Banff Alberta, Canada

Banff Alberta is one of the top tourist destinations in Canada, and historically it was the first municipality to be incorporated within a national park in Canada. Located in Banff National Park, the town of Banff is a charming, rustic mountain hamlet that is a great base for exploring the mountains, visiting Lake Louise, and doing some Banff skiing. There are great options for hotels in Banff, and this quaint town is one of the best choices in which to stay during your trip to the Canadian Rockies.

Banff Alberta is located in the southwestern area of Banff National Park. It is the largest community in the park, though it is still quite small, with an area of only about 1.5 square miles. Its small size means that even in town, visitors to Banff will still feel connected with the wilderness and the mountains. The town of Banff is also a leader in environmentally friendly policies, and visitors will find it easy to get around town either on foot or on the fleet of hybrid bio-diesel/electric buses that run through the community.

Travelers who choose to stay in Banff Alberta will be strategically placed to enjoy myriad attractions inside Banff National Park. There is a multitude of hiking trails in the Banff mountains, and they cover a range of difficulty levels. For those who wish to go up to see the beautiful turquoise colored Lake Louise, there is a gondola departing from the town of Banff to the lake, as well as another gondola to the top of Sulphur Mountain, where visitors can gape at the view of the Rocky Mountains from an elevation of 7,486 feet.

The town of Banff is known for a wide variety of restaurants, shopping areas, and quaint gift shops. It has very much the feel of a resort town, with tourists outnumbering residents during peak seasons. There are plenty of high-end establishments in the area, meaning it’s possible to combine a wilderness vacation with the pampering of a high-end hotel such as the Fairmont.

For visitors keen on doing some Banff skiing, there are three world-renowned ski resorts in the immediate area of Banff: Sunshine Village, Lake Louise Ski Area, and Mount Norquay. You can rent ski equipment in the town of Banff and in Lake Louise, and the ski resorts themselves also provide ski and snowboard rentals. A tri-area lift ticket is available for purchase at any of the resorts, or you can book it online. This lift ticket provides access and shuttle service to all three ski resorts, making it easy to enjoy the best of Banff skiing at each area. If you plan on going to Banff to ski, make sure to check out any possible package deals that may offer accommodation as well as lift tickets. Because this area is such a popular destination, hotels in Banff tend to book up early and can be quite expensive.

After a hard day of skiing, soothe your muscles with a soak in the famous Banff Upper Hot Springs. Located just a few miles south of town, the hot springs are accessible through the municipal bus service, and provide soothing mineral waters with an incomparable view of the mountains in the background. The hot springs are housed in a beautiful historic 1930s facility.

A great way to get an early reservation on hotels in Banff is to book your vacation with a tour in advance. Especially if you have a limited time available for your vacation, booking a tour may be a good way to see all of the main sights in Banff National Park without having to worry about accommodation, as the tour operator will take care of the logistics prior to your arrival in this lovely destination.