Where to stay in Banff National Park (A Complete Guide)

After multiple visits to Banff and roadtrips through the area, we've been fortunate to spend quite some time exploring the National Parks in Canada. Having stopped in Banff & Canmore multiple times, we thought we would put together a little review to help you choose the best place for you to stay during your visit. If you're planning a longer trip, I highly encourage you to move around and stay in a few different areas to make the most of your visit in Banff.

Our Essential Travel Resources :
There are plenty of travel companies, but these are my favorite websites and resources for planning an unforgettable trip. This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.

For flights, we recommend Hopper to compare the cheapest travel dates.
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Car rentals comparisons are best through Discover Cars - just make sure to bring your international driver's permit with you!

We always use Expedia's easy to use platform for hotels.

To keep cell service while traveling internationally, we always use Airalo’s easy eSIM’s (no installation required), and NordVPN to stay safe while connecting to different wifi.

For fun things to do, we always recommend Viator to find the best tours in the area, otherwise Get Your Guide also does the trick.

Just in case, Safetywing is the insurance I always use for travel insurance.

Lastly, my packing list for any international or domestic travels.

Getting to Banff & Choosing Where to Stay

Getting to Banff is fairly straightforward, the easiest way is to fly into Calgary and then rent a car for a fun road trip. The drive from Calgary to Banff takes about 1 hour 45 minutes, and the views are increasingly beautiful the closer you get to Banff. Once you arrive in Banff National Park, you'll need to choose where to stay. There's 3 main areas we would recommend, the first being the town of Banff - which has the most options on where to stay and places to eat in the park - the second being the town of Canmore that lies just outside the Banff National Park border, and the third being around the Lake Louise Area. Below, I've listed our favorite stays in each of these areas of Banff.

Our Favorite Tours in Banff : 
- The Banff Gondola
- Banff Day Trip to 4 Lakes
- Lake Minnewanka Cruise

Where to Stay in Banff National Park

The Lake Louise Area

• ​Baker Creek by Basecamp Resorts - located only about 10 minutes from Lake Louise and Lake Moraine, this is forever one of our favorite stays in Banff, imagine the coziest cabins with river-side fire pits, picnic tables and grills, and wood for the wood fire stoves
• Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise - this is the only stay located right on Lake Louise, and although spendy is one stay that should be on everyone's bucketlist, think unbeatable views of Lake Louise and the Rocky Mountains plus being able to visit the Lake without the busy crowds - not to mention the fairytale like stay itself

The Town of Banff

• ​The Kenrick Hotel - think Nordic style meets modern interior, with a full interior pool open year round along with their two hot tubs, they're located right on Banff Ave, making them the perfect downtown stay within walking distance to Banff's many places to eat
• Peaks Hotel - this cozy yet modern hotel is located about one block out of downtown Banff, so still within walking distance to all the restaurants, and they have a hot tub and steam room onsite
• Basecamp Suites Banff - these cozy suites are apartment style, meaning most their rooms have small kitchenettes (perfect for longer stays), plus they have an incredible rooftop hot tub with gorgeous mountain views
  
• Buffalo Mountain Lodge - if you're looking for a cozy mountain lodge, then this is the stay for you, they have a hot tub and outdoor spa pool with a 24 hour fitness center (more amenity options than some of the other stays on our list)
  

The Town of Canmore

• Basecamp Resorts Canmore - ​these simple yet modern rooms are one of the cheaper yet nice stays in the area, and they even have an outdoor hot tub with incredible views
  
• Blackstone Mountain Lodge - this luxurious lodge has a heated pool and two hot tubs in addition to their onsite fitness center, their rooms are simple, modern, and cozy
• Stoneridge Mountain Resort - if you're looking for an epic mountain lodge stay in Canmore then this might be the one, with rooms that are simple and modern (similar to Blackstone Lodge), they also have an outdoor pool, sauna, and hot tub onsite with amazing views of the mountains
  

Watch our Canada Adventures here!

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Other posts you might be interested in :
​-> Best Places to Eat in Banff
-> Banff Gondola Guide
-> Lake Minnewanka Cruise Guide

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