Beautiful Banff (and a little Yoho)

Lakes, Waterfalls and Gondola’s, oh my!

Early September 2023, we made our first visit to Banff. This was part of a larger trip, beginning with Glacier National Park in Montana and would later take us to Jasper. We were fortunate to have (almost) perfect weather and were able to successfully complete most all of our planned experiences. Overall, this trip was lighter on the hiking and more focused on seeing as much as we could – there is a lot to see!

September 1, 2023

Day 1

Arrived in Canmore and settling in.

September 1, 2023

September 2, 2023

Day 2

Tour of Lake Minnewanka, visit to downtown Banff and a gondola ride up to the Sky Bistro for a sunset dinner.

September 2, 2023

September 3, 2023

Day 3

Sunrise at Moraine Lake and enjoying Canmore

September 3, 2023

September 4, 2023

Day 4

Johnston Canyon falls & Inkpots hike, then visiting Emerald Lake and Takakkaw Falls.

September 4, 2023

September 5, 2023

Day 5

Early morning stop at a foggy Lake Louise and then on the road to Jasper.

September 5, 2023

Day 1: Arriving in Canmore

When we first started planning this trip we looked for accommodation in Banff first, but there was minimal availability and we were priced out of those. Tip: Book early if you want to stay in Banff

Expanding our search, we discovered Canmore, which is only about 20 minutes from downtown Banff. Canmore had plenty of lodging options, so we settled on an AirBnB unit inside a resort.

This town was very walkable with only a 20 minute walk from their downtown area, loaded with shops and restaurants. Compared to our later (admittedly brief) visit to downtown Banff, this felt more like a real town vs some Disney-fied version of one, but still provided the surreal views of looming mountains.

Canmore, our home base while visiting Banff

Daily Planning Tips

Once you enter the National Parks, you’re expected to have a valid park pass; some AirBnB hosts have a pass available for their guests – although this is technically not allowed

As most of the attractions are to the west of Banff, staying in Canmore added about 20 minutes to our drives – but we felt it was more than worth it

As always, we recommend getting to attractions early if you are taking your own vehicle (parking) as well as just avoiding foot traffic congestion

You will often be out of cell service, so be sure to have digital maps downloaded!

Day 2 (Pt 1): Lake Minnewanka

As mentioned, this trip was part of a longer trip to include Glacier National Park and Jasper. The previous day we had done a strenuous hike and then drove over 4 hours to get to Canmore, so we planned to have an rest/easy day.

We normally aren’t big tour people due to the forced timelines and the unpredictability. We’re happy to report this was a pleasant experience.

We booked through Banff Jasper Collection, getting tickets for the first trip of the day. It was a beautiful crisp morning and we got in right on time and without any issues.

Outside of that, it was your pretty standard tour experience. They kept up some amusing patter on the cruise out and engaged in some Q&A. Shared the history of the land and the formation of the lake, and making a point to stress that this area had been inhabited long before the arrival of Europeans.

Views on the Lake Minnewanka…

The tour guide stopped the boat here for a minute of silence

No good caption for this…it’s just pretty

You can see the mix of waters and different concentrations of rock flour

Corinne took about 40 pictures to capture this mini rainbow effect

Day 2 (Pt 2): Downtown Banff

It was an easy 20 minute drive from Lake Minnewanka to downtown Banff. It was mid-morning when we arrived and we found paid parking close to Banff Ave.

Walking from one end of Banff Ave to the other pretty much summarizes our visit. Perhaps there is more to see of the town of Banff, but we limited ourselves to the ‘Strip’.

It’s totally geared towards feeding the tourism beast and they did it with style. It was worth the visit to buy some fudge and we enjoyed a really awesome lunch (UNA Pizza & Wine), but the hour and a half visit was plenty for us.

Mountains always dominating your views in Banff

Out and about in downtown Banff…

If there is a candy shop, Corinne is gonna check it out.

John is pleased his day has been as easy as it has…so far.

The staff was really helpful in exploring drink options

The pizza was fantastic, we saved some for later…

Day 2 (Pt 3): Sky Bistro

To cap off our rest day we wanted a bougie dinner experience. Before our trip, we had made a dinner reservation at the Sky Bistro and timed it so we could expect to have some sunset views while we were up there. Tip: Sky Bistro opens reservations 30 days in advance, so set a reminder!

It sits atop Sulphur Mountain, accessible by hiking or via Gondola. We opted for the Gondala ride, although we did glide over some brave souls switchbacking it up the Sulphur Mountain Trail!

