Visiting Banff National Park can be an expensive trip to take, but visiting Banff on a budget is definitely possible!! These are my best tips to save money while visiting Banff, or at least to try and cut costs during your visit.
Banff on a Budget: My Best Tips!
For a full list of Fees you may come across in Banff National park, check out Parks Canada Fee Page here. It lists the current costs of different campgrounds, passes, and parking!

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Getting To & Around Banff Budget Tips
One of the biggest parts of your budget for visiting Banff will be devoted to getting there and getting around the National Park.
Renting a Vehicle
If it’s in your budget I highly recommend renting a vehicle. It gives you the freedom to explore where you want to, when you want to. Most visitors to Banff will be flying in and out of the Calgary International Airport, meaning it’s typically best to rent a car in Calgary. Renting a car can be the more expensive option though, and if you’re trying to visit Banff on a budget, it may not be the best option! I have written a post about visiting the Canadian Rockies without a car if you are interested! Costs to keep in mind when renting a vehicle include:
The Price of Gas:
In order to save money on gas, fill up in less expensive areas such as Canmore and Dead Man’s Flats. Avoid filling up on the Icefields Parkway and at Lake Louise if possible. The price of gas can be hard to predict, so make sure to leave quite a bit of space in your budget for this.
The Price of Parking
Another cost associated with renting a vehicle is the cost of parking. Some parking lots require payment:
- Lake Louise Parking Lot (from May – October)
- Downtown Banff (free parking at the train station though)
- Downtown Canmore
Most other parking lots and day use areas do not cost money to park at.

In order to avoid paying for parking and worrying about finding a parking spot at Lake Louise (and Moraine Lake), you can opt to reserve a spot on the Parks Canada Shuttle. The shuttle leaves from the Lake Louise Park & Ride, where you can park your car for free and take the shuttle.
Unfortunately, there is no public transportation to the Park & Ride, and so you will need a vehicle to access this option.
Note: The Parks Canada Shuttle has a cost associated with it, and must be booked in advance. Therefore, you may not be saving a ton of money by taking the shuttle, but you will save time because you won’t have to search for a parking spot.

Downtown Banff and Canmore are both very walkable, so if you are staying in one of these towns and exploring, you can leave your rental car at your hotel (if applicable) and explore that way.
If you are planning to rent a car, you will most likely have to rent from the city you fly into (probably Calgary) as there are no car rental locations in Banff.
Public Transit
Exploring Banff via public transit is a great option to save money and explore Banff on a budget. You will have to organize your own transportation from the airport to the Town of Banff (most visitors fly into Calgary, which is about an hour away). For this, there are multiple companies that offer shuttles from the Calgary Airport to Downtown Banff.
While in Banff, there is a great public transit system (Roam Transit) connecting and stopping at most of the popular sites in Banff, which will save you money in rental fees, gas, parking, and time!
Places Roam Transit visits include:
- Downtown Banff
- Banff Gondola
- Banff Upper Hotsprings
- Downtown Canmore
- Tunnel Mountain Campground, Two Jack Campgrounds, and various hotels
- Cascade Ponds
- Johnson Lake
- Two Jack Lake Day Use Area
- Minnewanka Lake & Lookout
- Johnston Canyon
- Lake Louise Village
- Lake Louise Lakeshore
- Moraine Lake (September – October only)
Note: Some bus routes only run during specific seasons (ex: May-October, September-October). Plan ahead!
If you are camping, visitors get a free ride on Roam Transit which stops at most campgrounds. This could help you save on gas money and parking costs for visiting Downtown or other popular areas if you have a rental car.
If you are hoping to visit Sunshine Village (amazing hiking in summer!), there is a free shuttle from Downtown Banff that will take you directly there.

National Park Pass Cost
All visitors who are stopping in Canadian National Parks need to purchase a National Park Pass. You’ll have the option to pay per person/per day, per family or group/per day, or a year-long pass for the full vehicle (up to 7 people) called the Discovery Pass. Depending on your length of stay and group number, it could be cheaper to purchase the Year Long Discovery Pass for the entire vehicle.
The Year Discovery Pass is valid for use in any Canadian National Park – so if you purchase one for Banff, it will work in Jasper National Park as well as any other National Park in Canada! The Pass is also valid in most National Historic Sites in Canada.
You can purchase any of the Parks Passes from Toll Booths when entering Banff National Park. If driving, the Parks Canada Employee will be able to help you figure out the best pass for your trip. If you’re planning to visit a few Canadian National Parks over the span of the year, it may be the most cost-effective to purchase the Discovery Pass.
There is a different type of pass required for visiting Kananaskis Country, and can be purchased for the day or for the entire year. You can purchase this pass online and it is registered to your license plate. If you are on a super tight budget, visiting Kananaskis may not be the best option, because it requires a lot of driving and the extra cost of the Kananaskis Pass. Plus there is already so much to see in Banff National Park!

