There are many ways to experience the natural glory of Banff National Park. In summer walk along the parks' many nature trails, hike into the backcountry or climb peaks made famous by earlier tourist-explorers who helped fill in the map of the Rockies a century ago. In winter participate on canyon icewalks, take a horse-drawn sleigh ride, or fly across the snow in a dog sled. Banff and Lake Louise are most tranquil in the in-between seasons of spring and late fall. All museums and cultural attractions remain open during the shoulder seasons.

Activity/Vacation Reservations & Ski Packages
Planning a trip to our area and feeling a bit overwhelmed? Let us help make your trip a memorable one. We have many Reservation Companies available that would be pleased to help you with all your Accommodation, Activity and Ski package needs. Anytime of year, any type of weather you’ll enjoy excitement that our beautiful area has to offer.

Airplane Tours
Air tour companies offer year round guided air tours of the Canadian Rockies and Columbia Mountains. The companies offer a unique view of the magnificent sights of the Canadian Rockies. You will not merely be taking a ride in an airplane, but participating in a guided air tour.

Barbecue & Dance Barn
Put on your favorite cowboy boots and ten-gallon hat and mosey on down to an old-fashioned BBQ and barn dance. For a foot stomping good time Brewster Lake Louise Stables and Holiday on Horseback offer mouth-watering fare to tempt the most seasoned cowboy. You're encouraged to kick up your heels to the lively sounds of country and western entertainment. Bring your friends and family for a memorable evening of good food and great music.

Boat Tours
Lake Minnewanka, located 15 miles northeast of the town of Banff, off the TransCanada Highway. Your cruise on beautiful Lake Minnewanka to the famed Devil's Gap will be the highlight of your trip to Banff and the Canadian Rockies. You will be welcomed aboard for 1 1/2 hour fully narrated tour of some of the most spectacular scenery found anywhere. Relax aboard glass-enclosed boats as you travel through the Minnewanka Valley to Devil's Gap. Lake Minnewanka is the Park's largest lake and the only one where power boats are permitted. Sixteen foot boats with outboard motors can be rented for fishing from mid-May to Labour Day from Lake Minnewanka Tours, or take one of their guided tours to the end of the lake with or without a guide.

Dogsledding
The warmest and most comfortable way to enjoy and photograph the Canadian Rocky Mountains in their spectacular winter setting is to do it from a sled pulled through the forest by a team of huskies. "Mush" your own team of sled dogs through the pristine Spray Lakes area adjacent to Banff National Park. Tours can last between 2 - 10 hours including traditional mountain snacks and refreshments to re-fuel you for the ride ahead.

Downhill Skiing
Lake Louise - For scenic grandeur, imaginative terrain design, and sheer size, the Lake Louise Ski Area ranks with the finest resorts in the world. This terrain, spread over four separate mountain faces, are interconnected by a lift and trail system that is comparable to the European "ski circuit" concept.

Banff Mount Norquay - The area's oldest resort, Mount Norquay has been totally re-designed and expanded to world-class standards. You'll enjoy all the convenience of a comprehensive visitor services complex and a host of ski-season events.

Sunshine Village - This alpine resort receives more than 30 feet of 100% natural snow every year and has one of North America's longest ski seasons (mid-November to mid-May). Sunshine Village offers some of the best wide-open above-tree-line skiing and boasts Banff’s only on-hill ski in/ski out hotel.

Fishing
The famed Bow River (open year round), numerous lakes and streams in and around Banff National Park are home to an abundance of fish species that attract Fly and Spin fisherman from all over the world. There are several stores that can outfit you with the necessary equipment and licenses for you to fish at your leisure. Alternatively, there are a number of guides that can lead you to the spots where only a local would know, and their packages would include transport, equipment, licenses and refreshments. Winter fishing is also very popular, with guides offering the comfort of heated huts and hot drinks to offset the colder conditions. Summertime also offers the opportunity to rent small motorised boats on Lake Minnewanka, with or without a guide.

