Interactive Map of Banff
Explore the top landmarks and excursions around Banff. Click any marker to learn more.
Banff landmarks
Banff Banff is a town of 8,300 people inside a national park, capped by development limits. What to see on Banff Avenue, and how to use it as a base. Banff National Park Banff National Park's rules explained: the Parks Canada pass, Treaty 7 territory, wildlife safety distances, and how the seasons actually work. Johnston Canyon Johnston Canyon's catwalks lead to two waterfalls and, further on, the Ink Pots. What the 1.1 km and 2.7 km trails actually involve, by season. The Banff Gondola & Sulphur Mountain The Banff Gondola guide: an 8-minute ride to 2,281 m on Sulphur Mountain, boardwalk to Sanson's Peak, prices, crowds, and when to book. Banff Upper Hot Springs: soaking pools below Sulphur Mountain A heated outdoor pool below Sulphur Mountain, open year-round with lockers and suit rental — separate from the historic Cave and Basin site. Bow Falls Bow Falls is a short, easy walk from central Banff near the Fairmont Banff Springs — modest in scale, free, and simple to pair with Surprise Corner. Bow Valley Parkway: Banff's slow route to Lake Louise The slower, wildlife-rich alternative to the Trans-Canada, with a seasonal closure on its eastern half that drivers need to plan around. Cave and Basin: where Canada's national parks began The 1883 hot spring find that created Canada's first national park — a heritage museum today, not a swimming pool. Lake Minnewanka: boat cruises, fishing and picnics on Banff's largest lake Lake Minnewanka is Banff's largest lake, with a seasonal boat cruise, fishing, picnic areas and wildlife along its scenic access road. Mount Norquay Banff's smallest SkiBig3 hill: steep runs, night skiing, and a free shuttle from town. What Mount Norquay does well, and what it doesn't. Sunshine Village and Sunshine Meadows Banff Sunshine ski resort in winter, Sunshine Meadows alpine hiking in summer — gondola access, longest SkiBig3 season, late-September larches. Tunnel Mountain: Banff's easiest summit hike A 4.3 km, 300 m round-trip hike from downtown Banff to a summit view over the Bow Valley, no gondola or car required. Two Jack Lake Two Jack Lake sits on the Minnewanka loop with easy Mount Rundle views and a lakeside campground. How it differs from Minnewanka next door. Vermilion Lakes Three shallow lakes minutes from Banff townsite, known for Mount Rundle reflections and birdwatching -- a viewpoint, not a swimming spot. Castle Mountain Castle Mountain sits on the Bow Valley Parkway between Banff and Lake Louise, with an easy roadside viewpoint and a steep trail to Rockbound Lake. Mount Rundle Mount Rundle dominates Banff's skyline, but its summit is a long, exposed scramble for experienced hikers only, not a casual walk like Tunnel Mountain.
Day trips & excursions
Calgary Calgary (YYC) is the airport gateway to Banff, 128 km and about 1.5 hours away. Shuttle, coach and rental car options compared, plus Stampede pricing. Canmore Canmore sits 26 km outside Banff National Park, so no park pass is needed. Often cheaper stays, fewer crowds, and the Three Sisters as a backdrop. Columbia Icefield: the Ice Explorer, the retreating glacier, and what's worth booking The Columbia Icefield's Ice Explorer bus reaches the Athabasca Glacier, which is retreating about 5 m a year. Seasonal, April/May to October only. Drumheller and the Alberta badlands Drumheller's hoodoos, Dinosaur Trail and giant T-Rex sit 135 km from Calgary but 300 km from Banff. Here's how to visit it, and from where. Emerald Lake: Yoho's biggest lake, open year-round by car Emerald Lake in Yoho is open by car year-round, unlike Takakkaw Falls. Here's the 5.2 km loop, the fishing bridge, canoe rental and when the colour shows. Golden & the Golden Skybridge Golden, BC sits 135 km from Banff — home to the Golden Skybridge, Kicking Horse Mountain Resort, and the closest base for Yoho's Field and Emerald Lake. Jasper Jasper is a town of 4,700 rebuilding after the 2024 fire, and a dark-sky destination in its own right, not just a stop on the Icefields Parkway. Kananaskis Country Kananaskis Country is provincial Alberta land, not a national park. Here's why its own Conservation Pass exists and why the Banff pass won't cover it. Kootenay National Park Kootenay National Park via Highway 93 South: Marble Canyon, the Paint Pots, Sinclair Canyon and Radium Hot Springs, plus the pass you'll need. Lake Louise: the village, the lake and the Fairmont at its end Lake Louise sits 58 km from Banff at 1,750 m, with the Fairmont Chateau at one end. Here's parking, the shuttle, thaw timing and what to do lakeside. Maligne Lake and Spirit Island Maligne Lake is 22 km long, and Spirit Island is only visible from a boat or canoe, never from shore. Here's how to actually see it. Moraine Lake: the Valley of the Ten Peaks, shuttle-only since 2023 Moraine Lake has no public parking. Access is shuttle, bus, tour or bike only, year-round. Here's how the Rockpile viewpoint and access actually work. Peyto Lake: the wolf-head viewpoint at Bow Summit Peyto Lake's turquoise only shows up from late June onward, and the famous viewpoint takes a short uphill walk from the car park, not a drive-up look. Takakkaw Falls Takakkaw Falls drops about 254 m in Yoho National Park, but the access road only opens roughly