Start from 40 curated places around Banff, CA, then choose the recommendations that fit your guests.
Restaurants & cafés
Lupo
An acclaimed Italian marketplace-style restaurant in the Banff townsite turning out handmade pasta and wood-fired dishes. It's the town's most celebrated table, blending mountain warmth with serious cooking.
The Bison Restaurant
A Banff favorite serving Rocky Mountain cuisine built on Alberta game, bison, and regional ingredients with a mountain-view terrace. It's the spot for a hearty, locally rooted dinner.
Trails & outdoors
Johnston Canyon & the Ink Pots
A hugely popular canyon walk on catwalks bolted to the cliffs past a series of waterfalls, continuing to colorful mineral springs. The lower falls are easy; the Ink Pots reward a longer push.
Plain of Six Glaciers
A classic Lake Louise hike along the lakeshore and up the valley toward Victoria Glacier, ending at a historic backcountry teahouse. The glacier views and the teahouse pie are the reward.
Things to do
Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies
A downtown museum and gallery chronicling the art, mountaineering, and human history of the Canadian Rockies. The exhibitions and the heritage cabins on the grounds bring the region's story to life.
Banff Park Museum
A wonderfully preserved 1903 log building housing a Victorian-era natural history collection of Rocky Mountain wildlife. The taxidermy specimens and the historic architecture make it a charming, quick visit.
Landmarks & sights
Lake Louise
The turquoise glacial lake beneath Victoria Glacier, one of the most photographed sights in Canada, backed by the grand Fairmont chateau. The color, the peaks, and the lakeshore walk make it essential.
Moraine Lake
A vivid blue lake in the Valley of the Ten Peaks, arguably even more striking than Lake Louise, reached only by shuttle or guided transport. The view from the Rockpile is the postcard of the Canadian Rockies.