Banff Forum: First Time Aussies in Banff end of may

What type of activities are there around that time? any extreme?

Greetings Roderick

For accommodation it depends on what your budget or price range is and what type of accommodation you are looking for. In Banff we have everything from hostels to 5-star hotels.

For central hotels there are plenty of options.

The Banff Y Mountain Lodge offers affordable and basic hotel accommodations.

The Mount Royal Hotel is located right on the main street, Banff Avenue, so you would be walking distance to restaurants, shops, bars and nightclubs

The King Edward Hotel is also located on Banff Avenue and has budget-friendly rooms available.

Brewster Mountain Lodge is a great centralized hotel just off Banff Avenue.

Those are just a few of the many hotels available.

You can find more information about accommodations in Banff by visiting www.banfflakelouise.com

The website also has listings and information about restaurants and activities available in the area.

There are also three hostels in Banff:

Samesun Backpackers http://samesun.com/beaverbanff.htm

Banff Alpine Centre with Hostel International hihostels.ca/westerncanada/332/HI-Banff_Alpi…

Banff Y Mountain Lodge http://www.ymountainlodge.com/

Getting around Banff town without a vehicle is definitely possible. Travelling to other locations such as Lake Louise or along the Icefields Parkway without a vehicle is also possible but it requires a bit more organization. That means joining tours with organizations such as Discover Banff Tours.

http://www.banfftours.com/

They have tours of the Banff area, Lake Louise and to the Columbia Icefield.

Explore Rockies also offers tours and transportation in Banff National Park and to Jasper.

http://www.explorerockies.com/

Sun Dog Tours also offers tours and transportation in the Rockies.

http://www.sundogtours.com/

Banff Sedan can arrange transportation and tours as well.

http://www.banffsedan.com/

Banff Adventures Unlimited can also assist you with planning activities in the area.

http://www.banffadventures.com/

For transporation there are also Greyhound buses which travel between Banff and Lake Louise but not along the Icefields Parkway to Jasper.

As for must sees that depends on what is of interest to you and the rest of the group. The Banff Gondola is a fantastic way to get views of the area. There is also the Banff Upper Hot Springs where you can relax in the mineral water and enjoy great views. Horseback riding may be operating in the Banff town area at that time depending on conditions. You can go canoeing on the Bow River or a boat cruise on Lake Minnewanka.

If you are looking for some adventure you could try going caving with Canmore Cave Tours. http://www.canmorecavetours.com/

For nightlife there are many bars and pubs and three nightclubs. There are many bars where you can enjoy live music.

Depending on what activities are of interest to you, I think that four days is the minimum amount of time to spend in Banff and Lake Louise. That would give you two days in Banff, a day at Lake Louise and a day to travel along the Icefields Parkway. However, you will want more time if you are interested in hiking or exploring the area further.

BanffLakeLouise

Thanks for the response.

If i go to banff, is it worth checking out jasper? Or will it be similar?

I just read your first response and to add to my previous post there is Ziplining with Banff Zipline Tours. The zipling takes place near the town of Golden, BC which is about 2 hours west of Banff.

http://www.banffatvtours.com/

They also operate ATV tours is the summer. Late May could be a bit early for ATVing but you can contact them to find out if it would be possible.

Whitewater rafting is also just getting underway in late May and early June. Visit the Banff Lake Louise Tourism website at www.banfflakelouise.com to find all the companies that have rafting trips.

A few options for you include:

Hydra River Guides http://www.raftbanff.com/

Wild Water Adventures http://www.wildwater.com/

Wet N WIld Adventures http://www.wetnwild.bc.ca/

These are a few of the rafting companies that operate on the Kicking Horse River, which is on the BC side of the Rockies.

On the Alberta side of the Rockies you have Canadian Rockies Rafting.

http://www.rafting.ca/index.htm

They have trips on the Kananaskis River and can also arrange trips to the Kicking Horse River.

Bot

If you head up to Jasper you will need at least two more days. The town itself if smaller and quieter than Banff but there are things to see and do in the area.

You can drive from Banff or Lake Louise along the Icefields Parkway to Jasper in 3-4 hours but you should plan on a full day for the journey to allow you to enjoy the sights and attractions along the way.

One of the main stopping points along the road is the Columbia Icefield Centre, which is about halfway between Lake Louise and Jasper. You can take a tour onto the Athabasca Glacier, which is part of the Columbia Icefield. Even if you don't take the tour the glacier is pretty awe-inspiring when you realize the small dots you can see on the ice are the huge Ice Explorer vehicles they use for the tours.

Other areas worth stops include Bow Lake and Peyto Lake. Both lakes will have some ice on them at the end of May but are still beautiful.

As for activities in Jasper I will let the Jasper experts advise you.

BanffLakeLouise

For activities in Jasper, this tourism page has all the main tour companies and attractions: jasper.travel/things-to-do/activities/summer

IF driving from whistler to banff, will I see the same things on the way if I done banff to jasper? Like is there any else different if i do take a trip up to jasper? Can i still see glaciers around banff area?

The big, accessible glaciers are on the Icefields Parkway, which is the road to Jasper.

Cause I was thinking of just making a day trip to whistler from Vancouver and making a 2 or 3 night trip to jasper instead.