Banff Travel Guide

Travel

Kali (@kalialexandria) and I flew out of St Louis at 5:30am with a layover in Denver- to Calgary.  We met Vy (@pixelated_me), Abigail (@lifeinfocusblog), and Amber (@ambermiller9) at the airport in Calgary. From there we rented a car to drive the hour to Basecamp Resorts in Canmore!  I would recommend renting a care when visiting as many of the places you will want to visit are about an hour apart.  The drives are beyond scenic, and we loved having the ability to drive through the mountains and explore as needed. Having our own car also came in handy as we took full advantage of the gift shops and were able to stow away items in our car.

Stay:

We stayed at Basecamp Resorts in Canmore which was in the heart of darling cafes and shops and geographically desirable for all of the places we wanted to visit! Canmore is located about an hour drive from the Calgary airport, 15 minutes to Banff, and one hour to Lake Louise.   There is a darling downtown area as well as several shops within walking distance of where we stayed.  

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Basecamp Resorts is nestled at the base of the mountains surrounded by gorgeous views and wildlife.  Our “home” included 3 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms and was just over 1000 sw feet in size.  The suite was equipped with a kitchen, dining and living area, washer and dryer, and locally made bath products from Rocky Mountain Soap.   Basecamp has a main lodge that includes a cozy fireplace, hot tub, and large living room with complimentary coffee and treats each morning. Each unit includes complimentary reserved parking as well.

Eat:

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Le Fournil Bakery – (Canmore) Fournil, first written in the 12th century, means “bakehouse” in French and is the area where the bread oven is located in the community.  We had the pleasure of spending our first evening with the lovely owner and staff of Le Fournil. The detail and precision that goes into the creation of each handcrafted menu item is truly a form of edible art.

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Banff Brewing Co. – (Banff) We visited the brewery for a late lunch/ early dinner after our morning on the Banff Gondola.   Located in the heart of downtown Banff, Banff Brewing Co. provides a mix of essential food classics and contemporary staples to create the perfect Canadian menu.  They use pure, natural mountain water sourced from the great Canadian Rockies in their beer meaning it is made with real glacial water and all the minerals that come with it! 

The Maple Leaf – (Banff) We stopped in for a late lunch after our trip to Lake Louise.  Known for their elegant log cabin interior, The Maple Leaf sources the best Canadian ingredients to provide a true Canadian inspired experience.

Graze Food and Drink – (Canmore) We stopped in on our final night to grab a casual bite and drink and this cozy spot was the perfect decision.

Rocky Mountain Bagel Co. – (Canmore) Just across the parking lot from where we stayed and open before the sun comes up! Everything is made from scratch and fresh to order.  It was a perfect spot to grab a quick bite and fuel up for the day. 

Other items to try:

Beaver Tails – NOT made of beaver! They closed before we made it there in time, but they are a basically a pastry with toppings/icecream!

Tim Hortons – Canada’s chain cafe (essentially the Starbucks of Canada) but don’t panic, they do have Starbucks on every corner too.  

Play:

Banff Gondola

The Banff Gondola was by far my favorite experience of the trip. Once you get the top of the Gondola, I highly recommend taking the Banff Skywalk (wood decking) to the summit. It isn’t a terrible hike, and there are lookouts that you can stop at along the way. The sky walk will lead you to Sanson’s Peak Meteorological Observatory that dates back to the 1900s. The summit includes most impressive views that photos simply cannot do justice.

Gondola Recommendations: Give yourself a couple hours to fully explore. We went during low season, and there will likely be lines other times of year so be mindful of that. There is a bistro at the top of the gondola with amazing views, be sure to call ahead for reservations. Keep in mind that the temperature at the bottom is a poor indication of the temperature at the summit and dress warmly!

Downtown Banff:

There are countless shops, candy stores, and cafes in downtown Banff.  You can easily spend dan entire afternoon bouncing around from shop to shop and enjoying the backdrop of the scenic mountain views against the cozy cabin like storefronts.  

Lake Louise:

If you have ever seen a teal water picture from Canada, chances are it was from Lake Louise or Moraine.  The road to Moraine Lake was closed when we went, but if you are willing to hike/cross country ski a few kilometers, you can still go there in the snow.  Lake Louises was frozen over during November, still stunning.  

Other things to note about visiting Lake Louise:

We visited in mid- November which is considered “low season”.  This is the time after all summer activities (ie lake is frozen so no canoeing, need snow gear to hike, etc) and before winter activities (ie horse drawn sleigh, ice skating, dog sledding – though ski ramps were open and available).   According to locals, it was much less crowded with tourists this time of year, which was a definite pro! 

If you visit during the summer/spring/fall and plan on renting a canoe, it must be done via the Fairmont Chateau and hotel guests have first priority.  It costs around $100/hour per canoe to rent.  

Last but certainly not least – everyone was incredibly kind! Many locals were more than willing to lend us helpful advice from entertainment to wilderness related safety measures, everyone we met was extremely helpful and kind.

If you plan on doing anything in the wilderness, the locals made it clear that it would be wise to bring bear spray with you.  

For a cozy night in, we enjoyed playing What Do You Meme? Game ! It was perfect for laying low early in the trip when we had a full, active day the following day.

Beauty Travel Essentials:

Leopard Sweater

If you know me, then you know I LOVE Christina White Salon. They are located here and St Louis and are hands down the masters of extension installation and coloring. They equipped me with hair that could hold curl from my 5am flight to mountain visits – to late evening dinner and drinks. With so many adventures and photo ops, I was incredibly glad that I got extensions put in prior to the trip. They hold curl 100 times better than my real hair and made traveling incredibly convenient and efficient. I felt fabulous despite my day-I-leave-for-Canada cold and packed schedule.

For all the details on my hair extensions and discounts, visit my extensions blog post.

Not only are they a wealth of knowledge when it comes to extensions and coloring, but they were also able to help me identify what products I would need for travel to elongate my style and protect my hair from damage. I love being able to ask questions and compare products before purchasing, and they truly listened to what I felt my hair needs were and addressed each with products that they themselves know, use, and love.

Again, I would implore you to visit them as my hair is not necessarily going to have the same needs as yours and they will be able to help you walk away with products that make YOUR hair fabulous!

I recently tried eyelash extensions for the first time, and I am completely sold on them. I love beauty, but I also love efficiency and eyelash extensions allow me to have both. They are able to personalize the extensions from natural to bold and anywhere in between. My only regret is not trying them sooner. Not only that, but the appointments are surprisingly relaxing, so much so that I have come close to falling asleep on more than one occasion.

I visited Paint Nail Bar for perfectly holiday nails prior to my trip and still have them looking fabulous 3 WEEKS LATER. Paint is a fume free nail salon. I have preformed gel nails, so they are not as heavy as acrylic and they do not damage your nails like other methods can. I am in awe of how long they have lasted! Not only are they a healthier alternative to your typical nail salon, but they have a wide variety of in store shopping options. From clothing to endless accessories, you are sure to find something at a wide variety of pricing for both yourself and holiday shopping!