Banff is known for its beautiful lakes and mountains. But don’t forget about the actual town within the national park that shares the same name! If you spend around 3 days in the Banff area like we did, what is there to do if you want to hang out in the town of Banff for one day? The heart of this picturesque resort town is Banff Avenue with its collection of restaurants, boutique shops and hotels. But there are also attractions such as hot springs and a gondola you should add to your itinerary.
We chose to do this as our second day in the Banff area so that we could participate in the town’s Canada Day festivities. If you can plan your trip to overlap with July 1, it is definitely worth it! This may have been our favorite day of our Banff trip, and Canada Day was definitely one of the reasons why. Here’s how our day went…
CANADA DAY PANCAKE BREAKFAST
Along with our friends, we stayed in the neighboring town of Canmore during our trip. It’s a great place to stay in the mountains without the Banff prices. Before we headed to Banff Avenue for the day, we found out Canmore hosts a free pancake breakfast on Canada Day! From where we were staying at Falcon Crest Lodge, it was less than a 20-minute walk to Centennial Park where the breakfast was held. We love observing and participating in different cultural events when traveling, and this was no exception. It was incredibly fun to be a part of this community while enjoying some delicious pancakes.
BANFF CANADA DAY PARADE
Our Canada Day festivities were just beginning, however. From the park, we walked to a nearby bus stop to head to downtown Banff for the parade. Due to the holiday, we were advised against driving downtown to avoid street closures and increased traffic. As we did not have any Canadian cash, we highly recommend using the bus system’s mobile app to purchase your tickets. The public buses here had very reasonable fares and provided quick transportation between the towns of Canmore and Banff. Once we got to downtown Banff, we swung by the visitor center where they handed out little Canadian flags and pins for the parade.
As we waited for the parade to start, our friends graciously treated us to some BeaverTails. These delicious Canadian treats are basically long and flat deep-fried pastries covered with tasty toppings. Be sure to check out the downtown shop! We also had another opportunity to interact with locals while waiting for the parade. The family sitting next to us had a son marching in the parade with the Calgary Stampede Showband. We loved learning more about Canada from them and it definitely got us more excited for the rest of our time in the country.
The parade was a great celebration of not just Banff, but all the various cultures in Canada. We enjoyed seeing so many various ethnicities represented. And of course, we cheered loudly for the aforementioned Calgary Stampede marching band.
There are plenty of dining options in the town of Banff across a variety of cuisines and price ranges. Whether you are craving Korean food, steak or pizza, there is something for everyone. There are unique local restaurants but also familiar chains, such as The Old Spaghetti Factory where we had lunch. After a satisfying meal of pasta and spumoni, we were ready for our afternoon activities. There is a free shuttle available from downtown to the Banff Gondola. Be sure to check where the departure location is to take advantage of this resource.
BANFF UPPER HOT SPRINGS
Once you get to the Banff Gondola stop, it is a short 10-minute walk to the Banff Upper Hot Springs. It’s up to you which order you want to do them in, but we chose to do the Gondola second because of the cheaper evening rates. If you’d like to save some money, purchase evening admission tickets for an extra discount. When you buy them online, choose the earliest time available in the evening. Depending on the time of year, you will still have plenty of daylight to explore the top of the mountain.
The Banff Upper Hot Springs give you the experience of relaxing outdoors in geothermally heated pools while being surrounded by the Canadian Rockies. The admission rates are reasonable and come with a locker rental. There are also towels and swimsuits available to rent as well. So even if you didn’t come prepared, you can still enjoy this activity! The pools can get very crowded, which may be a turn-off for some, but it is still worth a stop. There are shallower areas available for kids as well.
BANFF GONDOLA
After our soak in the hot springs, we headed over to the Banff Gondola for our ride up Sulphur Mountain. It is about an 8-minute, one-mile ride each way. It may be a tough experience for those with a fear of heights, but it is the smoothest and quickest way to the summit. There is also a trail up the mountain for those who prefer a challenging hike. However, if you are choosing this option in the winter, this trail is known to get slippery so come prepared. Once you reach the top, you can learn more about Canada’s first national park at the discovery center. There is also a gift shop and two dining options. And depending on the season, you may even be treated to some live music!
There are walkways to several observation points which you should definitely check out. You will get breathtaking views of surrounding mountain ranges and valleys, downtown Banff and maybe even some mountain goats! When you purchase your tickets, you also choose what time you want to ride the gondola down. From our experience, an hour and a half should be enough time to see everything. If you are planning on eating at one of the restaurants, add on an extra hour or so. Overall, we appreciated the flexibility in choosing your upload and download times so that each family can pick what best fits their plans.
DINNER IN BANFF
For dinner, we headed back to downtown Banff and checked out Park Distillery Restaurant and Bar. The four of us enjoyed wings, poutine, soup, salmon and a rotisserie chicken sandwich. As you can see from our meal, this moderately upscale restaurant had a lot of menu options. And don’t forget the drink menu! You will have plenty of small-batch handmade spirits to choose from, as well as beer, wine and even hard root beer. If you’re looking for a good meal with refreshing drinks in a nice atmosphere, we recommend checking out Park Distillery.
The day ended with some Canada Day fireworks and another soak in the hot tub back at Falcon Crest Lodge. And that wraps up our “Banff in 3 Days” series! We hope you found our stories helpful and that you get the visit this incredible spot in the Canadian Rockies some day. If you have any questions or suggestions, please leave them in the comments below. Thanks again for reading!
Be sure to check out all the posts in our “Banff in 3 Days” series: