HOW TO SPEND 72 HOURS IN BANFF NATIONAL PARK, CANADA
Summary
TLDRThis video script offers a comprehensive travel guide to Banff National Park, Canada's first national park, highlighting the stunning Rockies, alpine lakes, and glaciers. It covers essential visitor tips, transportation, accommodations, and a 72-hour itinerary filled with family-friendly activities, top hikes, and scenic tours. The guide also advises on annual passes, parking, and dining options, ensuring a memorable weekend trip.
Takeaways
- ποΈ Banff National Park is Canada's first national park, featuring stunning landscapes such as the Rocky Mountains, alpine lakes, glaciers, and more.
- π The video creator asks for a thumbs up and subscription to support their channel, and mentions other top 10 travel guides available for Banff, Yoho, and Jasper National Parks.
- π« There are strict rules in Banff National Park: no drones, maintain distance from wildlife, carry bear spray when hiking, and check for fire bans before starting a fire.
- π Visitor center contact information is provided for those needing more details or assistance during their visit.
- π An annual Discovery Parks pass is recommended for those planning to stay longer, as it offers entrance to multiple parks and can be more cost-effective than daily admission.
- π The best way to explore Banff is by having a car, either by driving to the park or renting one after flying into Calgary International Airport.
- π Accommodation options include hotels in Banff or Canmore, or camping in designated campgrounds within the park.
- πΊ The video lists several wheelchair and family-friendly locations, as well as top hikes and tours for visitors to consider.
- π A 72-hour itinerary is suggested, starting with an easy day at Johnson Canyon and Moraine Lake, followed by a sunrise hike at Lake Louise and a visit to Pato Lake, ending with a relaxing final day with a tour option.
- π Shuttle services are available for Lake Louise and Moraine Lake, with tips provided on how to avoid them by arriving early or using alternative transportation.
- π½ The video recommends several dining options in Lake Louise Village and Banff for breakfast, dinner, and takeout.
Q & A
What is the significance of Banff National Park in Canada?
-Banff National Park is significant as it is Canada's first national park and is known for its stunning landscapes, including the Rocky Mountains, aqua blue and green Alpine Lakes, glaciers, and more. It serves as the flagship of Canada's Park system.
What is the recommended way to support the creator of the travel guide video?
-The recommended way to support the creator is by giving the video a thumbs up and subscribing to the channel.
What are the top 10 travel guides available on the channel?
-The channel has top 10 travel guides for Banff, Yoho, and Jasper National Parks.
What are the key rules to follow when visiting Banff National Park?
-Key rules include no drones allowed, keeping a distance from wildlife, not feeding any wildlife, carrying bear spray when hiking in the backcountry, and checking for current fire bans before having a fire at campgrounds.
What is the cost of an annual Discovery Parks pass for an adult and a family?
-The annual Discovery Parks pass costs $72 for an adult and $145 for a family group or couple.
What is the recommended mode of transportation to get to Banff National Park?
-For those within a 12-hour drive, driving is recommended as it can be cheaper than flights and renting a car. For others, flying into Calgary International Airport and then renting a car is the way to go.
What are the three main accommodation options in Banff National Park?
-The three main accommodation options are hotels in Banff, hotels in Canmore, and campgrounds.
What is the importance of Moraine Lake in Banff National Park?
-Moraine Lake is considered the crowned jewel of Banff National Park and is arguably one of the most famous Alpine Lakes in the world, known for its breathtaking views and as a trailhead to many great hikes.
What are some of the best hikes in Banff National Park mentioned in the script?
-Some of the best hikes mentioned include Lake Paddle, Big Beehive, Lake Agnes Tea House, Mount St. Piran, Fairview Mountain, Large Valley Sentinel Pass, and Consolation Lakes.
What are the two main day tours suggested for Banff National Park?
-The two main day tours suggested are a cruise along Lake Minnewanka and a visit to Cave and Basin National Historic Site.
What are the costs for the Lake Minnewanka Cruise and Cave and Basin National Historic Site?
-The Lake Minnewanka Cruise costs 61 Canadian dollars for the classic one-hour tour, while Cave and Basin costs 8 dollars and 50 cents per adult, with seniors above 65 costing 7 dollars and anyone under 17 being free.
Outlines
ποΈ Exploring Banff National Park: A Comprehensive Travel Guide
This paragraph introduces the video as a comprehensive travel guide to Banff National Park, Canada's first national park, highlighting its stunning landscapes including the Rocky Mountains, alpine lakes, glaciers, and more. The guide is tailored for a weekend trip, covering essential information such as no-drone zones, wildlife viewing etiquette, fire bans, and visitor center contact details. It also discusses the annual Discovery Parks pass, transportation options including driving and flying into Calgary International Airport, and accommodation choices ranging from hotels to campgrounds. The paragraph concludes with a teaser for the upcoming itinerary and activities.
