I am planning to cycle from Calgary via Banff to Edmonton starting next weekend. The most challenging part will be from Canmore to Jasper. My biggest concern is the water supply, as there are very few shops between these two locations. Here's my itinerary for this section:
Day 1: Canmore to The Crossing Hotel (161 km with 1,600m elevation gain)
I can get water in Banff and Lake Louise. However, it appears there are no restaurants between Lake Louise and The Crossing, which means I will need to carry enough water for the 80 km ride with 945m elevation gain. This will be quite challenging.
Does anyone know if there are any places to get water between The Crossing and Lake Louise?
​
Day 2: The Crossing Hotel to Jasper (152 km with 1,432m elevation gain)
I'm aware there's a café at the Icefield, about 50 km into the journey (979m elevation), which I estimate will take about 3 hours to reach. This should be manageable. Additionally, there is the Sunwapta Falls Rocky Mountain Lodge, which has a restaurant, another 50 km later. This section seems manageable, but I would still appreciate any additional information on other possible water sources along the way.

My wife and I are flying into Calgary Saturday. We will have about 3 hours to kill before we can check in to our airbnb. Curious what some good attractions or restaurants are in either Calgary or Canmore that we could do to kill time?
Edit: I’m flying all morning. Wife and I will be tired. Just want RELAXING options for when we land to kill time before checking into our airbnb.

We're having our wedding out in Canmore and are looking for a good restaurant to hold our rehearsal dinner that has vegan and gluten free options. My mom picked elita restaurant and I googled it and it looks super sketchy. Like Ramsay kitchen nightmares sketchy. What's a good alternative, especially for vegan options? My mom is super picky.

Hello,
Family and I will be having lunch at Canmore on May 16th. Any recommendations for a family friendly restaurants (no pubs) with a good view?
Thanks

Hey guys, I just moved to Canmore, and, well, it's no surprise that everything is expensive. 🙃 But, well, I really love Canmore and Banff, and that's totally worth it for my wife and me.
My question is: are there any discounts for Canmore residents for the ski resorts, restaurants, or any activities that can save us some money? ⛷️
Thank you so much for your insight. 🙏

Will be in Canmore this weekend with my partner, we are celebrating our one year anniversary and I want to take her somewhere with great food and a nice view. What restaurants do you recommend in Canmore / Banff? Don’t want it to be so fancy / expensive that you don’t understand half the menu or have a $300 bill for two. Just somewhere with a nice atmosphere and good food such as delicious pasta and steaks plus a good dessert menu.

Must See and Must Do

Banff Must See and Do Megalist

Wildfires / Smoke

Read our Banff Wildfire, smoke status and FAQ, and know that we cannot forecast smoke or fires.

Park Pass

• A park pass is mandatory for all visitors stopping in Banff National Park, including townsite and roadside attractions. The only exception is for people driving through Banff on the Trans-Canada Highway or 93 South to British Columbia.
• Can be purchased online in advance, main advantage is you don't have to wait at the park gates if you already have a pass.
• A Day Pass is valid in Banff, Jasper, Yoho, Kootenay national parks
• A Discovery Pass is valid at all National Parks through Canada for a year from date of purchase.
• A Discovery Pass becomes worth it around 7 days or longer for the year
• If you are coming in by bike or bus, technically you need a pass, but they only ever check cars.

Moraine Lake / Lake Louise Bus / Shuttle / Park and Ride

MORAINE LAKE OPENS JUNE 1, 2024, LAKE LOUISE IS ALWAYS OPEN
You cannot drive up to Moraine Lake. You can drive to Lake Louise but we strongly advise you don't once June arrives. Parking is limited, costs almost $40 and Parks Canada turns back 2-3,000 cars daily! Use the Park & Ride or Roam transit instead.
There is LIMITED paid parking at Lake Louise, expect it to be full well before 8 am.
BEST OPTIONS FOR VISITING LAKE LOUISE / MORAINE LAKE:

• By Car: park and ride using the Parks Canada Shuttle to Lake Louise and Moraine Lake
• Without a car: reserve a spot on the Roam Transit Lake Louise - Banff Express (Route 8X)
• Other options: Moraine Lake Bus Company (first shuttle at 4am), Moraine Lake Sunrise Shuttle, taxi, rent a bike/ebike. Hike to Moraine lake is 12km one way and not recommended.

