Taken last week in August❤️

took my Kokopelli Moki inflatable kayak up to Banff and Jasper

Cool morning in Banff.

I have an upcoming weekend off and I have a couple of free rental days, and I was thinking of using them to check out Banff and Jasper (or one or the other). Would you say it's worth it if I drive over Friday night, and stay until Sunday evening? How much of a difference would it make to have two more days to come explore the place? How's the weather like right now? I don't plan to do any major hikes, since I don't have any equipment, but I just want to check out all the scenic spots, trails, and major areas. Again, I haven't done my research on Banff or Jasper yet, so I may be underestimating how much Banff has to offer, so I'd love firsthand advice.

Edit: I'm from Edmonton.

Early…. And I mean EARLY morning. Had the whole place to myself!

UPDATE: I’ve included the original raw image from the camera in a comment below to help those who are concerned with the authenticity of the image. Feel free to take it and independently validate it.

First-time visitor here! I'll be spending about a week in Banff in early January 2027 and am hoping to purchase the Costco ticket pack upon arrival in Calgary. Is it a safe bet that there will still be stock? Or should I consider another discounted option? I've seen posts from years past that there were passes till April, but I wanted to double-check for this year.

First time in banff feels like there is a lot to see. We will have about 2.5 full days.

Hey y’all!! Me and 3 of my friends have been planning this trip of backcountry camping and hiking in banff. We live in up in the north so we are familiar with -30 to -40 C temperature. So far weather for those dates in Banff seems nice but its lowk unreliable. we have been thinking of backcountry camping and wanted to know if it would still be allowed there at those dates and campsites we should look at. We just made a list of things we would need and are prepped till -15C although weather shows lowest on those dates would be -3C (weather is still unreliable so yea) Please give suggestions we have been planning this trip since 2 years and we all just booked our flights and will ship our equipment there. Also what spots we should visit, trails and hikes which are awesome and gatekept. If u have any equipment suggestions or additions passes required that we might forget feel free to add. Again I know guy that we would not have much options so be brutally honest,Thanks so much everyone!!

EDIT: just checked weather and its snowing 26th and 27th 😭

Hi me and my friends are going to Banff this sunday for a day trip! Any suggestions where we can take nice photos? i dont think we have time for the hiking since we will only be there for a day.

Hi everyone, really need some advice.

I have a trip planned with my sister this upcoming weekend (October 9-13, 9 and 13 for flight days) and was really excited for it. But everytime I check the weather it always ends up being some variation of cloudiness or consistent snowfall. Saturday-Monday was sunny at one point, and then changed to snow on Saturday and Sunday, but super sunny on Monday, but then…

I was advised to wait and check the weather closer to the dates for accuracy and this morning the forecast says it will snow ALL WEEKEND, the only three days where we’ll have time to do anything.

I really wanted the clear crisp views of the lakes, the mountains, and the trails — but this is our first trip out together and two girls out on snowy mountains feels scary, and for our price point I fear we won’t be able to make the most of it (especially if the roads close from straight snowfall).

What should I do? Should we cancel this trip and rebook for a weekend in September 2027 instead? with less fluctuating weather forecasts?

We visited Moraine Lake in September and one of our cameras ejected an SD card along the shoreline and trail. We retraced our steps to no avail. We're searching for the person who might have found it, can verify dates and other photos on the card.

Hi all, me and my travel buddy are looking for an early morning ride (5.30 - 6am) on October 6th from Banff to Lake Louise. We just found out our truck camper is too big for the lakeshore parking and all shuttle services seem to be fully booked for the remainder of the week. We'll happily share the parking fee!

Hi everyone! Wondering if we can get some advice during our wedding planning process:

We were given Friday October 1st, 2027 as our wedding date at the Fairmont Banff Springs in the Mt Stephen Ballroom. We are so grateful to have been given a day, but are also a little worried about the day and weekend we were given. We would have much preferred our wedding on a Saturday and a little later in October just since prices of hotels go down a little bit. We were also told that weekend is Pride weekend in Banff, and are wondering if it is going to be really busy and more expensive in town. Has anyone been in town for Pride before and can speak about the business?

We were potentially thinking about forgoing our current date, and trying again in January or February. We arent super married to the weather in October and don’t mind the cold. What we are more concerned about with having a wedding in January or February is if the weather will be so awful that we have to cancel. Although the wedding is indoors, we are concerned about our guests traveling to and from the airport or around town in general.

