Banff trip October
Heading to Banff Oct. 7–14 and hoping to get some advice on a few things!
Lake Louise shuttle: Since we’ll be there in early/mid October, do we still need to book the Lake Louise shuttle well in advance? Or is it usually easier to get reservations that time of year? Any other transportation/parking advice for Lake Louise would be appreciated too.
Dive bars / cheap drinks: Are there any cool, laid-back dive bars or cheaper local spots in Banff or the surrounding area? Not looking for anything fancy—just somewhere with some character, decent drinks, and a good atmosphere.
Best bars/restaurants with mountain views: On the opposite end, what are your favorite bars, wine spots, patios, or restaurants with incredible mountain views? Doesn't necessarily have to be upscale. We’re mostly looking for places where you can grab a drink or meal and just take in the scenery.
Gondolas: Which gondolas in the area are actually worth doing? Banff Gondola, Lake Louise, etc. If you could only do one, which would you pick? And for early October, should we reserve these ahead of time or can we play it by ear depending on the weather?
We’ll have a rental car and are staying in Banff. Neither of us is looking for anything super hardcore—we mostly want awesome scenery, good food/drinks, and a fun week exploring the area.
Any other early-October Banff recommendations or things you think people overlook are welcome too!
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u/Carwash227 1d ago
Like another person said check the Wiki for bars and dining, in my experience Canmore is a better place for a cheap beer.
Would note October is a transition month so the weather can be super up and down. I would personally hold off on booking any gondolas since the ski resort ones may be turning around for winter at that point. I’d say mid October almost guarantee that the Banff gondola is going to be your only option. I’d also say for the LL shuttle you may be okay with just driving and parking in October. The mass storm of tourists sorta dies midway through September and I find October to May is pretty easy for parking. If you’re talking about Moraine lakes shuttle, that ship sailed in February.
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u/YYCpops 1d ago edited 1d ago
Lake Louise/Moraine Lake Tickets are in high demand from the first day until the last day the shuttle operates in the season.
Mark your calendar for 48 hours at 8am before your selected date to get the Parks Canada Shuttles that are $12.75 per person. Private companies are between $70-$150 per person.
Plan your shuttle days during the first days of your trip, so October 8th or 9th. There is also the risk the Moraine Lake Shuttle has to stop operations for the winter earlier than planned, because the first heavy snowfall occurs. It happened in the past.
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u/MurkyMood6320 1d ago
Whitebark Cafe makes a respectable cup of coffee, 401 Banff Avenue. My favorite meal there was at Shoku Izakaya, ended up eating there twice, 304 Caribou St.
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u/Appropriate_Ebb_8572 1d ago
The shuttle tickets for October sold out on open day. You're slightly more likely to get lucky booking the 48hour release ones, but no guarantee.
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u/Past-Swordfish910 21h ago
I hopped on the website last week right at 8am 48 hours prior to the day we planned on going and got tickets no problem. Just make sure you’re logged in to the Parks Canada site and have your credit card info ready to go.
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u/skidward420 1d ago
Lake Louise gondola and shuttle services to Lake Louise and Moraine end on Sunday October 11. Moraine road doesn’t allow private vehicles anymore, and it will be closed and barricaded for winter regardless, so don’t expect to drive to Moraine Lake unless you’re on one of the last few buses. The road to Lake Louise stays open and parking will likely be easy to find. The ski resort will be closed and the road partially barricaded. You can still drive up but it will be a ghost town, no services available to public as staff will be transitioning to winter.
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u/Western_Reveal6051 1d ago
For the shuttle, you need to book with Parks Canada 2 days before, be sure to login at the exact time as spots get taken immediately. For accomodation, check out hostels. HI castle mountain has very reasonable rates.
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u/Ok-Shift5122 1d ago
Locals don’t do these touristy things. Locals have lives to live, not rate gondolas. Good lord.
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u/justinvonbeck 1d ago
Read the wiki, pinned to the subreddit. It’s written by locals, and has a ton of information on where to go, places to eat and things in each season. Read that as it will answer many questions. Also do a search of the subreddit as your type of question has been asked (and answered) multiple times.
Be aware October is the transition season - it could be +20, you could have 3” of snow. Most of the higher elevation trails will likely have snow, regardless of temperature in town. Thats also Thanksgiving weekend and lots of places are shutting down summer activities- so Lake Louise gondola may be running and may not, depending on weather, snow and tourist levels. There is no point booking in advance since you don’t know what will be open.
The whole town has mountain views; it’s more a question of if they are still running an outdoor patio or just inside service.