Holidays in Banff

Nestled in the Canadian Rocky Mountains, Banff is the largest town in Banff National Park, Canada's first national park. This quaint resort town offers a wide range of accommodation options, restaurants, clubs, tours and activities. The town is surrounded by pristine nature including several mountains, hot springs, lakes and waterfalls.

Planning Banff holidays

The best time for Banff holidays depends if you would like to enjoy summer sports such as hiking or winter sports such as skiing. May to September is ideal for hiking and ski season is from November to April. Banff is located an hour and a half west of Calgary's international airport. It is possible to reach the town by an airport shuttle bus or hired car. The town can easily be explored on foot but there is a public transportation bus system and cabs as well. Another popular way to get around is by bicycle with many paths leading out of the city to mountain viewpoints. Banff is in the Mountain Standard timezone (GMT-7).

Banff holidays: Highlights

Because of its location in the mountains Banff is an ideal base for outdoor activities such as skiing, nature walks, hiking and mountain biking. There are three ski resorts located nearby: Lake Louise, Sunshine Valley and Ski Norquay. Tour the Cave and Basin National Historic Site, a group of sulphurous hot springs located in a cave. This was the birthplace of Canada's National Parks system. To relax in the hot springs visit Banff Upper Hot Springs with its large bathouse and spa. Ride the Banff Gondola to the summit of Sulphur Mountain and enjoy the views. Finally, visit Banff Park Museum. The museum contains over 5000 natural history specimens and explains the history of the park.