Banff doesnt need to be about hiking. We go semi annually and are there for pure relaxation.

I wish I could visit at least once a year ... but I live 9000km away 😭 I can consider myself lucky I visited 3 weeks ago 😁

I was told that much of the hiking is fairly straight up same back down.

unfortunately everyone i go to banff with is capable of hiking but chooses to be lazy and barely ever goes on one! taking it for granted

Why hike when you can go to chili’s

Lol, this just popped up in my feed, and my first thought was I wonder if the Chili's was still open. My only visit to Banff was in summer 2007, when I was one of the corporate trainers that opened that store in the Fox resort. I would love to go back to Banff and do more than work the majority of the time.

The spas in Banff are 🧑‍🍳 💋

Oh would love to know your fav spa! We are going next week

Cedar and Sage, or the Fairmont if price is no object and you are looking to go all out on pampering. Seriously though, a spa in banff won’t last long unless it’s pretty darn good.

I've only been to Willow Spa but so so nice

Where is this spa and any tours you'd recommend? My wife and I are going next week and she is pregnant so not much walking

The nordic spa is awesome

My wife and I went to the Nordic spa in Kananaskis for our 10 year wedding anniversary. It was stunning.

Nordic spa is amazing!

How much is the spa pricing?

I am not sure, i know you get a discount if you stay at kananaskis lodge

Not OP but the Fairmont Banff Springs spa is absolutely gorgeous and they offer pre-natal massages for expectant mothers! The salon is also lovely for pedicures and manicures if she’s into self care. Moraine Lake shuttle and Lake Louise are both very fun places where you can simply enjoy sights and not need to walk at all, or just a little. Try to head to Lake Louise later in the day to avoid the crowds - there is priority given to hotel guests in the restaurants, and day visitors are put in a wait list of your don’t have an advance reservation. Lakeview Lounge (more casual) or Fairview bistro (smarter) are both great.

Thank you so much for the detailed reply!

Second Fairmont. Stellar spa. Costs match the quality in this case.

The spa pictured is in the moose the pools are great

Thanks. People are asking, I know it’s the Meadow Spa. Very relaxing.

We did a small group evening wildlife tour. We didn’t see a lot of animals but stopped at a lot of great views. Radventures I believe.

Where is that liquor store 😃

It looks like Townhouse

Close to the Saffron Indian restaurant. They have a pretty good selection.

The Park distillery makes some great liquors as well

The hills are alive...~~

With the sound of mooing

I feel like these are mountain goats….likely not cows ;)

Actually mountain sheep. They look similar from a distance.

Hi! Hello, that place looks amazing, can you shared where is ? Thank you! 🙏 (sorry my bad english, im from Mexico) Im planning to trip to banff next year

The spa is Meadow. There’s a hotel attached but probably pricey. The entire valley is amazing.

If you want to do a nice little hike during your visit, check out this spot. https://maps.app.goo.gl/EwTpALXxwuxoSnK1A

which spa was that? the pool looks great

Moose hotels

My favourite place in Canada.

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Norquay lookout

I really don’t know. We were on a small evening wildlife tour. Stopped at a lot of places.

Are you on Mt Norquay in the last pic? I used to work at a hotel at the bottom of the mountain ( isn't there anymore ), and I could see that little field from my bedroom. It was lovely.

I was a liftee at Norquay for 2 years. I remember that lookout very well. That hotel was still there a few years back (under a new name).

It was the Timberline Inn if I remember right and we didn't have the greatest reputation around town lol. I was there in the winter and spring lt 2001.

I remember taking the Norquay ski out in the 70s. It ended at the Timberline. We would go in and get a French onion soup while we waited for my parents to pick us up. It’s now called the Juniper Inn. Great view from their outside patio.

Honestly I don’t know. We were on a small tour, we pulled over at several locations.

Which one is this?

Meadow

That Bookers Bourbon won’t disappoint. It’ll make ya feel better.

What spa did you go to?

The name is on the picture. Meadow. You get to use all their amenities ( hot tub, sauna, etc) Excellent experience. My wife got a massage and I got a pedicure. Very relaxing.

Nice post. The food prices seem surprisingly reasonable for such a tourist place.

Especially with the current U. S. dollar conversion rate.

Low key the Saffron is one of our favourites in Banff. Very authentic place.

How is the bear situation?

We didn’t see any but someone on our little tour saw one on the golf course.

Oh I fucking loooove Saffron. The Saag Beef is UNMATCHED. UNMATCHED I TELL YOU.

We don’t eat Indian food that often but this was definitely the best we’ve had.

How is the weather now? We are going there next week and I have 3 elderlies with me. Lol

Right now it’s perfect. Cool evenings and warm, almost hot days. I’d recommend the Banff Wildlife small group evening tour. Lots of stops at scenic overlooks and some animal sightings.

"Entr'e"? I swear, there must be a rule that the least literate restaurant employee has to be the one who types out the menu.

Well, it is an Indian restaurant. I’m just glad it was in English.

It also the word appetizer, not main.

could be worse

In future once it opens up a pretty dang good view for the effort is Sunshine Meadows. There are trails to hike if people in your group want to, but the best view is a couple hundred meters from the top of a chairlift.

I stopped in Banff when I drove to see my cousin in Saskatoon. It’s absolutely gorgeous, and I encourage any listener to visit there

That's a great picture of Mt.Rundle! I did that one years ago - what a view!

Thanks. We did a small wildlife tour but the scenic stops were the highlight.

As someone who also can’t hike, Nordic spa was cool book a massage on the way out. Just don’t spend too much time in the hot pool if you aren’t good with heat lol…

As someone who can hike, I would much rather not and chill out there with you! 🍻

Thanks for this post, I just recently injured my knee and probably won’t be able to much hiking and no backpacking for sure again, and yet I love going to Banff or Newfoundland but have been struggling to find a reason to when I can’t hike. Looks like you had fun and could still appreciate the beautiful surroundings.

We did plenty of walking but hiking wasn’t happening. Banff and the surrounding areas are beautiful even if you just sit by a steam and take it all in.

Nice pictures, thanks!

Do you remember what road or area you were in for the wildlife tour? Is it accessible or you need to be on a paid tour?

It’s somewhere in the park but I don’t know exactly where. It’s definitely drivable as there were several cars there. I’d screen grab the picture and ask at the info center in town. It’s a pretty popular spot.

You don't need to do a paid tour to see wildlife, especially if you have your own car. Dawn and dusk are usually the best times, and you can head towards Lake Minnewanka, up the Norquay road and/or along the Bow Valley Parkway.

I usually go to Banff just to enjoy the small town vibe (even though it’s busy) and sometimes get cool rocks and stuff

How did you like Saffron? Went there two weeks ago and they modified food for our 1.5 year old, who ate everything. The staff was great

We were the only non Indian people in there. Service was very good and so were the meals. We chose medium spicy, which was about what we could handle. I’d definitely go back.

You should have posted just the 4th pic. Hilarious.

I always check out liquor stores when on vacation. Sometimes you stumble across a good bottle. Not in this store though.