The town of Banff lies on the Trans-Canada between Lake Louise and Calgary.Banff is about 55 km east of Lake Louise, 31 km east of Castle Junction (and the junction with Highway 93 to Radium Hot Springs), and 22 km west of Canmore.
Here is Banff’s Mount Rundle, viewed from scenic viewpoint on Mount Norquay Road. You can hike to and up any of the mountains around Banff, with Tunnel, Norquay, and Sulphur the most accessible, and Cascade the most challenging.
Tourists are always surprised by the variety and proximity of wild animals around town. Please be careful…these wild animals may be frightened of humans, especially if you try to sneak up on them for a picture. You should not feed them (EVER!) and should throw out your garbage only into special bear-proof waste containers around the town.
Banff is the tourist centre of the Canadian Rockies. It not only has the largest number of hotels and beds & breakfasts, but also has an abundance of man-made and natural attractions. There are plenty of scenic wonders on the roads around Banff.
The town’s attractions are clustered in three main areas:
- In the Town centre, between the Bow River and the Trans-Canada Highway (#1)
- On Tunnel Mountain, overlooking the town
- On Sulphur Mountain on the opposite bank of the Bow River
Visitors to Banff enjoy exploring and shopping on Banff Avenue. It has shops, boutiques, sporting goods stores, and restaurants to cater to every taste. Banff also many affordable motels and hotels, mostly along Banff Avenue, plus the internationally renowned Banff Springs Hotel overlooking the Bow River.
