm and costs $12 for adults and $6 for children, free for those under 7 years old.

What to see in Banff town, conclusions 

Overall I can tell you that Banff Village is one of the most beautiful towns we have seen in Canada. A place where you can breathe absolute safety. A wonderful place to be able to get around without a car, which offers many options in its town centre.

Furthermore, it is a small town, but with all the services and shops you may need.

A place, without a doubt, that you will fall in love with as much as we did.

We hope you found this article useful and that you fall in love with Banff Village as much as we did. We look forward to hearing from you in the comments.