Topic Wiki

List of TR's:

Kosher Food/ Restaurants:
The local supermarkets (e.g. Nesters or IGA in Banff) have many kosher shelf products.

There's frozen chicken and some meat products here, also a kosher aisle of dry foods: Safeway Glenmore Landing - 1600 90 Ave SW, Calgary, AB T2V 5A8, Canada

Synagogue:
None, though check GoDaven for temporary minyanim

Things to Do:

Download the GuideAlong app (formerly known as GyPSy Guide) and purchase the package for the Canadian Rockies Tours for $24.99. This self-paced guided audio tour covers Banff National Park, Lake Louise, Yoho National Park, Jasper National Park and more. It's an incredibly useful and informative app.

Banff
Johnston Canyon hike, Upper Falls recommended, 2 hr round trip.
Banff Gondola, take boardwalk (15 min, spread out stairs) to peak for amazing views
Mountain Biking - e.g. Tunnel Bench Loop (moderate, lots of fun with great views)
Bow Falls and Bow River
Lake Minnewanka and Two Jack Lake loop drive - boat cruise tour and speedboat rentals available

Lake Louise (45 min drive from Banff)
Shoreline trail walk
Canoe rentals
Lake Agnes teahouse hike (moderate, 2.5 hrs round-trip, can continue to Little Beehive or Big Beehive)
Plain of 6 Glaciers hike (moderate, 5-6 hrs round trip, Tea House along the way)
Lake Louise gondola


Moraine Lake (30 min drive south from LL)
2023 Update: Access by personal vehicle to Morraine Lake is no longer allowed. The only options to get to Morraine Lake are by Canada Parks Shuttle, private Lake Morraine bussing companies, and maybe a private tour bus. Local Banff bus service (Roam) may also have a shuttle to Morraine in addition to their service to Lake Louise. Reservations for busses get booked up early, so plan at least 3-4 days ahead. [Parking is extremely limited, arrive very early or later in the day, road is closed when parking is full.]
Walk along lake
Canoe rentals sometimes available
Rockpile climb to great viewpoint

Athabasca Glacier Adventure (90 min drive from Lake Louise or Jasper)
Early arrival recommended (first tour is at 10:30am, book online in advance)
2 hour duration, bring bottle to drink glacier water
Wear layers, temperature is unpredictable
Skywalk is a tourist trap, you can skip it and stay on bus to return to parking lot

Icefields Parkway drive from Athabasca Glacier to Banff with scenic stops:
Parker Ridge trail 2-hour round-trip hike (medium difficulty, uphill climb)
Peyto Lake viewed from Bow Summit (cars must park in lower lot and walk 10 min, but later in the day the upper lot can be used)
Mistaya Canyon (beautiful pull-off hike along Icefields Pkwy. Hike is about 10 minutes down to a powerful river rushing through a canyon with waterfalls)
Bow Lake (quick pullout stop)

Jasper

Yoho National Park
Takakkaw Falls
Emerald Lake
Natural Bridge


Hotels:

Getting Around:
A car is basically a must, though there are shuttles from Banff to the major attractions.
The nearest commercial airport is Calgary (YYC), a 90 min drive from Banff.

Notes:


Author Topic: Banff and Jasper Master Thread  (Read 156010 times)

Offline Mutty

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Re: Banff Master Thread
« Reply #340 on: July 18, 2016, 10:33:02 PM »
Keep checking again and again. When I first looked there nothing available but eventually a room opened up and I grabbed it right away.
Thanks. I'll do that.
“You see things; you say, 'Why?' But I dream things that never were; and I say 'Why not?”

Offline Mutty

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Re: Banff Master Thread
« Reply #341 on: July 18, 2016, 10:33:29 PM »
I stayed at the Delta kananaskis village, a very nice place. It's now part of the Marriott chain, I p paid 150 a night last summer. Only down side is that it's a half hour from the Banff gate, but still in a beautiful area
Do they take marriot points? Free nights? What category is it?
“You see things; you say, 'Why?' But I dream things that never were; and I say 'Why not?”

