About the Port
Established in 1885, Banff National Park is Canada's oldest protected wilderness, a sweep of the Rocky Mountains where glacier-fed lakes, dense forest, and towering peaks meet. Lake Louise, with its striking blue-green water mirroring Mount Victoria, sits within easy reach, while the Icefields Parkway threads north past hanging glaciers toward the Columbia Icefield. The park shelters dozens of mammal species, and elk, deer, and bighorn sheep are commonly spotted along its trails and roadsides.
The townsite of Banff makes an appealing base, its walkable center lined with shops and cafés beneath the peaks. Visitors fill their days hiking, fishing, or soaking in natural hot springs, and those seeking a different vantage often add a helicopter flight over the surrounding summits. Whether the pace is leisurely or active, the scale of the landscape remains the abiding draw.
Pavlus Recommendations
How our planners would spend a day in Banff National Park.
Ride the Ice Explorer at Columbia Icefield
Board a specialized all-terrain vehicle onto the Athabasca Glacier at the end of the Icefields Parkway, about a three-hour drive from Banff townsite. Reserve ahead, as this journey onto centuries-old ice is a signature Rockies experience.
Soak in the Banff Upper Hot Springs
Relax in mineral-rich, mountain-fed waters at an open-air pool just minutes above the townsite, with views of Mount Rundle and Sulphur Mountain. A soothing counterpoint after a day of hiking or wildlife spotting.
Photograph Lake Louise
Stand along the shoreline where turquoise glacial water perfectly mirrors Mount Victoria, one of the most photographed scenes in the Rockies. Easily reached by road from Banff, it rewards even a short stop.