Lake Louise/Moraine Lake Park & Ride Shuttle FAQ

• Book online in advance (General Info)
• 60% of seats become available online 48 hrs before
• Includes free connector bus between Lake Louise and Moraine Lake (every 15 min)
• Runs every 20 min, cost is free for kids, $8 for adults, $4 seniors
• First bus up is at 4:00 am, last bus up at 6pm, last bus down is at 7:30 pm
• Parking is free at the Lake Louise Park & Ride and can handle over 1,200 cars, it has only filled up a few times
• No pets unless certified assisted animal or in a carrier that fits on your lap
• Walkup tickets are available but sell out by 9am
• Read the FAQ!

ROAM Bus FAQ

• Roam Transit Lake Louise - Banff Express (Route 8X)
• Brings you straight to Lake Louise from downtown Banff
• Can be booked in advance (starting sometime in May)
• Includes free connector bus between Lake Louise and Moraine Lake (every 15 min)
• Costs $10 or less, depending on age

More Lake Louise /Moraine Lake answers

• Connector shuttle is free with a Parks Canada Shuttle ticket or Roam Transit Super Pass. Runs every 15 min and takes about 15 min to get from one lake to the other.
• When does Lake Louise thaw? Usually it thaws the first week of June, but it can be as late as mid-June. This year it might thaw at the end of May. Look at the webcam.
• When does Moraine Lake thaw? Usually a week or two later than lake Louise.
• When does the Moraine Lake shuttle start? Not before June 1.

Must see/do/eat

Google is your friend, but a short list:

• Sights: Lake Louise, Moraine Lake, Peyto Lake Lookout, Bow Falls, Johnston Canyon, Lake Minnewanka, Columbia Icefields, Emerald Lake, Norquay Lookout, Takkakaw Falls
• Activities: Banff Gondola, Banff Upper Hotsprings , drive the Icefield Parkway, paddle the Bow River, Sunshine Meadows, Horseback riding, sightseeing tours, Via Ferrata, rent an ebike
• Hikes: Tunnel Mountain, Lake Agnes, Plains of Six Glaciers, Sulphur Mountain, Larch Valley/Citadel Pass, Stanley Glacier, Boom Lake
• Eats: this is an excellent start, but some favorites are Arashi Ramen, Shoku, Bluebird or Chucks for steaks, Zyka, Hankki, Eden, Grizzly House.

Check out Banff & Lake Louise Tourism or 20 Iconic Bow Valley Places for more ideas.

Parking and getting around Banff

• BEST OPTION: free all-day parking by the train station with over 500 stalls only a 5 minute walk to downtown (more info)
• Very limited paid parking downtown, lots of congestion
• Avoid driving downtown as two blocks of Banff Ave are closed to cars
• Avoid driving across the bridge, or risk getting stuck in traffic for 20-45 min
• Roam Transit provides affordable public transit to major sites and destinations within the town of Banff and throughout Banff National Park. Banff Gondola offers a free shuttle.
• The town is very walkable and only 2km x 2km in size. Come here with walking in mind.

General Parking Info

• The best way to void parking issues is to use public transit or walk.
• In the summer many parking lots fill up in the morning, at Lake Louise expect them to be full before 8am (we don't know how early it will be full).

