What were some of your favorite activities in Banff? We are staying there for four days next summer after our Alaska ABD.
Hi Acndis--We spent about 8 days in the Canadian Rockies this past summer. Didn't do ABD, we did it on our own. Not sure if you have a car, but if you do, it will make it much easier. I'll break down the Banff area into three different areas: Banff, Lake Louise (about a 45 minute drive from Banff), and the Icefields Parkway.
Banff:
1.) Hundreds of shops and restaurants on the Main Street of Banff
2.) Banff Gondola-more than just a ride up. Some easy hikes and walks you can do at the top.
3.) Banff Hot Springs Sulfur Baths-Rated highly on tripadvisor. We thought it was just ok. It was like 100 people crowded into a hot pool.
4.) Lake Minnewanka cruise (great commentary about the area) or you can rent canoes/boats/paddleboats.
5.) Cave and Basin-ok, but if you've seen other caves it was pretty similar
6.) Johnston Canyon hike-this was really a great hike
7.) Bow River hike or bike ride
Lake Louise:
1.) Go to the Fairmont Lake Louise and you can look around or canoe on Lake Louise.
2.) From the Fairmont, you can hike to the Agnes Tea House. The trail is right behind the Hotel. Note; it is about 1400' of elevation and ~8 KM round trip. But, it is absolutely worth it. You can also do part of the trail on horseback.
3) On the Road to the Fairmont Lake Louise, there is a sideroad that will take you to Moraine Lake. There you can hike around the lake, rent canoes, or hike the "rockpile"-a large rockpile with some trails up. It is pretty easy.
Icefields Parkway: The Icefields Parkway runs from Lake Louise to Jasper and is one stunning vista after another. From Banff towards Jasper, the following are the things we either stopped at for a view or hiked:
1.) Peyto Lake/Bow Summit hike-this is the iconic photo you often see of the Canadian Rockies. The one where a person is sitting on a rock high above the lake.
2.) Weeping Wall (pull over for a view)
3.) Bridal Veils (pull over for a view)
4.) Columbia Glacier Ice Explorer-recommend you get tickets in advance unless you book a coach tour up there. If you get a combo ticket, a shuttle will take you to the Glacier Skywalk
The Columbia Glacier is about the midpoint of the Icefields Parkway. As you head towards Jasper, there are a number of other vistas to see, the most spectacular being Athabascar Falls (but this is pretty close to Jasper).
If you have or can rent a car, it is really easy to get around. I had a GPS, but really didn't need it. The other advantage is the ability to pull over to see the wildlife. We saw elk, moose, black bears, grizzly bears, mountain goats, and others. Much of it was simply driving from one place to another. It didn't take alot of looking, when there are about 30 cars pulled over, you know there is wildlife
.
We got to know the area a bit. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out. Hope you have fun. It truly is a spectacular area.