π 72-Hour Itinerary for Banff National Park Adventure
The second paragraph outlines a potential 72-hour itinerary for visitors to Banff National Park. It suggests starting with a visit to Johnston Canyon followed by an afternoon at Moraine Lake, known as the park's crown jewel. The summary includes details on hiking options, dining recommendations in Lake Louise Village and Banff, and accommodation tips. The next day's agenda features an early morning at Lake Louise for sunrise, with a range of hiking trails to choose from, and a visit to nearby Pato Lake. The paragraph also mentions the Fairmont Chateau at Lake Louise and ends with a suggestion for a relaxing final day, choosing between a Lake Minnewanka cruise or a visit to the Cave and Basin National Historic Site. Additionally, it provides information on shuttle services for Moraine and Lake Louise.
π Wrapping Up the Banff Experience and Further Exploration
The final paragraph serves as a conclusion to the video script, encouraging viewers to like and subscribe for more travel content. It also invites viewers to explore other travel guides on the channel for more information on Banff and other parks in the Canadian Rockies. The summary emphasizes the vastness of Banff National Park and the idea that even with limited time, the provided itinerary offers a rich and fulfilling experience, with the possibility of discovering more through extended visits or additional resources.
Mindmap
Keywords
π‘Banff National Park
π‘72-hour itinerary
π‘Accommodations
π‘Hiking
π‘Wildlife
π‘Fire bans
π‘Visitor centers
π‘Discovery Parks pass
π‘Calgary International Airport
π‘Campgrounds
π‘Day tours
Highlights
Banff National Park is Canada's first national park, featuring stunning landscapes such as Rocky Mountains, aqua blue Alpine Lakes, glaciers, and more.
This video serves as a comprehensive travel guide for a weekend trip to Banff, covering everything from accommodations to the best hikes and tours.
A request for viewers to support the channel by liking and subscribing is made, with a note on other top 10 travel guides available.
Drones are prohibited in Banff National Park, with a potential fine of $25,000 for violations.
Wildlife viewing guidelines are provided, emphasizing the importance of keeping a safe distance and not feeding the animals.
Carry bear spray when hiking in the backcountry due to potential encounters with bears.
Fire bans are common in the park; visitors should check for current bans before starting a fire.
Contact information for Banff National Park visitor centers is provided for additional information needs.
An annual Discovery Parks pass is recommended for visitors planning to stay longer than 72 hours, offering value and access to multiple parks.
Driving to Banff is suggested for those within a 12-hour drive, as it can be more cost-effective than flying.
Calgary International Airport is the entry point for non-local visitors, with a 90-minute drive to downtown Banff.
Accommodation options in Banff range from hotels, which are the most expensive, to campgrounds offering various levels of amenities.
Canmore offers a mid-tier pricing option for hotels and is conveniently located 20 minutes from Banff.
Camping is a popular and affordable option, with several campgrounds near downtown Banff and in more remote mountain locations.
Wild camping is not allowed in Banff National Park, and recommended campgrounds are suggested for a safe and legal experience.
A list of wheelchair and family-friendly locations, hikes, and tours is provided to cater to a wide range of visitors.
A potential 72-hour itinerary is outlined, starting with an easy day at Johnson Canyon and Moraine Lake, followed by more adventurous hikes on day two.
Day three of the itinerary suggests a relaxing tour, such as a Lake Minnewanka Cruise or a visit to Cave and Basin National Historic Site.
Shuttle tips are provided for Lake Louise and Moraine Lake, with advice on early arrival to avoid the need for shuttles.
The video concludes with a reminder to like and subscribe for more travel guides and information on Banff and other Canadian Rockies parks.