Offline mordechain

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Re: Banff Master Thread
« Reply #342 on: July 18, 2016, 10:51:44 PM »
I just googled it. Category 7

Offline elya

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Re: Banff Master Thread
« Reply #343 on: July 20, 2016, 01:56:18 AM »
Wanted to go but the main good hotels, like Fairmont are booked solid. I want it to be a nice vacation so I wanted something like the Fairmont. I guess it's major season and we won't get anything decent. Probably have to plan way in advance. Oh well.
Theres a gorgeous hotel under 5 minutes away from the Fairmont Banff springs called The Rimrock, it dosent hold a candle to The Fairmont, but beautiful and affordable nonetheless. (rooms are actually significantly larger there)

Offline JunkYardUnz

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Re: Banff Master Thread
« Reply #344 on: July 20, 2016, 10:23:41 PM »
Theres a gorgeous hotel under 5 minutes away from the Fairmont Banff springs called The Rimrock, it dosent hold a candle to The Fairmont, but beautiful and affordable nonetheless. (rooms are actually significantly larger there)
When we went 2 years ago we stayed in Solara Resort in Canmor. It's around 30 min from the park entrance. They  only have suites/apartments, it was really nice. We had our own kitchen, living room, porch... We booked it thru Amex Travel. I don't remember the exact deal, but I think I paid $300 a night and got $100 back per a night via a Amex offers.

Offline Mutty

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Re: Banff Master Thread
« Reply #345 on: July 25, 2016, 03:46:39 PM »
Nothing was available. I went through a travel agent and we ended up getting the Fairmont for the first two nights in Banff and the second two nights in Lake Louise. We are very excited about it. Going early Sunday morning mid August - flying from NY to Toronto and then to Banff so we can get there early. Now I have to read through the notes here and figure out about food and touring.
Anybody want to kick in any advice (a lot to read above), feel free.
We are two "young" grandparents, no children coming along.
Maybe Pomogranate or Chap A Nosh for food? Someone said you can pick up something in Calgary? Anyway, will start reading the thread. Thanks for the help so far.
“You see things; you say, 'Why?' But I dream things that never were; and I say 'Why not?”

Offline Ysturmwind

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Re: Banff Master Thread
« Reply #346 on: July 25, 2016, 04:12:39 PM »
Both Fairmonts are amazing hotels. We stayed in the Banff Springs, not the Lake Louise, but the LL one is also a great property. My one complaint with the BS Fairmont was that the rooms small. The hotel and the grounds were incredible, but we got a suite upgrade to a room thats smaller than most hotel rooms.

We brought food from Pomegranate and it was delicious. The BS staff was incredibly helpful with everything, they stored the food then heated and brought it up to our room when we called for it. Calgary has very little in terms of kosher food, there are a couple of small kosher sections in the supermarkets there but not much. If you want anything more substantial than pre-package deli/hummus you will have to bring it from NY.

We did the Johnston Canyon hike which was awesome, we did the hike up to the upper falls and it was a total of about 1.5-2 hours. Its an easy hikes thats more akin to a nature walk. If you have the time to drive up to Athabasca Glacier you definitely should. The drive is beautiful, we kept stopping the entire way there and back to take pictures and take in the scenery. The glacier itself very cool, you can drink the water right out of the streams melting on it. The bow river and falls are good to see, Lake Moraine has a number of great hikes for every kind of level, Lake Louise in beautiful. There are a ton of options of various things to do out there.

Offline hr555

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Re: Banff Master Thread
« Reply #347 on: July 25, 2016, 05:58:27 PM »
Nothing was available. I went through a travel agent and we ended up getting the Fairmont for the first two nights in Banff and the second two nights in Lake Louise. We are very excited about it. Going early Sunday morning mid August - flying from NY to Toronto and then to Banff so we can get there early. Now I have to read through the notes here and figure out about food and touring.
Anybody want to kick in any advice (a lot to read above), feel free.
We are two "young" grandparents, no children coming along.
Maybe Pomogranate or Chap A Nosh for food? Someone said you can pick up something in Calgary? Anyway, will start reading the thread. Thanks for the help so far.

Do you enjoy multi-hour hiking?

Offline yitzyul

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Re: Banff Master Thread
« Reply #348 on: July 26, 2016, 10:44:54 PM »
After reading thru almost the whole thread I can't figure it out. Does it make sense to go to Banff for 2 days with kids? (youngest being 2).

Offline mordechain

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Re: Banff Master Thread
« Reply #349 on: July 26, 2016, 11:18:26 PM »
Yes

Offline BKYW

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Re: Banff Master Thread
« Reply #350 on: July 27, 2016, 10:56:21 AM »
After reading thru almost the whole thread I can't figure it out. Does it make sense to go to Banff for 2 days with kids? (youngest being 2).

IMO depends how far you travel for it. And is travel included in these 2 days. But with 2 full days you can make a check on several activities. is it enough to get a feeling for the natural beauty ?

