Top Rated Attractions in Banff National Park

Banff town is a cute and small colorful town offering shops, restaurants and the closest accommodation you can reserve to expereince “10 Top-rated Attractions in Banff National Park”. There are shuttles running on schedule from this town to the main attractions in the park.

I recommend to book the hotel in advance as this area will get pricy. Another better and lower budget option is town of Canmore, AB which is about 20 minutes out of Banff National Park entrance.

Less than 3 miles out of Banff town, you will arrive at Banff Gandola. Take the cable car and it will be breathtaking, from a state of art building, to Sulphur Mountain Summit and walk along the boardwalk. Included with your ticket, enjoy the family activities the visitor center offers and also enjoy the theater which shows unbelievable sceneries of Canadian Rocky Mountains from an eye of a Bald Eagle.
It also has a high rating restaurant with the best view ever to dine in.

The highlight of your “10 Top-rated Attractions in Banff” will be Lake Louise. Let’s call Lake Louise the Crown Jewel of Banff National Park, why?? Because this the most picturesque place in Banff and most of people know Banff by Lake Louise scenery. Thanks to fine particles in melting glaciers water flowing to the lake, the color is not something that you can find everywhere.
Turquoise water with surrounding snow capped mountains carves the picture of this lake into your mind. No one can describe this place with words. Farmont Chateau Lake Louise is by Lake Louise. If you can afford to book a room in the hotel, then you will be so spoiled that you don’t want to leave Banff. Fairmont Chateau also offers restaurants and shops open to public.
Parking lot will get full so quick, so plan to arrive early. You can also park your car in Lake Louise designated parking area and take the 15 minutes ride to the lake.

If you like hiking, this area would satisfy anybody. Numerous hiking trails with different difficulty levels. One of the must try trails starts from Lake Louise and after 2.5 mile of hiking which will give you one of a kind experiences in Banff. Almost halfway of hiking, you will see a cute, super clear water lake called: Mirror lake. The water reflects the surrounding mountain and trees like a mirror.
Continue hiking and enjoy the scenery until you arrive at Lake Agnes. There will be still snow around the lake even at end of June. The melting snow from surrounding mountains creates this beautiful Lake. The lake then overflows to create a spectacular waterfall in this high altitude with a view of the valley and mountains in front of you.

This hike will be the most refreshing experience in “10 Top-rated Attraction in Banff”. The view is so amazing that makes this hike compete with amazing trails like Highline trail in Glacier National Park, , table mountain hike in South Africa, Lauterbrunnen hike in Switzerland and Amalfi coast in Italy.

Maligne Lake is the second largest lake in Canadian Rockies. This place is a perfect spot for a half day trip and make it like a picnic experience. Maligne lake offers fishing, biking, hiking, canoeing and kayaking and boat tour to Spirit Island.
Scenery of Spirit island is the most peaceful place you have ever been. It is hidden behind the mountain. The visitor center has a cafeteria and gift shop in which you can purchase the cruise boat ticket.

Connecting Banff and Lake Louise to Japer National Park, Icefields Parkway is considered on the the top drives in the world. You will see the full package in just one drive, from glaciers to mountains, lakes, cascade waterfalls, wildlife and valley of pine forest.
Some of these attractions can be seen while driving and some deserve a quick stop. Have your camera ready because you will see variety of different attractions on your way.

Another vivid turquoise color lake in Jasper National park is Moraine Lake. The shade and level of water changes throughout the summer as glacier melts. At an elevation above 6000 feet, the snow and glaciers start meting mid June and water level and color begin changing. The road to Moraine lake is closed until May. Parking lot gets full so early, if you are planning to drive, be there around sunrise or use a shuttle service. Lake has a several beautiful hiking trails around it.

It would be a shame to visit Banff and not seeing a glacier. There are more than 100 glacier just along Icefileds parkway. The most famous, closest and easiest one to explore is Athabasca Glacier. Just right off the Icefields parkway, turn to parking lot and 10 minute walk will get you to the tip of the glacier.
If you like to explore more, there was some available tours for Glacier walking which needs specific vehicles and equipments and needs to be booked in advance. You will see the glacier is melting right in front of your eyes and flows to create the Athabasca river.

It is almost 30 minutes south of Jasper Town and right off the Icefields parkway. It is a place really worth of making a stop and watch. Athabasca falls is like cascade fall on Athabasca river. The is not a very high waterfall but is one of the most powerful falls in the world as so much water is pouring on a quartz bedrock in any moment.

Here is one of my favorites in “10 Top-Rated Attractions in Banff”. Payto Lake has similar scenario as other glacier-fed lakes in Banff and Jasper National park. What makes it so special, is that you can see it from thousands of feet above which shows the color more intense. Right off the Icefields Parkway, you will park your car and follow the sign to the 20 minutes trail to the view point of Payto Lake.
There are two view points and depends on the how crowded it is, you can pick any of them. The trail leading to viewpoints is also beautiful with different types of vegetation. If it is raining in Icefields Parkway, you will definitely see snow fall when walking down the trail and Bow Summit.

Johnston Canyon hike is a great, family friendly hike. This trail leads to some very beautiful scenes, lower and upper falls. It is located between Banff town and Lake Louise. For those who like to hike more, it will be ended to “Ink point” which has a phenomenon view. The trail will be crowded, so plan accordingly to arrive early or after 4pm. This trail is open all year-round, even in winter. This was one of the most adventurous attractions among “10 Top-rated Attractions in Banff”.

Tip: Bring extra layer of clothing with you as it might get so chilly once you’re deep into the canyon trail. The hike is 0.8 mile to lower fall and another 0.8 mile to upper fall. If you have time and energy left, take another 1.8 mile and more challenging hike to Ink point, but trust me it is worth it.

This is the most thrilling part of your “10 Top-rated Attraction in Banff“. Keep your camera handy as you will encounter wildlife which will make your trip even more memorable. You will see some iconic Canadian animals in their natural habitat.
Herd of elks, probably male elk with newly grown antlers, bighorn sheep, Pika, osprey, black bear, even grizzly bears, Canadian beaver, etc. It is more likely to spot a black bear than a grizzly bear. I was lucky to see 7 black bears from less than 150 feet away and a grizzly from behind a fence by the Icefields Parkway.

– Less than 4 days will not be enough for Banff and Jasper national Parks
–Parking lots in Moraine lake, Lake Louise will be full quickly. Plan accordingly
– Bring an extra layer of clothing for the Johnston Canyon hiking trail, Do Not Make These Mistakes Before Traveling
– Kid Friendly activities in Banff Gondola is educational and fun.
– Town of Canmore, AB has more lower budget accommodations than Banff Town.
Here is the map to this itinerary.Click on the picture for google map.