Banff Information: Restaurants, Food and Dining (Where To Eat?)

Banff Information: Restaurants, Food and Dining (Where To Eat?)

    Banff is host to a large number of excellent restaurants - fancy, moderate and casual - so visitors will have no problem finding something to their liking. Additionally, there's a wide variety of types of dining establishments with a wonderful variety of food! Here are some of the wonderful offerings Banff has to offer:

- Balkan (Greek)

- Le Beaujolais (French)

- Buffalo Mountain Lodge (Rocky Mountain Cuisine)

- Bumper's (steak house)

- Cafe Soleil (Mediterranean)

- Caramba (Mediterranean)

- Coyotes (Southwestern)

- Earls (Great food)

- The Evergreen (Canadian cuisine)

- Fuze Finer Dining (Fine Dining)

- Giorgio's (Italian)

- Guido's (Regional Italian)

- The Keg (Steak house)

- The Maple Leaf (Regional Canadian cuisine)

- Melissa's (1928 heritage building)

- Muk-a-Muk Bistro & Lounge (New Canadian restaurant)

- Old Spaghetti Factory (Italian)

- Saltlik

- Silver Dragon (Cantonese & Peking)

- Terrace

- Ticino (Swiss-Italian)

- Typhoon (Asian Cuisine)

Banff Information: Hotels, Motels, and Accommodations

Banff Information: Hotels, Motels, and Accommodations

    Banff National Park offers backcountry luxury that is really the best of both worlds. Warm and cozy wooden lodges beckon you home at the end of along day, with a hot meal, tea, and a feather duvet awaitng. These lodges are usually far off the beaten path, but in return they offer unadulterated access to hundreds of kilometers of pristine wilderness.  

- Brewster's Shadow Lake Lodge: A wonderful backcountry retreat nestled amidst glaciated peaks and high alpine meadows along the Continental Divide.

- Outpost at Warden Rock: A little bit of heaven nestled between the majestic mountains of Banff National Park and the historic Ya Ha Tinda Ranch.

- Skoki Lodge: A backcountry lodge, situated high in the alpine of Banff National Park, accessible only by hiking or skiing the 11km, which begin at the Lake Louise Ski Area.

- Sundance Lodge: This lodge is 16km into the backcountry of Banff National Park along the Brewster Creek trail. 
 

Banff Information: Hotels & Lodging

Banff Information: Hotels & Lodging

- Arrow Motel

- Banff Aspen Lodge

- Banff Caribou Lodge & Spa

- Banff International Hotel

- Banff Park Lodge Resort Hotel & Conference Centre

- Best Western Siding 29 Lodge

- Bow View Lodge

- Brewster's Mountain Lodge

- Charlton's Cedar Court

- Delta Banff Royal Canadian Lodge

- Driftwood Inn

- Fox Hotel & Suites

- Irwin's Mountain Inn

- Mount Royal Hotel

- Rundle Manor Apartment Hotel

- Rundlestone Lodge

- The Banff Centre 

- Conferences

- The Fairmont Banff Springs

- The Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise

- The Juniper Hotel & Bistro

Banff Information: Bed & Breadfast Accomodations

Banff Information: Bed & Breadfast Accomodations

    There are dozens of bed & breakfasts in Banff, and most of them are located in the heart of the comunity. Most are here for the exact same reason that millions of people visit Banff National Park each year--they love the mountains.

    Many owners are second generation Banffites, some with interesting family stories of the early pioneer days. More recent arrivals have ditched the fast-paced city life for the open spaces of the Canadian Rockies.

- A Good Night's Rest

- Alpine Bed & Breakfast

- At Wits End Bed & Breakfast

- Bed & Breakfast on Caribou

- Bed & Breakfast on Mountain Lane

- Banff Avenue Bed and Breakfast

- Banff Bed & Breakfast

- Banff Beaver Cabins

- Banff Mountain Thyme Bed & Breakfast

- Banff Squirrels Nest Bed & Breakfast

- Banffy Bed & Breakfast

- Big Horn Bed & Breakfast

- Blue Mountain Lodge

- Buffaloberry Bed & Breakfast

- C. Riva's Place

- Casa Banff Bed & Breakfast

- Cascade Court Bed & Breakfast

- Cottage Bed & Breakfast

- Country Cabin

- Heidi's Bed & Breakfast

- Hillside Bungalows Bed & Breakfast

- Holiday Lodge Bed & Breakfast and Cabins

- Mountain Country Bed & Breakfast

- Mountain Home Bed & Breakfast

- Mountain View Bed & Breakfast

- Mrs. J. McHardy Cabins

- Odenthal's Bed & Breakfast

- Park Avenue Bed & Breakfast

- Poplar Inn

- Riverside Bed & Breakfast

- Rocky Mountain Bed & Breakfast

- Tan-Y-Bryn Bed & Btreakfast

- Thea's House

- Treetops Bed & Breakfast

- Treutler's Resort Bed & Breakfast

- Woodside Cottage Bed & Breakfast

Banff Information: Chalet, Cabin And Condo Rentals

Banff Information: Chalet, Cabin And Condo Rentals

    There are some fabulous chalets and condos in Banff. Like in the case of the bed and breakfasts, most are here because the visitors to Banff love the mountains. 

