Complete Guide to Banff National Park

10/5/2022

**Updated : October 2022**
Use the map to see a visual of all our recommendations - click the arrow next to our photo to have a pop up list! This post may also contain affiliate links, which means we may receive a commission if you purchase a product via these links, with no extra cost to you!

Where is Banff?

There are a few different options you have when getting to Banff National Park. Most people that are visiting are either coming from Calgary (1 hour drive) or Vancouver (10 hour drive), however, if you're like us then you came all the way from Alaska! Although most people drive in on their own, there are also some tours that do all inclusive bus options like Discover Banff Tours.

Read our full post on the Alaska Highway here!

Banff National Park has a few different entry points - if you're coming from Calgary then you'll enter using the East Banff Gate, which is also the closest point to the town of Banff. If you're coming from the North then you'll enter through the Icefields Parkway, which is the direct path to and from Jasper National Park. There are two entrances on the West side of the park, so if you're coming from Vancouver or Kamploos, then you'll enter via either the Trans Canada Highway near Golden or via the Kootenay Highway near Radium Hot Springs.

Read our full post on Hot Springs in Canada here!

**It's a good reminder to know that in order to enter the Canada Parks, or to exit off the main Trans Canada Highway you need a Canada Parks Pass, just like in the United States. You can purchase these in person at the little booths when you enter the park or online here. There are two different types of passes, a Day Pass or a Discovery Pass - which is good for an entire year.**

Places to Stay & Camping in the Park

(map shared from the Parks Canada website)

Both of these stays are a part of the Basecamp Resorts collection, and you can read our full review of them both here! (Plus a code for 10% off!)

Since we visited the Parks in October, a majority of the campgrounds in Banff were closed for the season. However, there are plenty of places to camp inside the park. In order to camp, you'll need a valid national park camping permit, national parks entry pass, and a reservation which you can book here. (Check out each campground and it's services here!)

Since we weren't able to camp ourselves, we stayed in two different locations while in Banff. The first was Baker Creek Mountain Lodge - a cute cabin only 15 minutes away from Lake Moraine and Lake Louise! The second was Northwinds Hotel, in Canmore - with great views of the Canadian Rockies! Use the link to the right or code : Raarup10 for 10% off any stays at Basecamp Resorts!

Best Places to Eat

The town of Banff has an incredible amount of delicious places to eat, and although we aren't going to list them all here (if you really want you can read our entire list here) our top 3 in the town of Banff are Haankii Korean Streetfood, The Bear Street Tavern, and Beaver Tails for dessert. Outside of Banff there aren't too many options, but we did try the the Grill and Bar at Lake Louise Village and stocked up on some food from the Village Market since our stay at Baker Creek had a nice kitchenette.

I think it's essential here to point out that there are no food options at Lake Louise unless you are staying at the Fairmont. We went after the tea houses were closed for the season, and all food/beverage locations at Lake Louise have signs saying that they are only open to hotel guests. So pack a lunch and snacks! ;)

Banff Adventures

Alright, there is SO MUCH to do in Banff - so this section is going to be a long one. I'm going to start with the most famous, Lake Louise, and why we don't necessarily recommend stopping. Not only is the lake not as pretty as other spots in Banff (in our opinion) but it is also SO overcrowded and there are no places to eat. Which for us led to a very hangry day. It's also important to know that the parking lot at Lake Louise fills up pretty quick, so you'll most likely have to park at the Park 'n Ride across the freeway and pay to take the shuttle (which also requires a reservation which can be booked here). Even if you don't take the shuttle, there is also a parking fee at Lake Louise.

There are a few extra adventures you can take part in at Lake Louise, kayaking, horse back riding, and hiking just to name a few!

Our personal favorite was Lake Moraine - not only did it seem like the prettiest lake to us, but it also was not too crowded and the color of the lake was absolutely mind blowing. The parking for Lake Moraine also fills up pretty early, we were told between 2-4 am in the Summer and Fall, so you'll most likely have to take the Park 'n Ride shuttle again.

There's plenty of extra adventures at Lake Moraine too, think kayaking and lots of hikes! The two easiest (that we enjoyed) were the Moraine Lake Shoreline Trail and the Rockpile Trail.

Our second favorite was Peyto Lake - the colors were an unreal shade of blue, and we've truly never seen anything like it before. This lake requires a short hike uphill to get there, and can be a bit steep so we recommend some good shoes with grip. There's a great overlook that's been built up there too, with another trail that goes underneath the wooden overlook with a less obstructed view.

Next up on our list was the Banff Upper Hot Springs. Although it was very manmade - the views were incredible and there were 4 pools with varying temperatures and it felt amazing.

Another great lake area to explore is Banff's largest, widest, and deepest lake - Lake Minnewanka! We opted to take the Lake Cruise with the Pursuit Collection and we learned so much about the area's history! (Like did you know there's a flooded town at the bottom of the lake?!) The fall colors were stunning and it was so nice getting out on the lake!

You can read our full review of the Lake Minnewanka Cruise right here!

Our last recommendation would be to spend a few days exploring the other National Parks that border Banff National Park. Directly north you'll find Jasper National Park (the Icefields Parkway is one of the most beautiful in the world, and right afterwards is the Columbia Icefield Skywalk!), and west you'll find Yoho National Park, Kootenay National Park, Glacier National Park, and Mount Revelstoke National Park. While we were exploring Banff we visited 3 of these, and you can read all about them on our blog - just search for the park you're looking for!

Another great adventure we would highly recommend is taking the Banff Gondola to the Mount Sulphur Summit. Not only was the 8 minute ride incredible, but there's an entire discovery center at the top along with some restaurants and a great boardwalk hike to the Cosmic Ray Station.

Read our full review of the Banff Gondola here!