Things To Do in Banff National Park
Bookstore
Available as paperback
and as e-book.
Banff National Park Attractions
- Tour
Lake Minnewanka Boat Tours
Even though some call it a giant bathtub, there's no denying the beauty of Lake Minnewanka, an aquamarine glacial lake cradled by massive peaks all around that is the largest lake in Banff National Park. It used to be called "Lake of the Water Spirits" by the Stoney Nation. Early… - Tour
Sulphur Mountain Gondola
It takes 8 minutes from where you board a gondola to the top of Sulphur Mountain, the easiest summit in Banff by far. Below you, the Bow River Valley spreads out in a glorious vista of rushing water and jagged mountain peaks below. Your altitude gain from the valley floor to the… - Natural Attraction
Upper Hot Springs Pool
For more than a century, visitors have been coming to Banff to "take to the waters." Unlike the Cave and Basin , the outdoor pool here is large, hygienic, warm (usually 90°F/32°C), and pleasant. It can also be very crowded. Come when it's chilly outside; it's particularly lovely on a…
Banff National Park Shopping
Alongside skiing and hiking, shopping vies for the title of Banff's most popular sport. Most shops have clerks who speak Japanese and Chinese to serve the large contingent of Asian tourists, and a handful of these stores are actually Japanese-run. There's also a large crowd of young Australians manning the shops, thanks mainly to a diplomatic agreement between the two Commonwealth countries, which offers work visas to people under 30, and to the Aussie desire to live and breathe winter during their Canadian "walkabout."
Banff shopping also offers mountain gear shops in spades; every mall (and there are at least three) has a good-sized outdoor outfitter. There's a glut of places to buy T-shirts and other tourist tchotchkes, but you can also buy a Rolex here or flesh out your collection of Vuittons at exclusive Banff boutiques. It's enthralling enough for some that Banff Avenue is as much of Banff as they ever see. While it's good fun, don't squander all your time here -- there are malls everywhere, but there's only one Banff National Park.
Banff National Park Nightlife
Banff's magnetic draw for young people from all over the world, most of them working in the resorts, gives Banff nightlife an overwhelming college-town feel. Almost all the hotels have bars or lounges, but they are more sedate; all along Banff Avenue in-season, you'll find something going on in the many, many pubs.
One of the old standbys is the Rose & Crown (202 Banff Ave.; tel. 403/762-2121). It's been around long enough to establish its reputation as a rowdy, fun beer-swilling joint. On a summer night, the rooftop patio is hard to beat -- all big sky and stars above, and the hustle and bustle of Banff Avenue right below. Inspired by the birthplace of Guinness, selecting a draught at the St. James's Gate (205 Wolf St.; tel. 403/762-9355) is just about the toughest challenge in Banff -- there are 33 beers on tap, as well as 50 single-malt scotches and 10 Irish whiskeys. Live music is almost always Celtic, and a blast. Oenophiles will do best at The Bison Lounge (213 Bear St.; tel. 403/762-5550), which has a great list of wines by the glass and snacks from the outstanding bistro upstairs. It's the most cosmopolitan hangout in town. Grab a spot at the communal table to make new friends. At Wild Bill's Saloon (201 Banff Ave.; tel. 403/762-0333), you can embrace Alberta's western heritage whole-heartedly. Wild Bill's lets the rock bands play on its least-important nights, Monday and Tuesday, but starting Wednesday and all through the weekend, the hootin' hollerin' Western pride comes to the fore. It's non-stop line dancing and hurtin' tunes, mostly by Albertan country bands passing through.
Banff also has its own urbane cocktail lounge called Aurora (110 Banff Ave., downstairs; tel. 403/760-5300), complete with an array of DJs and martinis. Its sister club, the Hoodoo Lounge (137 Banff Ave.; tel. 403/760-8636), offers nightly events ("Throw Your Panties" being one of them) and dancing to DJs, as well.
But that's nothing compared to Outabounds (137 Banff Ave.; tel. 403/762-8434), Banff's most popular dance bar. Located in a dingy basement, the four bars serve up beers and sloppily made cocktails to young patrons -- most of them resort employees -- while the packed dance floor is obscured in a shroud of dry-ice fog.
