I'm sure you are tired of hearing about the "last this" and the "last that of the decade" LOL. But for my last post of the decade, let me give you a quick recap of my Christmas in Banff, Canada's mountains. And a couple of reasons why you should add Banff, Alberta, to your list of places to visit within North America.
We spent six days in Banff, and even though we did a lot, six days is barely enough time to soak in what Banff has to offer.
BANFF DAY ONE - COOL OFF
We got in on the evening of the 22nd of December, and because it was a long trip, we wrote the day off, took a hot shower and slept in.
TIP: Book your flight directly to Calgary, so you only have to deal with the 2-hour ride from Calgary to Banff and not deal with a 6-hour trip from Edmonton to Calgary and then Calgary to Banff like I did (it was a facepalm moment for me).
To get to Banff from Calgary, you can either take the Brewster Express bus which costs anywhere between 68 to 72 dollars directly to your hotel or lodge or take a taxi from Calgary for a flat rate somewhere between 160 to 200 dollars or preferably, drive down.
Going to the city, we took the bus ride, it was comfortable, hitch-free and airconditioned. The bus dropped us right at our lodge with no hassle.
BANFF DAY TWO – VISIT THE DOWNTOWN AREA
After taking things easy the previous day, we got right into the tourist things on day 2. We had lunch at this Cajun-Creole restaurant recommended by a friend called Touloulous. It had the best country-like seafood meal I've had in a while.
Banff is a very small city so everything in the downtown area was close together so we could easily walk around and explore most of the downtown area on foot. However, to get there, we took a taxi (conveniently called "Taxi-Taxi") which got us right where we had to go.
We checked out:
- The Sundance Mall
- Local Starbucks
- Got popcorn at Mary's popcorn
- The streets of the city and we tried to figure out how far we can go to see the mountains clearly on foot
And for dinner, we had some pasta at the Italian restaurant at our lodge called Patrino's. The meal was lovely, the steak cooked to perfection, and as I said on my Instagram post, you must try the Lumaconi Alla Rosé.
DAY THREE – THE GONDOLA RIDE TO SULFUR MOUNTAIN
The Gondola ride up to the top of Sulfur Mountain is a must-try. Even though it was pricy at about 71 dollars per person, and I cried the whole ride there, it was worth getting to the top!
The ride each way was about 8 minutes long. Sulfur Mountian sits at 2,451 m (7,402 ft) high and overlooks the town of Banff. When you brave the ride to the top, there are a lot of things to explore at the top;
- You can have dinner at one of the lovely fine dining restaurants
- Enjoy the view from the observation decks
- Learn about the animals of Banff at the Interpretive Centre
- Get some hot chocolate and just enjoy the bonfire
After the gondola ride, we had dinner again at Tony Romas, had some cocktails and grilled chicken and called it a night. Most of the cuisine we had in Banff were mostly North American meals, mashed potatoes, fried, steak, and just the basics.
DAY FOUR – SWIM AND SEE THE FAIRMONT SPRINGS CASTLE
Day 4 was a lazy day. We got up at past noon, spent a couple of hours in the pool and jacuzzi, and then we set out for the day. We visited the Fairmont Springs hotel, which was famous for having halls similar to the Harry Porter Castle and historical artifacts. We learned about the first Brewster express, the first-ever dining halls built and some other things about Banff. We went in the evening, but I firmly believe it would have been better during the day.
Pool with the Mountain's hehind us
DAY FIVE – MOVIES AT THE LUX CINEMA
Day 5 was just like day 4, laidback and in bed till past noon. We did a couple of hours in the pool again and then hit the road. We had an early dinner at the Keg Restaurant at the Caribou Lodge and then took a quick taxi ride downtown. We saw Cats the musical at the Lux Cinema, Banff's intimate cinema for about 30 dollars and then headed back to the hotel. We used public transit twice in the city and we loved it. It was comfortable and costs only 2 dollars per ride, the only con was that the buses were very inconsistent but we blamed it on the weather.
Banff Lux Cinema 
DAY SIX – JOURNEY HOME AND CONCLUSIONS
Day 6 was so short and a blur. We got up early, took a chartered taxi back to Calgary and then worked our way back home.
If you are ever in Edmonton, visit Banff. Really. It's worth it! I think it would be even more beautiful in summer when its warm and you don't have to worry about gloves or the cold. Take some cash with you and talk to the locals.
And for the last time this decade, subscribe to the blog and follow me on my socials: Instagram, Twitter. See ya!
Love,
Auneetuh
