What an amazing time I had at this park! I am a big National Park junkie back in the U.S. and was…read moreexcited to visit my first Canadian National Park. I came with my running group and they combined our runs with various activities around the park. Banff National Park is Canada's oldest national park and was established in 1885. It is known for its mountain peaks and turquoise glacial lakes (Lake Louise and Moraine are the two popular ones). Banff offers year-round outdoor adventures like hiking, wildlife viewing, cycling and skiing. The Town of Banff has lots of shopping and restaurants for those that aren't into the outdoor activities. Banff National Park is located in Alberta's Rocky Mountains and has several large glaciers and icefields. Nearby are Yoho, Jasper and Kootenay National Parks. The Town of Banff is at the center of the park in the Bow River Valley. The park itself has a variety of recorded mammal species. Banff National Park has been successful at reducing the number of animals killed on the roads by building wildlife crossings. We drove under a number of these while driving through the park. They are such a clever idea. My running company booked three runs in and around Banff National Park. The views were gorgeous as we did our trail runs. When I first arrived, we took a tour bus to Lake Louise, Moraine Lake and Emerald Lake (in nearby Yoho National Park). I really enjoyed the beauty of those lakes and was able to do some photography work at them. They are just as pretty in person as the pictures that you see on the internet. The huge crowds in the summer was the only downer part. For activities, we canoed down the Bow River. That was a lot of fun and we got great views of the mountain ranges while on the river. We also did the Via Ferrata at Mt Norquay. It was my first time doing one of these and it was easily one of my favorite activities. On my final day, I took the Gondola to the summit of Sulphur Mountain. You can see the whole Town of Banff from there and the breathtaking mountain ranges all around. The Town of Banff has lots of retail stores, gift shops and restaurants. I ate very well on this trip. Overall, Banff was an amazing experience for me. The flight to Calgary from Arizona wasn't too long and my running company did a great job in booking all of my activities. I look forward to a trip back someday!

We took a trip to British Colombia and Alberta this Fall to visit Canada's national parks. Out of…read morethe three we visited, Banff was by far our favorite! It's Canada's oldest national park, established in 1885. It's located in the beautiful Rocky Mountains. The highlights of our time in Banff included Lake Louise, Banff Gondola, Sulphur Mountain, Bow River & Falls, Fairmont Banff Springs, Bow Valley Parkway, and so much gorgeous scenery along the way. We didn't see much wildlife in Banff while we were there, but did bring one can of bear spray to take on hikes with us, just in case. You can purchase national park passes at the ranger stations at all entrances of the park. For the 2 of us, it was $22 CAD/day. This park lives up to all it's hype and I would highly recommend.

I can't believe there's only one other review for this beautiful park in the heart of Banff town!…read more Just a few minutes walk from downtown Banff and perfectly situated along the Bow River, Central Park is a huge park for everyone to enjoy! My first time here was actually in summer of 2019 and they happened to have live music one afternoon at the gazebo. So many people were spread out around the park relaxing on the grass, picnic blankets or sitting at one of the many picnic tables just enjoying the sunny day, hanging out and listening to the local artist/band while soaking in the gorgeous views of the mountains and Banff town! More recently, my hubby and I were back in town for the 2023 Banff Marathon/Half Marathon/10K weekend and the race hub was set up at Central Park (race packet pick up, expo, pre-race festivities, and start/finish area). We loved getting to do "Yoga in the Park" here as part of the Banff Marathon festivities and just hang out here before and after the race itself. If I lived in Banff, I'd probably be here everyday! It's just the most picturesque place to go for a run, walk, have a picnic, take your kids to play in the playground or just run around on the grass. They even have a farmers' market and craft market here from time to time (possibly weekly), and a large public washroom/restroom building by the main parking lot. Not to be missed when in Banff!

What a great place to be on Canada Day! Live music, dancing, drums, fireworks, everyone in red -…read morefrom head to toe. Great to see the community to come together to celebrate their country. Shout out to Amelie Patterson. Awesome performer- hope she comes to SF one day.

