Banff
A mountain town inside Canada's first national park, hot springs where the park began, turquoise lakes up the valley, three ski areas within reach, and Calgary's long runway ninety minutes east.
- Arrival
- Calgary International · YYC
- To the town
- About 90 minutes by car, 130 km
- Private jets
- Four FBOs at Calgary, customs on site
- Best time
- June to August
The city
A town in the park.
Banff stands at 1,400 metres inside the national park it grew from: in 1885 the hot springs of the Cave and Basin, sacred to the Stoney Nakoda, became the core of Canada's first reserve. The park now covers 6,641 square kilometres and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Lake Louise lies 54 kilometres up the valley, Moraine Lake and the Valley of the Ten Peaks beyond it, and the Icefields Parkway runs on for 230 kilometres to Jasper.
Summer is short and bright. From June to August afternoons reach 18 to 23 °C, the high trails clear of snow and the glacial lakes take on their colour. Winter belongs to skiing: Sunshine Village, opened by the Brewsters in the 1930s, Mt. Norquay and Lake Louise are expected to open their lifts in the first half of November.
- Cave and Basin The warm springs where the national park began in 1885, now a National Historic Site.
- Lake Louise One of the most visited lakes in the world, known as much for its Chateau as for its colour.
- Icefields Parkway 230 kilometres of road north from Lake Louise to Jasper, past Bow Lake and the glaciers.
Arriving
West from Calgary.
Calgary International is 130 kilometres east, about ninety minutes by road; Lake Louise is two hours. Shuttle buses run from the airport to both.
- Vancouver 1 h 05
- Aspen 2 h 15
- Los Angeles 2 h 50
- Toronto 3 h 55
- Paris 9 h 55 long-range jet
When to go
June to August.
A dry mountain climate at 1,400 metres, with cold winters and little more than 20 mm of precipitation a month from December to February, much of it snow. June to August is the season for the lakes and the trails, with July and August near 22 °C; nights stay cool all year.
- -4° J 19
- -1° F 19
- 4° M 29
- 9° A 39
- 14° M 50
- 18° J 73
- 23° J 47
- 22° A 47
- 17° S 45
- 9° O 36
- 1° N 28
- -5° D 23
Where to stay
A castle, a chateau and two lodges.
Shown for information. We have no arrangement with any of these hotels.
- Fairmont Banff Springs The "Castle in the Rockies", with a large spa and a golf course ringed by peaks.
- Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise The landmark of Lake Louise, 54 kilometres up the valley from Banff.
- Post Hotel & Spa A riverside ski lodge from the war years, renovated and kept for summer and winter alike.
- The Lodge at Bow Lake Listed by MICHELIN under Lake Louise, by Bow Lake on the road north to Jasper.
Where to dine
The best tables in the park.
The MICHELIN Guide does not list restaurants in Banff. These are restaurants from Fodor’s Banff National Park guide, the Post Hotel a Fodor’s Choice, and the gondola restaurant named at the 2026 World Culinary Awards.
- Post Hotel Dining Room Fodor’s Choice Contemporary regional $$$$ Post Hotel & Spa, Lake Louise, about 55 km north-west
- 1888 Chop House Fodor’s Steakhouse $$$$ Fairmont Banff Springs
- Walliser Stube Fodor’s Swiss and alpine $$$$ Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise, about 55 km north-west
- Sky Bistro World Culinary Awards 2026 Modern Canadian $$$ Top of the Banff Gondola, Sulphur Mountain
Elsewhere in Canada
More reasons to come.
- Toronto The financial capital, on the shore of Lake Ontario.
- Vancouver Stanley Park, the harbour, and floatplanes to the islands.
- Whistler Whistler and Blackcomb, joined by the Peak 2 Peak gondola.
- Montreal French in spirit, with an old port and a summer of festivals.
- Quebec City The only fortified city north of Mexico, and the lanes of its Lower Town.
Flying to Banff?
Choose how you arrive.
A Business or First Class seat on a scheduled airline, or an aircraft of your own. Tell us the date and how many are travelling, and we reply with one final price, our margin included.