    Some of the owners have left the fast-paced city life for the vast, open spaces of the Canadian Rockies.

- Baker Creek Chalets

- Banff Beaver Cabins

- Banff Rocky Mountain resort

- Brewster Kananaskis Guest Ranch

- Castle Mountain Chalets

- Douglas Fir Resort and Chalets

- Hidden Ridge Resort

- Hillside Bungalows bed & Breakfast

- Lake Louise Inn

- Moraine Lake Lodge

- Paradise Lodge and Bungalows

- Storm Mountain Lodge & Cabins

- Tunnel Mountain Resort

Banff Information: Hostels, Camping & Campgrounds

Banff Information: Hostels, Camping, & Campgrounds

    Pitch a tent, place your food in a bear-proof container, prepare your sleeping bag and enjoy a brilliant campfire. This is the way to really experience the joy and the beauty that is the foundation for the Banff wilderness.

- Banff Alpine Centre - HI

- Banff Y Mountain Lodge

- Castle Mountain Campground

- Johnston Canyon Campground

- Lake Louise Campground - Tent

- Lake Louise Campground -  Trailer

- Mosquito Creek Campground

- Protection Mountain Campground

- Rampart Creek Campground

- Samesun Backpacker Lodge

- Tunnel Mountain Trailer Court

- Tunnel Mountain Village II - Campground

- Two Jack Lakeside Campground

- Two Jack Main Campground

- Waterfowl Lakes Campground

Banff Information: Vacation & Holiday Information

Banff Information: Vacation & Holiday Information

Banff Information: Car & Auto Rentals

Banff Information: Car & Auto Rentals

Getting to Banff National Park by Car

    Transportation to and from Banff is easy on Canada's national Highway 1, the Trans-Canada Highway. It's one of the most splendid and enjoyable drives in all of western Canada. Banff town site is located 120 kilometers from Calgary and the journey takes approximately 1.5 hours. Lake Louise is 58 kilometers west of Banff. Because Banff is situated inside a national

Park, you will need to purchase a national park pass at the park gate. Rates are $9 per day per person, or $18 per day for a car with 2-7 people.

Here are some driving distances in the Banff, Canmore Kananaskis area

Lake Louise: via #1 Hwy (west), 45 minutes.

Lake Louise: via #1A Bow Valley Parkway (west), 1 hour.

Jasper: via #1 Hwy & #93 (north), 3 - 4 hours.

Columbia Icefields: via #1 Hwy & #93 (north), 2 hours.

Calgary: via #1 Hwy (east), 1.5 hours.

Vancouver: via #1 Hwy (west), 10 - 12 hours.

Edmonton: via #1 Hwy (east) & #2 Hwy (north), 4.5 hours

Distances from the Town of Banff and:

Calgary - 128 km

Canmore - 26 km

Edmonton - 401 km

Golden - 134 km

Halifax - 5,121 km

Jasper - 287 km

Lake Louise - 58 km

Montreal - 3,872 km

New York - 4,448 km

Quebec City - 4,142 km

Radium - 134 km

San Francisco - 2,050 km

Toronto - 3,563 km

Vancouver - 850 km

Whitehorse - 2,514 km

Banff Information: Airline Reservations & Rail Travel

Banff Information: Airline Reservations & Rail Travel

Banff Airport Shuttle Service

    Sundog Transportation and Tours is the official airport and shuttle service for BanffNationalPark.com and CanadianRockies.net. They offer a unique, convenient and affordable service that guarantees reliable transportation to and from Calgary International Airport. Sundog Tours provide complete transportation from Calgary to Banff and Jasper as well as shuttle service from Edmonton. Call them at 888-786-3641 or at 780 852-9663.

Getting to Banff National Park by Air

    Banff National Park and town site is very easy to get to. Banff is easily accessible from the Calgary International Airport, the Canadian Rockies hub for world-wide connections. Calgary Airport has many of the top airlines that operate regular flights to Calgary. These airlines include Canada, Westjet, American Airlines, United Airlines, Continental Airlines, and Northwest Airlines. All of the major car rental agencies are represented at the Calgary International Airport.

