I'm looking at booking a trip to Banff in mid-June. We plan to hike during the day for a few days and then spend a day in Calgary before flying back. Any recommendations for lodging or restaurants in or near Banff?

jh0400 said:

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I'm looking at booking a trip to Banff in mid-June. We plan to hike during the day for a few days and then spend a day in Calgary before flying back. Any recommendations for lodging or restaurants in or near Banff?

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We've been twice, summer and winter. I'm partial to the Fairmont Banff Springs hotel. It's pricey, but sometimes you can get a good deal.

Banff isn't a foodie town, but the Chinese place (Silver Dragon) up on the hill near the Fairmont is good, as is the Greek place (Balkan) in town. The Uprising Bakery is fantastic for breakfast.

And I wouldn't skip afternoon tea at the Fairmont Lake Louise and fondue at either the Fairmont Lake Louise or the Fairmont Banff Springs. All are excellent.

If you stay at one of the fairmonts, check for offers online. Theyll do 5th night free. Also sign up for their rewards program, ACCOR, and you usually get a 15% discount on rooms if you book through Accor.

Storm Mountain Lodge is a great place between Banff and Lake Louise. Rustic log cabins, lots of chipmunks and they have a great restaurant.

Just a warning, the Banff marathon is June 19. I think it pretty much takes over the town. A lot of places are sold out if that is one of the weekends you're looking at.

Juniper Inn was good for us when we went. Good view off the porch and nice and clean. Not super expensive as well

Over spring break we stayed in Canmore, which is about 20 minutes from Banff. I mainly decided to stay there because we could get a whole 2 br apartment for the same price as a plain hotel room in Banff. Canmore is not nearly as touristy as Banff but still has plenty of good places to eat.

The place we stayed is called Rundle Cliffs Lodge.

https://www.springcreekvacations.com/

We always stay at The Rimrock.

Be advised that lower elevation trails can be very muddy in June and higher elevation trails will still be snow/ice covered.

Don't limit yourself to hiking in the immediate Banff area. I think there are better hikes in the Lake Louise/Morraine Lake area and further up the Ice Fields Parkway and especially in Yoho NP in the Lake O'Hara area.

Banff is such a great trip. I'm a little envious of you.

Lodging
I can't say enough about the Banff Springs. I've had two stays there and, while I haven't stayed anywhere else in Banff, I can't imagine going to Banff and not staying there. I do understand it's pricey and staying in a budget is a reality to live with. It's just that if I couldn't stay there I'd maybe stay around Lake Louise or Canmore and to get some distance from the town of Banff, which is very touristy and busy.

If the Banff Springs is in your budget, I would consider the gold floor. Normally I don't think these lounge floors are worth it but at this specific hotel the additional service is unbelievable for scheduling activities. Also, if you plan for breakfast and lunch/snack in the lounge, it does help justify the cost a bit. I don't know that I can think of anyone who has stayed there that regrets it, though it's mainly been family and friends of family that have.

Otherwise, I'd look at a CRMR property. They have one called Deer lodge in Lake Louise and called Buffalo Mountain Lodge in Banff proper. While I have not stayed in either of those, I stayed at the their Emerald Lake property and had a great time.

Food
Food in Banff is very Canadian. And by that I mean Caucasian and not offensive. It's not bad, per se, it's just also not something you'll get excited about. And the Banff Springs, my favorite was Waldhaus. And in town I guess I went to Coyotes more than once. For food, I'd recommend Canmore more than Banff. Crazyweed is great, my wife still talks about it. I'd recommend Rocky Mountain Flatbread as well. And I enjoyed a burger at Tavern 1883 on the cheaper side.

What to Do
I'm sure you don't need too many suggestions here. I'll just through in that Mount Norquay lookout above town was my go-to for wildlife sightings.

Mount Norquay Lookout

Also, look into the teahouses. Lake Agnes should be open and maybe the Plain of Six Glaciers. If you have a choice, do the Plain of Six Glaciers. Note of warning, the last stretch is above the tree line and without much shade until you get to the teahouse. It gets hot in the July sun. Leave early. Like sunrise early. If you want to attempt both in the same day, go up to the Plain first.

TEA HOUSE HIKES

good post. I'll second Canmore as well. Less crowd and very nice. We stayed there a night as well at Lamphouse Hotel and it was super nice and cheap. My wife still talks about that hotel. Right on the main drag in town and great customer service.

I also second the hiking about early June. Some trails can still be sketchy. We did the Big Beehive, and Little Beehive hikes in early/mid June a few years back and the big beehive portion was the most sketchiest thing I've ever done in my life, no lie. We were literally scaling the side of the mountain because it was still covered in snow and ice. We literally got too far up to turn around. It's a memory I will never forget that is for damn sure.

That entire part of the world is gorgeous. We loved our time there....Yes, the food is very blah imo.

When we were there in 2019, it snowed on June 7. I was only able to hike to the first tea house at Lake Louise.

We are headed to Banff Thursday. Has anyone done the gondola ride? We are making our plan this weekend.

It's fun and the views at the top are very good. I would recommend it.

aggiespartan said:

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We are headed to Banff Thursday. Has anyone done the gondola ride? We are making our plan this weekend.

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Yep, Gondola will get you up here

Oh my that is stunning! on my bucket list for sure.

Bump for upcoming ski trip. We only skiied Sunshine last time, are the other options worth checking out? Any recs for activities for non-skiiers?

Snow-shoeing in Marble Canyon and the Johnston Canyon Ice Hike. Google both; there are small group guided tours that provide all the gear. Tubing at Norquay is super fun, too.

Afternoon tea at the Fairmont Lake Louise, or an afternoon at the spa at the Fairmont Banff Springs. Fondue at either hotel.

wessimo said:

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Bump for upcoming ski trip. We only skiied Sunshine last time, are the other options worth checking out? Any recs for activities for non-skiiers?

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I was there last week. Snow was slightly better at Sunshine. Both had some crunchy hard pack/ice areas. I saw exposed rock and thin spots at both. Neither appear to be benefitting from the big storms like the state side mountains.

I preferred skiing Lake Louise, it's worth checking out.

Costco in Calgary sells lift tickets.

For non-skiers: ice skating on Lake Louise, walk across the frozen lake to other side. Afternoon tea at LL Fairmont, get a res. I don't think you can eat at other Fairmont restaurants w/out staying there. Dog sledding, sleigh rides.

Food: Railway Station in LL. Grizzly for fondue in Banff.

Enjoy

The only reason I didn't recommend ice skating on Lake Louise is because, if you're not a decent skater, it's very difficult. There are no hand/side rails like at a rink, and the ice is pretty uneven. There is no Zamboni regularly coming out to smooth it. The skates we rented were also hockey-type, which are very stiff, uncomfortable, and difficult to put on.

It is an amazing and beautiful experience, though. We did it before our afternoon tea reservation. I prob didn't last 20 min on the ice because I'm terrible and didn't want to fall and break anything.

I am headed to Lake Louise for one night then Banff for four nights. Staying at the Fairmont for both stays.

Question- has anyone ever used "tours by locals"? I'm trying to decide if I would be better off having a local tour guide for two days to see as much as possible.

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Thanks and gig 'em!!

I've used local guides in many paces, including Banff, and I've never been disappointed or had a bad experience. Most times they've exceeded expectations and been excellent, so I think they are completely worth it.

I booked two private tours- one from Lake Louise and one from Banff. I'm excited for the trip!!

Thanks!!