When planning this visit, the official recommendation is to park in Banff and take a shuttle to the Gondola, as parking is limited. However, we did some research and found that so long as you could indicate to the parking attendant that you had a Sky Bistro/Gondola reservation, they waved you through and there was parking available. We took a chance on this and it all worked out. Our later arrival (6:50pm “upload”) may have also facilitated this. (Note: in these situations, John does all his worrying internally, and Corinne just blithely expects it to all work out.)

The whole experience was fantastic, from the cocktails and food to the atmosphere and views. Frankly, we came into this with somewhat low expectations and thought it would be worth it for the views alone, so we were pleasantly surprised.

Incredible view of Banff from the top of Sulphur Mountain

The food was great, but we came for the sunset

Sky Bistro views…

Corinne was less than enthused with the gondola ride, despite the views

John was obsessed with a raven that was surfing the winds

They have a deck outside for sight seeing, and this is us getting ready to head back down

Day 3 (Pt 1): Moraine Lake

This ended up being a very long day. We heard reports of aurora the evening before and possibility of them continuing to the next night. We took a chance and drove out to Lake Louise at 3am to see if we could see the northern lights, but we were disappointed.

On to our actual scheduled plans, which was a sunrise visit to Moraine lake. Personal vehicles are not permitted there, so you have to arrange for a shuttle. We used Moraine Lake Bus Co., which picked us up at a shopping center parking lot about 30 minutes from Moraine Lake, with a 5:05am departure time. (We arrived there at like 4am from our aborted aurora hunting at Lake Louise, and tried to nap in the car).

It was very dark when we arrived at Moraine Lake, even with clear skies and moonlight. We were directed to follow a short trail that winded around a small rocky hill overlooking the lake to await sunrise.

We camped out on a boulder to wait for the sun, which would also afford us some elevation to grab shots over the heads of the crowd below. It was chilly, but tolerable, and we had brought a blanket and hand warmers to make it as cozy as possible. We joked that lying there together on that rock was the most romantic experience we’d had in a while.

What it looks like when you aren’t cropping out people

Moraine Lake sunrise views…

Close up of John trying to get the view in the direction of the rising sun

John was surprised when Corinne produced a wardrobe change

Day 3: Interlude

By the time the shuttle took us back to the drop off, it was about 9am; however, we had been awake since around 2am! The shuttle driver told everyone to try the Trailhead Cafe to grab breakfast, which meant it was quickly packed out, so we stopped by Laggan’s.

Awesome breakfast sandwiches, coffee and a huge selection of pastries. We ended up stopping here again the next day and then again on our last day on this trip as we drove back through Banff on the way to Calgary from Jasper.

It was that good. Highly recommend!

Day 3 (Pt 2): Fun in Canmore

It was late morning by the time we returned to our AirBnB and we felt like we had successfully completed our planned outdoor activity. So, we took a much needed nap and resolved to walk into downtown Canmore for dinner and whatever entertainment we could find.

Having driven through the area earlier and getting the sense of where the action was, we headed down Railway Ave to 8th St. It took us about 20 minutes to get there on foot. The whole area had a lovely vibe, and the views were fantastic wherever you turned. After exploring the length of 8th St (or Main St, depending on the map), we doubled back to Grizzly Paw Pub & Brewing where we enjoyed some flights and decent pub fare.

Heading back to our lodging, we swung by the Rose & Crown, where we heard live music playing on the back patio. This turned out to be a lot of fun, the band being excellent and entertaining – along with another few rounds of drinks.

It was a giggly walk home and an early night to bed from there.

You’d think we were out in the backcountry, but this was right in the middle of town

A good time in Canmore…

John’s not normally a beer flight guy, but he gave it a go

John magically capturing Corinne in a sliver of the golden hour

Comma’s ARE important! (on the sign). Oh, and the view

Day 4 (Pt 1): Johnston Canyon

It’s been 3 days since we last hiked and this would turn out to be the only real hike we did in Banff.

We were up and out the door pre-dawn, as it’s a 45 minute drive from Canmore. We know this is a popular spot and we wanted to avoid issues with parking and crowds.

The trail through the canyon is all paved and there are numerous outlooks/overlooks to get close up views of the upper and lower falls. Very pretty and enjoyable.

We would continue on up to the Ink Pots, and by the time we were making our way back through Johnston Canyon it was very crowded and we were glad that we could just focus on threading through and hustling back to the car.

The route through the canyon is all paved paths, but they can be narrow – problematic when it inevitably gets crowded

Views from the Johnston Canyon…

Much of the views are like this; moist, verdant slot canyon

There is a branch path into a cave where you can get a close up of Lower Falls;
Claustrophobia warning if it’s crowded

Another view from the trail as we approach the Upper Falls

Day 4 (Pt 2): Ink Pots

When you hike into Johnston Canyon, you have the option to continue on to the Ink Pots. This would make for a 7 mile out and back hike, with a total 1899 ft/580m elevation gain (according to All Trails anyway).