Absolutely breathtaking! Pics don't do this garden justice! Definitely one of most beautiful…read moregardens we have been to (and we have been to many many gardens including Buchart in Victoria). Free to enter, free parking too! We spent about 2 hours here just soaking in all the manicured beauty! And an easy walk to all the shops and cafes in Banff Village :)

It's a free garden just outside of downtown. I found it quite bland just because everything is…read morequite artificial and not very natural but it is a free attraction near town, so there's that. Quick 30 minutes walk through the garden.

Absolutely gorgeous falls! A must-see while visiting the town of Banff. The parking lot is decent…read moresize, and well maintained. You can see the falls from the area right across the parking lot. If you want a view from above, you can take the stairs trail up to the top. Such beautiful scenery and the sound of the waterfall is therapeutic. There are places to sit and eat and enjoy the waterfall at the base and riverbank. Such an awesome viewpoint. Would highly recommend!

Great parking space. It got chilly and windy but the falls was so far the widest though shortest…read moreI've seen. The sound of the falls just couldn't be beat regardless! Great stop!

The Banff Gondola is a to do while in Banff. If you're not a mountain climber but you want to get…read morethe effect of being right up there with them, this is the easiest way to do it. I was late a half hour from my designated time slot however the ticket desk folk were forgiving and shifted my time to match my arrival. The gondola will get you up 7,486 feet = 700 meters in the air to view the stunning Canadian Rocky Mountains. The 360 degree views are amazing and they allow you to stay up on the viewing deck/boardwalk for at least 90 minutes. It's actually a nice walk and the views change as you move along the path. The altitude might get to some folks and there's a lot of stairs to climb so if you're not active, you may need to take more breaks. Thankfully the path has a lot of benches/viewpoints along the way if you need to catch your breath. I also managed to catch some wildlife and came across a family of non-threatening mountain sheep. Disclaimer: At best stay on the wooden boardwalk. There is a portion of the trail that is outside the designated leasehold area which are not guarded by rails. I can't remember exactly where this is but you'll know when you see it. It's mostly rock/gravel covered with no railing. The drop is sudden and one wrong move will cause you to fall over 7,000 feet. Your doom is either that or risk running into a bear if you go off path. The parking situation is decent as long as you don't go during prime hours. You will have to pay a separate fee to park your car if you're driving in as this location does not honor the Parks Canada parking pass (even if it's for Banff/Lake Louise). There are dining options if you want to eat lunch or dinner up above. Sky Bistro has some pretty sick views. On the way out they have a gift shop and Starbucks. Definitely do the Banff Gondola as a half day trip. It's fun and you won't regret it.

We took the shuttle bus up from the downtown shopping area. When we got there, it was completely…read morepacked with people. It felt a bit hectic. I was worried with a 4 rider limit, that my friend and our 3 kids wouldn't be let in together. But with how tiny they are, they let us all in and I'm grateful for that. I have a slight fear of heights so going up was not a pleasant experience. Going down was a lot better for me and felt faster. Reaching up top was great! There are so many activities in every level. And a fun walk outside. They had the fire going because it was so cold. Be aware if you follow the trail to walk it gets a bit harder to breathe as you go up. But it's a fun walk. Just remember that you'll be going up both ways. So if hiking is not your thing, don't attempt it.

Scenic and peaceful spot just outside of Banff. Great for kayaking or SUP; water is very calm. It's…read morelocated right alongside the biking trail and is a nice change of pace.

Came here for one of the sunsets and it was nice, peaceful and of course beautiful. The water is so…read morecalm the reflection of the mountains is like a mirror image. Sitting there watching the sunlight slowly fade behinds the mountains it was truly a peaceful and calm moment for my mind.

Nice, good sized park and completely fenced in. It's only a few minutes from the main stretch in…read moreBanff And it's right off the main highway. It's very foresty in here and I wouldn't be surprised to see some wild animal skittering through.

