Banff, AL

A holiday in Banff is famous for its majestic mountains. Hiking on the mountains inside Banff National Park, which boasts more kilometres of hiking trails than any other mountain park in the world, makes for a memorable vacation. Using guides, cables, ladders and a suspension bridge, Mount Norquay’s Via Ferrata offers a different kind of climbing, complete with jaw-dropping views. This offers a unique perspective on the region and memories of your holiday to Banff that will last a lifetime. From the Norquay Look-Out, panoramas of the Canadian Rockies and Banff will take your breath away. Visitors can travel through protected areas to behold the beauty of Mount Assiniboine, the 6th highest mountain of the Canadian Rockies. The trails of Mount Assiniboine will take you past spectacular lakes, glaciers and summits. Alpine lakes and the surrounding snow-clad mountain peaks make this place a paradise for backpackers, and an all-round attractive destination for those who prefer to travel light.

The area surrounding Banff’s lakes offer some of the most incredible scenery in the world. On a drive to the lakes, each turn you take will leave you awestruck by the beauty around you. The turquoise waters of Lake Louise draw their brilliant colour from fine particles of suspended glacial sediment reflecting blue and green wavelengths of light. Known to the Native Americans as the “Lake of Little Fishes, Louise is regarded as the birthplace of mountaineering in Canada. Moraine Lake offers great opportunities for hiking, paddling and taking dramatic photographs. Accessible after a short uphill walk, Lake Peyto offers amazing views of its brilliantly turquoise, glacier-fed waters. Bow Lake is a stunning blue glacier-fed lake, and one of the more scenic and accessible of its kind in the region. Its turquoise blue waters are the source of the Bow River and its location allows for splendid views of the majestic Bow Glacier.

Designed in the Scottish Baronial style, the Banff Springs Hotel or “the Castle” is a majestic hotel looming over the landscape in Banff. Surprise Corner on Tunnel Mountain offers the most breathtaking views of this stunning landmark. The scenic Icefields Parkway will take you on a drive of a lifetime past the stunning scenery and wildlife of Banff. The 142-mile stretch traces the Continental Divide, while connecting Banff’s National Park to the Jasper National Park. Amazing sightings of wildlife and stunning views of glaciers, alpine lakes, iconic mountains and other breathtaking scenery await you. The 8-minute Banff Gondola ride will transfer you to the top of Sulphur Mountain for unparalleled panoramic views of Banff, 360-degree views of the surrounding peaks, Banff Town, Bow Valley and Lake Minnewanka. From the top, its crystal clear why both its earliest inhabitants and wildlife chose the Banff valley for their residence and pathway respectively.

The spectacular view from Banff’s historic Cascade Gardens at Canada Place is probably one of the most recognized photos of Banff Avenue and the Cascade Mountain. There’s no better spot to enjoy breathtaking panoramas of one of Canada’s most prominent peaks. Every traveller’s first stop at the Banff National Park should be the spectacular Sunshine Village which is said to get more snow than any other ski area in the Canadian Rockies. Within the Banff National Park are 3 ski resorts that, in combination, offer thousands of acres of terrain just waiting for you to enjoy. A hiking tour of the Banff National Park will allow you to enjoy great wildlife views. Let your camera capture all your Canadian Rockies vacation memories from your Banff holidays. If you still haven’t had enough of the Rockies, the Yoho National Park nearby offers more stunning scenery, amazing wildlife and winter sports opportunities.

Banff is located a 90 minute drive from Calgary International Airport. You can get to Banff using a private transfer, a shuttle bus, or a rental car. The Rocky Mountaineer train stops in Banff during the spring and summer. Edmonton is a 4 hour drive from Banff.

Seasons dictate the popular activities in Banff. Skiing is king during winter. In the summertime, biking, hiking and rock climbing rule. The best time to go on a holiday in Banff is between June and August and from December to March.

Nature lovers on a Canada tour will enjoy hitting the parks when the weather is welcoming and warm. On the other hand, skiers on holiday to Canada will want to vacation during the height of winter. Depending on what you wish to do during your Canada holiday, Banff can be your year-round destination, as temperatures dramatically fluctuate throughout the year.

Spring Comforts

If you made it to Banff, you most likely had an outdoor sport in mind. Your choice of sport will be dictated by the shoulder months of April to May which experience anything from warm weather to blizzards. But if you can’t indulge in your favourite sport in spring, leaving your resort and hitting the restaurants and stores of downtown Banff is a worthwhile option. Whatever the weather, art lovers taking holidays to Banff will find comfort at the Banff Summer Arts Festival.

Summer Festivals

Summertime in Banff sees the warmest weather and biggest crowds. This is the ideal season for nature lovers to go hiking or biking within the Canadian Rockies and take advantage of the rugged mountain terrain in whatever manner deemed fit. This is also a great time for culture lovers to soak up the events and festivals Banff has to offer by attending the Banff Summer Arts Festival as well as the celebrations marking Canada Day.

Autumn Horizons

September is the height of fall in Banff, while October can get quite chilly. During your holiday to Banff, watch out for the October blizzards that will quickly wipe away the beautiful leaves and foliage of autumn. In its turn, November brings silence to the Canadian Rockies as the summer warmth disappears, taking the crowds with it. Autumn offers ideal weather to keep warm and expand your horizons at the Banff Mountain Film & Book Festival.

Winter Culture

While snow typically falls every month in winter, December to March is the peak skiing period in Banff. Temperatures change quickly and radically vary on Banff’s different mountains. But there’s nothing more lovely and idyllic than starting your year with some cross country skiing fun during holidays in Banff, so make a plan. Winter in Banff isn’t only for the outdoorsy as culture lovers can attend the Banff Winter Festival and the Homegrown Art Festival.