Banff National Park is one of the most gorgeous places I have ever visited. From the stunning mountain views any direction you look to the turquoise alpine lakes. I was in awe of the scenery the whole time I was in Banff! This guide is going to give you all the information you need to have the best trip!
Save Time in Customs
If you’re traveling from another country, breeze through customs by downloading the ArriveCan app ahead of time! 72 hours before your arrival, declare your arrival by answering the question on the app. If you’re traveling with others, only one person needs the app, all travelers can be declared together. Once at the airport just head to a kiosk and scan your passport beforehand.
Bear Spray- Pack or Buy?
Canada does allow you to bring bear spray in your checked bag. The bear spray must be approved by the United States Environmental Protection Agency, however. You can purchase it in Canada if you prefer, but if you already have some, like we did, it is cheaper just to bring it with you instead of buying another one.
One important thing to do ahead of time is remove the safety zip tie! The zip tie keeps the safety cap on during shipping so the spray doesn’t go off. You need to cut this off before hiking so in the case you need to use it, your prepared.
Renting a Car
I’ve seen a lot of debate on whether you need to rent a car to get around Banff or just take public transit. They do have a pretty great transit system, Roam, which will take you to a lot of the popular areas in Banff. These areas include: Lake Louise, Two Jack Lake, Banff Gondola, Lake Minnewanka and more.
While this is a great option, I personally rented a car and am very glad I did. It just allows for a different type of freedom to be able to go literally anywhere in the park whenever you want. For example we visited Peyto Lake, which is on the Icefields just outside of Banff, but we wouldn’t have been able to without a car.
With this being said, if you’re looking to save money and time on a rental car, rent from Turo. Turo is an app that easily allows you to rent cars from locals. You can filter it by type of vehicle and price to find exactly what you’re looking for. Prices can range depending on the type of car you are looking for, however when comparing prices we found it to be cheaper than typically rental car companies.
Also be sure to filter it for an airport pickup so you can get your car as soon as your land. Our car was located at the Park and Jet at the Calgary airport, with very clear instructions on how to take the short shuttle there to get the car. The car was waiting there for us with a contactless check in.
One thing to note is that to unlock the car you did need to be connected to either data or wifi. If you don’t have service in Canada, just let the host know before leaving the airport so they remotely unlock the car for you.
Skip on Converting Money
There has also been a lot of debate about whether you need to convert money before visiting or not. If you are planning to convert money, I would definitely do it ahead of time to have a better conversion rate. However, it’s not necessary to convert money. I was able to use my credit card everywhere I went and the card company just did the conversion for me.
Some card companies do charge a small fee for converting, so just check their policies ahead of time.
Buy Park Passes Ahead of Time
Don’t wait in line to get into Banff, purchase your passes ahead of time online! Purchase your park pass here by entering the number of people visiting and the amount of days you’ll be visiting. Just be sure to print it off and bring it with you. You’ll need to have it displayed in the dash of the car at all times when in the park! If you bought your pass online, just stay in the far right lines when entering the park to bypass by the lines.
How to Beat the Crowds when Visiting Banff
Banff is the most visited National Park in Canada! You can expect there to be a decent amount of people on most of the trails. The best way to avoid this (somewhat) is to wake up and beat the crowds to the trailheads. This way you’ll be able to secure a parking spot, plus you’ll have really great views of the sun rise!
Getting to Moraine Lake and Lake Louise
Lake Louise and Moraine Lake are two of the most popular lakes in Banff so you need to be prepared on how to get there ahead of time! You can still drive to and park at Lake Louise, but parking spots get full very early. We’re talking by 7:00am- 7:30am the spots will be full. If you are planning to drive there you need to get there before 7:00am to ensure you have a spot! You may get lucky at other parts of the day and be able to snag one, but I wouldn’t count on it. The other way to see the lake is to take a shuttle in. The two main options are taking Roam from the town of Banff or through Park Canada.
No commercial vehicles are able to travel to Moraine Lake so you’ll need to book a shuttle ahead of time. In the summer, the only way to travel there with Roam is by getting the Super Pass which takes you to Lake Louise and Moraine Lake.
Park Canada is your other option to reserve ahead of time, with additional slots opening up 48 hr before the day, starting at 8am MDT. Reserving shuttle passes was very stressful, especially because we wanted the earliest time slots. Reservations opened at 8am and at 8:02am the earliest two time slots were full. This isn’t to say it’s impossible to get shuttle tickets, I’d just recommend being flexible about what time you want to go! There are other private options available to get to either lake, however, these two are going to be the cheapest options
Also, if you weren’t able to secure tickets, it helps to randomly check back to see if anyone has canceled and more spots opened up. We were lucky enough to get two seats for the 7:00 am shuttle the night before.
Bring Layers!
Weather in Banff can vary drastically, so it’s always best to dress in layers and have extra layers with you. Temps in the nights can dip in the 30s-40s even in the summer months. This means you’ll need a few layers if you’re planning a sunrise hike. By midday the temperatures are usually in the 60s to 70s, so it’s important to be able to remove some of those layers so you don’t get too hot.
Typically I’d wear a pair of tights with hiking pants over them, a long sleeve thermal shirt, a hoodie/jacket, then a wind breaker on top. I also
Download Offline Maps
Before heading to Banff, download offline maps of the area on Google Maps! This was a life saver, and I was sooo happy we did this ahead of time. We thought we would have cell service in Canada but it turned out we didn’t and our provider didn’t have an option to add it. Luckily we had downloaded the map of Calgary and Banff and it worked perfectly. It does take up some phone storage but it’s easy to delete once your back home.
Be Flexible!
When planning a vacation where most of the activities are outdoors, it’s important to be flexible! If its foggy one morning consider doing a waterfall hike instead of a mountain one, since visibility is likely to be poor.
It’s also important to plan some down time in your vacation. If you’re like me you like to pack in as much as possible, but after hiking 6 miles before noon, I definitely needed a rest before dinner.
Have Fun!
Banff National Park is one of the most beautiful places I have every visited! The pictures of the park are amazing but there’s nothing like being there and experiencing it in person. A few spots I recommend visiting: Sulfur Mountain, Lake Moraine, Peyto Lake overview, Lake Minnewanka (definitely do the cruise!), Morant’s Curve Viewpoint and Cascade of Time Garden. Check back soon for a 5 day itinerary showcasing all the places you have to visit!
One response to “10 Things to Know before Visiting Banff National Park”
[…] 100% yes! Banff is an incredibly gorgeous and magical place and I would definitely recommend everyone to visit. As you start planning your trip to Banff, be sure to check out these ten things you should know before visiting! […]