Banff

Sulphur Mountain, the lake shuttles and Lake Minnewanka in three days

Plan on three days for Banff and its lakes. Spend a first morning in town at the Banff Park Museum, Bow Falls and the Fairmont Banff Springs, then go up Sulphur Mountain. Give a day to the Parks Canada shuttles to Lake Louise and Moraine Lake, and drive the Lake Minnewanka loop for wildlife and lake views.

Morning one starts on foot. Walk down Banff Avenue to the Bow River bridge and look into the Banff Park Museum, a log building full of century-old taxidermy that shows what lives in the surrounding valleys. Follow the river path east to Bow Falls and climb to the Fairmont Banff Springs for coffee in the lobby and a look at the Rundle stone halls. After lunch, take Roam Route 1 up to the Banff Gondola and spend an hour on the boardwalk along the summit ridge of Sulphur Mountain. Come down and soak at the Upper Hot Springs next door as the light fades.

Day two needs an early alarm. Take a reserved Parks Canada shuttle from the Lake Louise Park and Ride to Moraine Lake first, while the water is still, then on to Lake Louise, where the lakeshore path and the climb to the Lake Agnes Tea House fill the middle of the day. Return along the Bow Valley Parkway and stop at Johnston Canyon for the catwalks to the Lower Falls before the evening crowds.

Take a boat cruise on the lake, stop at Two Jack Lake for photos of Mount Rundle, and return through town to the Cave and Basin, where the 1883 discovery of warm springs led to Canada's first national park. End with dinner on Bear Street.

Alberta beef, Grizzly House fondue and Bear Street breweries

Banff eats like a ranching province on holiday. Order Alberta beef at the Banff Avenue steakhouses, try bison burgers and elk sausage, and have fondue at the Grizzly House, a Banff tradition for decades. For beer, the breweries on and around Bear Street pour their own, a block west of Banff Avenue.

Alberta beef is the local pride, and the steakhouses along Banff Avenue serve prime rib and ribeye with no apology. Game appears too: bison burgers and elk sausage are standard menu items, and fondue has been a Banff tradition for decades, with the Grizzly House on Banff Avenue still cooking meat on hot rocks at the table.

Cafés on Bear Street and Caribou Street open early for skiers and hikers, and most will pack a sandwich for the trail.

The drinking scene runs from Irish pubs such as St. James Gate on Wolf Street to Wild Bill's, a long-running saloon on Banff Avenue with live country music and a dance floor. Banff Avenue Brewing and the Park Distillery serve their own beer and spirits with pub food. Dinner tables fill fast in July, August and over Christmas, so book a day ahead for anywhere popular.

Watch the rules on minors: Alberta's drinking age is 18, and some licensed rooms do not admit anyone younger, even to eat. Families should check at the door or choose a restaurant licensed for all ages.

Snowy Junes, cold Januaries and skiing at Norquay and Sunshine

Banff sits at about 1,400 metres, so expect cold, dry winters and short summers. January averages a high of minus 4C and a low of minus 14C with about 19 mm of precipitation, good for skiing at Norquay, Sunshine Village and Lake Louise, and snow can fall even in June.

January averages a high of minus 4C and a low of minus 14C, and cold snaps can drop far lower. Yet winter is dry and often sunny, with only about 19 mm of precipitation in January, which is why skiing at Norquay, Sunshine Village and Lake Louise is so pleasant on clear days. The SnowDays festival brings ice carving and winter events to town from mid-January into early February, when Lake Louise also stages its Ice Magic sculptures.

Spring arrives slowly. April highs of about 9C come with snow still on the higher trails, and the lakes usually stay frozen into late May or June. June is the wettest month at about 73 mm, and a flurry of snow even in early summer is not unusual.

July and August are the peak, with highs of 22C to 23C, cool nights around 6C to 7C and every trail and boat cruise running. They are also the busiest months, so plan early starts. September, at about 17C, brings golden larches on the high trails late in the month and thinner crowds,.

Late autumn has its own draw. The Banff Mountain Film and Book Festival runs at the Banff Centre on Tunnel Mountain in late October and early November, drawing climbers and filmmakers from around the world.