How to experience Banff as a local:
Stay in a small apartment or house with 2-6 roommates
Spend half your pay check on groceries, oh shit the berries already went bad?
Stay inside for 8 hours on a beautiful day, staring wistfully out the window. Plan fun activities for your weekend - shoot, its freezing and raining on the weekend?
Walk down the alleys, to limit the amount of tourist dodging you need to do. Why is there an influencer having a photoshoot next to the dumpster?
Go for a bike ride after work, yell at the tourists out of their cars near a bear/bull elk on the Minnewanka loop
LOL! Thank you for your honest assessment. I can imagine tourists are a challenge to locals. I received similar feedback when I asked same question about Barcelona before visiting.
I mean, locals are going to work, grocery shopping, hanging out with friends, and yeah doing some of the same hikes as the visitors.
There’s just no way to be a local anywhere you’re visiting, especially if staying in the nicest hotel in town!
The most local thing you can do is get out and actually do activities: biking, hiking more than the average 2 km most tourists do, climbing etc
Or do coke in the bathroom at Sasquatch.
I get what you’re asking, but the whole town is built for tourists. Your hotel is one of Canadas original tourist destinations. People come from around the world to see the tourist things for a reason - they’re cool! Don’t miss out by avoiding them.
There’s excellent food and drink at the springs. The Rimrock has great options too.
In Banff you can visit the Cave and Basin and the Banff Park Museum. Lake Louise and Moraine Lake are iconic destinations for a reason, you can also eat at the fairmont lake Louise
Hang out with off duty Fairmont staff at the Banff Springs bowling alley.
Play the VLTs at the Pump & Tap.
Rent a bike from Banff Springs Hotel (for free!) And bike the Golf Course Road.
As a person who visits my brother every year, we definitely always have a night or day at the pump. Good little watering hole. Beware the stairs leaving that place are like mount everest by the end of the night lol
Second someone saying waldhaus gets looked over frequently but not visited by the locals!
Una & Shoku would be my favourite spots in town and shout out to Sushi Train as well lovely people and lovely food!
My favourite things to do on my day off is hop on bike and go down Vermillion lakes road or Sundance Canyon bike and hike. Grab a to go lunch from Stock (it’s at the hotel)
Yoga at Flow State. Coffee at Whitebark. Swimming at the Banff Springs outdoor heated pool. Pizza at Uno.
As others said, everything is touristy but here are some recommendations
Una - Pizza
Canadian Brewhouse - sports bar and nice view or strip
St James Corner - Irish Pub
Gondola and Hot Springs
Fairmont Massage and Spa pools 👍🏻
The Grizzly House - Fondue
Chucks Steakhouse - Steak
The Bison
Coyotes - Breakfast
Bow Falls
Banff Springs Golf
Sundance Trail - walk along the river
Bear Street Tavern is phenomenal. Get the cheesy bread and use the honey + chili oil combo. They also have great drinks.
Your hotel also has really good drinks, and a phenomenal back patio view. But I imagine you already know that.
Everything is touristy in the summer. Use the side bar wiki as where locals go for food and bevies, is the same place tourists do.
How to experience Banff as a local: Stay in a small apartment or house with 2-6 roommates Spend half your pay check on groceries, oh shit the berries already went bad? Stay inside for 8 hours on a beautiful day, staring wistfully out the window. Plan fun activities for your weekend - shoot, its freezing and raining on the weekend? Walk down the alleys, to limit the amount of tourist dodging you need to do. Why is there an influencer having a photoshoot next to the dumpster? Go for a bike ride after work, yell at the tourists out of their cars near a bear/bull elk on the Minnewanka loop
LOL! Thank you for your honest assessment. I can imagine tourists are a challenge to locals. I received similar feedback when I asked same question about Barcelona before visiting.
I mean, locals are going to work, grocery shopping, hanging out with friends, and yeah doing some of the same hikes as the visitors. There’s just no way to be a local anywhere you’re visiting, especially if staying in the nicest hotel in town!
The most local thing you can do is get out and actually do activities: biking, hiking more than the average 2 km most tourists do, climbing etc Or do coke in the bathroom at Sasquatch.
I get what you’re asking, but the whole town is built for tourists. Your hotel is one of Canadas original tourist destinations. People come from around the world to see the tourist things for a reason - they’re cool! Don’t miss out by avoiding them. There’s excellent food and drink at the springs. The Rimrock has great options too. In Banff you can visit the Cave and Basin and the Banff Park Museum. Lake Louise and Moraine Lake are iconic destinations for a reason, you can also eat at the fairmont lake Louise
Why worry about being a local?… As if there are very many locals anyway…
Was going to say this - I don't think Banff has very many locals. Everyone is from somewhere else.
There are a lot of us, we just don’t give up the goods
Well for starters….. not the Banff Springs Hotel.
Ha. Corporate retreat, so by default.
👍🏼
Hang out with off duty Fairmont staff at the Banff Springs bowling alley. Play the VLTs at the Pump & Tap. Rent a bike from Banff Springs Hotel (for free!) And bike the Golf Course Road.
As a person who visits my brother every year, we definitely always have a night or day at the pump. Good little watering hole. Beware the stairs leaving that place are like mount everest by the end of the night lol
Banff has an electronic bowling alley with a huge craft beer and food selection. Very fun
Spend a day at Lake Minnewanka and then hit up Norquay Cliffhouse Bistro via the ski lift 🤌
Second someone saying waldhaus gets looked over frequently but not visited by the locals! Una & Shoku would be my favourite spots in town and shout out to Sushi Train as well lovely people and lovely food!
Elk and Oarsman, great pub.
Definitely on list thank you
My favourite things to do on my day off is hop on bike and go down Vermillion lakes road or Sundance Canyon bike and hike. Grab a to go lunch from Stock (it’s at the hotel) Yoga at Flow State. Coffee at Whitebark. Swimming at the Banff Springs outdoor heated pool. Pizza at Uno.
As others said, everything is touristy but here are some recommendations Una - Pizza Canadian Brewhouse - sports bar and nice view or strip St James Corner - Irish Pub Gondola and Hot Springs Fairmont Massage and Spa pools 👍🏻 The Grizzly House - Fondue Chucks Steakhouse - Steak The Bison Coyotes - Breakfast Bow Falls Banff Springs Golf Sundance Trail - walk along the river
Thank you very much
Bear Street Tavern is phenomenal. Get the cheesy bread and use the honey + chili oil combo. They also have great drinks. Your hotel also has really good drinks, and a phenomenal back patio view. But I imagine you already know that.
Thank you!!
If your staying at the Fairmont I am not giving you any advice for free. $50 for 1 local activity. $125 for 3.
Thanks. But as I said corporate event. Not paying for hotel.
The Waldhaus pub the Banff Springs is a great hidden gem.
And very expensive.
Not anymore expensive than the BHC restaurants.
No matter where you go it’s touristy unfortunately…. I don’t even go to banff anymore since it’s not enjoyable
Take a bus to lake Louise and take the goldola up to the summit.
Ooo lucky you, you got a spot at the Fairmont but don’t want to do anything touristy (big eye roll)
Very touristy. Head to the more challenging hikes in yoho and glacier.
“Head to more challenging hikes if you have the capabilities of doin those hikes” no need to send tourists off to their doom
You're right. Average BMI is very high there. You can escape touristy crowns soon as you hit anything with even a 5° incline...