10 Common Banff Tourist Mistakes (And How to Avoid Them)

1. Showing up at Peak Times

The mistake: showing up to Lake Louise at 11am, expecting to get a parking space and the perfect spot to take a picture, or expecting to walk into any restaurant at 7pm without a reservation and be seated straight away.

The fix: Avoid peak times wherever possible. And that doesn’t just mean on a day-to-day basis. Banff can feel like an entirely different town if you come during the shoulder seasons, so avoiding peak times throughout the year can save you a lot of headaches too.

If you’re planning on visiting the popular tourist spots, aim for earlier or later in the day. Finding a parking spot at Lake Louise in summer means heading out long before the sun rises. It’s probably better to skip the drive entirely and book a shuttle, just make sure to do this in advance too, because trust me, the bum-to-seat ratio heavily favours the bums.

Don’t leave your hotel already hungry, especially if you don’t have a reservation. You might find out that your first choice restaurant (or tenth choice, for that matter) has a one-hour wait list, and no one likes to be around a hangry person. Book tables in advance. I've even seen people book tables for their entire trip before they’ve stepped foot in Banff.

2. Overpaying

The mistake: falling for the advertisements and dropping money where money need not be dropped.

The fix: Instead of asking for hiking recommendations and dropping money on gondola tickets, why not combine the two? The hike up Sulphur isn’t hard (read our guide here), and your wallet will be much happier too. 

The same can be said about food. Check out Taxi Mike’s site to see when your favourite restaurants have happy hours and specials. Why pay full price for a pizza when you can get it for half price if you go an hour earlier? Being aware and doing things like skipping the gondola and eating at happy hours can save you hundreds on your trip to the Rockies.

(Note: Before starting any hike, make sure you do your research. What’s hard for one person, may be easy for another.)

3. Crazy Itineraries

The mistake: “Fear of missing out” is real, but trying to fit everything into your trip just makes for an exhausting, stressful time.

The fix: Slow it down, Banff isn’t a race. We review itineraries each month, and trust me, we’ve seen some stinkers. Skipping some spots for others may frustrate you, but it’s better in the long run. I’d forego a strict schedule entirely, opting for a simple one that covers the must-dos, then take it day by day once you’re here and let the day shape itself.

If you come during the peak seasons, having an itinerary can lead to more headaches anyway. Thinking you can quickly dip in and out of Johnston Canyon in August is naive. Sitting in traffic, looking for parking, and waiting in line to see the lower falls can easily add an hour to your visit. If this happens ten times a day on a packed schedule, you’ll end up running around frustrated instead of enjoying the place for what it is.

4. Packing for the Wrong Climate

The mistake: Thinking T-shirt and shorts are ideal for a 3,000m summit, Birkenstocks will handle the scramble at Ha Ling, or a thin jacket will be fine at minus 30.

The fix: Plan for every season. Banff weather can be chaos; bluebird skies one second and thunderstorms the next. Layers are your best friend in Banff, summer or winter. Just because it’s 25°C in town doesn’t mean it’s the same once you summit one of the bigger mountains. I’ve seen many people playing the hero, only to be stood at the top of a peak shivering and rushing to get down, unable to enjoy the view.

In winter, only having a winter jacket won’t cut it. If you’ve never experienced minus 30, you’ll be surprised how cold that is. Layer up, stay waterproof, wear shoes that can handle snow and ice, and cover all your extremities, and you’ll be enjoying the cold like a local.

5. Driving Like it’s Your First Time

The mistake: One way to get on the locals’ bad side is driving like it’s your first time behind the wheel.

The fix: Driving here is just like anywhere else. Pay attention to the road, signal when you need to, and if you need to check your maps, pull into a side street instead of stopping on Banff Avenue so you’re not blocking traffic.

Slamming on your brakes on a scenic road because you saw an animal (oh, it was just a tree, never mind) is annoying and dangerous. Going from 90 km/h down to 60 km/hr, then back up to 90 km/hr for no reason is, you guessed it, dangerous.

If you’re in a huge RV, there are plenty of spots at the train station parking lot. You don’t need to spend five minutes trying to back into a space you’d struggle to fit a car into. The short walk into town will save you the headache of circling for parking, a good rule for any vehicle, especially since it’s free.

6. Expecting Banff to be Cheap

The mistake: hoping to find hidden gems, locals’ secrets, and budget-friendly spots.

The fix: Banff isn’t cheap, and the sooner you accept that, the better. There’s no use posting on Facebook asking for cheaper alternatives when you’re looking at hotel prices in July or complaining because you can’t find a cheap burger like back home.

The reality is, this is a small mountain town catered to tourists, and the prices reflect that. Your job as a visitor is to budget your trip accordingly. Find free things to do (like hiking Sulphur), camp instead of booking a hotel (if you have the gear), and enjoy grocery store picnics instead of eating out for every meal.

The transit system has its flaws, but it can get you to most spots, and there are plenty of private tour companies too, so a rental car isn’t necessary if you’re flying in. Money saved here can go toward other parts of your trip.

7. Not Respecting Wildlife

The mistake: Crowding an elk and her calf, getting too close to bears, and feeding wildlife.

The fix: Give each animal space. This is their home too. Wild animals aren’t here for your photo ops (I’ve genuinely heard of tourists asking where the wardens keep the animals at night). If you’re lucky enough to see something, observe from a safe distance. The zoom on phone cameras is powerful, so you have no excuses. Getting close to an animal much larger than you is asking for trouble. Always carry bear spray during bear season.

Leaving food out, whether intentional or not, is a big no. Many animals have to be euthanized after becoming dependent on human food. Make sure to pack out what you pack in, even after a simple picnic at Cascade Ponds.

8. Altitude

The mistake: Not taking Banff’s altitude into account, especially if you’re coming from a much lower one.

The fix: Take your first day easy. Banff is the highest town in Canada at an elevation of 1,383m. Landing in Calgary, driving to Banff, and then wondering why you’re out of breath hiking Tunnel Mountain is nature’s way of saying slow down. Maybe choose a shorter walk or a stroll around town first.

The altitude also means alcohol hits harder. Just because you can drink ten beers at sea level doesn’t mean you can do the same here. Stay hydrated and pace yourself, or you might end up featured on a local Facebook page.

9. Ignoring Logistics

The mistake: not setting alarms and missing the shuttle, driving to Moraine Lake (you can’t), and not planning ahead.

The fix: Do your homework and stay on top of things. If you miss your 8am shuttle to Lake Louise, you aren’t getting your money back, you aren’t finding another seat, and you probably aren’t seeing Lake Louise this time around.

Banff rewards the organized. Check the Parks Canada site, because roads and attractions close at certain times of the year. In winter, avalanche warnings can close entire stretches of road, and bad weather can close others, so that nice drive to Revelstoke might not happen.

In summer, book shuttles, tickets, and camping spots well in advance. Leaving it until you arrive is risky, and you might miss out entirely.

10. Banff Isn’t Just Banff

The mistake: focusing so much on Banff that you forget the other incredible places nearby.

The fix: Banff is an amazing base, but don’t stop there. Right on the doorstep are Yoho, Kootenay, Jasper, and Kananaskis. People even forget to factor in Canmore, and you have to drive through it to reach Banff from Calgary. If you’re coming all this way, don’t fence yourself into one park.

Head to Yoho and explore Takakkaw Falls and Emerald Lake, soak in Radium Hot Springs in Kootenay, drive the Icefields Parkway to Jasper, or play a round at Kananaskis Country Golf Course.

Did We Forget Something? 

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