Offline RabbiGoldenberg

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Re: Banff Master Thread
« Reply #351 on: July 28, 2016, 12:39:18 PM »
After reading thru almost the whole thread I can't figure it out. Does it make sense to go to Banff for 2 days with kids? (youngest being 2).
Whenever we take our kids to the mountains, we make sure to stop at enough playgrounds to make it worthwhile. You also have to factor in naps and whether or not they can sleep in the car. You can hold a two year old in a backpack carrier for short hikes.

Offline Mutty

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Re: Banff Master Thread
« Reply #352 on: July 28, 2016, 02:05:52 PM »
Do you enjoy multi-hour hiking?

Depends on the definition of multi. I just recently got relief for some leg problems I've had for a few years so I'm ready to try the hike, but maybe an hour or so would do it.
“You see things; you say, 'Why?' But I dream things that never were; and I say 'Why not?”

Offline Mutty

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Re: Banff Master Thread
« Reply #353 on: August 08, 2016, 11:49:04 AM »
Ok. So I'm preparing for our trip. Sooo looking forward. As far as the phone goes we have AT&T phones. They want x dollars for a month to give me some internet so I can get emails, texts, phone calls. Here's a question. If it's for another forum, please let me know. I can legally unlock my phones with AT&T. If I do, is there a card I can get for cheap in Canada (or in Flatbush) that will get me emails, phone, etc. If yes, how do I get phone calls to my ATT number?
Next.. the food situation!
“You see things; you say, 'Why?' But I dream things that never were; and I say 'Why not?”

Offline BKYW

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Re: Banff Master Thread
« Reply #354 on: August 08, 2016, 01:33:52 PM »
Ok. So I'm preparing for our trip. Sooo looking forward. As far as the phone goes we have AT&T phones. They want x dollars for a month to give me some internet so I can get emails, texts, phone calls. Here's a question. If it's for another forum, please let me know. I can legally unlock my phones with AT&T. If I do, is there a card I can get for cheap in Canada (or in Flatbush) that will get me emails, phone, etc. If yes, how do I get phone calls to my ATT number?
Next.. the food situation!

I had free wifi every night in every hotel I stayed in. Some may require you enroll in their free frequent guest program. I downloaded google offline maps

Offline Mutty

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Re: Banff Master Thread
« Reply #355 on: August 08, 2016, 05:24:54 PM »
I had free wifi every night in every hotel I stayed in. Some may require you enroll in their free frequent guest program. I downloaded google offline maps
Thanks. Staying in Fairmont and I am a member
“You see things; you say, 'Why?' But I dream things that never were; and I say 'Why not?”

Offline Galitzyaner

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Re: Banff Master Thread
« Reply #356 on: August 09, 2016, 02:24:18 PM »
My tentative itinerary - not sure which direction I'll start. I put some places in parenthesis - they are not must, but only if there's time.

Arrive in Calgary

(Drumheller: Dinosaur Trail)

(Grassi Lakes, Canmore)

(Banff Gondola)

Bow Lake

Lake Minnewanka

(Johnston Canyon hike)

Lake Louise
 
(ski area Gondola)

Moraine Lake

(Yoho National Park: Wapta Fall and Takakkaw Falls)

Icefields Parkway

Crowfoot Glacier

Peyto lake

(Mistaya Canyon)

Saskatchewan River Crossing
Weeping Wall

Athabasca Glacier,
Columbia Icefield Centre

Sunwapta falls

Athabasca Falls

Mount Edith Cavell with Angel Glacier

 the Jasper Tramway

(maligne canyon)

(Mount Robson)

(West edmonton Mall)

Depart Edmonton airport


How long should this take without optional stops in parenthesis? How long with?
Not doing any long hikes.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks!

Offline Mutty

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Re: Banff Master Thread
« Reply #357 on: August 09, 2016, 04:16:57 PM »
All right! Thanks for showing your itinerary! A lot of google time needed but I'll check these out for our trip. We're iyh doing a Sunday-Thursday night.
“You see things; you say, 'Why?' But I dream things that never were; and I say 'Why not?”

Offline aarony

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Re: Banff Master Thread
« Reply #358 on: August 09, 2016, 07:18:13 PM »
Don't forget the gypsy app for your tour guides

Offline Matovu

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Re: Banff Master Thread
« Reply #359 on: August 09, 2016, 08:12:13 PM »
All right! Thanks for showing your itinerary! A lot of google time needed but I'll check these out for our trip. We're iyh doing a Sunday-Thursday night.
He seems to be going all the way up till Jasper. And leaving Edmonton