Overview
Banff National Park, established in 1885 as Canada s first national park, protects 6,641 square kilometers of the Canadian Rockies — a landscape of turquoise glacial lakes, jagged mountain peaks, alpine meadows, and abundant wildlife including grizzly bears, elk, wolves, and mountain goats. The town of Banff sits in the heart of the park, providing restaurants, shops, and accommodation, while Lake Louise and Moraine Lake are the park s jaw-dropping natural centerpieces. The Canadian dollar (CAD) is the currency, and a Parks Canada pass ($10.50/day or $72.25/year) is required.
Daily Budget Breakdown
Budget travelers ($100 CAD/day): Camp inside the park, cook your own meals with groceries from Calgary, hike the free world-class trails, ride the Roam transit bus, and spend days at Lake Louise and along the Icefields Parkway for the cost of a park pass.
Mid-range travelers ($260 CAD/day): Stay in Banff town hotels or mountain lodges, eat at local restaurants and pubs, rent a car for the Icefields Parkway and Moraine Lake, add guided hikes or a gondola ride, and visit the Cave and Basin National Historic Site.
Luxury travelers ($650+ CAD/day): Stay at the iconic Fairmont Banff Springs (the Castle in the Rockies) or Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise, dine at the park s finest restaurants, book helicopter tours and private guides, and enjoy spa treatments with Rocky Mountain views.
Where to Save
Hiking is Banff s greatest free activity — Plain of Six Glaciers, Sentinel Pass, and Johnston Canyon offer world-class scenery. The park pass at $10.50 CAD/day covers entry to Lake Louise and Moraine Lake. Roam transit buses connect Banff town to Lake Louise cheaply. Camping costs $28-39 CAD/night and puts you in the heart of the wilderness. Buy groceries in Calgary before arriving — Banff town prices are inflated. The Icefields Parkway drive is included with your park pass and is routinely called the most scenic road in North America. Visit in September-October for lower prices, fall colors, and elk rutting season.
Where to Splurge
Moraine Lake — often called the most beautiful lake in the world — is an experience that no photograph can prepare you for. The turquoise color is so vivid it looks digitally enhanced. The Banff Gondola to Sulphur Mountain summit delivers 360-degree Rocky Mountain panoramas. The Icefields Parkway drive from Lake Louise to Jasper is 232 kilometers of the most spectacular mountain scenery on earth. A night at the Fairmont Banff Springs, even just for dinner or afternoon tea, offers a taste of grand railway hotel heritage. The Lake Agnes Tea House, accessible only by hiking trail, serves tea and scones in a log cabin at 7,000 feet elevation.