Golf
Teeing-off amongst the backdrop of dramatic mountain ranges with local wildlife as your gallery, is an unequalled golfing experience available at several courses in our area. As well as 9 & 18 hole world-class golf courses, there are also companies that can arrange tee-times and transport to a number of courses in the area.

Heli-Skiing/Hiking/Sightseeing
Helicopter Skiing - Experience mountain skiing via helicopter! The helicopter can deliver you to the top of a remote mountain and pick you up at the bottom after an exhilarating run down untouched powder. Enjoy this extraordinary skiing and incredible views for one day, two days, or a week, the choice is yours! Helicopter Sightseeing - Fly over magnificent mountain landscapes on a helicopter sightseeing tour of Banff National Park offered year round. Enjoy the snow-covered peaks of Mount Rundle, Mount Assiniboine or the highest peaks of the Canadian Rockies along the Continental Divide. In winter enjoy an afternoon sightseeing tours in Panorama, British Columbia. Heli-Hiking - Experience the back country via helicopter! The helicopter can deliver you to a remote site for an half-day stroll up to a week long adventure. Sightseeing from the air is the best way to really gain perspective on the grandeur of the Rockies. Short tours can range from 20 minutes to an hour, more extensive trips between 1-5 days.

Hiking/Snowshoeing/X-Country/Nature Tours
Hiking - One of the best ways to really get to know the national parks... Explore them on foot! Over 1,000 kilometres of hiking trails, rated from novice to expert await you in the park. Guided tours are available for all level. They can provide transportation, experience guide and something a lunch. If you which to explore the mountains on your own, please contact Parks Canada for trails report at (403) 762-1550 or  Hiking & Trail Report  Cross-Country Skiing - Cross-country skiing in the Canadian Rockies can be anything and everything you've ever dreamed of. Every trail, every hill and every corner offers a new incredible view of the mountains. The Banff National Park and the surrounding areas offer a vast network of cross-country skiing trails. Try the smooth tracks of the nearby Canmore Nordic Centre, or gentle touring trails throughout the park. Advanced skiers can enjoy high-alpine glacier traverse that rival the "haute-routes"of the Alps. Snowshoeing - Explore the magnificent natural world of the Rockies in a truly Canadian way, on snowshoes! Join a guided tour for an outdoor experience following the tracks of wolves and wolverines, learning how owls hunt, and how life adapts to the cold. 

Horseback Riding/Carriage & Sleigh Rides
Horseback Riding - Go Western! Experience the real west, for an hour, a day, or a week. See wildlife in the splendid scenery of Banff's back country, enjoy fishing, or delight in sensational photography. Relax, and savour the breathtaking Rockies from horseback. Carriage & Sleigh Rides - Weather permitting, horse-drawn carriage rides are available for tours around the Banff townsite. In winter months, enjoy a sleigh ride (approximately 45 to 60 minute) excursion to the end of majestic Lake Louise. In Banff, sleigh rides along (or on!) the Bow River are available seven days a week, weather and snow conditions permitting.

Hot Springs & Spa
Hot springs were once considered therapeutic, the waters are now appreciated for their relaxing effect; the temperature is about 104 degrees (40 degrees Celsius). Or for something even more relaxing, try out the spa. Sit in the steamroom or let them "wrap you up" so you can snooze a while on the specially designed beds. It's the perfect way to finish a day.

Mountaineering/Climbing/Hiking
Training programs are offered for beginners, intermediates and experts in the disciplines of rock and ice climbing, mountaineering, outdoor leadership, avalanche awareness and ski mountaineering. For those preferring a more relaxed and slower-paced alpine experience, enjoy one of the many backpacking or mountaineering adventures offered. Programs provide challenging and rewarding mountain experiences at all levels, in all seasons.

Movie Theaters
The Lux Cinema has four movie theatres showing the latest first-run features. Located at the corner of Bear and Wolf Streets. Call the 24 hour cinema line at (403) 762-8595.