Accommodation Tips
Accommodation is something you may struggle to find good prices on, because the price is kind of out of our control! There definitely are some tips or things you could try in order to save money though:
- If you have the resources/gear to camp, this could help you cut costs.
- Options include renting a fully loaded RV or van so you have access to all of the gear, or renting a tent and other camping basics. Most campgrounds cost around $30 CAD per night, which could help families or small groups save money while visiting.
- Tunnel Mountain Campground is one of the closest campgrounds to the Town of Banff.
- There are hostels in Banff, Canmore, and Lake Louise. If you’re young and like the hostel scene, this could be a nice way to visit Banff on a budget!
- Look for hotels that are on the outskirts of Downtown, instead of in the heart of downtown. These are typically cheaper.
- I like to search for hotels using Booking.com, or on Google Maps.
- On Google Maps, head to the area you’re interested in and search “hotel”. Then on the side bar put in your dates, and you can use the map to see where different hotels are and what their prices are. This will help you know how close to Town you are and it’s a lot easier to compare prices this way!
- Sometimes getting a hotel room in Canmore (instead of Banff hotels) can help save money! Just be sure to take into account the cost of gas or other transportation to get to the sites you want to.
- Another nearby town that may be cheaper to stay in is Field, BC in Yoho National Park. It is a short drive from Banff, but isn’t really connected to Banff by public transportation.
- It can’t hurt to check out prices on Airbnb, but sometimes I find the prices on Airbnb more expensive unless traveling in a large group.

Saving on Food
The cost of food can be another big budget-eater. To save money in Banff, I would recommend shopping at the grocery stores as much as possible.
- Canmore grocery store prices can be cheaper than Banff grocery stores. So if you’re in Canmore, it might be worth it to grab a couple of grocery items!
- Grocery stores in Calgary would have the best price though (Walmart or Superstore), so if you have the chance to stop in Calgary for food or even snacks, this would be the best option. If you have a Costco card, stop at Costco!
- Picnics are a great way to save money on lunches.
- Breakfasts and lunch are typically cheaper meals than dinner if you’re planning on eating out, so if you can, try to eat a bigger breakfast and/or lunch and a smaller dinner!
- Find restaurants not in the heart of downtown if you’re trying to stay on budget while in Banff, or ask your hotel or wherever you’re staying for affordable dinner recommendations.
- Tipping is part of the culture in Canada, and the standard tip for good service is 15%. If having a large meal, make sure to account for the tip in your budget.
- If camping, cook over the fire! Hotdogs make a great, cheap dinner while camping (check for a fireban).
- Water is free at restaurants in Canada, so if you do eat out, I like to fill my water bottle at restaurants to avoid using plastic water bottles and paying for water.
Budget Friendly Activities in Banff

Free Activities
One of the best ways to save money in Banff National Park is to do the many free activities the park has to offer! This can include:
Day Hikes
Day hikes are free and will get you some amazing views!! There are a bunch of easy hikes near Banff, but to list a few nice/popular ones are:
- Johnston Canyon (accessible by Roam transit or car)
- Tunnel Mountain (trailhead is accessible from Downtown Banff)
- Johnson Lake (accessible by Roam transit or car)
- Sulphur Mountain (instead of paying to take the gondola up, hike up instead for amazing fews and on a budget!)
Viewpoints
There are viewpoints everywhere. If you are renting a car, you could spend all day just driving around and stopping at a ton of viewpoints. All of the viewpoints are turnouts on the side of the road, where you can stop and take in the scenery. A lot of them also have short hikes attached to them for an even better experience!
Unfortunately, if you’re taking public transit, it may be harder to stop at the many viewpoints Banff has. But, you could rent a bike from town and spend a day biking to a few!
Great viewpoints you could bike to (or walk/hike to) from the Town of Banff are:
- Vermillion Lakes (bike or walking)
- Sundance Trail (bike or walking)
- Hoodoos Viewpoint (bike or hike)
- Surprise Corner
- Bow Falls Viewpoint
- Fenland Trail
Great viewpoints to visit by car are:
- Icefields Parkway (Peyto Lake, Bow Lake, Mistaya Canyon, Columbia Icefield…)
- Castle Mountain Viewpoint
- Any random viewpoint turnout you see while driving!
- Most of the viewpoints mentioned above that are also accessible by bike