Hiking

• AllTrail is the best resource for trails, routes and recent updates, the app is great and free.
• Parks Canada maintains a list of trails and trail conditions
• 9 Bucket List Hikes in Banff National Park
• 7 Short Hikes in Banff
• 10 Kid Friendly Trails
• Town of Banff: Hiking
• Rainy day hikes: Johnston Canyon, Bow River Falls, Grotto Canyon, Vermillion Ponds, Cave & Basin, Sundance Canyon.
• Accessible trails: Bow River in Banff, Johnston Canyon, Lake Louise lakeside, Sundance Canyon

Wildlife

• Obey closures
• Bring bear spray (see next section)
• Dogs on leashes at all times
• Best spots to see wildlife: Minnewanka loop, Vermillion Ponds, Norquay access road, 1A, Banff Park Museum.

Bear Spray

• Highly recommended, even for popular trails
• Can be purchased at any hardware store and rental shop
• Can be rented if you only need it for a day or two
• Drop off unused cans at Parks Canada visitor centres or hotel receptions
• You can't fly with bear spray, bear bells don't work, guns aren't allowed

Dogs

• Must be on a leash at all times (NO EXCEPTIONS!)
• Allowed on most trails
• There are two off-leash dog parks in Banff
• Can't come into restaurants but many patios are dog friendly
• Can't go on public transit/shuttles unless in a dog carrier that fits on your lap
• Pet friendly hotels: Fairmont Banff Springs, any Banff Lodging Co hotel

Rain and Rainy Day Activities

Don't cancel your trip over rain. Rain is never a sure thing, creates opportunity: less crowds, more dramatic views. Dress for the forecast.
If you can't do that, then do this:

• Banff Upper Hotsprings
• Museums: Cave & Basin, Whyte Museum, Banff Park Museum (stuffed animals galore!)
• Bowling at High Rollers
• Lux Cinema, or escape room use below it
• Fancy drink at the Rundle Lounge in the Banff Springs Hotel
• Banff Gondola if you can still see the peaks of mountains (don't bother if it's socked in).
• Elevation Place in Canmore for climbing wall, pool and splash pad.
• Canmore Climbing Gym for bouldering.

If it isn't raining hard, go for a hike. Check out hiking section for rain friendly hikes.

Cheap! Cheap!

• Eats: Arashi Ramen, Hankki (Korean Street food), Zyka (Indian), Tommy's (pub), Aardvark Pizza
• Hotels: hahahahahahaha, expect to pay $200 a night in a hostel
• Activities: hike Sulphur Mountain and save $70, park at the toe of the Athabasca Glacier and walk 10 minutes to touch a glacier. Visit Bow Falls, Peyto Lake Lookout, Emerald Lake or Athabasca Falls all for free!

Getting here from Calgary

• Airport shuttle services: Banff Airporter, Brewster Express both cost about $80 one way
• On-It Shuttle from Calgary to Canmore/Banff, $10 one way, only runs Fri/Sat/Sun, holidays and some Thurs from May 19 to Sept 17. Many stops in Calgary, no airport.

Additional Info

Check out our wiki, here are some common topics:

• Free Things to do in Banff National Park
• Cheap Things to do in Banff National Park
• Where to stay in Banff/Lake Louise
• Getting Around without a Vehicle
• Jobs in Banff

And finally...

• Posts that are answered by the FAQ will be removed.
• Feel free to ask your questions or suggest other FAQ topics/answers below.

Hi all,
I’m coming to Banff for the first time with my dog. I was wondering if there are any restaurants that are dog friendly in Banff (or even Canmore) in the month of February?
I assume it’ll have to be indoor as I think patios will be closed.
Does anyone have any tips or recommendations?
Thanks!

Heading to Canmore this month and torn between which of the following restaurants we should check out. We can only afford to visit one of them and are in our mid 20’s (if that’s of any relevance).
We are stuck between Ankor, Sauvage, The sensory restaurant, and maybe Rustica!
Any suggestions are much appreciated!

