About Banff & Lake Louise

Where REAL Happens

This is a special place where there are more mountains than million-dollar condos. Where real people get treated like celebrities and celebrities get treated like real people.

What makes this possible? Quite simply, it’s because our three ski areas and two mountain towns are set in the heart of a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Banff National Park.

And that’s what makes this Canada’s Protected Playground. Here you’ll enjoy the driest, lightest snow, terrain to suit every desire and amenities perfect for your taste and budget. Most importantly, it’s all surrounded by unspoiled wilderness.

It’s rare to find ski areas in the middle of real wilderness, but we have three of them here! Mt. Norquay, The Lake Louise Ski Area and Sunshine Village work hard to look after our stunning environment, and look after you.

With a tri-area lift ticket, award-winning ski school and full-service booking facilities, you can easily build the perfect ski vacation.

When you get here, the lack of lift lines mean your vacation is spent skiing, not waiting. And with one of the longest ski seasons in North America, there’s plenty of time to enjoy the majestic peaks, remote woodlands, roaming wildlife and fantastic snow.

We invite you to browse the site and contact us with any questions. And hopefully, we’ll see you on the mountains!

Photo by Craig Duece

We’re proud to be located in the heart of Canada’s first and the world’s finest National Park. This, and our UNESCO World Heritage Site status, are at the centre of everything we do.

From gritting our roads with sand instead of salt to protect our wildlife’s eco-system, to building nothing taller than three stories high to protect the views, we care.

And you’ll know you’re skiing in a National Park. We challenge you to avoid the wildlife on the way to Mt. Norquay, count the glaciers around The Lake Louise Ski Area or try and spot a road from the top of Sunshine Village!

Banff received its National Park status in 1885 after three Canadian Pacific Railway construction workers unwittingly stumbled across the area’s natural hot springs.

The springs, thought to offer healing waters, and 26 square kilometres (10 square miles) on the north slopes of Sulphur Mountain, became government protected. This saw the start of Banff’s official development.

Over time, the protected area has been expanded to encompass 6,641 square kilometres (2,564 square miles), including Lake Louise.

In 1980, the United Nations recognized Banff National Park as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) identifies, protects and preserves cultural and natural heritage around the world considered to be of outstanding value to humanity.

This title has a very practical meaning for those of us lucky enough to live here, and the guests we welcome every year.

We have both an opportunity and an obligation to become a model community for ecological intergrity. For more information on our Environmantal Stewardship Policy, please visit the Town of Banff’s website.

To build a strong, dynamic, fun and convenient ski and snowboard experience within the Park is a challenge, but it’s one which we’ve embraced and are thankful for. And it’s what makes a winter vacation here unlike anywhere else in the world.

It’s what makes this Canada’s Protected Playground!

Photo: Banff Lake Louise Tourism

Banff National Park’s two communities, Banff and Lake Louise have been welcoming visitors for more than a century, and they’re very good at it!

Lured by the incredible scenery, guests come here seeking phenomenal skiing and snowboarding, and everyone you meet will tell you they’ve found it.

But not only are the mountains amazing, the towns are too.

Both Banff and Lake Louise offer transportation to and from the ski areas, free with a tri-area lift ticket. Our Banff-based reservations agents can help you decide which town is right for you.

Banff is home to designer shops and boutiques, a bustling nightlife, museums, cultural activities, extensive dining and luxurious spas.  And of course, we share this home with elk, deer, wolves, bears, sheep and many more wildlife.

Yet only minutes away from all the action, you’ll lose yourself in the tranquility of the forest along the banks of the Bow River.

Explore the snowy forests by dogsled or on snowshoes, or enjoy a sleigh ride as you snuggle under a warm blanket. Many other winter activities are available, and in the heart of a UNESCO World Heritage Site, they’re all unique.

Romantic and relaxing, the pace in Lake Louise attracts people who want to savour the finer things in life; a good book in front of a fireplace, the stillness of the outdoors, or a quiet walk after dinner.

Here you’ll find an array of fine dining and first class accommodations. The lake itself, with emerald waters set against the stark backdrop of Victoria Glacier, is one of the most beloved scenes in the Canadian Rockies.

Not only have international royalty, Hollywood stars and heads of state come to Lake Louise to relax, but increasingly the rest of the world is discovering its simple charms as well.

The surrounding mountain peaks and the sight of grazing wildlife roaming the streets remind you that you are standing inside Canada’s Protected Playground, Banff National Park.