I had a blast doing the Via Ferrata here at Norquay. My running group company booked this adventure…read moreas an excursion on our trip to Banff. The Via Ferrata (Italian for the Iron Path) has five different types of adventure tours: Explorer, Ridgewalker, Alpinist, Skyline and Summiteer. Each of these trails cater to all different types of skill levels. My travel company booked the Explorer package for our group which is 1 km (3,280 feet) in distance and lasts just over 2 hours. The views are breathtaking and I really enjoyed doing my first Via Ferrata. You can see one of the coolest looking mountains Mount Rundle in the distance while on the trail. Mount Norquay has a rich ski culture that goes back to the early 1900s. It lies directly northwest of the Town of Banff and is one of Banff National Park's three major ski resorts. The mountain has a top elevation of 6,998 feet. The main chair lift is one of the oldest lifts in North America and has been providing riders with views of the Bow Valley since 1948. Mount Norquay Ski Resort is operated by Norquay Mystic Ridge Ltd. Norquay has a total of 60 runs and is a huge supporter of alpine ski racing. The Mount Norquay Via Ferrata is located in Banff National Park. We had a great guide that took us up the sheer rock wall and across the suspension bridge. I initially was a little nervous, but felt safe the whole time with the harness that attaches to the mountain's steel cable pathway. Those cables can hold a ton of weight. Anyone without rock climbing experience can do this. Before we started our climb, our guide went over all of the safety rules and let us do a practice run on a short wall before we headed up the chair lift. Norquay Via Ferrata offers complimentary hiking boots if you forgot to bring some and has a bistro and snack bar if you are hungry. The Norquay Via Ferrata is a must if visiting Banff National Park.

The best experience we have ever gone into blindly. Very well curated guided experience, great…read morecondition equipment, amazing and funniest guide. We had lot of fun with the Ridgewalker hike/climbing we did. Worth every dollar we spent on it. It was safe and the instructions were clear, concise and easy to follow. The work that goes into maintaining those trails is very much unknown and underappreciated. So thank you!

The cave inside which is a natural hot spring is peaceful to look at…read more The boardwalk trails are a very easy stroll but really allows you to enjoy the landscape perfect for forest bathing. You can check out the exhibits inside which are interactive and educational in a fun way. I could spend hours at the Cave and Basin just enjoying the scenery and is a must visit for me to experience the true magic of Banff magic

Located in the outskirts of Banff and it's not within walking distance. When we went, it was free…read moreso we didn't have to pay for anything. Even though it was free, the place was pretty much empty. The first building you see right off of the parking lot is the gift shop. You'll want to walk up the hill if you have questions about the place and this is where the cave and other parts of the experience is. You can probably do this all within 30 minutes. It's not very big, but there are other trails you can explore if you want. It's pretty neat that these snails are exist here and they are so tiny that you will have a hard time seeing them. Overall, it's a nice clean place, but doesn't really add much of an experience IMO. I would have been upset if I had to pay for entrance.

5 stars for Gabriel who was our evening Wildlife tour guide. He was so awesome, knowledgeable and…read morefun and we saw lots of wildlife local to the area. Highly recommended, with several choices on where to pick up/drop off before and after. My family and I really enjoyed the entire evening!

We had a terrible experience with Discover Banff Tours and would never book through them again…read more We booked a dog sledding excursion for 6 people, including our family and our friends visiting from San Diego. We paid nearly $1,400 in full for 2 sleds, submitted all required guest information right away (weights, ages, etc.), and even received an email confirming that everything had been received and that we were fully confirmed for Tuesday at 2:00 p.m. Then on Monday afternoon, less than 24 hours before the excursion, they called asking for the same information all over again. We told them we had already submitted it and had the confirmation email to prove it. After putting us on hold, they came back and admitted there had been a miscommunication on their end and that the person who handled our booking failed to enter our information properly. Because of their mistake, our reservation was given away to someone else. So after taking our money, confirming our booking, and making us think everything was locked in, they left us with no dog sledding tour and no real solution on the only day that worked for our group. They did offer us Friday, but that did absolutely nothing for us because we leave Thursday and our friends fly home Wednesday. That is exactly why we booked this in advance the previous Friday. The kids were already excited for this experience, and we were left scrambling at the last minute trying to find another company because of their mistake. The only thing they could really offer was a refund or to push other excursions we had no interest in. That's not customer service -- that's damage control after they failed to do their job correctly. This was extremely unprofessional, careless, and a huge inconvenience during a family trip. Avoid the middleman and book directly with the actual dog sledding companies.