Hi! We’ll be staying in Calgary, Canmore, and Jasper (and visiting Banff of course). Looking for any recommended hikes, sites to see, and restaurant recommendations
Things we’ve already booked/plan to see: - Dog Sledding - Wolfdog Sanctuary - Johnston Canyon - Ice Magic + ice skating at Fairmont - Nightrise/Gondola
Things that sound interesting to us and wondering if they’re worth the time/trip: - Abraham lake - maligne canyon - sunwapta and/or athabasca falls - ice biking in Calgary

Hi! I had booked a trip to Banff and surrounding areas for the US MLK day weekend (arriving 11th of Jan, leaving 15th) to ski at Banff and Lake Louise, but seems like we are in for some bitter cold.
We'll being layers, buy hand/toe warmers, etc, but wondering if people think it's even worth the trip given that highs are hovering between -30c and -20c... Hotel is cancellable before tomorrow, so would only lose the flight.
If we go and aren't able to ski too much, does anyone have suggestions for other things we can do? Keen to try some breweries, check out some restaurants in Canmore, etc, but open to other thoughts -- thank you all for the help!

My partner and I are looking to have our wedding in Canmore or Banff in 2025.
We are having a welcome party/ Indian mehndi ceremony with approximately 150 people. Does anyone have any recommendations of restaurants or venue in the area that would be good for an event like this?

