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We had amazing meals everywhere, especially at Brazen and Arashi Ramen. Also enjoyed breakfast at Wild Flour where we were able to pick up sandwiches to go for our hike that day. We all loved our sweet treats from BeaverTails and The Fudgery as well!
Moraine Lake is not to be missed, especially the Shoreline and Consolation Trail (Rockpile had great views but was very crowded). Lake Louise also amazing and we enjoyed hiking the Agnes Teahouse trail and Little Beehive. Our group of kids and adults also loved our 1 hour horseback ride along Bow River with Banff Trail Riders. Johnston Canyon was lovely as were Lake Minnewanka, Two Jacks Lake, and Vermillion Lake. We can't wait to go back and see all the things we didn't have time for this trip!
Take em on all the hikes! Let them play in the snow and rivers and scramble up rocks. Get them some poutine, beavertails, and hot cocoa to perk them back up. :)
Lupo - authentic Italian, great drinks and atmosphere Beamer's Coffee - the best coffee! Sky Bistro - great foods, drinks, and view/experience
Moraine Lake, Lake Louise
Stay in Canmore and rent a car. It's a more peaceful and less expensive area and an easy drive to Banff whenever you want to go.
Lupo Italian or Fat Ox, both incredible upscale Italian places!
Icefields Parkway in the fall!
Agnes Tea house was an awesome spot to grab a snack and take in the view.
We really liked Peyto Lake. The pictures don't do it justice and it's not too difficult to get to.
Banff Ave Brewery—excellent family friendly place with great food and drinks
Afternoon tea the Fairmont
Remember to always to have snacks on hand!
Maclean Bistro - amazing views, great food, great prices, off the beaten path!
Pack layers and prepare with small coins/bills for tips - it’s a bustling tourist town and the service is pretty great!
We thought The Keg Steakhouse was really good! The prices were good and the food was delicious with a great menu to choose from!
We really loved the roadside viewpoints and natural attractions like Marble Canyon and Silverton Falls. We even drove 2 hours to do white water rafting and an ATV thing in Panorama.
I guess if you are going to be walking around and maybe even hiking, make sure your kids have good shoes! I saw so many people with small children and they were wearing little rubber sandals and dresses and just didn't seem very comfortable to be doing that kind of walking. Also the weather changes pretty quickly so bring layers. It was 88 degrees one day and the next it was like 60 and we were wearing all kinds of extra clothing!
Visited Banff in July
Photo Shoot Location: Lake Minnewanka
Marie-Christine in Banff for Flytographer
Arashi Ramen
Lake Morraine, lake Minnewanka, drive to Jasper, Abathascas falls
Lots of snacks, water and just be flexible
Visited Banff in July
Photo Shoot Location: Lake Minnewanka
Marie-Christine in Banff for Flytographer
Do the waterfall and wild life tour in Jasper. Don’t miss the sunrise in Moraine lake.
Visited Banff in June
Photo Shoot Location: Lake Minnewanka
Marie-Christine in Banff for Flytographer
Bear Street Tavern - fantastic food and great atmosphere.
Canoe Club, hiking (Lake Minnewanka, Lake Louise, Johnston Canyon, Sulphur Mountain)
Bear claws! And afternoon rest time.
Traveling to Columbia Icefield and get on the adventure bus.
MacLab Bistro in Banff--impeccable healthy food and an astonishing view Pho place in Banff on 3rd floor. Great food and AFFORDABLE.
In Banff area: Two Jack Lake, Hoodoos Trail In Lake Louise area: Moose Meadow, Emerald Lake (in Yoho NP), Lake Moraine On trip to the icefield: The drive itself. Waterfowl Lake
Get everywhere early if you want a chance to see it. Parking fills up fast. Reserve shuttles to Lake Louise and Lake Moraine before you go. We enjoyed the hot tub at Hidden Ridge Resort in Banff overlooking the mountains. Go about the 2nd week of June for lovely weather and avoiding crowds.
We stayed in Canmore and our favorite place to eat and have a few drinks was The Wood Restaurant! Staff was friendly and good and drink was amazing
Lake Louise , hiking the mountains and just the majestic scenery of the Canadian Rockies !
We loved sky bistro! Beautiful views, amazing food, friendly staff, and fun date night! We hiked before dinner after taking the gondola up. Would 100% recommend.
We did a tour through lake Louise, Johnston canyon, downtown banff, bow falls and surprise corner! Gorgeous views from all places and honestly the outdoor activities are unlike any place else. You can walk on a frozen lake, hike to a glacier and see wild life.