Banff Information: Map, Driving Directions & Getting to Banff

Banff Information: Map, Driving Directions & Getting to Banff

Banff Information: Tourism, Tours, Sightseeing, Things To Do & Tourists Info

Banff Information: Tourism, Tours, Sightseeing, Things To Do & Tourists Info

Banff Information: Shopping

Banff Information: Shopping

Banff Information: Real Estate Agents, Real Estate, Single Family Homes, Condos and Commercial Buildings

Banff Information: Real Estate Agents, Real Estate, Single Family Homes, Condos and Commercial Buildings

Vancouver Olympics: 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Banff

Vancouver Olympics: 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Banff

    The 2010 Olympic Winter Games will be staged in Vancouver and Whistler from February 12 to 28, 2010. The 2010 Paralympic Winter Games will be staged in Whistler, British Columbia from March 12 to 21, 2010.

    Vancouver will host freestyle, snowboarding and all the Ice sports: hockey, figure skating, curling, speed skating, short track speed skating

    Whistler, which is located 100 km North of Vancouver, will host the Alpine Skiing, Nordic Sports (Cross Country Skiing, Ski Jumping and Biathlon), Sliding Sports (Bobsleigh, Luge and Skeleton) and Paralympic Sports

    Vancouver Olympics Tickets: 1.8 million tickets will be available for the games various sporting events combined. Another 900,000 tickets will be available for opening and closing ceremonies, festivals and medal presentations. 50,000 tickets will be available for social service agencies to distribute to the under-privileged. 470,000 tickets will cost less than $50 CAD and 530,000 tickets will cost under $100 CAD.

    Tickets will go on sale 12-18 months prior to the start of the games on February 12th, 2010.

    What is the cost of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games? The Olympic games are going to cost an estimated 1.3 Billion Dollars. Television revenues are expected to yield 670 million and are 67% higher than originally estimated and budgeted. 50% of revenues will come from broadcasting, 40% from corporate sponsorship, 8% from ticket sales and 2% from licensing.

Banff Recreation: Winter Weather, Climate & Activities

Banff Recreation: Winter Weather, Climate & Activities

    The Winter season is November through March. Although Banff's snowfall is at times, unpredictable, the first real snow falls usually in November. In winter, the average temperature is about 6 degrees F, but cold snaps can and do occur. When they do, it can be as cold as -22 degrees F.

    But the chinook - a mild winter weather occurrence - provides spring-like temperatures quickly, and chinooks can last for days or weeks. Winter provides the residents and visitors with a myriad of engaging sports and activities. Among them are: ice skating, ice diving, snowmobile tours, downhill skiing and snowboarding, cross-country skiing, sledding and tobogganing, dog sledding, snowshoeing and horse drawn sleigh rides.

Banff Recreation: Summer Weather, Climate & Activities

Banff Recreation: Summer Weather, Climate & Activities

    The summer season lasts from July through August. Summer usually provides low humidity, warm temperatures and daylight that lasts until 11:00 PM in the missdle of the summer. Avergae temperatures are 70 degrees F with night time lows around 45 degrees F. Like the winter season, Banff offers a spectacular setting for summer activities and recreation. Among them are: carriage rides, fishing, golfing, tennis, scuba diving, boat tours, horseback riding, biking, hiking, camping, swimming, whitewater rafting and float trips, sightseeing by plane and helicopter.

Banff Recreation: Skiing, Ski Mountains, Hiking & Outdoors Exploring

Banff Recreation: Skiing, Ski Mountains, Hiking & Outdoors Exploring

    There is more to do in Banff than time within which to enjoy it and take it all in. Some of the local attractions that keep visitors coming back for more include:

- Banff Centre for the Arts

- Banff Gondola

- Banff Park Museum

- Banff Upper Hot Springs

- Blue Canoe Rentals

- Bow Falls Lookout

- Bow Falls

- Buffalo Nations Luxton Museum

- Canada Place and Cascade Gallery

- Cascade Ponds

- Cave and Basin Historical Site

- Johnson Lake

- Lake Minnewanka

- The Fairmont Banff Springs

- Vermillion Lakes

- Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies

Banff Recreation: Year-Round Town Facilities, Parks, Events & Recreation

Banff Recreation: Year-Round Town Facilities, Parks, Events & Recreation

• Parks and Playgrounds
• Banff Recreation Centre
• Banff Recreation Grounds
• Banff Skateboard Park
• Banff Seniors' Centre
• Central Park
• Walking/Hiking Trails
• Bow River Trail
• Fenland Trail
• Townsite Loop Route
• Hoodoos Trail
• Tunnel Mountain Trail
• Bow Falls Trail
• Spray River Loop
• Mt. Rundle Trail
• Upper Hot Springs Trail
• Sulphur Mountain Trail
• Cave & Basin Trail
• Marsh Loop
• Trails for Cyclists
• Motorcoach Tours
• Wildlife & Nature
• Historic Sites & Museums
• Recreation Facilities
• Spas & Wellness
• Music, Theatre & Film
• Art Galleries
• Carriage Rides
• Bowling

Banff Recreation: Lake Louise

Banff Recreation: Lake Louise

Banff Recreation: Banff National Park

Banff Recreation: Banff National Park

    Banff National Park is one of the most scenic places on Earth. The park is a desired destination with rare outdoor adventures, awe-inspiring mountain scenery, authentic historical and cultural depth, world class resorts and exceptional gourmet cuisine.


