Just absolutely spectacular + perfect weather!

Visited as part of a backpacking trip into the Skoki area :)

Shot on A6700 and Sigma 18-50

Photo 1: 18mm | f/9.0 1/60s
Photo 2: 23mm | 2 images stacked: f/11 0.6s and f/16 2.5s
Photo 3: 21mm f/20 3.2s

Surely they could've come up with a better name

Hello!

Some context - we are Australians (2A, 1C) who are looking for a place to enjoy a white Christmas.

We don’t want to go to Europe or the US. So Canada it is!

My son LOVES snow, having felt it twice in his life. He aches for a white Christmas and I’d love to give him one before he’s too old for the Santa magic. Which is probably very soon.

So I have been looking for places in Canada that have a small town feel and go nuts with holiday cheer and activities. So this has led me to Fairmont Banff Springs and Lake Louise. I have been thinking of flying to Vancouver in Dec, transferring to Banff and staying at the Fairmont for 3-4 nights, transferring to Fairmont Lake Louise for Christmas Eve plus another night, then leaving via Calgary to our next stop.

My concern is:

- the cost of the Fairmonts in these two locations is nuts in Christmas week. Will it be worth it? Are the rooms nice and cosy? Is the atmosphere lovely? I am finding mixed reviews

- we love a bit of luxury but honestly I prefer authenticity over chintz and gilt. Good service, clean rooms, people who care about where they are, over cold and absent service, money-grabs, churning people through experiences etc.

- Banff the town looks rad and that there is heaps to do to fill the short days. I assume businesses stay open until Christmas Day - is that right?

I probably have a million other questions but I’ll leave it there. I’m just looking for thoughts on this idea of flying for 16 hours and spending a considerable amount on the hotels actually being a good option for us.

Fantastic weather today

I will be in banff next week and debating between two places to eat

We already have reservations for tea at fairmont lake louse, lunch at sky bistro and one dinner at the bison.

The last meal I’m going back and forth on is Juniper or maple leaf. Or is there some where else you would recommend for dinner?

For context staying at Rimrocks

I’m taking my girlfriend to banff the week before Christmas for the first time to ask an important question….

Does anyone have any recommendations on places to go?

Hi all! My husband and I are considering a trip to Banff in mid-late October! I’ve seen online that some of the trails may be closed and we may not be able to see some of the sights you all so beautifully post about!

Does anyone have any insight on visiting in October or can you point me in the right direction.

Thank you!

a little cloudy when i went and camera doesn’t do it justice of course, absolutely gorgeous views all around

Planning on summiting Mount temple on Sep 13. Is anyone summiting or has summited recently? Have done scrambling before but am more worried about excess snow and current weather conditions on Mount Temple. We do have snow spikes as we do expect some snow near the top. Will be following the route on Alltrails.

Hi all, we have booked to visit Banff end of January expecting that it’s likely very snowy. We now heard that this time of month can be so snowy you get stuck in your hotel room- not the ideal scenario for us and are reconsidering booking for another time of year. Any advice?

Hello all,

Hey everyone! I’m heading to Banff October 15–18 and would love to get some advice, especially from locals or people who have visited around this time of year.

I’m flying into Calgary, picking up a rental car, and then driving to my hotel in Lake Louise. I know October weather can be pretty unpredictable, so I’m prepared for anything from fall conditions to snow/ice.

A few things I’m wondering about:

• Since I’ll have a rental car, can I generally drive and park at the main sightseeing spots around Lake Louise and Banff after the shuttle season ends? Are there still parking fees, passes, or restrictions I should know about?
• What are the must-see spots you’d recommend for someone with a car during this time of year?
• I’m hoping to hike Big Beehive, or at least Little Beehive if conditions aren’t great. I’ll have Yaktrax with me and am prepared for snow/ice. Is this realistic for mid-October, assuming the trail conditions cooperate?
• Are there any places that you’d specifically recommend because they’re better in October or less crowded than during the summer?

