Well, for anyone who has been to Calgary, even for a short trip, most will have heard about the lovely town of Banff, so I will start with this one, but plan to build up a portfolio of other ‘day trips’ or weekends away. There are SO many places to go and see, it’s hard to know where to start, so I think the most obvious , is the best place!
Depending on where you are staying in Calgary (and time of day due to traffic) the drive to Banff can be just an hour to an hour and a half, so is definitely can be done as a day trip from Calgary, or makes for a good weekend.
The High street is a good place to start, with many shops to wander in and out of, and one the ‘must do’, is visit to the Banff Springs Hotel. This is still such an impressive building, with the stunning Rocky Mountain back drop, the views from every direction are simply stunning.
Note, just as I have stated that Banff is one of the most popular day trips, visiting The Banff Springs hotel, is one of most visitors top priorities, so note it can get busy!
Sometimes they offer ‘special’ deals , so if you fancy a nice weekend away, it is worth checking out their website for ‘deals’ at http://www.fairmont.com/banffSprings
Image via Wikipedia
The hotel has a quaint shopping arcade/boutique shops in the basement- worth a look around. If you have a time/if you are staying at hotel- the Willow Stream spa, is quite a treat- and even if you only go for one treatment, you have the opportunity to lounge around and relax in their numerous pools/sauna’s…or alternatively if you stay and not go to the spa- make sure you go to the hotel swimming pool, which features a large, indoor pool and connects to a heated out door pool. This is especially lovely when it is cold/snowing outside…….soak in the scenery, it really is quite amazing.
But for those on more of a budget, there is plenty of affordable accommodation in Banff, and if you are still after the heated pool/outdoor experience- head to the Upper Banff Hot Springs- which is equally as stunning.
If you don’t fancy getting wet, but want to ‘see some water’ , walk/ drive down to Bow falls, as Bow Falls Trail enable you get up close to the rapids/water falls, or just a walk along the Bow River Pathway…… it is all truely stunning.
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