Banff National Park has been on my travel bucket list since…I saw it on The Bachelor in 2013 (hate all you want, but if nothing else, it’s a great show for picking out your next travel spot).
Any place with gorgeous lakes, great hikes, and lots and lots of trees will automatically make me happy, and this insanely pretty Canadian national park did not disappoint.
I went with my family exactly a year ago (we were there in July). We stayed in Canmore, a super cute town with gorgeous surrounding mountains that is right outside of Banff, and had a great time exploring both the town and the park.
Here is a look at our itinerary for our 6 day stay – full credit to my mom for actually pulling this all together. You’ll hopefully get a few ideas and tips on what to do in Banff, as well as a look at Canmore!
What to Do in Banff: 6 Day Itinerary
Day 1
After flying into Calgary, renting a car, and arriving late the night before, this was our first full day in Canada. We laid low and walked around Canmore. For lunch, we stopped by Communitea Cafe, a health-focused restaurant with a good amount of vegan options (and as you can guess, they have lots of tea, too).
Our cabin was right off of Bow River, so we spent the later afternoon fishing (and by “we” I mean my brother. I watched and drank wine.).
Day 2
Our first day in Banff! Today, we hit up two noteworthy spots: Moraine Lake and Lake Louise. Of course, if you’re looking into what to do in Banff, these are two of the top destinations to hit. There’s a lot to know about getting to and exploring these super popular spots, so I’ll be writing a separate post shortly with detailed tips. (UPDATE: here it is!) Here is a quick rundown of our day.
Even though we were there on a Monday, it was the middle of July, so obviously the park is crowded. What does this mean? Getting up bright and early to beat the crowds. We got to the parking lot at about 6:00am to take the shuttle. First stop: Moraine Lake!
Moraine Lake
At Moraine Lake, we went up the Rockpile Trail, which is really just a 0.5 mile paved walking path. This trail, which is right by the parking lot, gives you beautiful views of the lake, and it’s a great place for photos. Don’t skip this, as it is where you’ll get those classic Morain Lake views.
Then we walked along the west side of the lake to get a closer look. It was very peaceful in the morning since we were one of the first groups there, and so nice being able to walk right along the lake. Afterwards, we shuttled over to Lake Louise.
Lake Louise
At Lake Louise, we had a quick brunch at the Fairmont Château before heading on a hike (because there’s no better way to prep for a hike than stuffing yourself with pastries).
We hiked on the Lake Agnes Trail, which goes by Mirror Lake, and then Lake Agnes. It’s an out and back trail that is a bit under 5 miles. The trail is moderate since you are going uphill the entire way up (obviously), but it’s worth it for the views. At Lake Agnes, there is the Lake Agnes Tea House, where we stopped for some tea before heading back down.
After our first day in Banff, we decided to head back to our cabin to eat dinner at home and lay low.
Day 3
On our third day, we went back into the park, starting the day walking around the actual town of Banff. There are tons of restaurants, bars, and shops, so it’s a great town to explore when you want a more laid back day. We stopped by St. James’s Gate, an Irish pub, for lunch and beers. A random choice, but delicious!
After walking around the town, we drove up Bow Valley Parkway, a scenic drive along the Bow River. We saw three bears along the drive, and also stopped at Johnston Canyon for a nice and easy hike.
Johnston Canyon
This hike has a really cool bridge path that is attached to the rock walls and looks over the river. It only takes about 0.75 miles to get to the Lower Falls. There was a line to go into this small cave/tunnel to get up close to the falls. Honestly…we would’ve been fine just seeing them from the bridge. If there’s a line, I’d say just enjoy the view from the bridge!
You can continue hiking up to the Upper Falls, but we had a dinner reservation to get to so we turned around here. We unfortunately didn’t find the secret cave, but it was still a really cool hike (which really is more of a walk than a hike) that I highly recommend – especially if you’re with a group that isn’t into intense hiking.