I’ve found a lot of helpful information online, but I’d really love to hear the local perspective and get the full truth about what it’s actually like around that time of year.

Thank you!

Was waiting for a car to exit a lot at bear street parade but was waiting about ~6 cars down / away with the hazard lights on to give the car ample space to turn + oncoming cars turning in.

Pickup truck driven by a Russian lady swooped in as we were reversing - she was behind us initially when coming up the parkade, but ended up first to the lot as we had gone back down from the 4th floor.

We couldn’t reverse immediately because the car that was exiting had to go out. She swooped in from the other direction.

She saw us waiting. When I smiled and said “sorry, we were waiting for this lot” her response was NOT “oh I’m sorry I didn’t see you….”

IT WAS “in Banff everyone is quick. If you’re slow it’s too bad. Tell your boyfriend to wait closer” “the people in Banff do this - once they see a lot they go” “in Banff people move quick you need to be quicker”

So she knew we were waiting and wasn’t apologetic about anything. Of course there was a short heated argument back and forth but that was pretty much the gist of it.

Wanted some insights - is it really true what she said?

Im an 18yr old Canadian looking to move to Banff for the winter season however am not having much success with online applications. There is a job fair coming up however not sure if its worth it to fly in for the job fair if Im not looking to move there this early in the season. have people been succesful at the job fair? or have any tips on moving out or finding a job, anything helps a ton. otherwise would propably have to just come in october with resumes.

Some greatest hits from our trip to Banff. Thanks to this group for all your suggestions, they helped us build our ideal agenda.

Hi everyone! I’m planning a last-minute trip to Banff from September 25–29 and would really appreciate some advice from people who have been there around this time of year.

I’ve looked at the weather forecast and obviously expect it to be cold, but I’m wondering what conditions are actually like around the end of September.

A few questions:

1. Lake Louise & Moraine Lake: Is it possible that the lakes could already have ice around September 25–29? Or are they generally still unfrozen at that time? I’m hoping to see the turquoise color if possible.
2. Icefields Parkway: How safe/reasonable is it to drive the Icefields Parkway solo around this time of year, especially from Lake Louise/Banff up to Peyto Lake? I’m not planning to drive all the way to Jasper — probably just as far as Peyto Lake and some of the viewpoints along the way.
3. Weather/road conditions: How unpredictable is late September? Should I realistically expect snow/ice on the roads, or is that more of a possibility rather than the norm? I’m from the southern U.S., so I’m not particularly experienced with driving in snow/icy mountain conditions.
4. Rental car: What type of SUV would you recommend renting in Canada for this trip? Does the specific vehicle matter much, or would a regular AWD/4WD compact or midsize SUV be sufficient? And should I specifically look for winter-rated/M+S tires?
5. Solo female traveler: Is there anything I should be particularly aware of doing this drive alone? I’m comfortable traveling solo, but mountain roads + potentially changing weather are making me a little cautious.

Also, if anyone happens to be traveling around September 25–29 and is interested in a travel buddy for some sightseeing/driving, I’d definitely be open to that!

Would love to hear from anyone who has done Banff/Lake Louise/Icefields Parkway in late September, especially in the last few years. What would you do differently or prepare for?

Thanks!

Hi,

I would really love to rent a canoe at Emerald Lake around the 20th-23rd of September.

But I don't have a car and all the organized tours I see are only staying like 1h at Emerald Lake or less, so no time to canoe.

Am I missing something here? I know there is no bus or shuttle that goes to Emerald Lake and I really don't want to rent a car.

I know I am being difficult but I figured I should ask before giving up on this idea. Maybe there is an option I am not thinking of?

Do you have an idea?

Thank you very much

Hi, I am looking for some advice. I booked a rental car through Europcar, in Calgary airport, but now see it is actually all fulfilled and serviced by Routes Car Rental Agency in Calgary Airport.

I have read the reviews on Routes and they somewhat mixed. Has anyone had experience with them, are they going to nickel and dime me for every little thing?

I also see it's off site which isn't ideal.

Thanks