Banff National Park History


    Banff National Park is Canada's oldest and most famous national park, and second oldest in the world. Banff National Park is one of four adjoining national parks making up the central Canadian Rockies.


    The park was founded in 1885 after the discovery of the Cave and Basin Hot Springs. From this humble hot springs reserve of only 26 square kilometers, Banff National Park grew to cover over 6,641 square kilometers (2,564 square miles) of valleys, mountains, glaciers, forests, meadows and rivers, Banff National Park is one of the world's premier destination spots.


Banff National Park Tourism


    Alberta's Banff National Park is one of the most visited national parks in all of North America, with five million annual visitors. More visitors are expected due to the 2010 Olympics. During the summer months, 42% of park visitors are from Canada (including 23% from Alberta); 35% are from the US, and Europe accounts for 20%.


    Banff National Park is only 1.5 hours from the City of Calgary by car. When you arrive you will find rugged mountains, beautiful glaciers, ice fields, wondrous alpine meadows, beautiful blue freshwater lakes, a mineral hot springs plus deep canyons.


    Banff National Park is year-round. Most tourists come from mid-June through August, which causes crowding, especially in the small, friendly Banff town (it's best to come on weekdays).

Banff National Park Mountains & Glaciers


    Banff National Park is, above all else, a place of wonder and beauty. Banff National Park has 1000 glaciers plus there are many a beautiful glacier-fed lakes to see during the summer months.


Banff National Park Recreation


    Banff National Park is world renowned for its rugged alpine scenery and a vast array of snow related activities. The park has been a protected natural area for more than 100 years.


    Climbing is a common sport at Banff National Park. The most active climbing occurs in winter on the south facing ice waterfall route. You can easily view this from the scenic TransCanada Highway.


    If you snow ski or snow board, Banff National Park offers some of the best powder skiing in North America.


    Banff National Park is also a hiking wonderland, containing over 1,600 kilometers of rugged and adventurous trails. You can also fish, golf, camp, horseback ride, go white water rafting or even take a helicopter ride.

Banff Recreation: Golf & Golfing

Banff Recreation: Golf & Golfing

Banff Information: History

Banff Information: History

    Banff got its name from Lord Steven who recalled the name of his place of birth, Banffshire, Scotland. [The Gaelic word for Banff was "Banbh".] When the transcontinental railway was establsihed through Bow Valley in the 1880's, that's when banff was first settled. Three railway workers discovered natuiral hot springs on the side of Sulphur Mountain in 1883, and, as a result, Canada, in 1885 created a federal reserve around them. It then began publicizing that area as a reort and spa for the purpose of subsidizing the railway. Rocky Mountain Park was born in 1887 after the reserve area was increased, and it was the beginning of Canada's National Park environment. The United nations made Banff National Park a World Heritage Site in 1985. It is, undeniably, one of Canada's most popular tourist destinations.

    In 2007, Banff's permanent population was thought to be just under 8,800 persons, and includes about 1,000 or so persons who increase or decrease it, depending upon tourism. Like many other similar tourist destinations, Banff's growth has alerted environmentalists who want the federal government to, among other things, restrict development in the town, and restrict the population's growth by creating a "need to reside" criterion prior to being able to become a permanent resident. The concern among all is that the town's growth will adversely impact the wilderness, its inhabitants and the surrounding national park.

Banff Information: Demographics & People

Banff Information: Demographics & People

    The 2006 Canadian Census reported that Banff's population was 6.1% less than in 2001: that is, 6,700 persons. The actual land area is 1.87 square miles, or 4.85 kilometers. The density of the population is 3,578.6 persons per square mile, or 1,381.7 persons per kilometer.

    Banff is ranked 544th in national population, with males having a median age of 30, and females 28.7. There are 2,844 private dwellings with 2,568 dwellings occupied by permanent residents.

    Banff has a mayor and the Banff Town Council is its governing body. It also has several city managers who work with the council.

Banff Information: Site Map

Banff Information: Site Map

Banff: Contact Us

Banff: Contact Us