A Day Trip to Canmore and Banff

What to know about Canmore and Banff:

Canmore and Banff are neighbouring towns located in the Rocky Mountains of Alberta, Canada. Each offer a unique experience with so much to do including many hikes, sightseeing, dining, shopping and more!
Canmore is about an hour and 15 minute drive from the city of Calgary. Banff is located about 15-20 minutes from Canmore. This drive is really pretty in any season, as you’re surrounded by mountains with each turn you take.
You don’t need a national park pass in Canmore, but you do need to purchase a park pass for Banff, as it is a National Park. You can purchase online or at the gate when you enter Banff National Park. You have options of purchasing a day pass or a Discovery Pass if you plan to do more throughout the year (the Discovery Pass also gives you access to other National Parks in Canada).

Catching the sunrise at Three Sisters Mountain Viewpoint

I decided to do a solo day trip on the weekend to visit Canmore and Banff. I left the city around 6:30 am such that I could catch the morning sunrise. Luckily in the wintertime, the sunrises are a lot later in the morning, so I didn’t have to get up that early! (You might have to leave the city around 4:00 am in the summertime). In January, you can expect sunrises to start around 8:00-8:30 am.

I arrived around 7:45 am and there was already a few people parked at the car park. No hike required to get to this viewpoint of the Three Sisters Mountain on the lake. Just short 5 minute walk through the woods and you’ll find this place that looks like it is right out of a dream. The lake wasn’t totally frozen over, so I felt so lucky that I was able to see the reflection of the mountains in the water. I spent the early morning here just taking in the sunrise 🤍

To get here, you can park at the lot beside the dog park. Make your way under the underpass of the highway and continue walking straight under the bridge. The viewpoint is really just another 5 minute walk straight ahead into the trees and you can’t miss it!

Enjoy a day at the Town of Canmore

After spending some time at the Three Sister’s Mountain Viewpoint, I parked near the Canmore Ice Skating Pond in town. Parking along the paid parking areas during the low season (Oct-May) is $2/hour. There are certain areas where 9 hour free parking is also available in town. You can get more information on where to park here. It was about 9:30 am and since most shops open around 10:00 am, I decided to test out my skates on the Canmore Skating Pond.

There are so many cute shops along Main Street (8th Street) to explore! My favourite stores were Stonewaters and Cafe Books. I also went to one of Canmore’s popular coffee shops “Rocky Mountain Bagel Co.” It was busy during the peak lunchtime, but I would highly recommend! Their latte and bagels were delicious.

Ice skating in Banff

After lunch I decided to make my way to Banff to do some more ice skating. It was an active and adventurous day for me and I wanted to explore some of Banff’s most scenic lakes. Johnson Lake, Lake Minnewanka and Two Jack Lake are all extremely close to one another. If you have time, you could definitely go see all 3 in one day. Each lake I visited has a parking lot, bathroom and was quite easy to find on Google maps.

In the later months the lakes are heavily covered by snow, so if you’re the first ones out, a shovel will be handy to clear out the snow for some skating. I’m grateful for the people before me who have shovelled patches of skating rinks on the lake already. Even if you’re not a big into ice skating, you can absolutely go for a leisurely walk in the area to take in those mountain views! Make sure you are always cautious when out on the ice and that the Lake has completely frozen over when you visit.

I’ll definitely be back earlier next season to catch the ice before the first snow fall 🤍