late June to early October. Trail, timing and tours. The Icefields Parkway The Icefields Parkway in one day or two: distance, drive time, the pass you need, fuel gaps, and every stop between Lake Louise and Jasper. The Royal Tyrrell Museum The Royal Tyrrell Museum in Drumheller holds one of the world's largest dinosaur fossil collections. What's inside, and why to book ahead in summer. Yoho National Park: the small park with an outsized list of sights Yoho is the smallest of the four UNESCO Rockies parks, just across the BC border from Lake Louise. Here's how it fits together and when to go. Abraham Lake and the ice bubbles Abraham Lake's frozen methane bubbles appear in a narrow mid-January to mid-February window, about 3 hours from Banff on the David Thompson Highway. Athabasca Falls Athabasca Falls squeezes the river through a narrow quartzite canyon: a loud, forceful stop reached by paved paths just off the Icefields Parkway. Bow Lake Bow Lake sits right beside the Icefields Parkway below Bow Summit — an easy roadside stop with a short shoreline walk and the historic Num-Ti-Jah Lodge. Field, BC: Yoho's tiny railway village Field is Yoho National Park's tiny administrative village, 85 km from Banff — the gas, groceries and visitor centre base for the Spiral Tunnels. Glacier Skywalk The Glacier Skywalk is a 280-metre-high glass-floored platform off the Icefields Parkway, usually visited alongside a Columbia Icefield ticket. Grotto Canyon Grotto Canyon near Canmore: an easy dry-streambed walk to ancient pictographs, plus a frozen waterfall that draws crampon-clad ice walkers in winter. Ha Ling Peak: Canmore's steep half-day summit hike A steep 8.5 km round trip from Goat Creek/Whiteman's Gap near Canmore, with 700 m of gain and a Bow Valley panorama at the top. Not an easy walk. Horseshoe Canyon and the hoodoos Horseshoe Canyon and the hoodoos near Drumheller are two separate stops — no park pass needed, but almost no shade or water in summer. Jasper SkyTram: Canada's highest guided cable car The Jasper SkyTram climbs Whistlers Mountain to 2,263 m, Canada's highest cable car. Seasonal, closed in winter, colder at the top than the base. Lake Agnes: the hike to Banff's mountain tea house A 3.4 km, 400 m round-trip hike from Lake Louise to a glacial lake and a 1901 tea house that runs on cash. What to know before you go. Lake O'Hara: the Rockies lake you need a reservation to see Lake O'Hara has no public road. Access is a Parks Canada quota bus booked months ahead, or an 11 km walk. Here's how the reservation system actually works. Larch Valley and Sentinel Pass: the golden larch hike above Moraine Lake Larch Valley and Sentinel Pass from Moraine Lake: trail stats, the golden larch window in late September, and the group-of-four grizzly rule. Maligne Canyon Maligne Canyon's six bridges cross a narrow limestone gorge near Jasper. What the summer walk shows you, and why winter requires a guide, not a stroll. Marble Canyon: a narrow limestone gorge on a short, bridge-crossed loop Marble Canyon is an 800 m return walk over suspension bridges above a deep limestone gorge in Kootenay National Park, minutes from the Paint Pots. Mistaya Canyon: a short, easy walk to a slot canyon on the Icefields Parkway Mistaya Canyon is a 20-30 minute return walk to a narrow gorge and footbridge on the Icefields Parkway. Small lot, wet rock, no fee. Natural Bridge Natural Bridge is a short roadside stop in Yoho National Park where the Kicking Horse River carves through rock — best paired with Emerald Lake, not Plain of Six Glaciers: Lake Louise's other teahouse hike An 11 km round trip from Lake Louise to a glacier viewpoint and a second seasonal teahouse, less crowded than the Lake Agnes trail. Radium Hot Springs: the pools at Kootenay's south gate Parks Canada's hot pool and cooling pool sit past Sinclair Canyon at Kootenay National Park's south entrance, near the village of Radium Hot Springs, BC. The Grassi Lakes Grassi Lakes near Canmore: two turquoise lakes, an easy loop or a steep direct trail, climbing cliffs above, and a parking lot that fills by mid-morning. Kicking Horse River: whitewater rafting near Golden The Kicking Horse River near Golden runs class III to IV+ whitewater from May to September, biggest at June snowmelt, calmer by August. Lake Louise Ski Resort & Gondola Lake Louise Ski Resort covers the most terrain of SkiBig3, and its summer gondola climbs for wildlife viewing and valley views. What to know before you go. Spray Lakes & the Smith-Dorrien Trail A gravel backroad from Canmore into Kananaskis along the Spray Lakes Reservoir. Surface, pass rules, and seasonal closures explained honestly. Sunwapta Falls Sunwapta Falls guide: the right-angle canyon on the Icefields Parkway, parking, the short main trail, the quieter lower falls, and seasonal flow. The Crowfoot Glacier Crowfoot Glacier needs no hiking: a roadside pull-off on the Icefields Parkway between Bow Lake and Bow Summit. What you'll actually see there. The Three Sisters: Canmore's mountain skyline The Three Sisters dominate Canmore's skyline but aren't a hiking trail. Best viewpoints, the view from Ha Ling Peak, and why the summits are climbers-only. Wapta Falls Wapta Falls is Yoho's widest waterfall on the Kicking Horse River: a flat 4.8 km return trail, open year-round, and far quieter than Takakkaw Falls.