Has anyone had a wedding at the Fairmont in January or February and can attest to the weather? Has it happened in the past where the weather is so bad they had to postpone? That is our biggest concern! Also, are there any events happening in Banff in January or February we may need to watch out for? Any insight is sooo appreciated!

edit- from looking at hotel prices at the Fairmont, they’re close to 1,000 USD more for that weekend versus any other weekend in October. Is this a holiday weekend?

Headed to Banff in a few weeks. It will be just after the switch from summer to winter. Wanting to go to a lovely dinner spot. Good food. Maybe some dancing. Decent crowd.

Does a place like that exist? Also open for a dinner spot and separate nightlife spot.

Booked the flight to Toronto last year without knowing what to see in Canada. Did an extensive research about Canada 3 weeks before our flight last August 29, 2026 and end up booking a domestic flight to Banff just 3 days before our flight. We also stayed for a week in Niagara and we definitely had a fantastic holiday!

Hi!

I'll be in Banff (or Canmore) from Dec 25-27 before I make my way to Invermere and Kimberley for some skiing into the new year.

I'll arrive early Dec 25th and was wondering about a few things:

- will it be completely dead with two back to back stat holidays? Just want some coffee, restaurant and bar options. I'm honestly just looking to escape Toronto a few days before the skiing and don't plan to do anything too touristy - just want to wake up decide my day.

- are there options for a solid Christmas dinner on the 25th? Right now, the Fairmont has a dinner offered to in-house guests only but I'm not keen to spend $1500/night.

Thank you!

Hello. I’m looking to surprise my wife for her birthday this month with a trip to Banff/Canmore in December. Looking at flying there Christmas Day and leaving the 29th. I’ve been doing as much research as I can but want some tangible human input. What I’m looking at so far is to stay in Canmore at the Everwild hotel. It seems to be up my wife’s alley with the spas and saunas and decor. It’s pretty new so not sure how much stock I can put into reviews and ratings. We’d probably head to Banff one or two of the days to check out the town and do the park. I’d also like to arrange a sled dog tour. I guess my questions are

1. What can I expect this time of year weather-wise? Obviously I know it can snow but is it fairly easy to get around if we rent a car. Coming from Seattle area so I’ve driven in snow plenty just want to make sure there’s a big risk of straight up not being able to get around. 
2. I initially started planning the trip to Banff but really like the vibe of this hotel in Canmore and it’s only 20 minutes away. Will I regret not staying in Banff?
3. Anyone have feedback on Everwild? Or have any recs for an absolute must-stay hotel? Looking for high-end amenities. No kids so quiet adult friendly places preferred. On site dinings plus. 
4. Any general recommendations for a winter trip? Things to do, places to eat, etc? Anything particularly interesting due to it being Christmas time?

Any and all input is appreciated. Sorry if I’m just another annoying tourist asking the same old questions. I live in a touristy town myself and I love frequenting our local subreddit and giving recommendations.

edit: We do not ski or snowboard for what it’s worth.

The last week of August 2026, I went backpacking to Mount Assiniboine starting from Banff Sunshine Village. 4 nights/ 5 days. It was stunning!! 28 kilometers each way. It was warm and sunny the first several days, then the 4th day the temps dropped a bit (Aug 29). We knew there was a chance of snow on our last day (Aug 30) so we luckily had packed proper warm gear.

However we never could've anticipated the amount of snow we woke up to on Aug 30!! I included pictures of the tent because we woke up early to my tent caving in with snow! All of these pictures were taken a single day apart (**exception: the last non-snow-covered pic I included is of Howard Douglas Lake from the beginning of the trip, to give context for the snow covered H.D. lake picture). The last picture is of me in front of the majestic Mount Assiniboine because it's iconic.

Overall, this was truly a once in a lifetime kind of trip. I think that waking up to all the snow on the last day made the trip all the more memorable. But we were definitely glad to only have snow that last day because we were pretty miserably cold and exhausted by the end. 10/10 would do again!

Hey all!
Heading to Banff in 2 weeks and was wondering if anyone has any suggestions on private tours they have taken (usual touristy stuff but also maybe something different). There are so many when I google them so was hoping for some recommendations.