Visiting Banff, Alberta on a budget.

I may be slightly biased, but there’s really no question that Canada has some seriously beautiful natural landscapes, and, arguably, one of the most frequented by tourists, is Banff, and Banff National Park.

Unfortunately, it is also one of the most expensive national parks in Canada.

There are, however, great ways to take advantage of everything the park has to offer, because, after all, nature is largely a free pursuit!

Getting There

The most convenient airport for most of the world to fly into is Calgary, Alberta. Why not try to time your trip with the world famous Calgary Stampede?

After arriving in Calgary, Banff Townsite is an approximately 90 minute drive along a beautiful highway where you drive ever-closer to the Rocky Mountains.

There are several towns to choose from for accommodations, but if you can find reasonably priced accommodation in Banff, it’s ideally located for lots of other explorations.

Sleeping

Banff has several wonderful hostels. The Samesun hostel offers a central location, free breakfast (including pancakes!), weekly activities, happy hour deals in their pub, and very comfortable beds. Each bed in a dormitory is equipped with an individually controlled fan, a small shelf and a night. There are large lockers for each bed. If you book enough in advance, prices can be as low as 40$/night in the high season.

The Banff International Hostel offers a decent location, with cute ski-cabin-type rooms, each with its own bathroom. They also have a free breakfast and weekly activities.

Splurge

On a stay at the Banff Springs Hotel, if you’re feeling particularly well off, or seeking a special room for a night. Rooms there start off at 600$+/night. While the location is stunning, in the middle of the forest, it is a longer walk, or short drive to the Banff town itself.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Keep Busy

Whether or not you’re an outdoorsy person, rest assured, you can enjoy Banff and it’s National Park. You don’t have to be an experienced hiker, or spend time in a tent (unless that’s your thing…no judgement here, but I’ll choose indoor plumbing every night…). While there are certainly multi-day hikes to challenge and inspire avid hikers, this is probably not the post for you.

Hiking:

Johnson’s Canyon

…is located about halfway between Banff and Lake Louise. You can choose to hike just to the lower falls (about 3kilometres round trip), or you can continue to the upper Falls as well (about 5.5 kilometres round trip). Should you be a hiking enthusiast, you can choose to continue further along the same path to the ink pots, but this is a further 3.5kms and is wildly disappointing to many who return from experiencing the falls as well.Make sure you bring adequate water for the walk, which could take between 2-4 hours, depending on your speed, the busy-ness of the trail, and how often you stop for the amazing photo opportunities!

The path is well-marked, mostly consisting of gravel, steps and metal grates jutting out of the rocks. It is well set-up for tourists and children with guardrails along the path. (Its worth noting that there are frequent signs warning not to stray from the path. These are substantial falls and should you slip into the water, it likely would not end well!)

The site has become quite the tourist spot in the last few years, and if you would rather hike without everyone out for a day in the park, arrive as early as you can, or late in the day.

Also to note, bears are found everywhere in Banff. If you are hiking during a quiet time of day without others around, make sure you carry, and know how to use, bear spray.

Bow Falls

…offers an easy, short hike perfect for those short on time or lacking the ability to do Johnson’s Canyon. Access to the falls is via the dedicated parking lot in Banff Town, or via the Banff Springs Hotel. The hike can be done in less than an hour, and consists of a few stairs, and a well-travelled gravel path.

Tunnel Mountain

…is an upgrade, challenge-wise to the previous two. Roughly a 4 kilometre loop, the trail is reasonably well marked with a steady climb. Curiously enough, no tunnels are involved in this hike…(blame the rail company for planning to blast through a mountain and then thought better of the huge expense).

Other

Make sure these other awesome activities are on your list of things to see and do:

• Banff Gondola: while pricey, at over 60$ for a ticket, the incredible views, beautiful hike to the weather station, and informative station at the end make it a worthwhile trip. Consider too if you’d like to save yourself about half the ticket price and hike one way (well-marked and dry in the summer months – bring bear spray).
  

  The hike is along a boardwalk and up stairs with railings and viewpoints.

   

  

  Banff Gondola weather station hike

• Banff Upper Hot Springs: undoubtedly the best deal in town, at only 8$ admission, these are a definite Must Do. Relax in the soothing, healing, mineral baths after a day of hiking. They are open until 11pm in the summer and this is definitely something that should be enjoyed after dark (bonus points if you time it during a light winter snowfall or summer rain…). Bring a bottle of water into the pools with you to replenish your fluids.

 

 

 

 

 

• Banff Townsite:

While the surrounding natural park often gets most of the love, the town itself of Banff is a cute, artsy, beautiful town. There are dozens of colourful, interesting shops along the main street and the views of the surrounding mountains are spectacular.

 

 

 

 

 

• Drive the 1a: there is a large highway connecting Banff to Lake Louise, but it’s large, divided, fast, and LOUD. You’ll never spot a bear on this route. Instead, consider the quieter, fence-free 1a directly west of the main highway. While slower, it only adds a short amount of travel time to the journey, and its significantly better for wildlife viewing.
• Lake Louise: almost deserving of its own post, Lake Louise is a 45-70 minute drive from Banff town and is definitely worth a visit. You can hike around the lake, or for a challenge, up to a small tea house. You can also rent a canoe to enjoy the lake, but at 125$ per hour, there are probably better places to canoe and better ways to spend your money.

Dining in Banff

• Dining is definitely a potentially significant expense in Banff. Consider stocking up on essentials and putting together a picnic yourself from the IGA in town. Alternately, Nestor’s has a small grocery store at the end of Bear Street.

If you do decide to eat out, consider any of these awesome choices:

Melissa’s Missteak: a casual steak, burger, pasta restaurant in a long log cabin atmosphere. Inexpensive compared to Banff standards, it has a wonderful ambiance and is open late (for when you come home after the closing of the hot springs…)

Saltlik: a slightly more upscale restaurant, it has a beautiful patio that is pet friendly (one of few restaurants that are…) and the menu features some truly unique dishes. While it caters to meat eaters, you can also find some delicious vegetarian and celiac-friendly options on the menu.

Eddie Burger Bar: basically, as promised, burgers in a bar setting. But they are The Best Burgers In The World. Seriously. If you like creative, awesome, delicious, hand made burgers, go here.

Little Wild: Coffee By Wild Flour: while it doesn’t have the largest selection; everything is amazing. Their baked goods are fresh and made in-house, and they have several unique coffee and tea infusions. If you’re lucky enough to grab an outdoor table, you can’t beat the people watching, as it’s right on the main street.

Most importantly, no matter what you do, make sure you keep your eyes open, as the wildlife life in Banff can be amazing, though is hard to plan for. Get out and enjoy the natural beauty of Canada!