Two Jack Lake
On our way back towards Banff, we made a quick stop at Two Jack Lake. If you brought a lunch or snacks, this is a great spot to find a grassy area, set up a picnic, and enjoy the view.
Back in Banff
We ended the day back in the town of Banff and had dinner at Park Distillery. I cannot stress this enough – GO TO PARK DISTILLERY. The warm and rustic ambiance alone is reason to go, but the food and drinks take it to another level. If you like spicy drinks like me, get the Sawback, which uses their chili vodka.
They have “normal” food as well as a plant-based menu, so there are food options for everyone. I got the very yummy veggie bowl, and also kept stealing spoonfuls of my brother’s tomato chili vodka soup, which was insanely delicious. I’m remembering what I ate and drank a year later, so you know it must’ve been good.
After dinner, we stopped by the Bow Falls Viewpoint for a nice look at the falls. Afterwards, we drove down Golf Course Road, which takes you on a loop around the (you guessed it) Fairmont Banff Springs Golf Course.
Nope, we weren’t there to view the golf course landscaping. This spot is known for having a ton of wildlife, particularly elk. We drove around slowly, stopping (but staying in our car) whenever we saw a gang of elk (yes, I just looked it up – a group of elk is called a gang!). It’s a great and easy way to see a ton of wildlife right outside of the town of Banff.
Day 4
On Day 4, we had a bit more of a laid back day and stayed in Canmore. We started the day with pastries from Le Fournil Bakery, which were delicious.
Afterwards, we walked around the town, going into the many shops and taking in the views of the mountains surrounding the area. A lot of the shops are definitely more catered towards tourists, but you can actually find some great things. I’ve started buying stickers from places I visit, so I picked up a nice one from one of the shops.
For dinner and drinks, we stopped by The Grizzly Paw Pub, which is associated with the brewery down the road. They have lots of modern brew pub food, including a good amount of vegetarian (and vegan if modified) options. Obviously, they also have beer – we all enjoyed our beer flights!
Day 5
Time to head back into Banff! We went further north into the park, driving up Icefields Parkway to stop by Bow Lake and Peyto Lake. These are popular spots so we were basically there with every other tourist in Banff. That said, we still were able to enjoy the view and take some great photos (that made it seem like we were the only ones there).
You can see Bow Lake from the parking lot, and you get to the viewpoint for Peyto Lake after a quick walk up a mostly paved path. This makes both of these spots great if you don’t consider yourself a hiker (or if you’re just short on time).
Of course, there are other hikes near both of these lakes, but we had a pretty packed day, so we stuck with the shorter options. Peyto Lake was particularly stunning, so it is definitely a must-see!
On our drive back down, we took a quick detour into Yoho National Park. We stopped by the Lower Spiral Tunnel Scenic Viewpoint. There, we watched for trains in the historic spiral tunnel in the valley walls.
We then drove over to Takakkaw Falls. From the parking lot, there’s a very easy out and back walk that is just under a mile long that gets you up close to the waterfall. This may be an article focused on what to do in Banff, but it’s nice to be able to check out another national park in the area – even if just briefly!
Back in Canmore, we ended the day with dinner at Crazyweed. After, hung out at our cabin and called it a night.
Day 6
This was our final full day in Canada, and we decided to spend it back in the town of Banff. The plan was to take a canoe out on Bow River…but the weather was a little too cold and rainy for us.
We aborted that plan and decided to have lunch and cocktails at the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel instead (the obvious plan B). It’s a gorgeous, castle-like hotel that is definitely worth checking out.
We spent the day walking around and stopping in different shops (including going into the Spirit of Christmas store, because who doesn’t want a little holiday cheer in July?). We ended the day by driving up to Surprise Corner Viewpoint. Here, you can get a far away view of the Fairmont Hotel – which gives off some serious Wes Anderson vibes.
That’s it! I hope this gives you a bit of insight on what to do in Banff and the surrounding area. If there’s something I missed that I should check out next time I’m there (and there will be a next time, because I absolutely loved it), let me know below!