Banff Things To Do

Be the first to get:
– Free Weekly Travel Deals
– Expert Vacation Ideas
This Week's Top 25
Flight Deals
Hotel Deals
Vacation Deals
Cruise Deals
Car Rental
Smart Luxury Deals

iStock International

Things To Do

It’s no surprise that most activities revolve around getting up-close-and-personal with nature. Still, Banff also offers several notable museums, including top-notch arts establishments and organization that trace the region’s rich history and culture.

FREE Issue of Sherman's Travel Magazine
Smart Splurge    Great Value
Banff Center
This world-class facility sponsors artists in numerous disciplines and offers everything from free musical performances to film festivals in its acoustically state-of-the-art auditoriums. It’s fabulous panoramic restaurant and wine bar is a must.
107 Tunnel Mountain Dr.; Banff, AB; 403-762-6100; www.banffcentre.ca
Tags: international travel | culture | gallery | music | performing arts | live entertainment
Banff Gondola
The eight-minute Banff gondola zigzags up Sulphur Mountain. At the top you’ll find a pleasant restaurant and souvenir shop, 360-degree panoramic observation decks and nature trails to the 7,486-foot summit.
Mountain Dr.; Banff, AB; 403-762-2523; www.banffgondola.com
Tags: family | eco-tourism | hiking | museum | shop | wildlife | moderate | scenic
Banff Upper Hot Springs
Open year-round, this 1930s heritage bathhouse is a great place to soak up alpine scenery and the mineral water’s supposed health benefits. Guests can even rent period swimsuits.
1 Mountain Ave; Banff, AB; 800-767-1611; www.hotsprings.ca
Tags: family | shop | spas | inexpensive
Banff Park Museum National Historic Site
This railway pagoda-style wood-and-shingle structure from 1903 houses Western Canada’s oldest natural history museum. Its hardwood cabinets contain over 5,000 specimens of mammals, birds and insects.
91 Banff Ave.; Banff, AB; 403-762-1558; www.pc.gc.ca
Tags: family | architecture | museum | historic | inexpensive
Buffalo Nations Luxton Museum
Learn how the First Nations Peoples adapted to their surroundings and the European incursion in this imposing log structure. Aboriginal artifacts on display include costumes, teepees, quill work and hunting equipment.
1 Birch Ave.; Banff, AB; 403-762-2388; www.buffalonationsmuseum.ca
Tags: family | culture | museum | historic | inexpensive
Canada Place
The Banff National Park administration building houses interactive exhibits (climb in a birchbark canoe and "shoot the rapids" like Canada's historic fur traders) and the Cascade Gardens. Closed October through mid-May.
Banff National Park Administrative Center; 101 Mountain Ave.; Banff, AB; 403-760-1338; www.pc.gc.ca
Tags: family | eco-tourism | culture | museum | national park | free | scenic | gardens
Cave and Basin National Historic Site
The site that inspired Canada’s national park system houses a museum with fascinating videos and exhibits detailing the history of the parks. Also here: the emerald-colored Cave and Basin springs.
311 Cave Ave.; Banff, AB; 403-762-1566; www.pc.gc.ca
Tags: family | eco-tourism | hiking | museum | history | scenic
Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies
Founded by prominent landscape artists/environmentalists Peter and Catharine Robb Whyte, the museum devotes exhibits to their lives and to Banff’s history. See Native American artifacts and recreations of typical pioneer homes.
111 Bear St.; Banff, AB; 403-762-2291; www.whyte.org
Tags: international travel | culture | history
Compare Rates
  • Flights
  • Hotels
  • Packages
  • Cruises
  • Cars
Enter your trip details
 
 
 
Enter your trip details
Step 1
 
 
 
Enter your trip details
Step 1
 
 
 
Enter your trip details
Step 1
 
 
 
Enter your trip details
Step 1
 
 
   
 
Compare Rates
  • Flights
  • Hotels
  • Packages
  • Cruises
  • Cars
Travelers:
Travelers:
 

Deals

Related Articles

  • Top 10National Park Lodges
    Nothing says "summer escape" like a visit to a national park – plan on sleeping over in style
  • SpotlightBanff
    Searching for the perfect retreat to celebrate an anniversary, one couple finds a majestic, lake-filled corner of the Canadian Rockies
  • Spotlight40 Sweet Spots for Spring Value
    The Best Places to Travel to for Spring Value