About Banff
Banff National Park, Canada's first, protects a Rockies dreamscape of turquoise lakes, glacier-draped peaks, and wildlife-rich valleys — with the lively alpine town of Banff and the storied lakeside châteaux of Lake Louise at its heart. Moraine Lake's ten-peak amphitheater and Louise's milky-blue water beneath Victoria Glacier are the postcard images, but they're merely the headliners of a park with scenery at every pullout.
The Icefields Parkway runs north from Lake Louise toward Jasper past a procession of wonders — Bow Lake, Peyto's wolf-head blue, the Columbia Icefield's tongue of ancient ice — and is routinely called the most beautiful drive on earth. Around town, gondolas climb Sulphur Mountain's ridgeline, hot springs steam beneath Mount Rundle, elk graze the golf course, and hiking trails fan out to teahouses, larch valleys, and canyon catwalks in every direction.
Pavlus Recommendations
How our planners would spend a day in Banff.
See Moraine Lake at sunrise
The Valley of the Ten Peaks glowing over impossibly blue water is the Rockies' definitive view — the scene that graced Canada's twenty-dollar bill.
Walk to a Lake Louise teahouse
Historic trail teahouses above the lake have served hikers since the 1920s. The Lake Agnes route climbs past a waterfall to tea and scones beside a hanging tarn.
Drive the Icefields Parkway
Give it a full day with every stop: Bow Lake, Peyto Lake, and a walk to the toe of the Athabasca Glacier. No highway on earth keeps up this pace of scenery.
Tours That Visit Banff
Book any of these through Pavlus and pay less — never a service fee. Browse the full catalog → or call 800-528-9300 for your unadvertised Pavlus price.