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Banff
Group Travel
Banff Overview For Group Travelers
Banff Group Attractions
There are plenty of things to do and places to see for groups traveling to Banff. Explore top attractions our experts recommend. Visit Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies. Check out Sunshine Meadows. Don't miss Yoho National Park. Click here to start planning your trip now.
Things To Do for Groups in Banff
Book group trip activities before you go. Select from our handpicked tours and experiences for groups traveling to Banff. Find everything from day trips to tours to concerts and shows to outdoor activities to discount attraction cards-and more. We can help your group find and book the best group activities. In Banff, try Columbia Icefield Tour from Banff, Discover Grizzly Bears from Banff, or Evening Ice Walk and Campfire. Explore other group activities and tours available in Banff here.
About Banff
One of the world’s premier mountain resorts thanks to world-class ski trails, magnificent scenery, multi-star lodging and dining options, night-life ranging from the raucous to the refined, and limitless opportunities for adventure winter and summer.Banff Districts
When many people hear of Canada, the first place that springs to mind is Banff. The soaring peaks, dense coniferous forests, and abundant wildlife are a Canadian institution. The Banff townsite sits within Banff National Park, Canada's oldest and most spectacular Heritage Site. Home to many of the nation’s most famous landmarks, densely populated with wildlife, and full of opportunities for relaxation and adventure, Banff is Canada’s ambassador to the world and one of the country's most-visited tourist attractionsBanff History
The first people to occupy Banff were Native Americans who arrived in the Bow River Valley nearly 11,000 years ago, just as the last Ice Age was coming to an end. Finding the winter climate mild due to the chinook winds (strong, warm winds that rush out of the mountains and onto the prairie in the middle of the winter), they settled in the protected mountain valleys and enjoyed the abundance of fish and wildlife that called the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains home. Over time, they developed into the Cree, Kootenay, and Blackfoot tribes, who coexisted in relative peace for the next 9,900 years.In 1883, the Canadian National Railroad was pushed through the Rocky Mountain ramparts via the Bow River Valley, passing close to the present-day Banff townsite. During the construction of the railroad, three construction workers were exploring the slopes of nearby Sulphur Mountain when they stumbled across a collection of small hot springs bubbling out of the rock. A heated debate erupted over the ownership of the springs, which would later be known as the Cave and Basin.
Siding 29 railroad station quickly became the birthplace for the town of Banff, and the jumping-off point for the newly constructed Banff Springs Hotel. The hotel had many renovations between 1888 and 1926, and evolved from a spartan wooden hut to the palatial structure present today. It became a tourist attraction in its own right, drawing European aristocracy with its mineral springs and revitalizing spa, as well as providing luxury seldom equaled elsewhere in North America.
With the hotel came Banff’s tourism era. The Canadian Pacific Railway Corporation, which owned both the Banff Springs Hotel and the Chateau Lake Louise, imported Swiss mountain guides to take visitors up to the icefields and onto the highest peaks surrounding the town.
The Mount Norquay Ski Hill opened in 1928, and was soon joined by the Sunshine Valley and Lake Louise Ski Area. With the explosion in the popularity of downhill skiing and the construction of the Trans-Canada Highway in 1962, getting to Banff became easy and relatively inexpensive.
The growing town eventually ran out of room for new buildings. Real estate prices soared, and it became uneconomical to live and work in Banff at the same time. Many local business owners and employees moved to the nearby town of Canmore, which soon developed into a destination in its own right. To prevent Banff from becoming overcrowded, the notorious “need to reside law" was passed in the 1960s, which stated that no person could live in Banff unless he or she was employed in the city.
Banff Entertainment
Banff Skiing Most people who come to Banff are looking for the crisp, clear powder snow and soaring peaks that the region is famous for. There are three big ski areas in the park. Mount Norquay, only a five minute drive from Banff, is excellent for beginners. Sunshine Valley is huge, encompassing five mountains with 12 lifts. The terrain ranges from bunny hills to more challenging runs like Delirium Dive, a 50-degree slope infested with cliffs and so dangerous that it is open only a few days of the year. Lake Louise Ski Area has the best overall terrain of the three, and is host to the World Cup downhill races.Banff Shopping Should you ever find yourself in desperate need of a plush stuffed moose, carved buffalo horn, or expedition-grade ski gear, chances are you will find it somewhere along Banff Avenue. From the Bow River Bridge to Cascade Plaza, both sides of the Avenue are lined with hole-in-the-wall stores, restaurants, and nightclubs. The shopping is unparalleled anywhere in this part of Canada, and many people come to Banff for no reason other than to shop. Where else can you find a complete Christmas shop squeezed in between a high-end furrier and an Innuit art dealer? Souvenir junkies can decide between hundreds of items as diverse as diamond “Banff" broaches and 50-cent novelty pens.
Patrons of the arts will love the town’s many art galleries, which specialize in Native American and Rocky Mountain-inspired works. Photos of 19th century mountaineering expeditions and mountain wildlife are standard fare, along with arrangements of rare dried and pressed Alpine flowers.
Banff Adventures Banff is a Mecca for adventure seekers, and there are literally hundreds of ways to satisfy your adrenaline cravings. Take a helicopter ride, race a snowmobile across a frozen lake, ride a gondola to the top of a mountain, or fly down a snowy slope on a pair of skies. The opportunities for thrill-seekers are endless.