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 157896 times)

Offline RabbiGoldenberg

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Re: Banff Master Thread
« Reply #440 on: March 19, 2017, 09:32:31 PM »
Phone only. I saw it in the Shawnessy location, but they said it's cross Canada and you can call it in.
« Last Edit: March 19, 2017, 09:38:08 PM by RabbiGoldenberg »

Offline julienbortz

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Re: Banff Master Thread
« Reply #441 on: April 07, 2017, 08:11:59 PM »
Hey All, I'm sure this was addressed somewhere and I looked for it but couldn't find it. But I'm planning a 5 day trip to both Banff and Glacier National Park (flying to Kalispell or Calgary) and wanted to know if I'm wasting my time trying to fit both places into my itinerary or to just pick one and spend all of our time there. What do you guys think? Everyone raves about Banff but Glacier looks amazing too, and keep in mind it would be the week of the 4th of July, so the less tourists the better. Thank you!!

Offline Ergel

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Re: Banff Master Thread
« Reply #442 on: April 08, 2017, 11:32:20 PM »
With just 5 days, you're probably just better off with Banff, icefields parkway and Jasper
Life isn't about checking the boxes. Nobody cares.

Offline aarony

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Re: Banff Master Thread
« Reply #443 on: April 09, 2017, 12:25:03 AM »
Glacier is nice but not close to as nice as banff to jasper

Offline Something Fishy

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Re: Banff Master Thread
« Reply #444 on: April 09, 2017, 02:21:27 AM »
Regardless if you're referring to the American Glacier National Park or the Canadian, neither are worth it in such a short time frame.
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Offline RabbiGoldenberg

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Re: Banff Master Thread
« Reply #445 on: April 13, 2017, 10:23:43 AM »
There are more condos with full kitchens available in Canmore.  We are hoping it will be easier to put together a minyan in canmore.
Calgary always has a Minyan on Shabbos.

Offline aarony

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Re: Banff Master Thread
« Reply #446 on: April 13, 2017, 02:46:08 PM »
Thanks we expect to have a minyan every day three times a day

Offline RabbiGoldenberg

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Re: Banff Master Thread
« Reply #447 on: April 13, 2017, 11:04:39 PM »
Nice, can you post (or direct message) where and when, in case we end up in the mountains and will miss Minyan?

Offline aarony

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Re: Banff Master Thread
« Reply #448 on: April 14, 2017, 12:14:14 AM »
Sure once plans are firm.  I put a link on godaven

Offline Lamppost

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Re: Banff Master Thread
« Reply #449 on: May 03, 2017, 02:52:08 PM »
Hey everyone,
I have a Marriott 7 night hotel certificate (from the stay and fly package or whatever its called). Would love to use it to go to Banff. Problem is that the only nogea hotels are in Calgary which is 90 min away. Is it really pushing things to go anyway and just drive each day back and forth to the mountains? If it makes any difference I have a 2 year old and a 8 month old....
Thanks

Offline Dan

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Re: Banff Master Thread
« Reply #450 on: May 03, 2017, 02:58:18 PM »
Hey everyone,
I have a Marriott 7 night hotel certificate (from the stay and fly package or whatever its called). Would love to use it to go to Banff. Problem is that the only nogea hotels are in Calgary which is 90 min away. Is it really pushing things to go anyway and just drive each day back and forth to the mountains? If it makes any difference I have a 2 year old and a 8 month old....
Thanks
Ridiculous.
Save your time, I don't answer PM. Post it in the forum and a dedicated DDF'er will get back to you as soon as possible.

Offline Lamppost

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Re: Banff Master Thread
« Reply #451 on: May 03, 2017, 03:10:22 PM »
Hey i know its far from ideal but why "ridiculous"? Shkia is at 930. I could still have 8 hours per day there even with driving 3 hours round trip. No? Lets pretend that i dont have any kids. Is it still ridiculous?

Offline Lamppost

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Re: Banff Master Thread
« Reply #452 on: May 03, 2017, 03:15:30 PM »
I could stay a lot closer in the Delta Hotels Kananaskis Lodge. But its a category 7. Worth it? How much is it to upgrade the certificate to include cat 7?

Offline Ergel

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Re: Banff Master Thread
« Reply #453 on: May 03, 2017, 07:18:33 PM »
Hey i know its far from ideal but why "ridiculous"? Shkia is at 930. I could still have 8 hours per day there even with driving 3 hours round trip. No? Lets pretend that i dont have any kids. Is it still ridiculous?
Have you ever been on a vacation before?
Life isn't about checking the boxes. Nobody cares.

Offline whYME

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Re: Banff Master Thread
« Reply #454 on: May 03, 2017, 07:36:28 PM »
Is it still ridiculous?
Yes. Very much so.

And for me to call driving ridiculous means a lot.

Offline Something Fishy

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Re: Banff Master Thread
« Reply #455 on: May 03, 2017, 07:58:38 PM »
Yes. Very much so.

And for me to call driving ridiculous means a lot.

Eh, you're just bitter from ending up in Yoho by mistake .
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Offline whYME

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Re: Banff Master Thread
« Reply #456 on: May 03, 2017, 09:01:11 PM »
Why would I be bitter about something like that?

Offline RabbiGoldenberg

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Re: Banff Master Thread
« Reply #457 on: May 03, 2017, 10:47:20 PM »
I do the trip from Calgary to Banff with the kids pretty often. It's not just the 90 minutes. Banff is right at the beginning of the mountains. It's another 45 minutes to lake Louise, another 45 to Yoho. If you want to see the Ice Fields Parkway or go up to Jasper, you can't stop on the way to enjoy it. And what you save on hotels will be spent on gas at 3 USD per gallon. Each major hike ends up as a full day trip, and the drive to and from is not very scenic. It works for me because I live here. But on my vacation, I rented a hotel in Jasper.

Offline Lamppost

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Re: Banff Master Thread
« Reply #458 on: May 03, 2017, 11:39:53 PM »
Have you ever been on a vacation before?
Ha! Im not as naive as you think.
 I went to Maui last year for 4 days with an 18 month old and a wife 7 months pregnant. Is that daring enough for you?

Offline whYME

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Re: Banff Master Thread
« Reply #459 on: May 03, 2017, 11:45:25 PM »
I don't think it's a question of naivete, it's a question of do you want to waste a significant portion of every day there driving back and forth from your hotel?