If you are looking for a vacation in the Canadian Rockies then don’t go anywhere but Banff, Alberta. Even though this is a relatively small town in Canada it has a huge amount of tourist traffic almost year round. Therefore, for those who want to get in touch with nature this may not be the best city for you. During the high season there can be as many as fifty thousand tourists in one day coming to this city. This is what helps make Banff one of the largest and busiest national parks with an urban focus in the whole world.

However, aside from outdoor activities there isn’t a whole lot to do in the city of Banff. There are a few small museums and a cable-car ride. But other than that most of the souvenir shops and restaurants are located within the main street of Banff Avenue. However, there are very many lovely paths that you can walk on around the town and in the nearby national park that will provide you excellent views of nature.

There is quite a selection of hotels to choose from in Banff and the small outlying areas. There are rustic back country lodges in the Canadian Rockies where you can really get in touch with nature since these lodges do not have electricity or running water. For the younger traveling groups there are plenty of hostels to choose from that have shared bathroom facilities.

Banff also has your standard roadside motels that your find common along long stretches of freeway in the United States. Small, historic bed and breakfasts are located in the city and dotted around the surrounding area. There are the large chain hotels that offer luxurious resort hotels with plenty of first class amenities. And don’t forget the historic mountain resorts that give a feel for the old Canada before modernization.

Many of the larger resorts even offer facilities that can provide you with slightly more activities to do in Banff than the city itself has to offer. Some offer boat rentals, horseback riding lessons, tennis courts, guided hike tours in the national park, swimming pools, hot tubs, business centers, golf courses and several fine dining restaurants. Most of the other hotels and resorts have very little amenities and prefer to remain without televisions, radio and telephones in the rooms.

The hardest time to find a hotel in Banff is from June to September so be sure to have reservations in advance during these months. It is also a popular travel destination during Christmas and New Year’s. During ski season many of the hotels also pack out with people eager to ski on the many slopes the surrounding mountains have to offer. Be sure to check out the latest Banff Hotel Deals.