Day Use Areas and Lakes
There are so many amazing day use areas and lakes to explore in Banff, you don’t need to spend a ton of money on tours and other activities!
Nice spots that don’t cost any money to visit are:
- Lake Minnewanka
- Two Jack Lake Day Use Area
- Johnson Lake
- Cascade Ponds
- Moraine Lake
Swimming
Swimming is a great option if you’re visiting in the summer, and it’s free! Nice places to swim include Quarry Lake (Canmore) and Johnson Lake in Banff (accessible by Roam transit). For a colder lake to go swimming at in Banff, take a dip in Two Jack Lake!
Tip: For extra fun, stop at the Banff dollar store and pick up a floaty to bring with you.
Other Free Activities in Banff
- Cascade of Time Gardens (in Banff Town)
- Visit the Banff Town Sign
- Wander down Banff Avenue

Low-Cost Activities and Cheaper Alternatives
Saving on Canoeing
- Rent a canoe from the Banff Canoe Club instead of Lake Louise or Moraine Lake
- Rent an inflatable SUP for the entire day instead of a canoe for an hour
Guided Tours
- If you’re looking to visit the Columbia Icefield, instead of paying for the large tour in the Ice Buggies, hike to the Toe of the Athabasca Glacier for free instead.
- Skip paying for guided hikes (ex. Johnston Canyon) and hike yourself!
- If you want to see the views from the top of the Banff Gondola, you could choose to hike to the stop instead of paying to ride (Sulphur Mountain Trail). Or, pay for a ride up and hike down for half the cost!

Biking
If you don’t have access to a car, there are some fun things you could do if you rent a bike in Banff!
- Bike the Legacy Trail from Banff to Canmore
- Bike the Bow Valley Parkway (the road is closed to vehicles in May, making this the perfect time)
- Sundance Trail
- Vermillion Lakes
Tip: For an even nicer time, rent an e-bike 🙂 .

Save Depending on the Season
Usually visiting during the off-season can help you save money. You could visit in the off-season, but summer is so stunning and my favourite time in the mountains. If you can, I highly recommend visiting in the summertime!
Benefits of visiting Banff in the summer:
- Wildflower season
- The lakes are melted and glacier lakes are an amazing blue/green colour
- Higher chance of spotting wildlife
- Warmer weather/a better chance for nice weather
- Swimming, canoeing, paddleboarding season
- Hiking season
Downfalls of visiting Banff in the summer:
- Wildfire season (risk of smoky air or fire bans)
- More crowded/busy
- Potentially higher prices
However, the off-season would be the cheapest time to visit Banff on a budget. Banff is usually busy in the summertime (late June to late August) and winter for ski season (December to mid-March). The best prices would be in late March to early June, or mid-October to mid-December.

Saving Money in Banff FAQ
In summary, the best ways to save money in Banff include cooking your own meals and avoiding eating out for every meal, as well as doing free activities such as hiking and sightseeing.Another way to save money is choosing cheaper alternatives to popular activities – instead of canoeing on Moraine Lake, try canoeing with the Banff Canoe Club instead.
Although visiting Banff can be expensive year-round, the cheapest months to visit are April/May and October/November. These are the off-season times when fewer people visit the National Park because some places begin to close due to avalanche risk (e.g., Moraine Lake).
Yes, I have always had better luck finding more affordable accommodation in Canmore than in Banff. I’ve also found some restaurants on the outskirts of Canmore to be more affordable than in Banff as well.
Have you visited Banff National Park before? Let me know your best Banff on a budget tips!
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More on the Canadian Rockies:
- Banff National Park Bucket List
- Moraine Lake Tips for Visiting
- Your Lake Louise Itinerary
- 4 Day Banff Itinerary
- How to Be a Responsible Visitor in Banff, Jasper, & The Canadian Rockies
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Hey! I’m Kat. Based in Alberta, Canada I love to travel to the Rockies and explore new places around the world. Follow along on my adventures and find inspiration and tips for your own travels.
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