Banff - Canmore holiday ideas

[RainySaturday]

Hi, I'm heading to Banff in the Canadian Rockies in August with my DD 25. We have no real plans yet of what to do with our week there. We'll be on public transport and staying possibly in Canmore. Anyone been in that area and know what we can do for a few days? We fancy heading up into the hills, would love to do something with cowboys or gold rush connections. Needs to be accessible by public transport or walking/cycling and not too expensive. The route we're taking will be between Jasper and Calgary so anything between the two will be useful. Thank you!

No idea if this might be useful to you but I watched this recently and it’s made us all want to go - lots of tips / places to go etc -

You're going to struggle without a car - there's virtually no public transport in western Canada

We stayed in Canmore last year.. but with a car. The whole area is stunning. If you are relying on public transport Banff is the better option to stay as you can get local buses to Lake Minnewanka, Banff Gondola. Two lakes that are unmissable are Lake Moraine and Lake Louise.. bookable through Parks Canada. Banff accommodation is hugely expensive so we stayed in Canmore- still very pricey- but I think you would need a car. Book early.. it is very popular 🙂

https://horseback.com/horseback-rides/cowboy-cookouts/. We did this when we went 2018. It was a good family trip and the kids still talk about the games at the bbq stop. I think you would struggle without a car to get there though.
lake Louise is a fabulous day but quite a way to go from Banff.

Thank you. Lots of ideas here. Might have to look into renting a car.....

There is a good bus system that runs from Banff to Canmore and then to the main attractions. it's called Roam Transit. They massively encourage you to use it rather than drive in the Parks to reduce traffic.

In fact you have to park and ride to Moraine lake and Lake Louise anyway so you may as well take the bus.