Hoping to visit Banff on a budget? While Banff is definitely not a cheap destination, there are still plenty of free things to do in Banff that will keep you busy without costing a fortune! Following is a list of the very best free things to do in Banff written by someone who has lived and worked there – Shireen from The Happy Days Travels.
Another great thing about the free Banff activities is that they change with the season so you’ll also find options for your Banff itinerary whether you visit in summer or winter.
How to Have an Epic (and Cheap) Trip to Banff
I love finding free things to do wherever I travel, and you can have an amazing time with a very limited budget.
The best part about visiting Banff National Park is the beautiful nature, which is free to enjoy (although you’ll need a Parks Pass for some areas). Depending on when you visit, you can find deals and inexpensive accommodation, especially in the low season (between March and June, and from September to November).
However, there are some things to see in Banff that might be worth paying for if you have the budget to do it. Perhaps by compromising and saving money on some things, you can afford to splurge on something else you really want to do.
For example, you could save money by staying in cheap accommodation and doing lots of free activities in Banff, and then treat yourself to a unique experience like a horseback ride in Banff National Park.
In this article, I’ve picked out some of the best free Banff attractions, plus some cheap places to stay in Banff so you can do just that – and if you have the budget to treat yourself a little bit, these are some of the most popular paid activities and tours in Banff that you might be interested in:
- Small Group eBike and Hike Tour from Banff to Johnston Canyon
- Guided Horseback Tour in Banff National Park
- Lake Minnewanka Cruise
If you are visiting Banff in winter then these fun winter activities are great options:
- Athabasca Glacier Snow Trip from Banff
- Winter Wildlife Guided Tour
- Full-Day Tour of Banff National Park
- Guided Snowshoeing in Banff
You can browse more tours and attractions in Banff here.
Cheap Places to Stay in Banff on a Budget
Banff has multiple options for accommodation including if you’re on a budget. Cheaper options are mostly in hostels but there are some good value hotels and guesthouses that you can choose for cheap Banff accommodation too.
Hostels in Banff
The best hostels in Banff include:
- HI Hostel is located on Tunnel Mountain Road with private rooms and shared dorms overlooking scenic mountains.
- Samesun is a hostel close to the entrance to Banff National Park and not far from downtown. It also has private and shared rooms as well as an on-site bar and communal areas.
Cheap Hotels in Banff
Alternative budget accommodation in Banff includes Banff Boutique Inn if you’re looking for a cabin-style place to stay, you want self-catering and more of a home feel than hotel service.
For a more traditional stay, YWCA hotel is another budget-friendly hotel in an excellent location near Cascade Gardens. It has its own bus stop which will take you along all local routes.
The Best Free Things to Do in Banff National Park
Explore Downtown Banff
The town of Banff is known as one of the highest destinations on people’s bucket lists, especially as a sought-after ski resort due to its world-class skiing and snowboarding hills.
The ski resort, therefore, has everything to offer the millions of tourists that visit. But there is much more than just a ski resort in Banff, and it is actually busier during the summer thanks to the abundance of activities.
Banff town is nestled in by mountains and surrounds the main street known as Banff Ave where there are a variety of restaurants, bars, cafes, gift shops and visitor centres to enjoy. You can walk along the river, spot families of elk, admire the flowers at Cascade Gardens, find the giant Sasquatch and take pictures with the mountains.
There are also some museums in Banff to visit if you want something to do indoors. The Banff Park Museum is free if you have the Canada Discovery Pass, and the Buffalo Nations Luxton Museum is free for kids, but well worth the $12 ticket price for adults to learn about the First Nations People of the area.
Take a Picture With Banff Sign (& Special Pop-Up Art)
If you travel to any place in the world that has a huge sign of the place name, isn’t snapping a picture with the sign an obligatory part of the trip? Well, Banff has a big red sign of its one that is located on Norquay Road at one of the main entrances leading into the town!
Note: Getting your picture here is a popular thing to do in Banff so don’t be shocked if you have to queue!
Occasionally there is pop-up art throughout Banff from ice sculptures and snow statues in the winter to art trails in the summer which also make for great pictures.
Hike a Mountain
With a surplus of mountains, hiking is the most popular thing to do in The Rockies and Banff has so many incredible peaks that you could spend all of your time (and none of your money!) trying to conquer these trails and reach those incredible summits. The mountain scenery surrounds the town of Banff and makes for stunning views, but to climb one of these is a great accomplishment.
You could travel all over Banff National Park to climb the huge peaks but there will be a slight cost in terms of transport and parking. In exchange, you will be rewarded with views of turquoise blue lakes and glaciers such as hiking at Lake Louise where you can enjoy tea at the end of the Lake Agnes Teahouse route.
For a completely free hike though, hike to Tunnel Mountain summit which is walkable from downtown Banff and takes around 1.5 hours up and down for wonderful views over the area, glimpses of Hoodoos Rocks and if you go at the right time, beautiful sunsets.
Enjoy Lake Minnewanka
Known to the Stoney First Nations people as ‘Lake of the Spirits’, this is a special and very old place to explore. The water is so deep that there is an entire underwater town that divers can explore!
Other activities to enjoy on the lake include free skating or ice hockey in the winter (but it is not supervised and taken at your own risk). During summer, however, there is much more to do such as a boat tour, kayaking, canoeing or renting a tin boat to drive yourself.
