Canadian Rockies - Canmore or Banff for 3 nights?

You will love the area! How about staying at a lodge in one of the parks? Jasper park would be quieter and probably less expensive. There is one lodge that has a hot spring pool.

Adrianne, I grew up in Edmonton, and summer vacations were always spent in Jasper…Pine Bungalows cabin #13. When I got married, my husband and I camped there in the summer and skied in the winter.

You will be coming from Calgary, so it makes sense to stay in the Canmore/Banff area before the official trip. Both places have a lovely walkable downtown. I’m sure you could arrange tours or hikes where you could be picked up at your hotel from both places. There is little elevation difference between the 2 places.

Both places will be very crowded this summer. Even before Covid, Banff had hordes of people in the middle of summer. Now that travel is opening up, it will be packed. Availability of accommodation might just determine your location.

Allan from Calgary, speak up about your home town of Calgary and give this gal a reason to see your lovely city. Other than a losing hockey team, it’s a nice place to see.

Thank you for choosing Canada as your destination in. Maybe Vancouver Island will be a future holiday.

We did four days in the Canadian Rockies on a bus tour a few years ago. We stayed in Jasper and Banff and it did not seem hectic at all. Both towns are rather small with lots of great scenic views. Don't remember Canmore. There are several great sites to see in the area. Don't miss Lake Louise. Also, go up the mountain at Jasper.

If you plan on just hiking everywhere, you will miss a lot.

Another vote for Jasper N.P. We rented a "cabin" in the park way back in 2006 and loved the peace and beauty there. The small town has a few restaurants and shops. Our cabin was like a really nice hotel room and was a short walk to the lake, where we watched the sunset and enjoyed gin and tonics in an idyllic setting. (We had a car and had been on a road trip, so brought our own cocktails.)
Not sure how you would get into town (shuttle, Uber?), but Jasper N.P. and Jasper town are far more peaceful and far less touristy than Banff. The whole area is beautiful, and I have no information about hiking, etc., but Jasper outshines Banff in my eyes. Wherever you decide to go, though, you will love the time you spend in this gorgeous part of Canada.

I'd love to be able to recommend that you take some time to see Calgary and some other daytrip sites in directions other than toward Banff, but if you won't have a car then I'd highly recommend staying in there since that is where your tour starts. Jasper is too far away if you need to get back to Banff to start your tour, I suspect you'll be hitting all of the blockbuster views on your tour anyway. Canmore is also nice with some fantastic restaurants, but in August it will also be hectic along its main shopping street, and the majority of hotels are on a very touristy street near the highway. Banff is larger and you can find your way off the beaten path a bit easier. Hotels in both will be expensive this time of year and fill up fast. I suggest you start booking hotels now.

I don't know your budget, but some mid-range hotels in Banff and Canmore to consider:

• Juniper Lodge https://thejuniper.com/ This is outside of Banff and a bit of a walk into town, but you may enjoy how peaceful it is with a beautiful hike up Mt Norquay Scenic Drive.
• Mount Royal Hotel https://www.banffjaspercollection.com/hotels/mount-royal-hotel/ Right on main street, but easy walk to restaurants and buses.
• Banff Park Lodge https://www.banffparklodge.com/ Right beside the river. Not sure if they actually have river views though.

Restaurants in Banff

• The Maple Leaf https://banffmapleleaf.com/ higher end, but worth it. One of the best restaurants I've been to anywhere in the world.
• Magpie and Stump https://www.magpieandstump.ca/ This is very casual TexMex but I love the upstairs outdoor patio.
• Three Bears https://threebearsbanff.com/ This is a craft brewery and very casual, but with the best pepperoni pizza I've ever had. Go during happy hour to save some money.

Hotels in Canmore

• Solara Resort https://www.solararesort.ca/accommodations/ It's actually a timeshare but they do rent out rooms. We stay here often. 15 minute walk to downtown.
• Coast Canmore https://www.coasthotels.com/coast-canmore-hotel-and-conference-centre Cookie cutter hotel but good location. 10 minute walk to downtown. Very good restaurant in the hotel that I can't remember the name of.

Restaurants in Canmore

• The Sensory https://www.thesensory.ca/ Higher end, very good.
• The Wood. https://www.thewood.ca/index.php/food Honestly, nothing special, but a nice outdoor patio.
• Crazyweed https://crazyweed.ca/index.php Higher end but very good.

If you decide on Canmore and are walking downtown, check out Ken Hoen halleries https://kenhoehn.ca/ He's quite a renowned nature photographer and has some beautiful photos.

I would stay in Banff. Check out Roam for transportation options. https://roamtransit.com/schedules-routes/

Canmore is worth a day but I would stay in Banff and take a day trip to Canmore. The in-your-face mountain is worth a visit. Good food and shopping too.

Thanks to everyone who responded! Based on recommendations a hotel room in Banff has been secured. Now working on guide for day and half of hiking. That will leave a day or so for a bit of R&R, see 1-2 things in Banff that tour doesn't cover. Maybe the ROAM bus to Canmore.

FYI, the tour does include the must-see sites, and things to do. It's 8 nights total: 2 in Jasper, 2 in Lake Louise and 2 nights in Banff on either end. I've traveled with the company before, and they do a good job typically including local expert lectures, etc.

Adrianne

It has been years but I lived in Calgary and we used to go to Banff Hot Springs which was great. Sometimes we got a massage prior to going to the hot springs. ( we used our health plan so I can't remember the cost of the massage but it was more than I would have paid on my own)