Banff

Glacier water, cold air, wide quiet.

Overview

“Cold air, clear water, nothing to prove.”

Banff sits in a bowl of limestone peaks, with glacier-fed lakes the colour of turquoise glass.

The air is cold and clean, the trails start almost at the edge of town, and elk wander the streets as if they own them.

Come in summer for open trails or in winter for snow and quiet.

Toward the centre: calm, culture, budget, near

When to go

Choose your season.

June

Banff in June: weather ideal, crowds busy, prices high.

Darker means more of it. Estimates from each place's best months.

2 hours
Moraine Lake
The Valley of the Ten Peaks, reached by shuttle. Arrive early for still water.
2 hours
Lake Louise
A glacier-fed lake with a walking path along its shore.
2 to 3 hours
Johnston Canyon
Catwalks bolted to the canyon wall, leading to two waterfalls.
2 hours
Banff Gondola
A ride up Sulphur Mountain for a view of the whole valley.
1 hour
Vermilion Lakes
Sunrise over still water with Mount Rundle glowing behind.
1 hour
Peyto Lake
A wolf-head-shaped lake, brilliant blue, high on the Icefields Parkway.

Itinerary

1
Day 1
Vermilion Lakes at dawn
Catch sunrise at Vermilion Lakes, where Mount Rundle glows above still water.
- Vermilion Lakes
2
Day 2
Johnston Canyon
Follow the catwalks of Johnston Canyon to the lower and upper falls.
- Johnston Canyon
3
Day 3
Lake Louise
Walk the shore of Lake Louise beneath its glacier.
- Lake Louise
4
Day 4
Moraine Lake
Reach Moraine Lake by shuttle early, when the Valley of the Ten Peaks is clearest.
- Moraine Lake
5
Day 5
The Icefields Parkway
Drive the Parkway north, stopping at Peyto Lake and the roadside glaciers.
- Peyto Lake