Just past the Johnston Canyon Upper Falls, the paved path opens up to a wide dirt trail, almost like a firebreak. It is a steady climb from there…the kind where you start to wonder when it will all end. There isn’t much for views along that trail, with much of it just surrounded by woods.

At the end of the line the trail opens to a wide valley, with a range of low peaks in most directions. The Ink Pots themselves were interesting, with vibrant hues and you could see the water bubbling up from the silt of the pools.

We spent a decent amount of time there, as we had it almost to ourselves and it was a nice place to relax a bit.

On our way back it was much faster going as it’s virtually all downhill. We did come across more and more people making their way up and we shared some encouragement as they suffered their way up the trail, breezing by them in the other direction

Views from the Ink Pots…

John taking a break from the climb at the one ‘overlook’ on the trail

First peak of the ‘valley o’ the ink pots’ as we drew near

Day 4 (Pt 3): Emerald Lake

We were really packing it in today! Continuing on from Johnston Canyon, we headed over to the adjacent Yoho National Park in British Columbia to visit Emerald Lake.

This would be an hour drive, getting us there about mid-day. This was living dangerously for us as we we would be dealing with crowds and risk of parking issues.

It was indeed crowded but they allow parking along the road if the parking lot was full. We were able to get a spot, albeit with a bit of extra walking to get to the lake.

The lake and surrounding country were beautiful. It would have been nice to be able to stay and kayak (rentals on site), but we were just there to set eyes on it an move on to our next stop…

Emerald Lake views…

This was a little tributary off the main lake

There was a pretty ample tourism footprint here, with the Kayak rental, Lodge and vendors

Remember that pizza from 2 days ago? We had leftovers. Who doesn’t love cold pizza?

Day 4 (Pt 3): Takakkaw Falls

Still in Yoho National Park, we headed over to Takakkaw Falls, which is relatively close to Emerald Lake. It does require driving up a winding road with quite few hairpin turns to get there.

This is now early afternoon and, as one would expect, it was pretty crowded. Still, there was room in the overflow parking lot for us.

This was a pretty no nonsense visit. From the parking lot it’s a half mile/800m trail to the falls, mostly paved or boardwalk. We came, we saw, we took pictures and got out of there.

Takkakaw Falls views…

View about halfway to the falls on the trail

Our back to the falls, still a beautiful view

There was A LOT of power coming off that drop

Some folks scrambled up pretty close, but this was good for us

Day 5: Lake Louise

This was it. Our final wake up in Banff.

The plan was to get to Lake Louise around 6-6:30am to be able to get parking (lot fills up quickly!) and then hike up to the Lake Agnes Tea House in time for them to open, hopefully getting there in time to snag an initial seating and enjoy a snack.

We had a 4am wake up for breakfast, got our stuff loaded into the car and was on the road by 5am.

The weather gods were not with us as we had very low, overcast skies this morning. We talked strategy a bit and decided that we didn’t want to hike through clouds and see nothing just to say we visited the Tea House. We did have the Icefield Parkway and 4 hours of driving to Jasper ahead of us, so we decided to get started on that.

Even though we had less than ideal conditions during our visit to Lake Louise, it still made for some cool photos. Very ethereal and quiet.

Also – that place is ground zero for massive crowds. Regardless of our early start it was pretty packed out by sunrise. I’ve seen videos of midday, and it looks like a madhouse.

Lake Louise…views?

“Ok, take the picture and then we’re getting out of here”

Banff (and a little Yoho) – what an experience! We had (mostly) good weather and we saw (most) everything on the agenda. We may never make it back to see Lake Louise in all it’s glory, but who knows.

Some takeaways…

We loved staying in Canmore, we can’t stress this enough

Plan ahead regarding your park pass situation; if you don’t have one and are trying to get it at the road checkpoint, you can find yourself in long lines if it’s a busy time of day

Banff Jasper Collection offers a lot of package deals; because we planned this trip a bit incrementally or even last minute, we could have saved money by lumping some of our excursions into a deal

6 thoughts on “Beautiful Banff (and a little Yoho)”

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Pratibha Singh
December 17, 2023 at 11:35 pm

Nice description and pictures. 😊

1. oddcoupleoutdoors
  December 19, 2023 at 3:43 pm
  
  Thank you!
  
Donna
December 18, 2023 at 1:06 am

Fantastic pictures and adventure write up … thank you …I took notes … we are planning a trip September 6-9 2024 for our 40th wedding anniversary … may not hike mountains, but anxious to see the views and breathe in that mountain air and sprit

1. oddcoupleoutdoors
  December 19, 2023 at 3:44 pm
  
  Good luck! Hope our experience helps you plan out yours.
  
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