I just did another road trip to Canada, this time I went north from Seattle to Abbotsford, and then took the Transcanada highway to Calgary. We did a day trip up to Edmonton.
Had the wife and two adult kids with me this time. Put the luggage in the truck bed and covered with a tarp and cinched it down. (Now I really want a tonneau cover!)
The Rivian nav app had a couple of weird things: - it didn't think we could go from Kamloops to Golden (as if there was a road out.) Google didn't have a problem, and I just went the correct route anyway. PITA was there was no way to tell it to precondition for charging until I was way too close to the charger. It didn't have a problem coming back with that road tho'
#2 - the map data quality in Canada is ... not too good - at one point, it didn't recognize a roundabout as a roundabout and told me to "Make a left handed u-turn" ... O_o
- It sometimes referred to a highway by it's number alone. "Turn left on onto 1" or "Take the ramp to 2" Weird.
- When getting to the hotel, it took us to a freeway nearby and said "Your destination is on the right" ... yeah, another two miles to re-navigate to get to where I could actually get to the parking lot. There were a few instances where it gets it a bit wrong.
Interesting things I've learned on this trip:
- This thing was amazing on snow and ice. I was able to pass people using the left lane (which in the mountains, tends to have more ice and snow). It was virtually impossible to tell that I wasn't on bare dry pavement.
- Mountains were of course, the biggest battery drainer - the one pass gets up to 5500 feet above sea level. Real fun coming down -- and I didn't get limited on recharge coming down either way.
- Didn't know the Transcanada highway had sections at 120km/h now. That was better. Still too many 90km/h sections in BC and national parks. I may have gone faster from time to time. Don't tell nobody!
- Did not see a lot of EV vehicles in Calgary (and none in Edmonton!). Compared to Seattle/Bellevue it was kinda strange not seeing Teslas everywhere.
- Had Highway assist available on the TC until somewhere in the middle of the province. Then it was spotty, or non-existent. Got more results on the Alberta side again.
- On the trip to Edmonton - I had Highway assist until Red Deer, and after that, it was very spotty. At some times, it was on for a mile or so, and then gone again (clear road, could clearly see the lines... weird)
- The wifi hotspot was amazing. That thing could get connection when I couldn't even get bars on my phone at all, and the whole family was glad I could turn that on. Fairly good speeds, and I only lost connection in the mountains a few times. Frankly, I'm quite surprised.
- I am not much of a fan of the signal stalk on the truck. Really, the only thing so far that rubs me the wrong way. I saw the thread on it the other day and was glad it wasn't just me. I dunno what it is, it just doesn't feel quite right using it. Too easy to make it a 'turn' signal instead of a 'lane change' signal? And I think 5 blinks would be better than 3.
​
Charging:
- Transcanada highway has more good chargers along the way (rated >150 kW), it was much better than my last trip.
- I planned ahead, and sideloaded that stupid 'Journie' app so I could use the chargers at the "On the Run" gas/convenience stores (for free). One of the chargers only gave me 74kW - but the other one I tried gave me 154kW.
- Again, every single PetroCanada charger I used didn't work, except for one where it gave me 54kW.
- Went to a day trip to Edmonton -- had to charge up in Red Deer (tiny little 'burg in the middle of nowhere) at a 350kW charger there. Edmonton had zero chargers over 100kW, and the only two 100kW chargers are in car dealerships - so, nothing to do, nowhere to eat, etc.
- Calgary has only few 150+ kw chargers - one at Deerfoot Mall ... sorry "Deerfoot City" -
- I did see a Ford Lightning at the "Deerfoot City" charger - he was charging when I got there. Looks like a regular Ford truck. The guy said he had three of them, and usually charges at his business.
- The hotel I stayed at had a L2 charger that cost $3.50cdn/hour. I used it overnight when I got there, but it was sad and slow.
- Charged up at my brother's house using his 220v/30a plug in his garage. Had to set the truck down to 30A to not trip the breaker. Good thing I brought my 220v/50A 50' extension cord. (ooh- in the cold, that thing was like bending rebar to uncoil!)
- A lot of the chargers in Canada are not near any food options which is kinda frustrating - had to charge for a while, and then go get food.
- A couple of the Electrify Canada chargers had their card reader broken, so I had to install the app. Wasn't a big deal.
Chargers used:
- Electrify Canada in Hope, BC -- good speed, a couple of coffee shops nearby. (daughters thought the town looked like Forks, WA - the setting for Twilight - and one had noted that the charger "looked like someone added a mod to the game that didn't fit") :D
- Electrify Canada in Kamloops - good speed, but the only thing within walking distance was the Canadian Tire. Talked to a person trying to get her EV Cadilac charging there. It was clear her husband bought the vehicle for her and she was struggling to get some of the EV charging concepts. Helped her out and she was happy.
- Electrify Canada in Salmon Arm - good speed, but right next to the Canadian tire again. Sigh.
- Electrify Canada in Revelstoke - good speed (the 350kw was dark, but the rest were 150kw and worked fine) - This one was by the railway museum, and NOTHING ELSE. Plus, the road got blocked by a train crossing it, but was done 2 minutes before I stopped charging.
- Electrify Canada in Golden, BC - good speed, but the only thing nearby was a Indian restaurant, (which if you like that, would be ok, but ... not a fan personally)
- Electrify Canada in Calgary, (Deerfoot City aka Deerfoot Mall) - I started a charge at that one, walked thru the cold to the IHOP a quarter mile away, and when I got there, I got a notification that charging stopped, so I had to walk back right away. Decided to babysit the thing until it was done. Never had a charger just disconnect me like that after it was going. Maybe the Ford Lightning glitched the network when it was done.
- Electrify Canada in Red Deer. Fast, and right next to a Save-on foods. 30 minutes and a quick bit of shopping there and was on my way again
- Flo network in Edmonton at a car dealer on the south end. maxed out at 94kw - Nothing nearby at all. Had to get enough there to get back to Red Deer.
Coming back:
- Electrify Canada in Canmore - Nice fast charging, and a ton of shops around. Highly recommended. A++ Would use again :D
- Electrify Canada in Revelstoke - again, by the railway museum. Not a lot of choice.
- Kamloops - spent the night at the Fairfield suites inn where they had a free overnight charger. Not the highest speed, but got me back up to 80% by morning.
- The "On The Run" store in Abbotsford had their free DC fast charger (if you have their loyalty app) - used that, nice and fast, and there was a lot nearby. I just got a coffee and charged for 24 minutes so I could make it back to Seattle. (had lots to spare, so I might have even made it without charging)

Hi all! I’ll be staying in Canmore over NYE and into January and am wondering if restaurants are typically open on Jan 1? If not, I’ll have to plan accordingly. Thanks!