Doing so many outdoor activities such as hiking is a great way to create memories and bond while traveling.
Hello Sunshine! Great quality sushi and the servers were very knowledgable.
Lake Louise hike - its so magical, even in the winter. A visit to the Sulfur Hot Springs.
If you are arriving from another time zone, on the first night - be sure to take your kids to a busy pub to keep them awake and possibly sleep in. Stay in town so you can walk to the restaurants. The local IGA has "to-go" sandwiches and charcuterie which are perfect to take on a hike or the ski hills.
Visited Banff in March
Photo Shoot Location: Fairmont Banff Springs
Hiking at the Johnston Canyon and visiting Lake Minnewanka after a fresh snowfall.
Be spontaneous!
The hot springs, walking around the town, Lake Minnewanka
Favorite restaurant was in Canmore: Tank 310
Johnston Canyon hike was our favorite, and Emerald Lake, Lake Louise and Two Jack Lake.
Rose and Crown! On Wednesday and Thursday they have free pool, so we took advantage of that with the kids during lunch time. Employees said that the evenings get really busy (it is the oldest bar in Banff-circa 1985), but lunch was very chill. The food was amazing and the four of us had a great time playing pool!
Hiking! But that goes without saying. We did 5 pin bowling at the Fairmont which was such a fun experience (and they have Canmore Brewing Company Soda there-YUM!). The bowling alley also has free pool and foosball in the back room for when you are done bowling and the best smelling pizza! The kids loved the Banff Trading Post and we went there two times. They have authentic Indigenous handicrafts there (and have for almost 120 years!) and unexpectedly, a Merman! I won't explain this here-there are really no words for it, you'll just have to see it yourself! Lake Minnewanka is where we had our photos taken. Bring extra clothes so you can change after the photoshoot and spend some time hiking and enjoying the sites there. We spent a couple hours just hanging around the lake after the photoshoot. We stayed in Canmore, which is about 20 minutes from downtown Banff, and next time we visit would do the same thing. Canmore is gorgeous, very chill and has great restaurants and hiking.
Curb your expectations! After 3 days of hiking, the kids' legs were worn out (and they have hiked around the world!). While I would have continued to hike each day, we changed plans and did the 5 pin bowling at Fairmont, pool at Rose & Crown and Elevation Place. In Canmore there is Elevation Place that you can buy a day pass for the pool (lazy river, hot tub, pool with basketball hoop, laps, and a waterslide). We added $10 a person to rent shoes and a harness for rock climbing, which was such a highlight! Overall we paid about $55 US for this pass and did it for two different days. This was such a highlight for the kids (and us!). It kept us active, but in a different way than hiking. We stayed at Blackstone Lodge (Canmore) in a two bedroom/two bathroom apartment. Fully stocked kitchen, and grills outside to use for the yummy Alberta Beef you can buy at the grocery store down the road. Very clean, great staff, and the room was bigger than our first house, which was so nice for everyone to relax after our long days out. Blackstone also comes with a washer and dryer, and they provide Tide and Bounce!
Tim Hortons!
Hike and plan early. Emerald Lake is a great place to canoe.
UNA had great pizza and appetizers. If the wait is too long, order for pick up. Brazen was a great brunch.
Flytographer and boat tour of Lake Minnewanka.
Definitely book a Flytographer shoot! The tour of Lake Minnewanka was so peaceful and relaxing. Use the Roam transportation to get around.
Bluebird, because we celebrated our anniversary there and the atmosphere and food was fantastic. The view is perfect at sunset as well!
Canoeing on Lake Louise, the Lake Louise trail hike up to the lake, exploring downtown Banff, sunset on Lake Vermillion, visiting Peyto and Moraine Lake, Larch Valley hike, Tunnel Mountain hike.
Make sure you get your shuttle tickets beforehand so you don’t miss out on some awesome sights and adventures and make reservations at one of the many awesome restaurants in downtown Banff with a good sunset view! Anything else you do rather hiking or exploring will be the best adventure.
Crazy Weed! The food and atmosphere was great!
Visiting Lake Moraine! Big Bee Hive Hike
Have fun!
Lake Minnewanka, Banff Ave
Plan ahead and research to make the most of your trip
We loved Park in downtown Banff and Blake’s in Canamore!
Lake Louise was the best, we loved lake moraine, Johnston canyon, sulpher mountain and the gondola, Icefields tour, and grassi lakes!
Book in advance!
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