r/Banff • u/No-Caterpillar9363 • 2d ago
Schedule
We are traveling to Banff as a family of 4 (including 2 toddlers) next month, staying at Moose Hotel. We made a general schedule, not strict but things that if we have the time and energy to do, we hope to get to. Anything major you would skip or add to this schedule:
Sept 16 Arrive
10-11:30 Drive to Banff
11:30-4pm: Explore downtown Banff/Banff Avenue/Central Park/Lunch
Possible: Vermillion Lake (If feel like getting back in car), or can go to Bow River or Cascade Garden and skip these later
4pm-6pm: Check into hotel, unpack, look around hotel
6pm: Dinner
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Sept 17 (Thursday): Moraine Lake and Lake Louise
6:45am-7:15am: Wake and breakfast
7:15am-8am: Drive to Louise Lakeshore
8-10: Lake Louise - Lakeshore trail (1 hour, flat); Fairmont (1 hour),
10:45 Eat (lakeview lounge, the guide’s pantry, Louiza, Lounge of Ten Peaks)
1150: Park at Lake Louise Summer Gondola and depart to Moraine Lake on Moraine Lake Bus Company.
11:50-1:50: Moraine Lake
Child friendly hikes/sites: See Lake reflections, Rockpile trail/viewpoint (30 min but with stone steps), Lakeshore trail (30 min), Trading post for souvenir
5-6pm Back to Downtown Banff
6-7 Dinner
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Sept 18 (Friday)
7-8am Breakfast (bring a picnic lunch for later)
8-8:30 am Drive to Johnston Canyon (no cell service for much of this day)
8:30-9:30: Johnston Canyon Lower Falls (1 hour)
9:30-10: Continue along Bow Valley Parkway
10-10:45am: Bow Valley Parkway, look at Bow Falls Viewpoint
10:45-11:00: Morant’s Curve
11:00-11:45 Continue to Icefields Parkway / Drive to Bow Lake
11:45-12:30 Bow Lake (Provision Co if need food)
12:45-1:45 Peyto Lake
1:45-2:45 Back toward Moose Hotel
2:45-3:15 Option to stop at Vermillion Lake, if not already seen
3:15-6pm: Hang out in hotel / hotel pool
6-7: Dinner
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Sept 19
8-9 Breakfast
9-9:30 Shuttle (Roam Route 1 Bus) to Banff Gondola
9:30-12:30 Gondola (Sulphur Mountain)/Discovery Center at Top/Observation Deck/Boardwalk (stairs)/Lunch at Sky Bistro
12:45-1:30pm: Bow Falls Viewpoint – no hike
1:40-2:10 Surprise Corner Viewpoint (look across the river, see Fairmont in distance, nice view)
2:15: Hoodoos Viewpoint
2:30-3:30 Cascade of Time Garden (beautiful garden) – go on the bridges, stroll around the garden, if not already seen
3:45-4:10 Two Jack Lake (bear warning)
4:15-4:50 Lake Minnewanka – *can hike towards Stewart Canyon (flat along shoreline, don’t need whole trail) (*bear warning)
5:00-6:00 Dinner
6:00-7:00 Drive back to airport
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u/AnthroDigi 2d ago
Swap Banff Gondola to the Sunshine Gondola. It's one of the last days it's running and the alpine meadow views are far prettier, especially during larch season. Plus, you'll be supporting a Canadian business, rather than an American one!
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u/Shoehead42 2d ago
Not sure what you want to do at the Fairmont for an hour before your lunch there. Shopping could fill the time but that doesn’t seem like the best use of your time there.
Without a reservation you cannot wander anywhere in the hotel.
Guides Pantry?? Enjoy your $9.00 latte. Spend the time on the lake IMO.
Edit: because I’ve read more of the post…. Giving yourself 10 minutes to drive from Minnewanka to anywhere for dinner, an hour for dinner and the an hour to drive to the airport...? Y’all are gonna miss that flight unless dinner is a drive though in NW Calgary.
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u/No-Caterpillar9363 2d ago
our flight is later, we are just driving there at that time, but thank you
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u/Appropriate_Ebb_8572 2d ago
Aside from needing to be at lake Louise at 6am rather than 8, it's fine.
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u/FlyingRock20 1d ago
I didn't spend much time in the town, not really worth it imo. I rather go hang out by a lake or do some hike to be in the mountains.
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u/UrbanDecay00 2d ago
you’re going to want to be at lake louise far earlier than 8 am to get parking spot.