Museums & Art Galleries
Banff Park Museum - This museum houses a taxidermy collection of animals indigenous to Banff National Park, from birds to grizzly bears. Built in 1903, this is the oldest natural history museum in Canada, and the building, an unusual type of architecture known as "railroad pagoda", is a National Historic Site. 

Buffalo Nations Luxton Museum - All visitors enjoy the exhibits honouring the heritage of the natives of the Northern Plains and Canadian Rockies. Displays include costumes, hunting equipment, and dioramas of native and pioneer life. The building that houses the museum is an old fort-like structure overlooking the Bow River. The museum is operated by the Buffalo Nations Cultural Society, representing Stoney, Blackfoot, Blood, Sarcee, and Peigan tribes.

Canada Place – Canada Place is a centre where visitors of all ages can discover interactive displays which explore Canada’s natural and built historical heritage, as well as the events and people who shaped them. Admission to the Canada Place exhibit is free.

Cave & Basin National Historic Site - The discovery of natural hot springs here in 1883 led to the creation of Canada's first National Park in 1885, created to preserve the hot springs and to encourage visitors to come to the area. You will pass through a tunnel to discover the cave where the hot springs were discovered. The Centre shows videos and exhibits year-round, telling the story of discovery. A short interpretive walk along the boardwalk on the hillside above the Centre leads you to the vent (an opening in the cave's roof) and a spring that flows from the hillside. Another boardwalk follows a Marsh Trail, which shows how the heated mineral water from the hillside has resulted in lush vegetation. Guided interpretive walks are also available.

Natural History Museum - If you are interested in the geological history of Banff, the Natural History Museum is for you. Featuring a rare collection of fossils, rocks and gemstones this museum is sure to delight young and old. For a real treat they also have a lifesize model of the legendary "bigfoot".

Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies - The museum is home to three art galleries, a cultural history collection, and a renowned research archives. Contemporary and historic art exhibitions change monthly with works by local, regional and national artists. Also located on the pleasant wooded museum grounds are several historic homes and cabins, authentically furnished as fascinating examples of pioneer life in the mountains. Guided and private tours are available. Summer programs for children and families are frequently offered.

Art Galleries - Art Galleries offer art and handcrafts, from landscape paintings by local artists, to sculptures and beadwork by Canada's Native people.

Off Road Touring
Off Road Touring is designed to get you off the main roads and into the wilderness areas of the majestic Canadian Rockies. Guided tours in either ATV, Hummer or snowmobile take you into areas, which provide spectacular views of the Rocky Mountains, and opportunities to see wildlife.

Sightseeing Gondolas
The best way to appreciate the breathtaking scenery in our area is to be amongst the mountains that surround you. There are sightseeing gondolas in Banff (open year round and situated a short distance from the townsite) and Lake Louise (summer only) where you can enjoy panoramic views, short hiking trails, interpretive exhibits and restaurants to relax in.

Snocoach Tours
Take time for Brewster's "Ice Age Adventure", a tour onto the icy slopes of the Athabasca Glacier, located at the Columbia Icefields. You will travel in a specially designed Brewster "snocoach" to the middle of the glacier, on a five km round trip journey. Your driver will point out interesting geological features as you travel in safety and comfort. At the icefall below the glacier headwall, you will have the option of stepping out onto ice formed from snow falling as long as 400 years ago.

Waterslides
Are the kids driving you crazy, need an activity that's fun for the whole family? The Douglas Fir Resort offers the only waterslide experience in the park. The resort provides two indoor slides, kiddie pool, Jacuzzi, steamroom and fitness room that are sure to please the entire family.

Whitewater Rafting/Kayaking & Float Trips
Expect to get wet! That's part of the fun of river rafting. It also makes this sport perfect for a rainy day. Trips offered by rafting and kayaking companies vary - from float trips down the Bow River to the white water rapids of the Kicking Horse, Kananaskis or Kootenay Rivers. Find the one that's right for you!