Located some 5km south of town, this 698m-long gondola takes scores of Banff visitors up busy Sulphur Mountain (2281m), to enjoy immense panoramas, get a taster of some high-Alpine hiking and a glimpse into the remote backcountry. Summit infrastructure includes observation decks and an okay restaurant. From here the 1km Summit Ridge Trail leads you a little higher, while the...

The smart, half-timbered Banff Information Centre houses Banff’s town tourism bureau; that of Parks Canada and is the shop of Friends of Banff National Park (friendsofbanff.com), a charity devoted to park enjoyment. If there’s any information you’re short of, one of these organisations is sure to be able to help. The town info counter provides all the usual free handouts,...

This impressive Scottish Baronial flight of Victorian fancy is Banff’s greatest landmark. Work on the turrets and cornices and the thick nine-story granite walls below began in 1888, but things were massively rebuilt in the 1920s. All this resulted in a labyrinthine pile that both celebrates the bygone days of the genteel travel and somehow mirrors, maybe even enhances, the...

For an easy hour or so’s hike, follow the level Bow Falls Trail from the southern side of the bridge at the end of Banff Avenue. It leads east to the powerful waterfalls and rapids of Bow Falls. Beyond the white water, and over the river along Golf Course Road you’ll see a trailhead on your right that allows you...

This imposing landmark hotel – whose interior is a bizarre fusion of alpine and neo-colonial furnishings – is famous above all for its commanding views over Lake Louise from its 511 suites. Rates are reduced significantly outside of holidays and weekends and in the off-season (Oct–Dec), and good value ski packages are offered too. The hotel’s battery of five-star facilities...

With both Banff and Jasper headline acts on virtually every Rockies itinerary, it’s not surprising that the road connecting them – the Icefields Parkway – is an amazing drive. Yet, it’s hard to be prepared for what awaits. The cornucopia of snow-capped peaks along the Continental Divide produces the grandest possible scenic backdrop and between them lies an overwhelming mix...

Outfitter Tom Wilson, the first white Canadian to see Lake Louise when led here by a native in 1882, wrote “I never, in all my explorations… of mountains throughout western Canada, saw such a matchless scene… I felt puny in body, but glorified in spirit and soul.” Today the scene has changed significantly around the fringes. A huge parking lot...

Though only half the size of Lake Louise, Moraine Lake is in many ways scenically superior. The jagged, snow-tipped mountains gather closer to the lake; the adjacent Moraine Lake Lodge is far less intrusive; and there are fewer visitors to contend with. The turquoise colour of the lake is particularly captivating and as vivid as anywhere in the Rockies. As...

This is easily the best mountain bike ride you can do directly from Banff (town). It combines three stretches of trail as designated by the parks service: the easy Tunnel Bench, the hard Toe and the moderate Bow Falls, all described here. It includes several of the town’s sights such as Bow Falls and the Hoodoos to make a scenic...

Though a bit of a minnow compared to surrounding peaks, the isolated position of Tunnel Mountain (1,692m) gives it a superb vantage point for 360º views of the Bow Valley and Banff below you. Take a map of the area to identify local landmarks and surrounding peaks. The trail involves 260m of elevation gain, follows a series of steep but...

After a steady climb through conifers this classic Rockies trail soon rises to cross relatively flat alpine meadows. Bighorn sheep are regularly seen here, but the big attraction are the amazing views of the Athabasca and Sasketchewan Glaciers and rugged Mount Athabasca (3493m) in between. Start: From a trailhead just off Hwy-93 at the Wilcox Creek Campground turnoff; 3km south...