Transcripts
[Music]
what's going on everybody today we're
diving into the heart of the Canadian
Rockies Banff National Park this was
actually Canada's first national park
where you can expect jaw-dropping Rocky
Mountains aqua blue and green Alpine
Lakes glaciers and so much more Banff is
the flagship of Canada's Park system
this will be a comprehensive travel
guide for those visiting for a weekend
trip and this guide will have everything
you need to know to spend 72 hours here
before we dive in though I'd like to ask
for you to give this video a thumbs up
and subscribe to the channel it's a
quick and easy way to support me as a
Creator and I'd also like to note that I
have top 10 travel guides on my channel
for Banff Yoho and Jasper National Park
in this video for Banff I'll be going
over how to get here accommodations the
best hikes and accessible places to
visit the best tours and so much more
but for now let's Dive Right In This is
how to spend 72 hours in Banff National
Park Canada
I'd like to start the video off with
some quick notes that every visitor
should know first off there are no
drones allowed in Banff National Park
and if you break this rule you could
face a 25 000 fine if you see wildlife
whether on a hike or while driving
please enjoy viewing the wildlife but
keep your distance stay in your car and
do not approach or feed any wildlife and
if you're hiking in the backcountry you
should always carry bear spray there are
often fire bans throughout the park and
at campgrounds so before you have one
please make sure to check if there are
any current fire bans and lastly here
are the addresses and phone numbers to
the visitor centers for Banff National
Park in case you need more information
for your visit or while you're on your
trip every time we come to the Canadian
Rockies we buy an annual Discovery Parks
pass which is 72 dollars for an adult
and 145 dollars for a family group or
couple daily admission is 21 for a
family or group so the past that you're
gonna need is going to depend on how
long you're here if you do have more
than 72 hours it's probably worth
getting the annual pass and it's worth
noting that this also includes entrance
to Yoho National Park and Jazz Jasper
National Park first thing let's talk
about getting to Banff I have Road Trip
the Canadian Rockies on four different
trips it's one of our favorite summer
destinations so for us we always get
here by driving and if you're within a
12 hour drive I would personally
recommend driving this may sound like a
lot but it will be cheaper than getting
flights and a rental car I personally
think that having a car even if it's a
rental is very necessary to properly
explore Banff and if you don't live
anywhere near Banff you're going to need
to fly into Calgary International
Airport and then get a rental car I
almost always use Google flights to find
the cheapest and most flexible flights
but it's worth cross-checking this with
Expedia because on Expedia you can book
a flight and a rental car together and
sometimes the bundle discount is worth
booking on here now once you land in
Calgary you're going to get your rental
car and then it's only 90 minutes to
downtown Banff the drive will be nothing
special in the beginning but before you
know it you will be surrounded by the
Canadian Rockies also almost every hotel
and Campground includes parking and for
the very few that don't include it in
the rate it's just a surcharge so you'll
be able to park everywhere once you're
in Banff there are three main options
for accommodations a hotel and Banff a
hotel in Canmore or a campground Banff
is not a cheap place to visit so hotels
here are going to be the most expensive
but the most convenient when it comes to
location the next option let's call it a
mid-tier for price is a hotel in Canmore
and if you are planning on doing any
hikes in Beau Valley spray Valley
canonasties or Peter luhey Canmore may
actually be the better option
nonetheless Kenmore and ban for only a
20 minute drive from each other so both
are great as far as location goes next
up is camping whether it's tent camping
car camping or a place with an RV hookup
wild camping is not allowed in Banff
National Park so you shouldn't even try
it you'll get woken up and find but some
great campgrounds that are pretty big
and right near downtown Banff are Tunnel
Mountain Village one Tunnel Mountain RV
park two and two Jackman Campground by
Lake Minnewanka which is the second
longest lake in the mountain parks of
the Canadian Rockies if you want to be
more in the heart of the mountains and
not in a Town Lake Louise Campground is
a location that can't be beat and on our
most recent trip we camped at Three
Sisters Campground just a few miles from
Canmore and we loved it it's first come
first serve which was great for us since
we never really planned things too far
ahead of time although the amenities are
limited here but for us it was great as
a last minute option for campgrounds we
use ioverlander mobile app and use the
filter to search for established
campgrounds and we also will just search
campgrounds on Google Maps and more
options will pop up
for this next part of the video I'm
going to list a handful of places to
visit wheelchair and family friendly
locations hikes and tours to do then
after this I will go into a potential
72-hour itinerary so the best wheelchair
accessible and family-friendly places to
visit include Moraine Lake Lake Louise
the Fairmont Chateau Bow Lake and the
Crowfoot Glacier my favorite hikes
include pado Lake the big bee hive in
Lake Agnes Tea House Mount St param
Fairview Mountain large Valley Sentinel
pass consolation Lakes Johnston Canyon
and this is really just scratching the
surface there's so many incredible hikes
in Banff National Park and lastly some
awesome day tours in Banff that you can
do include a cruise along lake
winnowanka and a visit to cave and Basin
National Historic Site alright so let's
talk a potential 72-hour itinerary if
you drive to Banff or you fly to Calgary
and rent a car and on day one let's say
you arrive at 10 A.M to ban Hotel