Search for Wildlife
One of the best spots to find wildlife is on the Marshland Loop trail. This is an easy, flat hike just 10 minutes from downtown Banff and situated next to Cave and Basin (a museum and natural cave with water) at the base of Sulphur Mountain.
The kinds of wildlife you can expect to find here include beavers (you’ll know they are present due to the multiple Beaver Dams), muskrats, marmots, birds, deer and elk.
This also means that there is a chance of seeing coyotes, cougars or bears, so it is important that you visit this area with caution, taking appropriate precautions and following Parks Canada’s safety advice about wildlife in the park.
Drive Icefields Parkway
The Icefields Parkway is an epic 232-kilometre road between Banff and Lake Louise (and onto Jasper National Park) that is regarded as one of the most beautiful drives in the world and once your tires touch the concrete, you’ll understand why it has this accolade.
The views are breathtaking, and there are dozens of things to see along the way including lakes, rivers and glaciers, plus the added bonus that driving here gives you a high chance to see black and grizzly bears from the safety of your vehicle.
If you’re in the mood for an epic road trip check out this itinerary for roadtrip to Banff from Vancouver through the Rocky Mountains!
Find Bow Falls
At some point during your visit to Banff, you’ll encounter the turquoise Bow River that flows through the town and if you follow the Bow Falls trail then you’ll find the waterfalls at the end of the walk. You’ll most likely hear them before you see them as it’s rapid, heavy and there’s lots of glacier water rushing down.
At the viewpoint for the falls, you can see Mount Rundle towering over and the famous Fairmont hotel known as Banff Springs and the ‘Castle in the Mountains’.
A fun fact about Bow Falls is that Marilyn Monroe came here often for both filming and on personal vacations and Bow Falls was featured in her movie River of No Return!
Watch the Sunset at Vermillion Lakes
Vermillion Lakes are the most accessible lakes near Banff to visit for free as it’s only a 20 minute walk from downtown Banff. You can get there via the main road or walk through lush forests via the Fenland Trail.
At the end of the trail, you’ll be rewarded with majestic mountain backdrops that are reflected in the stunning lakes like a mirror. Sunset is the most beautiful time to visit and one of the best, free activities in Banff that nature provides.
Visit Lake Louise
Although this Lake is a 40-minute drive from Banff centre, you cannot visit the National Park without seeing the iconic Lake Louise. Known worldwide as a top energy-vortex destination, the lake is located on the Earth’s electromagnetic grid so come here for wellness and spirituality, and soak up that energy.
Similar to Lake Minnewanka in terms of seasonal activities, in the summer you can enjoy kayaking and canoeing on the water, and enjoy hikes around the lake. Alternatively, if you visit Lake Louise in the winter you can go ice skating and witness the brilliant ice sculptures that are carved by locals and put on display to enjoy (there’s also an ice bar for drinks)!
Visit Cascade Ponds, Johnson Lake and Two Jack Lake
Some of the prettiest spots of nature to relax in, have a picnic, take a barbecue, go swimming or walk through include Two Jack Lake, Johnson Lake and Cascade Ponds.
Cascade Ponds is the closest to downtown Banff just 5 minutes from the entrance of town and has picnic benches, wooden bridges and fire pits that are all watched over by the awe-inspiring Cascade Mountain (almost 3000 metres high).
Johnson Lake is the next lake to visit and it is unique because it is not glacier fed but fresh-water, which means it is a fun spot to swim in. This is a local’s favourite spot to swim as the other lakes are very cold as the water comes from the mountains’ ice and glaciers!
Two Jack Lake, named after two people named Jack who lived in the area, is the emerald Green lake that is a starting point for many hikes including the C-Level Cirque route. Two Jack is also a popular campground (another cheap option for accommodation in Banff).
Hike Sulphur Mountain
This is a free alternative to riding the Banff Gondola, but it will take you 2-3 hours to hike up the mountain which consists of steep inclines and a lot of switchbacks.
You get the same epic views of the Rockies and downtown Banff, the chance to learn about the Gondola’s history on Sulphur Mountain, access to the fantastic restaurants on the peak (or enjoy Banff’s highest, outdoor patio during summer) and all while saving you the cost of riding the Gondola.
You will also get a huge sense of achievement after hiking this epic climb!
Cycle Banff Springs Golf Course
Biking in Banff is a must because there are so many trails that are either inaccessible to cars or too long to do on foot. One of the best places to go cycling in Banff is the Fairmont Banff Springs Golf Course, which is 5 kilometres of flat terrain passing one of the most beautiful golf courses in the world which is flanked by the Canadian Rocky Mountains.
Bring your own bike, rent one from town, see if a local would loan you theirs or keep an eye on the town website in case they have slots for free rentals.
As you can see there are a multitude of fun free things to do in Banff where you can enjoy mountains, lakes, rivers and the wildlife of Banff National Park as well as downtown activities with locals which will all add to the memorable trip in this incredible place. You can enjoy the best of Banff on a budget!
About the Author
This article is written by Shireen from The Happy Days Travels. Her blog focuses on stories, food and literary travel, and her favourite things to do while travelling include tasting local cuisines, finding filming locations and reading books about the place. You can also find her on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