Canmore
Hello everyone.
After several years of planning and considering various locations around the world for a white Christmas we have finally landed on Canmore and have everything booked. My family of four (two girls who are 4 and 6) from Australia as well as my wife’s parents and brother will be spending a week in Canmore over Christmas.
This will be our first white Christmas and first time living somewhere with snow for all but one of us. We are all very excited. I wanted to reach out to the community to make sure we get the most out of our time.
I would love to get some thoughts on the below
What are the must do’s at Christmas time, keeping in mind that we won’t have a car and have 2 relatively young girls with us? I am all interested in no Christmas related must do’s.
My father in law and I are pretty out doorsy so would be interested in anything we could do without the kids that is accessible without a car. We obviously aren’t well versed with snow but the Australian outdoors are pretty gnarly so can handle a challenge.
I am Celiac which means I eat gluten free and have to be very strict about it. Does anyone have any recommendations regarding gluten free shopping or restaurants/cafes where I can eat?
Finally is there any local places that would be showing English Premier League Marthes? I am a big Liverpool fan and they have some crucial matches while I am in Canmore.
Thanks in advance.

Hey all,
We are planning a 2-week trip in Sept '24 to Canada for our Honeymoon from the UK. For the first week of the trip we are in Quebec, exploring Montreal, Tadoussac and whale watching in the St Lawrence River.
We then fly into Calgary on Mon 9th Sept morning for our 2nd week, and return back to London on Sun 15th Sept eve. We will be renting a car for the duration of our stay. I had a few questions I would appreciate some help with:

1. Split between Calgary/Banff/Jasper

Originally we were going to do 4 nights in Banff and then 2 nights in Calgary.. but we're now swaying towards more time in Banff as although we'd love to see Calgary, we have been to many cities but never to a national park. Does 5 nights in Banff and then last night in Calgary seem a good balance? We could possibly even do all our nights exploring Banff. Following on from this- should we be spending time in Jasper National Park? e.g. 3 nights near Banff / 2 nights in Jasper?

1. Staying in Banff vs Canmore

It seems that you can get so much more for your money in Canmore vs Banff - with our budget it feels like we will be staying somewhere OK in Banff, but could stay somewhere more luxurious in Canmore. We're currently edging towards booking The Malcolm in Canmore for about half the price of what we could get in Banff. Does this seem a sensible decision or are we missing out by not staying in Banff? Is there much going on in Canmore? It looks like there are plenty of restaurants and breweries! Has anyone stayed at The Malcolm and can recommend it? It looks like we will still be able to get a late night bus from Banff to Canmore if we decided to have a night in Banff and didn't want to drive back? Is it reliable?

1. Car Rental Prices and providers

What is the best time to book this? We're on the look out for Black Friday deals.. currently we can book a car from the airport for around $100 CAD a day - is this a good rate or likely to get bettemore expensive? Alternatively we've looked at Turo and get get it for about half of this price - is this site good? If we pick a well reviewed profile/car do you think we'd be ok?
Thanks in advance to anyone who is able to help out with any of these questions - I really appreciate it. We're incredibly excited about this trip and want to make the most of our time in this beautiful part of the world!

Hi everyone! I'm travelling to Canmore on October 10th with my parents and hope to find some good and reasonably to cheaply priced restaurants in the area. Would appreciate some suggestions! :)

A group of us are planning on renting an Air bnb in Canmore instead of Banff as it seems considerably cheaper.
I’ve been to Banff before but I have never stayed/been to Canmore. I was hoping someone could provide me with some recs for hikes, restaurants, night life options, etc.