Even though summer and winter are the most popular seasons to explore the Banff National Park, my husband and I visited in the last week of October and had an amazing time. I really think the off-season was a great time to visit because we were able to do a lot of activities with minimal crowds and the scenery was gorgeous – the trees were colored with autumn tones and there was a light dusting of picture perfect snow.

Here was our 4-day itinerary for our autumn trip to Banff:

Day 1

On the first day, we arrived at Banff by flying into YYZ airport and renting a car. The drive was about a 1.5 hour drive from YYZ to the hotel, Fairmont Banff Springs. Once we checked into the room we got a couple shareable apps and drinks at the Rundle Bar – which has a stunning view towards the back of the room. Afterwards, we took our time exploring the hotel a bit – there were a lot of shopping, dining, and lookout views to check out.

We ended the night doing the Park Distillery Cocktail Trail. This cocktail trail wasn’t only a great way to try new cocktails, but it was also a fun way to try the local Canadian spots around downtown!

Day 2

Spending the first evening doing the Park Distillery Cocktail Trail was the perfect way to see what was around downtown and take note of what we wanted to come back and see. Which is exactly how we started day 2 – by exploring downtown. There were many art galleries, cafes, souvenir shops, and shopping that we enjoyed. 

On the walk back to the hotel, we stopped by Bow Falls Viewpoint. It was our first nature-esque stop of the stay and it was extremely easy to get to since it was right next to the hotel.

• Bow Falls Address: Viewpoint Bow Falls Ave, Banff, AB T0L 0C0, Canada

Later that evening we took the Banff Gondola up to the  Sky Bistro and had a delicious 5-course meal.

Day 3

Our 3rd day consisted of a breakfast at The Vermillion Room in the hotel and a leisurely self guided tour around Banff National Park. From the hotel, we hopped on the Trans-Canada highway (Highway 1), continued to Highway 95, then took Highway 93 back to the hotel. 

We saw the most beautiful scenic views even with the rainy weather at the start of the day. There were two things I wanted to see on this tour, 1) Lake Louise and 2) wild animals. Lake Louise was one of our first stops and it was absolutely breathtaking. For the rest of our journey, we took things slow and stopped at lookout spots along the way. I think we got a pretty good sampling of what the national park had to offer! We saw roaring waterfalls, massive mountains, glacier rivers and lakes.

Since the drive took about 5 hours, we also stopped in small towns along the way for a quick bite to eat. Here are the places we took a break at:

• Lakeview Lounge – Located in Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise
• White Tooth Mountain Bistro
• Horsethief Creek Pub & Eatery

Lastly, our stop at the Horsethief Creek Pub & Eatery is where we saw wildlife! Apparently Radium, BC is known for big horn sheep sightings. Our server recommended we go to the golf course 5 minutes down the road to find them. We saw nearly 30 big horn sheep grazing on the golf course lolz it was wild.

We ended the last night in Banff with a lovely dinner at Castello Italliana in our hotel.

Day 4

The last and final day is always a sad one. We had an early flight out, so we only had time to pack, checkout, and head straight to the airport. If we had a later flight, I would have loved to go on a short hike. Guess I have an excuse to go back 🙂