check-in hasn't started yet so we're
going to dive right into the adventures
day one will start easy and we'll
include a visit to Johnson Canyon as
it's on the way to our main destination
after this Johnson Canyon is a beautiful
hike that is 3.3 miles round trip with
862 feet of elevation gain to the Upper
Falls but if you want to shorten the
hike you can go to just the lower Falls
and it's going to be 1.4 miles round
trip with 344 feet of elevation game
this is a very beautiful hike but it
will be busy after a morning hike in
Johnson Canyon we're going to head to
Moraine Lake to spend the afternoon here
I'll talk shuttles and parking later in
the video but once you get to Moraine
Lake you will be at the crowned Jewel of
Banff National Park this is arguably the
most famous Alpine Lake in the entire
world it's probably even been your
computer screen saver at one point the
Lakeside views are amazing and if you
want to get on the water you can rent a
canoe it's very expensive but it's one
of those once in a lifetime bucket list
things to do like doing a canal ride in
Venice this is also the trailhead to
many great hikes from consolation Lakes
to large Valley Sentinel pass Tower of
Babel and Minnesota lakes to name a few
take your pick because none of these are
going to disappoint then after this long
afternoon you're going to be tired and
it's 10 to get settled into your
accommodation but on the way I want to
mention a few food spots that you can
stop at for a good bite to eat in Lake
Louise Village we really like Trailhead
Cafe and lagan's Bakery these are more
so breakfast stops but definitely places
you want to get food at at some point
and then in Band of some great places
for dinner include the Bison restaurant
The Old Spaghetti Factory farm and fire
the maple leaf and El Toro the
restaurants here can get pricey though
so if you're looking for a more
affordable alternative there's some
great takeout options in town on day two
we're going to start bright and early
and head to Lake Louise and I mean early
we're going for Sunrise this is for two
reasons one it's beautiful and two
you'll actually be able to drive there
yourself before the parking lot fills up
parking here typically is full before 7
A.M it's 21 per vehicle although if you
do Miss Parking and you have to take the
shuttle parking is free at the park and
ride you're going to spend a beautiful
morning at Lake Louise and then from
here you can begin any of the following
hikes Lake Agnes the big beehive plain
of six glaciers Mount St Paran Fairview
mountain or Devil's Thumb like the the
Moraine Lake hikes you won't be
disappointed by any of these afterwards
you can explore the Fairmont Chateau at
Lake Louise which is one of the most
incredible hotels in the Canadian
Rockies you'll only be able to access a
few parts of the hotel unless you're
staying there as a guest but it's worth
the Stop and there's some gift shops
some places to grab some art and a few
places to get food inside after the busy
morning we're gonna head to Pato Lake
which is another stunning Alpine Lake
that's a 1.5 mile round trip hike with
324 feet of elevation gain and this is
going to get you to all of the
viewpoints of pedo Lake and look closely
while you're here because the right side
of the lake resembles a wolf's head
which is really really cool then after
this you're going to start heading back
towards Banff but there's one more quick
roadside stop and that's going to be Bow
Lake which is right on the side of the
road off of the ice Fields Parkway it's
a beautiful and quick stop and from here
you can also see the Crowfoot Glacier
above this is going to end day two in
Banff National Park
now on day three we're gonna wake up and
have a relaxing last day and this is the
perfect time to do a tour so we're gonna
pick between Lake Minnewanka Cruise or
cave and Basin National Historic Site
the cruise cost 61 Canadian dollars for
their classic one hour tour they have a
few other options but this is most
likely the one you'll do and it's the
most popular one for cave and Basin it's
gonna cost eight dollars and fifty cents
per adult seniors above 65 cost seven
dollars and anyone under 17 is free and
with this you can also get a thermal
Waters pass if you'd like to add that on
after this it's going to be towards the
end of the 72 hours and this will bring
the itinerary to a close as you make
your way to the airport or on to your
next destination and now to talk about
shuttles I want to give you guys a few
quick tips the main two shuttles in
question are Lake Louise and Moraine
Lake but as I mentioned for Lake Louise
it's worth being an early bird to avoid
this shuttle as you can drive right to
the lake before 7am so I won't touch
much on this one however as of 2023
Moraine Lake Road is now closed to
personal vehicles so you have to take a
Parks Canada shuttle over the years you
used to be able to core parking spot
before 8 am then 7 am then 5 a.m and now
it's just close to personal vehicles
which is a bummer but this is what the
Park Service had to do due to the demand
and number of visitors to the lake you
can reserve a seat on the Park's Canada
shuttle ahead of time 40 of the tickets
are released for reservation in the
spring and the remaining 60 of seats are
released 48 hours in advance of
departure another option is to take the
Rome Transit shuttle which is an
alternate option to visit Moraine Lake
that is not ran by the park service and
this is something you can do in town
like most places you can explore band
for weeks or months or years and you
will still not see it all but with jobs
travel time budgets sometimes we only
have a weekend to visit new places so I
hope this travel guide and 72-hour
itinerary has been helpful thanks so
much for watching and again if you
haven't already please give this video a
thumbs up and subscribe to the channel
and if you want to see more of Banff and
other parks in the Canadian Rockies
please check out some of my other Canada
travel guides on the channel hope to see
you guys later thanks so much for
watching
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