Banff, AB (*cruise tour) |
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Banff is a town in the Alberta Rockies region of Alberta. It is the larger of the two towns in Banff National Park, nestled in the mountains, and is located about an hour and a half drive west of Calgary and four hours south of Jasper. The park is easily accessible for international travelers via Calgary International Airport, which has international scheduled and charter flights. Banff is part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Banff is a tourist town full of seasonal workers from across Canada and around the world. It is a convenient place to see some spectacular scenery with minimal effort. However, with convenience come crowds. This is not the place to come for solitude or a true back-country experience. That being said, it is a great place to stay for any length of time. There are a wide variety of restaurants and clubs and plenty of tours and activities to keep... Read more
Banff is a town in the Alberta Rockies region of Alberta. It is the larger of the two towns in Banff National Park, nestled in the mountains, and is located about an hour and a half drive west of Calgary and four hours south of Jasper. The park is easily accessible for international travelers via Calgary International Airport, which has international scheduled and charter flights. Banff is part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Banff is a tourist town full of seasonal workers from across Canada and around the world. It is a convenient place to see some spectacular scenery with minimal effort. However, with convenience come crowds. This is not the place to come for solitude or a true back-country experience. That being said, it is a great place to stay for any length of time. There are a wide variety of restaurants and clubs and plenty of tours and activities to keep you busy. Staying in Banff during the winter gives easy access to nearby ski areas of Norquay, Sunshine, Nakiska and Lake Louise.
At an elevation of 1400m above sea level and surrounded by mountains, the climate is subarctic. Banff has experienced snowfall even during the summer months. With daily mean temperatures of +15°C in the summer and -8°C in the winter, the climate is very similar to northern Scandinavia.
The Banff townsite is small, and you can walk just about anywhere you want to go. Walking is quick, easy and is good for random adventures down to the river, through the forests, up the mountains. And all of these activities are within a 5 - 10-minute walking distance. Banff has an extensive public transit bus system 8 that runs through town. It connects up with all the area hotels and attractions. Taxi cabs are also available, which is handy if you are doing a grocery run.
Biking around town is popular too. There are several shops to rent bicycles if you are interested in either mountain biking, quick travel downtown or trail riding to the historical Hot Springs (The Cave and Basin). Banff is filled with trails that take you through forested areas, along streams and waterfalls, and ultimately lead to incredible lake and mountain views.
The Canadian Rockies offers some of the most spectacular scenery in the world. It may seem a daunting task to try and see it all in a limited amount of time.
Fortunately, there are a host of companies available that eliminate the hassle, giving you the opportunity to sit back, relax and enjoy the view. The friendly guides offer fun and informative sightseeing tours in and around the Banff area in comfortable vehicles.
Like many mountain towns, Banff has a very different character in winter and summer. There is a decent selection of bars and restaurants but predictably a few too many souvenir shops and boutiques. European travelers especially will welcome the sidewalks allowing exploration of the town on foot. Parking can be tricky, but there is a free multilevel parkade near the center if you can find it.
The Banff Mountain Film Festival is an annual international film festival that occurs over two weeks in late October to early November. It features a collection of international films on outdoor adventure and mountain culture. It is a very popular event that is well attended by a diverse mix of backcountry enthusiasts, weekend warriors, and average Joes.
Banff does offer some indoor activities besides museums and galleries.
Banff national park is home to three outstanding ski resorts 19, all within an easy drive of the Banff townsite. Driving to the hill is not strictly required, as most hotels offer a ski bus to take you from the hotel to the mountain of your choice and back again.
All the ski hills are busier on the weekends. Lake Louise tends to get icy if it hasn't snowed in a while, but with fresh snow is hard to beat. Sunshine Village has been giving them some competition with their new terrain and improvements, however. Especially in the early season, pay attention to how many runs are open and how much recent snow has been received in the snow reports - they are better indications of the conditions than the generic conditions ratings given by the hills (the conditions are always at least 'good' according to their ratings). If you only have a few hours and want to ski where the locals ski check out Ski Norquay, it has nice long open runs with great views of the town.
If you arrive before December 31 and you intend to ski at least three days at Sunshine Village, or a combination of three days at Sunshine and Marmot Basin in Jasper, consider buying a Sunshine-Marmot card. The card costs about the same price as one lift ticket. The first, fourth and seventh times you use the card you get a free lift ticket, all other times you get $10 off (you are ahead quite a bit by the third day). These cards can be purchased on the hill (either Sunshine or Marmot Basin), or also at Safeway stores in Edmonton and Calgary, and are valid at Sunshine Village in Banff and Marmot Basin ski resort in Jasper. The Sunshine-Marmot cards are available for purchase until December 31st but can be used all season. Or you can purchase a Tri-Area Pass 23 for Sunshine Village, Lake Louise Mountain Resort, and Norquay. This ticket includes bus transportation and can be used at any of the three hills at any time.
Summer in Banff, just like winter, is stunning. There are plenty of hiking trails accessible from the main town, as well as tours for horseback riding, white water rafting, mountain biking and more. Be warned though - some smaller tour companies are not as professional as the larger tour companies. If they are overbooked, they may pass your credit card details along to a third party without your knowledge and book another tour on your behalf (not always at the same price, and not always the same tour!).
Banff is an exciting place to visit on all fronts, and the palate is not excluded. There are pubs, fast-food, fine dining, steakhouses (It is Alberta!!), traditional fare from around the world, candy shops and more.
Banff can be an expensive place to dine as tourism is always high.
Banff has a large variety of places to sit and enjoy a drink whether it is après ski or a patio.
Most of the pubs have live music, both open mike and hired bands. Dancing is encouraged!
Enjoy strolling alongside locals and world-travelers as you discover a cosmopolitan collection of galleries, boutiques, and cafés. Shops range from internationally recognized clothiers or independently-owned establishments to Canada's oldest department store. A recommended way to experience the highlights is to start on Banff Avenue at the Cascade Plaza mall, do a quick circuit of the shops there, then head down Banff Avenue towards the Bow River. This is the retail, cafe, and restaurant heart of Banff. Once you get near the river, turn around and head back on the other side of Banff Avenue to complete the Banff shopping loop.
Banff has a lot of wildlife roaming in and around the city. Be careful of deer when driving. Bears used to be quite common within the city but conservation efforts have largely fixed this problem.
Garbage within the city is still kept in "Bear-Proof" containers. Respect wildlife.
Never feed or approach a bear or any animal for that matter, pay attention to the animals' mannerisms, especially larger Elk and Deer that have been known to charge tourists who get too close. Keep a reasonable distance.
It is also worth noting that Friday and Saturday nights in Banff can get quite rowdy with many intoxicated visitors frequenting the many bar and night club options on Banff Avenue, while this rarely leads to violence, it is always good to keep your wits about you in who might be getting out of hand in your immediate vicinity.
LOCAL TIME
10:47 am
April 12, 2021
America/Edmonton
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LOCAL CURRENCY
CAD
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